Instructions: "Its as if grains are the bad boys of sports nutrition," says Jackie Berning, a dietitian who consults with professional ball players and Olympic contenders. "Unfortunately, even top athletes hear the consumer message about eating more protein and fewer carbos. I am always pushing for more whole grains in their diets."

But getting enough high-quality protein need not come at the expense of carbohydrates. Whole grains can provide both, along with such nutrients as fiber, potassium, magnesium, chromium and manganese that are valuable for disease prevention and athletic performance.

Some grains are equal to any protein count you might get from red meat or eggs, but without the saturated fats. For example, a cup of cooked amaranth provides 28 grams, and uncooked quinoa checks in at 22 grams per cup. Both grains, available at many supermarkets these days, are comparable to 3 ounces of beef, chicken or tuna, or three to four eggs. The added value is the 100-plus grams of carbohydrates that can fuel, say, 45 minutes of running.

Plus, these grains contain good amounts of essential amino acids such lysine and methionine. Amaranth in particular has been compared to egg whites as the

"perfect protein."

Harder to find is rye, which delivers 25 grams of protein in a cooked cup.

More popular grains - couscous, brown and wild rice, oatmeal - have relatively modest amounts of protein per serving, equal to about one egg per serving. But these will require legumes to complete their protein profiles. In her book, "Power Foods" (Rodale, $12.95), UC Davis nutritionist Liz Applegate recommends baked beans and brown bread, lentil soup and rye bread, beans and corn tortillas, refried beans and rice, and tofu and Chinese noodles as power-packed meals.

Breakfast is a good time to get your grains, Berning says. She recommends the standing sports nutritionist favorite of oatmeal, which gets additional kudos from dietitians for lowering cholesterol counts, but concedes the summer months can prompt more interest in whole-grain cereals with cold milk (or soy milk or yogurt). She especially likes the Kashi brand cereals that combine whole grains with sesame seeds to offer a complete protein source even when consumed without the milk.

Athletes loading up on animal protein should be aware of the dangers involved. Anyone with a family history of kidney troubles should be wary of a high-protein diet, says Paul A. Lachance, a nutrition professor at Rutgers University. These individuals would be wise to rely more on protein from grains combined with legumes, nuts or seeds.

"The protein in meat and other animal sources is highly concentrated," Lachance says. "You get about 5.5 calories in every protein gram, but the body only uses 4 grams. The kidneys have to dump the other 1.5 calories. That can put a tremendous burden on the kidneys if you consume extreme amounts of protein."

Getting your protein from animal sources or supplement powders can also strain your budget. Protein is clearly the most expensive nutrient in any diet, Lachance says. Grains are an inexpensive alternative.

Another reason to endorse whole grains is their complex carbohydrates, which provide fuel for workouts. Not getting enough grains can "compromise your performance on back-to-back workouts or any sort of intense exercise," Berning says.

"The athletes who try high-protein diets always seem to quit them sooner or later because they are dragging," she says. "We add brown rice or wild rice, plus some whole-grain breakfast cereals. It helps a lot."

No expert is suggesting all grains are equal in nutrition. One reason high-protein diets have helped people lose weight is because they call for a reduction in items made with refined white flour or wheat without its bran. Lots of nutrients are lost in the processing, especially fiber. That goes for white rice too.

"A big problem is people dont categorize their grain intake very well," Lachance says. "Eating doughnuts or croissants is not what we had in mind when developing a food pyramid with 6 to 11 daily servings of grains at its base."

History is on the side of grains too, Lachance says. Amaranth was a staple of the Aztecs, and two-thirds of todays world still stays healthy basically on the strength of corn, rice or wheat with the right legumes, nuts or seeds.

A grain-heavy diet, Lachance says, "was good enough for loggers at the turn of last century who needed 4,000 to 5,000 calories per day for their jobs.

It seems reasonable to think its good enough for athletes and other active people in our push-button society."

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