3. SWITCH TO WHOLE GRAINS

The strategy: As often as possible, choose whole-grain products over their refined counterparts. For instance, try barley or bulgur instead of white rice. Eat whole-wheat bread instead of white or enriched wheat, oatmeal instead of grits, Grape-Nuts instead of Special K, or worse, Cap'n Crunch. Here's why you need to read nutrition labels:

• Bran for Life bread contains 5 grams of fiber per slice—80 calories—while Pepperidge Farm thin-sliced white bread also has 80 calories but zero grams of fiber.

• 1 ounce of Grape-Nuts contains 2.5 grams of fiber and 104 calories while 1 ounce of Special K has 0.88 grams of fiber and 105 calories (1 ounce of Cap'n Crunch has 0.9 grams of fiber and 113 calories—and lots of sugar).

The weight-control benefit: Whole-grain foods are chewier and more satisfying. Their fiber makes them more filling, so you'll eat less and not be hungry as soon. Tip: Eat 1 whole-grain serving at every meal.

The health bonus: High-fiber foods like whole grains help protect against heart disease, diabetes and, possibly, cancers of the breast, pancreas and colon. They also contain trace minerals that are stripped from refined food products.