Tired of wasting money and extra calories on purchased lunch? Too tired to pack a lunch for yourself - and maybe for your kids as well - in the morning? If so, read on, to get some easy ideas for packed-from-home lunches that do double duty for you and your children! That's the topic of my Today Show segment with Ann Curry.

Here are a few ideas that work for me, and many people I know......what about you? What kinds of "desktop lunches" have you tried?

(1) Bento Box for Lunch.: This is a really great idea. Maybe you've enjoyed a bento box in a sushi restaurant - with multiple small compartments of different foods. This bento box is a plastic container, divided into four compartments. Available from www.laptoplunches.com, you can fill your bento box with a half sandwich, grapes, celery and carrot sticks, and a handful of mini-graham cracker pieces. Low fat milk drinkable yogurt, or a bottle of water complete your meal.

(2) Leftovers Make a Comeback: One of my favorite things to do with a leftover rotisserie chicken is to make tortilla roll-ups. Start with a small whole wheat tortilla, spread with some cooked chicken, shredded 2% cheddar cheese, chunky salsa, and shredded lettuce, and roll up. Want to save calories? Replace the tortilla with a giant romaine leaf. Add some home-made trail mix and a fruit of your choice.

(3) Double Your Recipe: Making a pot of chili, vegetable, or other heary soup? Double the recipe and save for some tasty lunches. Make it a "soup and salad" lunch with a half pita filled with mixed greens. Add a fruit to round out the meal.

(4) PB and ???:: Who doesn't love peanut butter and jelly? Doll it up for your children by cutting this plain Jane sandwich into fun shapes with a cookie cutter (you might like it too!). Use all-fruit preserves, or try a sliced banana, instead., You might experiment with different nut butters - like almond or cashew. Stick for 100% whole wheat bread or wraps for optimal fiber intake. Combine with a sugar-free, low or non-fat yogurt, plus a 100 calorie bag of chips or cookies is an oldie but goodie for adults and kids alike.

Your Drink Tank: When it comes to drinks, think milk - low or non-fat. Both adults and kids need the calcium and vitamin D. Drinkable yogurt is also a good choice. Water is a good option, with dry powder sachets (like Crystal Light and Propel) can be added directy to water for a change of taste. Forget about soda or juice - but if you (or your child) just can't give up juices, try low-sugar juices fortified with calcium (think Trop50 orange juice and Snapple light apple juice as well as many others).

Room for Dessert? That is a personal choice - while fruit IS nature's candy, you might like a "treat" - which is a good thing to prevent deprivation (which can lead to overeating later on in the day). Downsize your snacks - and stick with 100 calories or less. Whether it's cookies, pudding, candy, or chips - they all come in single-serving packages of 100 calories or less. Or, make your own single serving treats in mini-plastic bags.

Have you noticed how many foods are new and improved with "valued added" health-promoting nutrients? Is it worth paying more for these functional foods? Can you get too much of a good thing?

The term functional food means foods and beverages with extra fortification of a variety of nutrients. This can mean anything from vitamins in water to fiber in cereal bars, to yogurt with phytosterols to lower cholesterol.

Improvements on what mother nature puts in food can be a good thing. Foods can be either enriched or fortified and there's a difference. Enriched foods have nutrients added back into them that were lost in processing. Fortified foods have extra nutrients included that were never in the food to begin with.

There are good and bad choices to be made, though. Steer clear of high priced waters with added vitamins - they're a waste of money and often contain many added calories. You might consider calcium fortified orange juice, to help boost your intake of calcium, a mineral that's a struggle for most of us.

While you want most of your fiber from fruits and whole grains, fiber fortified yogurt, cereals, and bars can help you get your intake to 25 grams a day. But read those labels, because fiber is turning up everywhere! Increase your fiber intake slowly, about 5 grams every few days, to avoid digestive upset. And don't exceed 35 daily grams.

While most of us don't get enough vitamin d from foods, if you consume dairy products, take a calcium plus vitamin d supplement, and a daily multiple vitamin, you might be getting much more than the 800 mg daily requirement. So, do your math when it comes to these fat soluble vitamins.

My bottom line? Functional foods can help support a healthy diet. But beware of getting too much of a good thing. When it comes to functional foods, more is not always better.

When we hear the word "carbohydrates" there's always a lot of confusion when it comes to dieting. The fact is that carbohydrates are a significant part of most healthy diets. It's not that carbohydrates are "good" or "bad", it's that there are different types.

Carbohydrates come in two forms: Simple and complex. Simple carbs are those found in nutritious foods like fruit and milk, as well as in white sugar. I like to think of fruit, especially dried fruit, as "nature's candy". Complex carbohydrates are also called "starches", and are found in breads, cereals, rice, and pasta.

You want to minimize refined products, like white flour and white rice, which don't have the nutrients and fiber of the originals.

Focus on healthy carbs, not "no" carbs. Choose fruits and vegetables as your main source of carbohydrates. Aim for at least 5 servings each day.

Select starchy carbohydrates that are fiber rich, with products like 100% whole wheat bread, brown rice, and flax pasta. Read the package label for the fiber content and look for at least 3 grams per serving don't be fooled by labels that say "wheat" or a product that looks brown - they're not necessarily a whole grain product.

My bottom line? When you include a variety of "smart" carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, you can enjoy the occasional indulgence of candy, cakes and other sugary treats.

When we think of bacteria in food, we think of disease, and things that make you sick, like E-Coli. But did you know there are foods containing "good" bacteria  that are a health plus? That's what is called a probiotic, and it's the topic of my Today Show segment.

Watch the segment from TODAY

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Our bodies contain trillions of bacteria. Probiotics refers to foods and dietary supplements that contain beneficial - or "friendly" - bacteria promoting digestive health (among other things).Although you don't need added probiotics to be healthy, these bacteria can be a support to good health. While claims abound, here are some actions, supported by strong scientific evidence:

(1) Supports and helps maintain the balance of "good" and "bad" bacteria in your digestive tract

(2) Relieves diarrhea often caused by antibiotic use (that kills good and bad bacteria in the digestive tract)

(3) Helps prevent and treat vaginal yeast infections

(4) Helps relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome

Probiotics are naturally found in yogurt, and fermented foods (from sauerkraut, to soy sauce, to tempeh and miso). Some yogurts have added even more probiotics (Activia, YoPlus), to pack more of a good-bacterial punch. You'll also find probiotic bars (like Attune), and fortified cereals.

While foods should be your number one go-to choice to boost probiotic intake, there are also many dietary supplement (pills) around. Some well-known brands include Phillips Colon Health, available at most supermarkets and pharmacies, or other specialty brands often found at Whole Foods and similar stores.

Aim for a mixture of different bacteria - as you might imagine, they all have different actions. There are two major groups - Lactobacillus (acidophilus) and Bifidobacterium (bifidum), so look for these terms on the foods and supplements.

A final bit of advice: probiotics can support a healthy diet and digestive tract. Talk to your doctor before adding probiotic supplements (not food sources), and discuss whether you need further medical attention for your personal digestive issues.

What's your experience been with probiotics? I'd love to know!

Carbohydrates always seem to get a bum rap as a go-to nutrient. While all carbs are not created equal, I am a huge defender of "smart carbs". What you might not know is that our bodies prefer carbohydrates as the number one source of energy. We don't store much of it in our bodies (that's the job of fat), and so we must replenish it regularly for optimal energy balance.



It's time to start thinking about carbs in a whole new way: not "good" and "bad" choices, but as "smart" ones. Here are my top 5 ways to do that.

1. Focus on Fruits and Vegetables. Produce is nature's primary carbohydrate source, which gives us a big hint on good health. These are perfect carbs, since they are not only nutrient rich, but high in fiber and water. The combination of fiber and water fill you up with few calories. Choose a variety of colors when selecting fruits or vegetables for optimal nutrient intake. Most vegetables (except peas and corn) allow nearly unlimited consumption with few calories. Can't get them fresh? Think frozen or canned - but avoid sauces and heavy syrups.

2. Introduce Legumes. Dried beans, peas, lentils, are just some of your choices for legumes - which are both fiber rich carbohydrates, and a good source of protein. Nutrient dense, it's easy to maintain portion control, since modest servings (1/2 - 1 cup) are very satisfying, with the one-two nutritional punch of fiber and protein. Don't have time to cook the dried versions? Using canned beans of all varieties is fine, but try draining the beans in a strainer and rinse with water to avoid extra salt.

3. Choose Whole Grains. Whole grains mean fiber rich carbs, packing a powerful nutritional punch, and lots of fiber. Don't just think 100% whole wheat, but bran, quinoa, brown rice, and couscous to name a few. Save calories by choosing "thin sliced" breads and rolls, and mini-pitas. Be a label reader, and don't be fooled by a bread's "dark"color which might only mean added coloring; look for 100% whole grains. When it comes to whole grain breads, rice, and pasta, you'll get a lot more flavor, and increased satisfaction with smaller portions (thanks to the fiber rich content!), when compared to the refined "white" versions.

4. Limit Processed and Refined Carbohydrates. Here's where carbs get a bad name. A processed or refined carbohydrate is usually combined with other sugars, salt, and fats to create a nutritional nightmare.Think potato chips, fries, cakes, cookies, and candy. "White" products like bread, rice, and pasta are also major sources of refined carbohydrates. While the food police won't come and arrest you for indulging (with portion control) now and then, a steady diet of these products can wreak havoc on your blood sugar levels (never a good thing), and pack on the pounds.

5. Avoid Liquid Calories. Most of us don't think of liquids as a major source of carbs.. From sodas, to juice drinks, to 100% juice, to sports drinks - these are all loaded with refined sugars you'll want to avoid. And don't be fooled by drinks make with "natural" sweeteners" like honey, molasses, or brown sugar. They still fall in the category of refined sugars, and should be avoided. Watch out for smoothies, as many contain sugary fruit mixes. Stick with a homemade version with fresh fruit, and low or non-fat yogurt for a smart-carb drink. Water or seltzer should be your go-to choice. Use a low-calorie sweetener if you choose, or add a slice of fresh fruit, or splash of juice for extra flavor.

What could be bad about a restaurant meal? We're out of the kitchen, out with friends or family, and no clean up! I'd like you to read the "fine print" when it comes to restaurant eating. What you don't know can be harmful to your health. You can't assume the same rules apply in your home kitchen and the restaurant kitchen. From fast-food to high-end eateries, it's time to learn more about why your restaurant foods are so much tastier than your homemade version (yes, it's not your imagination!), how hidden calories, fat and salt add to this -  and how to make some smarter choices.

Multiple lawsuits aimed at restaurants now focus on the "uninformed consumer". It's time to stop being the "food victim" and gain some control over what you're eating, no matter where you're eating. Ask for what you want, downsize your portion sizes, or just go out less often. The choice is yours.

Before you go to a restaurant again, check out these 5 essentials:

1.  Many restaurant foods are scientifically studied and designed to optimize tastiness. It's not just the individual sugar, fat, and salt content of foods. Studies show that the proportions of these combined ingredients in foods can be optimized to maximize a preferred taste. Think sugar/fat combinations (ice cream)  or fat/salt combinations (French fries); their special blend boosts the flavor of either one alone. So, when you think that restaurant foods taste better than the same ones at home, you're right!

2. Calorie-controlled restaurant meals are not tested every day. While you might think that the 350 calorie entree you've ordered because the menu makes the claim, you might not get a calorie savings. Your meal can be off by hundreds of calories, as well as much more fat and salt than listed on the menu.. A dish is prepared once, or up to several times, to determine the specific calorie content, and content of fat, protein, and carbohydrates in that particular serving, to get the endorsement of particular group (like Weight Watchers and Applebees). It doesn't mean that every serving is like that. A finicky chef, an inattentive kitchen worker, or some other food handler might add extra fat, salt or sugar, or provide a bigger serving.

3. Restaurant food contains a lot of hidden salt. Salt is a major flavor enhancer. Restaurants want their foods to taste good. Many foods are loaded with salt - but don't have to taste "salty". The response is for food to taste "great". It works. Even healthy foods can be loaded with salt. Some entrees contain about half the salt recommended for healthy people in an entire day (about 1300 mg)! If you have high blood pressure, you've got to be even more careful of dietary salt.

4. Extra "hidden"  fat is often added to keep foods "moist". Just like salt, your food doesn't have to taste greasy or oily for there to be a lot of extra fat. This "hidden" fat is translated to a mouth feel of "moist". Ever wonder why your baked fish tastes is so soft and juicy in a restaurant, and a lot drier when you're at home, monitoring the added fat?

5. You can only change your own eating behavior While lawsuits bring attention to this area, it's not going to change anything. We're not a nation of food victims, and we have to snap out of this mentality. You DO have a choice. Stay out of many restaurants, and cook at home. When that "formula" of tasty foods is out of sight, and out of mind, it makes it easier to stay in control.

My bottom line: Save restaurant eating for a special indulgence. If you're a restaurant regular, order simple foods, with sauces and salad dressing on the side; ask for "no butter" on grilled foods and vegetables..  Downsize your portions by sharing a main dish, or choosing two appetizers or small plates. You CAN take control of your restaurant eating!

While the exact causes of high blood pressure remain unknown, it's clear that two factors under your own control can help fight back - what you eat, and how much you weigh.

The acronym "DASH" stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and is based on a scientific study showing significant reductions in blood pressure when people consumed a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy products. This diet was also high in potassium, magnesium, calcium, fiber and protein, and low in sodium.

New federal guidelines from the Institute of Medicine are in place for weight gain during pregnancy. About half of women of childbearing age are overweight, with nearly 1 in 4 being medically obese (a BMI of 30 or more). This new "starting weight" at the beginning of a pregnancy has a big impact on the new recommendations for a healthy weight gain - for both mother and baby. And forget about the old "eating for two"; that old wives' tale is an absolute myth.

This is an important set of guidelines, since overweight and obese women who gain extra weight during pregnancy are at risk for complications including pregnancy related high blood pressure and diabetes. Babies born to women who gain extra weight are at greater risk for premature birth, and more likely to be overweight or obese themselves.

Here's where the body mass index (BMI, or height/weight ratio) really matters. For those women already at a healthy BMI (18.5 - 24.9), the recommendations remain the same - a weight gain of between 25 to 35 pounds. What's your BMI?



An overweight woman (BMI 25 - 29.9) should aim for a pregnancy weight gain of 15 to 25 pounds,while an obese woman (BMI 30 or higher) should aim for 11 to 20 pounds.

Underweight women must also make adjustments. For those with a BMI less than 18.5, a weight gain of 28 to 40 pounds is recommended.

Have an honest talk with your doctor about pregnancy and your weight, before you think about pregnancy. Depending upon your own health profile, weight loss prior to pregnancy is often recommended. Being proactive can support a healthy pregnancy and baby, as well as limiting those extra post-pregnancy pounds.

What do you think of these new guidelines? Leave a comment below.

We all know that eating yogurt can be a healthy choice. A cup of yogurt has about one third of our daily calcium need, and is a good source of protein, with about 10 grams per serving.

Yogurt is a dairy product produced by the bacterial fermentation of milk. It's a biological process, similar to the fermentation of grapes to produce wine. Most yogurts are made from cow's milk, but some are also produced from sheep's and goat's milk, in addition to soy. These products are great options for those with lactose intolerance or a milk-protein allergy.

While I'm often sharing my thoughts on the big issues of nutrition, diet, and healthy lifestyle - a lot of the little stuff gets lost in the mix. I'd like to answer the number one question I'm asked when it comes to the produce category: Which is better: Fruits or vegetables?

For all of you out there making bets on this, everyone is a little right. They're both terrific choices (except if you focus exclusively on the starchy peas and corn!). Filled with nutrients and water - so the calories are diluted - you can't go wrong with either.

If you're not a veggie eater, and want five fruits, that works. Same for the fruit-averse; focus on veggies. It's the color that matters most. The color of the fruit or veggie provides the source of nutrients - so think of the rainbow when you're making your daily selections. In the perfect world, you'd combine both, and many people do. If you don't, no worries, it still works.

So, how much is enough? While the newest recommendations are for 7-9 servings a day, most people find it a daily challenge to get the basic 5 fruits and/or veggies a day.

Remember that a serving is based on 1/2 to 1 cup amounts - and not your serving. Peeling a grapefruit and eating is whole, in sections? That's 2 servings. A big bowl of salad that's 2 cups of greens - that's 2 servings.

Nowadays, with pre-packaged salads, and cut-up fruits and vegetables, it's easier to get those servings in. While those are pricey options, you can stick with frozen fruits and veggies, or even canned (drain the salty liquid for veggies, and the extra heavy syrup for fruits). Get a sharp knife, and cut up your own fresh produce for further savings.

With summer coming, it's a great time to focus on colorful fruits and vegetables as a major part of your diet. The choice is yours -and they're both good ones!

What are some of your favorite fruits and vegetables?

Can bone loss be prevented? Most of us think about thinning bones as a natural part of mid-life that can't be prevented. While it's true that there are a few contributors to bone strength that are out of our control--like our family history and declining estrogen levels--there are multiple lifestyle activities we can incorporate into our daily lives to keep our bones strong. It's never to early, or too late!

The three pillars of lifestyle that support healthy and strong bones are:

1. Calcium intake
2. Vitamin D intake
3. Weight-bearing physical activity

Watch the segment from TODAY

Most adults need 1000 mg of calcium every day (post-menopausal women need about 1200 - 1500 mg daily). It's best to get calcium from food, and while dairy products are the most concentrated form of calcium, dark green vegetables, and some nuts and seeds can contribute dietary calcium. If you don't consume dairy products, you'll have to work harder to maintain adequate calcium intake.

Where is calcium found in the diet?

Dairy foods, including milk, yogurt, and hard cheeses contain about 300-400 mg calcium per serving. Fat free, low fat, or full fat products all have the same amount of calcium. Cottage cheese is not calcium-rich and joins the "calcium-fortified" food category.

Broccoli has about 180 calories per cup, while 2 cups of arugula have 250 mg. Nuts and seeds have 50-100 mg per ounce, while 1 cup of dried figs contains 300 mg of calcium. If you're a lover of bony fish--like sardines, and canned salmon--you'll get nearly a glass of milk's worth of calcium in a 3 ounce serving.

Calcium fortified foods--those that don't normally contain calcium, but to which some is added--include orange juice, cottage cheese, cereals, soy milk and brown rice.

The Connection Between Vitamin D and Bone Health

While Vitamin D is linked to good health in many ways, when it comes to bone health, its main role is to enhance the absorption of calcium into the digestive tract. Most foods are very low in Vitamin D, which is not a surprise, once you know that it can be synthesized in the skin, when exposed to sunlight (without sunscreen). Just 10-15 minutes a day provides enough vitamin D to meet daily requirements. While 400 IU is still the official requirements, mid-life women and older are recommended to consume 800 IU daily. But with sunscreen and increased time spent indoors we often need supplements. Dairy products are vitamin D fortified--providing a real "double duty" food. Fatty fish like salmon and mackerel are also Vitamin D rich. Smaller amounts are found in mushrooms, shrimp, and eggs. A daily multiple vitamin pill is fortified with 400 IU of vitamin D, as is almost all types of calcium supplements.