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Tuesday, April 15, 2003; 1 p.m. ET

Welcome to The Lean Plate Club, hosted by Washington Post health and nutrition writer Sally Squires. On Tuesdays at 1 p.m. ET, Sally leads a discussion for people who want to eat healthier, move around more and otherwise get better but not bigger. We're not about fad diets or crash weight-loss plans; we're about eating wisely and living healthy for the long haul.

We want to hear from you -- your tips, strategies, meal plans, successes, warnings, setbacks and more. Of course Sally will be happy to answer questions, and turn others over to the Club. None of this, of course, is a substitute for medical advice.

Submit your questions before or during the discussion.

Health section editor Craig Stoltz will join Sally sometimes. Stoltz has none of Sally's impressive credentials but labors under a decade-long medical directive to control his weight and eat wisely, takes a statin to lower his blood cholesterol and keeps track of everything he eats on a Palm handheld computer, a fact most of his acquaintances no longer find interesting.

Sign up for the free Lean Plate Club e-mail newsletter.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

Sally Squires: Welcome Lean Plate Club members. The day is glorious. Tempting fresh produce is hitting the market. And yes, Spring is finally in the air--which helps to take the sting out of the tax deadline today.

This week's Lean Plate Club electronic newsletter features some great tasting, healthy food finds that I discovered this week. What have you found? Tell us today. And if you want to subscribe to the Lean Plate Club newsletter (yes, it's still free), log onto http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/email/front.htm. If you have any difficulty subscribing, please e-mail me at leanplateclub@washpost.com and please put "trouble subscribing" in the subject line. (I'd also like to know if you've signed up for the newsletter, but are not receiving it.)

Just in time for spring grilling, there's this freebie today:

Let the Flames Begin: The Indispensable Grilling Cookbook by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby (Norton; $30).

Other give-aways this week are:

Sound Mind, Sound Body: Six Week Fitness Transformations for Men and Women by David Kirsch (Rodale, $27.95)

The Protein Counter by Annette Natow, PhD., RD and Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD (Pocket; $6.99)

Strong Women Stay Slim by Miriam Nelson, PhD. with Sarah Wernick, PhD. (Bantam; $11.95)

For those of you new to the Lean Plate Club, here's how it works: We're looking for great tips, suggestions, recipes, leads, food discoveries--in short anything that has helped you to instill healthier eating and exercise habits. Winners are announced at the end of each chat.

One of the topics up for discussion this week is fiber. Tell us how you're boosting your fiber intake. Do you ever take the fiber supplements that are now so widely marketed?

Okay, enough of my chatter and on to yours!

Raleigh, N.C.: I absolutely enjoy reading the LPC newsletter. Keep up the fabulous job
My question is about Saturated Fats - what if any are the differences between animal and plant sat fats? I notice that the nuts mix and peanut butter I like are both high on sat fats, should I be limiting my intake of them? I use the natural peanut butter with no hydrogenated fats.

Sally Squires: Thanks Raleigh. I'm delighted that you enjoy the newsletter. We try to keep it full of information and helpful links. Thanks to the team at washingtonpost.com--Stacey Palosky, Sarah Lumbard and Ju-Don Marshall Roberts--for working the electronic magic to get it out every week.

As for that fat...you're not alone in being confused. The general rule of thumb is that the fat in animal products is mostly saturated, while the fat in plants, is mostly unsaturated (including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated). Of course, there are always exceptions. Fish, for example, is rich in unsaturated fat. Coconut, on the other hand, has a lot of saturated fat. But nuts, avocados and olives all have healthy varieties of fat, as does canola oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil....the list goes on and on.

Arlington, Va.: Hi Sally! I have a fast great meal that can be eaten hot (dinner) or cold (lunches for the week.) It's a great source of fiber, (topic of the week!) as well as other nutrients.

First, I cook up some whole grains (generally choosing grains that can be cooked in a two to one ratio, my favorite mix is quinoa and amaranth, though I've also used millet and buckwheat). In another skillet, I lightly spray olive oil, then sautee up onions, garlic, mushrooms, and spinach. When those are soft and warm, I add a can of tomato sauce and a can of garbanzo beans (garlic spaghetti sauce is my favorite) and when bubbly, pour it over the grains. They mix up well togther, and it's very filling without being heavy. Most importantly, it's delicious and I love eating it!

My favorite food find of the week was the Sproutman gourmet sprout salad. I got it at My Organic Market in Alexandria, but you can probably find it at whole foods or fresh fields as well. It works great as a salad on it's own, or is a great crunchy thing to munch on while I'm at my desk (he also has a crunchy sprout pack) and can be added to all kinds of things I cook. They're fresh and give some protein as well as other nutrients, and the gourmet salad has a big mix of different kinds (even convinced my alfalfa sprout hating boyfriend that sprouts can be yummy).

Anyhow, thanks for the chats; they always make me think about things that I've let slip by the wayside.

Sally Squires: Hi Arlington: Thanks for the recipe. I'm intrigued by amaranth--which is a very ancient grain. And I've eaten quinoa, but never made it myself. Is it difficult to do?

The salad sounds delicious. Those sprouts are indeed a good source of protein. But I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that some sprouts have been linked to e.coli outbreaks. We ran an item about this very thing in the Health section a couple of years ago, based on a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Eleanor Hong, our new producer, is trying to find the link. By the way, welcome Eleanor!

Georgetown, Washington, D.C.: Here's a lighten-up tip for you:
Instead of using sausage in lasagna, buy 1% fat ground turkey and saute it with ground fennel seeds. It tastes just like sausage in the lasagna, but with most of the fat knocked out. This has been a huge hit at my house.

Sally Squires: Yum. Sounds really good. I've also been buying ground chicken breast and using it for tacos and spaghetti sauce. It's been a pretty big hit at our house too. Thanks!

Oatmeal: After reading this morning's Lean Plate article, I checked on the fiber content in my morning oatmeal. I usually have plain old cooked oatmeal, thinking I was loading up, but was dismayed to see 1/2 cup cooks up to give me only 4 grams of fiber. I do eat fruits and veggies, but I bet I'm way below my recommended 25.

washingtonpost.com: Pecking at the Pyramid (Post, April 8)

Sally Squires: Hi. But don't overlook the fact that that bowl of oatmeal is filled with what researchers used to call soluble fiber and is quite good at lowering blood cholesterol levels, the reason that the FDA gave oat products the right to carry a health claims label. (By the way, it's not easy to get one of those.)

It's definitely not hard to get enough fiber. I happened to track my intake yesterday and without trying reached 30 grams of fiber. The easiest switch is to whole grain crackers or bread. You don't even notice it.

Hyattsville, Md.: As far as fiber, get it from whole foods (that is not from supplements). I have found that since changing over to eating the LPC way (and my plug also for the DASH way), you get all the fiber you need (and lots of other things I was taking pills for).
Regarding food labeling. Are manufacturers required to base their labels on the final state of the food, for example a box cake, shouldn't they give you the calories, fat, etc in its final prepared state and not as if you opened the box and ate the contents raw? I find they are inconsistent and confusing this way.
One more question, is there a one page summary of the new recommendations made by the NAS on nutrition and exercise, or do you have to read their whole entire long report? Would just like something I can post on my bulletin board.
Thanks for your help!

Sally Squires: Well said, Hyattsville. And you bring up a great point. The DASH diet is a very healthy way to eat. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, but you don't need to have high blood pressure to benefit from the approach which emphasizes plenty of fruit and vegetables, low fat dairy products and whole grains, etc.

The labelling point is a good one. And it's why we have to be smart consumers and read carefully. Wish that the NAS report was summarized somewhere, but to my knowledge it is not.

Sugarland: Hi Sally --

I've been exercising regularly and trying to eat well, but I always get a sugar craving in the late afternoon, and this seems to be derailing my eating plan. Any ideas for how to cut this out? Many thanks!

Sally Squires: Hi Sugarland: A couple of thoughts. First of all, what are you eating for lunch? If you're not eating a well-balanced meal with enough calories, say around 400, that could help explain why you're getting hungry late afternoon. Second, if you eating plenty at lunch, why not anticipate your afternoon craving and find something healthy to soothe that sweet tooth? How about a half cup of plain yogurt, flavored with fresh fruit and a teaspoon of slivered almonds or granola for crunch. How about your own trail mix with a healthy cereal, a few nuts and a small amount of chocolate chips or dried fruit? You get the idea. Go with your cravings in a healthy way and see what happens. Let us know how you do.

Philadelphia, Pa.: Hello Sally, just thought I'd let you know I prepped for today's chat by taking a brisk 20 min walk and refilling the water bottle prior to the start. It's becoming a ritual..a healthy one at that.

Sally Squires: Way to go Philly! I didn't get much physical activity prior to coming to work today so don't tell my editor but I'm hoping to duck out a little early and take advantage of the weather too.

Ankara, Turkey: For someone who is working in another country and unavailable to get nutrional facts easily (and works a ton!!), how do you recommend beginning a healthier lifestyle? I've begun walking more but I find I feel under pressure to "eat out" with friends or work collegues.

Sally Squires: Dear Ankara: You are certainly in an interesting part of the world these days. There's nothing wrong with eating out, particularly if you are working hard and need the camraderie and release. What you need is a little planning.

So pace yourself during the day. Be sure to have two healthy meals that are filling for breakfast and lunch. Get up and walk when you can. Then aim for reasonable portion sizes when you go out to eat. Fish is always a great entree choice. I'm guessing that you can probably get a lot of whole grain and bean entrees as well, which would also be good choices. Go easy on the alcohol, which can undermine your resolve and has 7 calories per gram. Split desserts or reach for fresh fruit, or dried figs or dates rolled in pistachios. Yum, I'm getting hungry. The thing is to take this step by step with reasonable, reachable goals. Let us know how you do.

Try to limit the

Springfield, Va: I know multigrain bread is a good source of fiber,
but I never liked sandwiches or toast, leading me
to not eat the bread. But then I realized that
toasted, crumbled multigrain bread has the same
texture as croutons.

So now, instead of sprinkling croutons on my daily
salad, I use toasted multigrain bite-sized bread
chunks. If you're looking for savory croutons, I
found that spreading a thin layer of spicy mustard
on the bread before toasting adds flavor to the
bread.

Sally Squires: Great idea Springfield! I've also discovered tiny rye toasts at Trader Joe's. They're made from whole grain, are very crunchy and tasty and have just 110 calories per 22 "toasts."

washingtonpost.com: Hold the Sprouts (Post, Sept. 4, 2001)

Sally Squires: Here's the story on sprouts. Thanks Eleanor.

Bethesda, Md.: Hello Sally,
This is the new 4o that wrote you roughly four weeks ago. I have a gripe Sally. I follow the lean plate food scrupulously, I have not eaten any sugars in the form of cookies or soda etc. I have avoided all junk but have incorporated salted peanuts (1/4 cup)once or twice a week. My routine now includes atleast a 30min. walk everyday besides a half an hour of yoga. Despite all this my scale is stuck at only 4lbs lesser than the starting weight. We are primarily rice eaters but I have been watchful about the portions. I can see a change in my waist measurement , hips and thighs. but since the weight is not coming off on the scale I feel pretty discouraged. What should I do.
Thanks. I really enjoy this lean plate club.

Sally Squires: Hi Bethesda. First, congratulations on making these healthy changes. It sounds like you've really instilled some important new habits. Second, my guess is that whatever weight you're trying to lose did not go on overnight and it won't come off that way either. Have you tried weight training? As we age, we start losing muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories than fat. Couple that fact with the sedentary life most of us lead, and it's easy to see why it's so easy to gain weight.

Are you tracking what you eat? If you're not, I suggest doing so for about three days. Measure everything. You'd be surprised how portions can creep. Just 10 extra calories a day can add up to an extra pound of weight per year.

Also, those 30 minutes a day of walking are great, but the latest National Academy of Sciences recommendation urged 60 minutes daily to achieve healthy weight.

Finally, have you set a realistic and healthy goal for yourself in terms of weight? Only you can answer that question. Bottom line: keep up the good work. You are already seeing improvements. The scale is important, but there are many ways to measure success. I'll bet others will have some words of encouragement.

For Sugarland: I agree with Sally that you should make sure you are "fueling up" before or after exercising to avoid the cravings late in the day. I had the same problem and by making sure I had eaten enough before my work out to keep me going, I seemed to have beaten the end of day exhaustion. If anything, I had less of an appetite after exercising. If you have to eat something go for fruit for the sugar fix. But another strategy is to drink water to fill you up, and then apply the 10 minute rule: before you give in to the craving wait 10 minutes. It always seems to go away....

Sally Squires: Thanks. As you point out so well, it's really important to not run out of fuel for those workouts.

Washington, D.C.: Sally, Just be careful with those rye toasts...the sodium content is sky-high!

Sally Squires: Yes. They are indeed. But you could do what the chatter earlier did and make your own out of rye bread.

Tracking fiber: I love the Interactive healthy eating index web site. I found that if I eat the 5 a day (fruits and veggies) and a few grains, I get all the fiber I need naturally. It's great for tracking a 20 day history also.

Sally Squires: This is indeed a great site--and best of all--it's free, thanks to your federal tax dollars at work. How appropriate is that for April 15!

Austin, Tex.: what's up with these new cereals that feature dried fruit (example: Cheerios with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)? It tastes great and all but there's always too much sugar. Is the dried fruit good for us? Are there any nutrients? Any fiber?

Sally Squires: Hey Austin: It seems to be quite a new trend. They seem to be springing up faster than a strawberry patch. (Sorry, I could not resist!) Yes, indeed, you need to read those labels for the sugar content. But remember, that will also include naturals sugars found in the dried fruit and the whole grains. So it's a bit difficult to tell exactly how much added sugar you're getting. Taste is of course one measure. And you can also use these cereals as toppings on others with lower sugar.

Washington, D.C.: Add fiber to your oatmeal: I do a mix of unprocessed wheat bran and oatmeal to boost the fiber in my oatmeal. I uses a 1:1 ratio, but you might want to start with a 1:2 ratio until you get used to the taste. Just make sure you cook it long enough in the microwave or stove top! Now I can't have it any other way!

Sally Squires: Great idea! Thanks DC.

Rockville, Md.: Part of my effort to add fiber to my diet has been to replace some protein from meat and dairy products with soy burgers, sausage, crumbles, etc. that have some fiber of their own. I think of these foods as "paying their own way" in terms of fiber. I don't really care for many whole-grain products, so the soy products along with moderate fruit and vegetable intake (I'm not a salad person) are my favorite way of getting enough fiber.

Sally Squires: Beans are such a good source of fiber, whether you eat them in bean burritos, bean dip, soy burgers, whatever. I also buy them by the can, drain, rinse and keep in a container in the fridge for use in salads.

Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.: Sally,

This is a simple solution for people who can't stand those all bran cereals and aren't willing to give up their fruity pebbles (or similarly nutritionally challenged cereal): Mix it up! i mix all bran with at least two other breakfast cereals and it tastes great while boosting fiber content.

Sally Squires: There you go! See, great minds think alike. Thanks!

Milwaukee, Wis.: I'm using Passover as an opportunity to transition myself off of packaged convenience foods. I don't normally keep Passover (I was born Jewish but don't observe), but I looked at all of the Passover cake mix, bottled soup and frozen meals and just got disgusted at how expensive they were, and also how much junk was in the non-Passover equivalents they were replacing. I've decided to keep Passover this year, full-on Ashkenazi style (no grains except matzoh or legumes at all).

So...the only Passover foods I'm buying are matzoh, matzoh meal and potato starch. Everything else will be normal food that's Passover-friendly by itself -- namely, fruits, veggies, fresh fish and chicken, eggs, etc. I get Good Friday off, and that will be spent making scratch chicken soup, matzoh balls, roasted veggies, etc. And, instead of chalky oily "cake," it'll be homemade sorbet and meringues.
Hopefully some of these habits stick when I add grains (OK, and pork and meat with milk -- I don't keep kosher normally) back into my diet.

Wish me luck!

Sally Squires: Of course we wish you luck Milwaukee. Sounds like quite an interesting idea. Let us know how it goes.

Fairfax, Va.: Sally, I've been trying to eat more fruits and veggies lately, something that's a bit of a challenge since I'm not a huge fan. What I've been doing lately though is to bring an apple corer to work, with my apple, so I have nice clean slices. I also make a fruit dip and dip the slices into it. It's yogurt, applesauce and honey mixed up and it makes the snack a bit sweeter and is still healthy!

Sally Squires: Hi Fairfax: That sounds really good. Another thing that I really like on apples and pears is a little bit of Laughing Cow cheese. It's only 30 calories per wedge and tastes great. Thanks for submitting.

Washington, D.C.: Sally,
Here is a question you probably don't hear often...what is the safest way to gain weight? I've recently been sick and as a result I lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks. This is a huge amount of weight for me, seeing as I am 28, 5'7" and normally 115 lbs. Please help me put the weight back on in a safe manner...although the temptation is there to pigout on junk food, I'd rather not. Thanks!

Sally Squires: Hi DC: Sorry to hear that you have been ill. You want to gain weight the same way that you lose weight: by eating healthy, great tasting food. (And if your doctor is not aware of your recent weight loss, I urge you to see him or her for check-up.)

Now for the nitty gritty: try eating three healthy meals a day, plus two or three snacks a couple of hours after the meal. At each meal, try to choose foods that will give you carbs, protein and healthy fat. You could probably aim for 500 to 600 calories per meal. At your snack, consider nuts, guacamole, a milk shake made with nonfat milk and low-fat ice cream. (While you want to gain weight, you don't want to overdo saturated fat, which is considered unhealthy.)

And you can probably increase your portion sizes or have seconds of healthy food. It will take a surplus of about 3,500 calories to gain a pound. There will be a lot of people reading this out there who will be a bit envious. ondrotio

For Bethesda, Md. -- slow is good!: A weight loss of 4 pounds in 4 weeks is great! You don't want to lose it too fast; it's more likely to stay off if you lose more slowly. Cutting back too far can cause your metabolism to slow down; you don't want that, because you're more likely to end up having to eat less to keep the weight off. And that's no fun at all.

I have read that you really should not lose more than about 1% of your body weight weekly.

Shoot, I'm happy with .5 pound a week. It's in the right direction, and I'll get there. And I can eat more every day and feel satisfied.

Sally Squires: Yes, indeed. I'm glad you mentioned that. In fact, experts say that half a pound to two pounds weight loss is a healthy range. But plenty of people are on the low end of that weight loss.

Somewhere, USA: Dear Sally,

This is my first time writing in to the LPC but I've been reading it quite a while, gleaning good tips. My husband has been having difficulty getting back to his pre-baby weight (I had the babies, he gained the weight) and now he's on blood pressure meds. Ok, I've gained a few pounds, too. As a result, we're having to make a few changes in our lives. From reading Weight Watchers, it appears that lack of portion control is the problem. We are implementing some steps to solve this problem and cooking at home is a big part of our anticipated success. One - never eat after dinner. Once supper is over that's it for food until breakfast. Two - Always have breakfast, starting with a serving of fruit - a small bowl of strawberries is a wonderful way to start the day. Then a bowl of something with oats, home made granola is nice. Three- Lunch is usually leftovers from dinner so we can control the ingredients and portion size. Four - Supper nearly always starts with a salad to prevent overindulging in the heavier foods that will add pounds. Again, a focus on portion size. No seconds!

Mid-morning snack is a piece of fruit or veggie sticks, midafternoon we get tea and a graham-style cracker, then an apple or pear shortly before heading home to stave off the snackies while supper is being prepared. This is a really effective way to increase fiber intake, particularly if it includes celery. Wouldn't a dip of hummus for the veggies be healthful and also increase fiber?

A weight control trick a friend told me about is a "cheat list". At the top is things that are most healthful and low cal, working down to the things that are fattening but we are most likely to grab when we're hungry. The idea is that you can have anything on the list as long as you eat your way down to it. If after eating the celery sticks, carrots, apples, chick peas, etc. you still wanted that donut, then you can have it. It worked for my friend, it should work for us.

Sally Squires: Thanks for taking the plunge and posting. And congratulations on your new addition. These are great suggestions. Let us know how you do.

Somewhere, USA: Sausage: I got a roll of soy sausage at My Organic Market that my boyfriend now uses for everything. He is a meat eater, but he now slices it into round pieces and cooks it up with eggs, crumbles it in pasta sauces, etc. etc. The stuff is great and has a slightly fennel taste. He actually said: "I wouldn't know this wasn't meat sausage unless I saw the package."

Sally Squires: Thanks! I'm going to have to try this stuff. I've heard a lot of raves about it.

Arlington, Va.: Hi Sally,

Does seltzer water hydrate just as well as "regular" water? For some reason, it doesn't seem as refreshing. I'm going to Asia soon, and am searching out "hydration alternatives".

Thanks!!

Sally Squires: Seltzer does indeed hydrate as well as regular water. But let your personal perferences be the guide. That's what counts. What you will really drink. Have a safe trip.

Kingstowne, Va.: Sally, high fructose corn syrup and palm oil ("tree lard"), among other food additives, seem to have come under a great deal of fire lately for their role in obesity. But isn't singling out, say, refined white carbs and sugar derivatives just as dangerous as singling out fat was in the 1980s and 1990s? It seems that people are always looking for the one thing that will make everyone say "AHA! That's what's making everyone fat," when in fact the obesity epidemic is the result of too large portions, too much TV, and too little exercise. Whether people are drinking a gallon of soda or a slab of beef hardly matters if all they're doing is sitting around. Isn't it time to look at why gas stations have now become mini-marts, snack machines are in parking garages, and sidewalks are increasingly an afterthought to developer? Thanks.

Sally Squires: You raise some very good points, Kingstowne. The difference for some people may be, however, that in drinking high fructose corn syrup, there's evidence to suggest that their brains don't register these calories as well as others. That could mean that the feeling of satiety doesn't kick in and leads to a whole cascade of effects. But absolutely, there appear to be many things feeding the current obesity epidemic.

Somewhere, USA: Another whole wheat angel hair spotting: Hi Sally,

I found a wide variety of whole wheat pastas including angel hair and lasagna at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring co-op.

One tip from me: I find that when I go home after work or after working out that I snack a lot while I'm cooking dinner because I'm so hungry. I combat this by bringing an extra piece of fruit and eating it right before I leave work or on my drive home from the gym. By the time I get home, my hunger is satisfied while I prepare dinner and I avoide mindless snacking. It's a good way to add extra fiber in your diet also. Thanks!

Sally Squires: Thanks for the tip! And the fruit as a snack while fixing food is a great idea. I also read years ago in our Food section about a chef who puts a small dish of olives out. He eats those and sucks on the pit to keep his mouth otherwise occupied while cooking.

Minneapolis, Minn.: Sally, I know you had a story about the importance of weight-lifting, including proper techniques, a few months ago, but I can't find it in the archives. Could you or the producer please provide a link? Thanks!!

washingtonpost.com: Actually, this was a washingtonpost.com video feature: Simple Weight-Lifting Exercises (washingtonpost.com, May 31, 2002)

Sally Squires: Here you go Minneapolis. Thanks to Eleanor, who's getting quite a workout on her first day with us.

Alexandria, Va.: Those crunchy sprouts in the plastic box from M.O.M. are the best. The mix I got had lentils and other beans in it and was fantastically good. Very nice tossed into pasta after sauteeing with other toppings. And, by the way, everyone should check out M.O.M. It is an incrdible store (I go the one on Mt. Vernon Ave. in Alex.) and is bizarrely inexpensive.

Sally Squires: Thanks Alexandria. I'm going to have to make a trip to M.O.M.'s one of these days. It sounds like an interesting place. Other suggestions out there for good food find stores that go beyond the usual Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, etc?

Rockville, Md.: Sally,
It must be spring. I went berserk over high-fiber salads this past weekend. First, I grilled 2.5 lbs of eggplant and tossed it with home-made (and low-fat) teriyaki marinade. Then, I made a lentil salad with red onions, carrots, celery, lemon juice and olive oil - ok - just a little. Then I tossed a salad with chick peas, tomatoes, cukes, green onions, fresh lime juice and- here's the kicker - cumin seeds. Finally, I made a "hot" cold fruit salsa with diced cantaloupe, diced cubano peppers, cilantro, fresh lime juice, and red onion.

Between the peppers and the fiber, I've been making a lot of trips to the ladies room, but, was it ever worth it!

Sally Squires: Hi Rockville: And you illustrate a great point. Salads don't have to mean a little lettuce and a tomato. They can be really varied and innovative. Mine today has arugula, hard boiled egg whites, guacamole, hummus, raspberry vinegar, artichokes, a few diced strawberries, black beans and more.

Silver Spring, Md. needing help again: Forgot to mention that I've had a complete physical including a full thyroid work-up and everything is normal.

Sally Squires: Thanks, Silver Spring. I'm relieved to know that. Any rapid weight loss--or weight gain--should be checked out by your physician. Good going.

From the desk folks in Gaithersburg, Md.: How much fiber is in dates? Are they a good solution to the midafternoon craving for sweets? They seem to perk me up but I'm not sure how good they are for me.

For LPC-ers, my home made granola recipe:

Fruit & Nut Granola

There are no hard-and-fast rules for mixing ingredients, except add dried fruits after the granola is baked so they don’t turn to rocks.

1 ½ cups dried fruit (raisins, dates, golden raisins, apricots, dried cranberries, etc.)
6 cups rolled oats or a combination of rolled grains (try Trader Joe’s) -
½ cup toasted wheat germ
½ cup each of chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, coconut - whatever combo you like --
¼ cup flax seeds
½ tsp. salt
½ cup honey or brown sugar; maple syrup; apple juice concentrate; golden syrup - again, whichever you like
¼ cup lecithin oil (for antioxidants)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat two baking sheets with cooking spray and set aside.

Combine oats, wheat germ, nuts, seeds and salt; stir until evenly coated.

Spread granola mixture in prepared pans. Bake until golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes so that it browns evenly.

Stir in fruit, sweetener and lecithin oil and bake 5 minutes more. Let cool and store in airtight container until ready to use.

Yield: 10 cups vegan granola

Options: 1 tsp. freshly ground cinnamon; ½ tsp. grated nutmeg; ½ tsp. ginger. Any of the ingredients can be varied to suit your preferences. For instance, I never add sunflower seeds because I don’t personally care for them and I have never added vanilla, though I do like it. The quantity and type of nuts or fruit can be adjusted - you can limit it to only 1 dried fruit or only 1 kind of nut if you prefer. You could use any of the sweeteners listed or substitute something different. To give appeal to kids who’ve been raised on Cap’n Crunch type cereals you could stir in mini chocolate chips or teeny m & m's after it cools. How about mini marshmallows?

- One box of Quaker Rolled Oats contains 6 cups.
-- I find the nuts don’t appeal in cooked granola so if you want to make this a hot cereal you may want to omit the nuts & especially the chocolate chips.

Sally Squires: According to USDA, you get a little less than a gram in a date--so it's not a huge source of fiber. But every little bit helps. Thanks for the recipe. Sounds really good.

Arlington, Va. (again): Hi Sally,

You asked about my amaranth and quinoa recipes. I've found that you can cook them just like rice to make them tender (2 to 1 with water, bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 20 minutes covered.) That leaves them tender and ready to mix into things or used as a base. There are lots of great recipes out there using them, my favorite quinoa is an aztec salad reciped i found on foodfit.com. they have a searchable recipe database. amaranth is great as well, has a bit of spiciness to it and a very distinct (in a good way) flavor.

Hope this helps!

Sally Squires: It does indeed. Thanks Arlington.

Silver Spring, Md.: re: quinoa--cook it like rice. Or sprout it, as I prefer. For dinner I toss some really good spaghetti sauce with veggies on top. Yum!

need your help: I've been trying to lose weight for about nine months with little progress. I've been a vegan for 11 years and vegetarian for a dozen before that. At first I did cardio 3x a week, not working as hard as I should. I added an intense weight training program and lost 10 pounds. I plataued there for a while and started looking at my diet. I measured everything AFTER putting it on the plate and discovered that my normal eating habits were a little heavy on fat, heavy on simple carbs, light on protein and about 800-900 cal/day. I made some changes to get the carb/protein/fat ratios to align better. All this time 5 pounds began to creep back and I was okay with that. I hadn't gone down in clothes sizes, but my clothes fit better. Then I tried adding good calories to hit 1000-1200. I blew up like a whale. I shifted back to my previous eating habits and lost the extra weight.

For the last few months I've been doing 35 min hard cardio every day, weight-lifting sporadically, yoga a few times a week, eating what feels right and not losing an inch or a pound. I think that I need to eat more, but I'm a small eater by nature---my mother always said that I eat like a bird. I eat three meals and two snacks.

I've consulted a nutritionist and we've worked out that my diet is nutritionally sound. She gives me diet literature, but it all seems to be geared towards people who live on McD and Coke---neither of which I consume. Do you have any resources to recommend? I am 38, 5' 1" and weight 135-140.

Sally Squires: Hi Silver Spring: Thanks for the advice on quinoa.

As for the other: at 1,100 to 1,200 calories per day, you're right at the bottom limit of a healthy intake. Probably wouldn't be a good idea to any lower, and do think about taking a multivitamin daily with some iron (if you are of childbearing age.)

Take a look at Dean Ornish's books, which are all vegetarian and may provide some help for you. Also check out Vegetarian Times.

Washington, D.C.: What is fractionated palm kernel oil?

Sally Squires: I'll need to do more research on this one, but I'm guessing the obvious: that it's made from palm oil, which is another one of the highly saturated plant oils. I'll do some reporting and let you know in an upcoming newsletter or column or chat.

Takoma Park, Md.: Hi Sally,

Which cereals contain the 8 to 14 grams of fiber per half cup you mentioned in your article today?

Most cereals I see in the supermarket contain only 2 to 4 grams of fiber per CUP!

Sally Squires: There are a number out there Takoma. Fiber One has about 14 grams, as I recall. Shredded wheat isn't as high, but may be more palatable. All-Bran, Bran Buds, etc. are quite high in fiber. But you're going to have to read the label carefully to know for sure.

Washington, D.C.: I picked up some of those Pria bars mentioned in last week's chat. One of the ingredients listed is Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil. What is that? Is it similar to a hydrogenated fat? I wanted to find out because I'm trying to avoid hydrogenated fats. Thank you so much for any information you may have.

Sally Squires: Hi DC: The way to tell is to check the label for total fat content and see it if lists saturated fat. Some of these ingredients are byproducts of processing and have only trace amounts. The makers of Pria may be able to tell you too.

Questions About Fiber: Hi, Sally,

Thanks for the article on fiber. With a family history of diverticulosis and colon cancer, I try to eat a lot of fiber. I'm curious about why the recommendations for men are 50 percent higher than for women (38 grams vs. 25). Is it mostly based on size, do you think? Also, I was surprised to read that shellfish have a kind of fiber, functional fiber. I thought fiber was from plant sources only. Thanks for the weekly column and the great ideas from other clicksters.

Sally Squires: You're quite welcome. From a quick read of the National Academy of Sciences report (available by the way at www.nap.org; click onto Dietary Reference Intakes Part I), it appears that the recommendation is based both on scientific literature and on a formula that does indeed take into account daily calories, which would of course, be higher for most men than for most women. As for that shellfish functional fiber--it comes from the outer shell and is mostly available in various fiber supplements.

Sally Squires: We're out of time folks. Thanks for a great chat and, as usual, many wonderful suggestions, tips and recipes. The winners today are Turkey, Tracking fiber, Georgetown and the District chatter who adds wheat fiber to his or her oatmeal. E-mail me at squiress@washpost.com and please include your snail mail address. I'll send along your books. And I think I forgot to note above that as usual our offering of these items does not in any way endorse any paritcular book, weight loss or exercise regimen. Until next week, don't diet, keep eating smart--and moving more--with the Lean Plate Club. Cheers!

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