What grains and starches should I eat if I want to lose weight?

Grains and starches (G&S) are carbohydrates, which include pastas, breads, rice, cereals, and beans. This group also includes starchy vegetables, like potatoes, peas, corn, sweet potatoes, and yams. When it comes to grains, variation is the key if you want to lose weight. Mix it up and try less-common options like faro and quinoa. Quinoa is relatively new to the United States, but it's been a staple of the Peruvian diet for more than five thousand years. Because of its energy-boosting, high-protein quotient, it was treated like gold by the Incas, who traded it as one of their most precious commodities. Some of the best grains and starches include:

• Brown rice
• Farro
• Quinoa
• Steel cut oats
• Sweet potatoes

I recommend that you consume a variety of G&S throughout the week to optimize your nutritional intake, so mix up your diet with wheat, quinoa, brown rice, and more. For example, if you have cereal for breakfast, maybe add quinoa or beans at lunch and sweet potatoes at dinner.