Tastier and healthier than its starchy white cousin, brown rice is an ideal food to add to your diet if you’re watching your waistline. The Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that women who ate whole grain foods such as brown rice were less likely to gain weight than those who consumed white rice.

Much of brown rice’s power lies in its low-calorie, high-fibre content. Combined with large amounts of the mineral selenium, the rice’s fibre can help lower the risk of colon cancer.