So, do you have a question or two? Drop me an email. I'd love to hear from you.

Please include your name, city and state, if you'd like that posted as well.

Ask the Nutritionist ?

Q: My son is dating a %^#*#!%! vegetarian. I have no idea what kind of foods to make for her. Can you offer any suggestions?
Marilyn, Rosemont, PA

A: Hey it's not so bad... imagine what she thinks of your eating habits. For starters, there are lots of great recipes on this site. One really easy way to adapt your recipes is to substitute any type of meat broth with vegetable broth. So, soups become really simple. There are vegetarian / vegan broth cubes, vegetable powders as well as prepackaged broths. I would recommend you look at the ingredients and make sure they don't contain MSG. (MSG is an crappy additive that gives some people allergic reactions such as headaches.) And this is a no brainer, leave the meat out of the recipe! It's that simple. you don't need ham to make a delicious split pea soup. You will be surprised at how easy it is to make good and healthful vegetarian food. Cook away!

Q: What is a good substitute for chicken or beef stock? Martha, AZ
A: Well if you don't feel like boiling up all your left over parts from the vegetables (like me), I usually use either a vegetable cube dissolved in hot water or one of the prepackaged vegetable broths that are now available. If you are concerned about sodium, be sure to select one with low sodium. I also like to use miso (fermented soybean paste). You can dissolve 1 tbsp or so in 1 cup of water. Add more miso to desired flavor. Do not overcook the miso as its flavor will diminish.

Q: I am having a hard time losing weight even on a vegetarian diet. Do you have any suggestions?   Sophia, NY
A: It certainly is difficult to lose weight. Here are a few tips:

• Eat smaller portions at meals. Have a healthy snack in between meals - such as an apple.
• Eliminate or cut back on dairy. It's full of fat. Try low fat versions or low-fat soy versions.
• Eat whole grain & fiber rich foods - brown rice, whole wheat bread, apples, edamame, oatmeal. Skip the sugar, skip the white bread, white rice, etc.
• Shop on the outer aisles of the supermarket. This is usually where the fruits, vegetables, and whole foods reside. Stay away from processed foods and really stay away from any processed, caloric and sugar-laden drinks.
• Drink lots of water. I add some fresh squeezed lemon.
• Exercise regularly - 3-5 times a week for at least 30-60 minutes. Go for walks, hikes, bike rides. Engage in some strength training - free weights or weight machines. Jump around like a cricket to your DDR (Dance Dance Revolution on PlayStation). It's fun and good exercise, really.
• Every now and then, have something special - a cookie, pizza, a grilled cheese. You have to fill some cravings and be kind to yourself.
• Cook at home. You'll have complete control of what you eat.
  When you do dine out - take half of your meal home for the next day.
• Kitchen closes at 7 p.m. As in don't eat anything after 7!
  

Q: I am having so much trouble cooking beans. Every time I make them, they are hard as rocks. Can you help me figure this out?
Karen Mundorff - Monroe, CT
A: Yep. How to soak and cook beans. Here goes:

• First, be sure that your dried beans are fresh. Basically, you can either buy them from the bulk bins or in the pre-packaged bags. They key is to use them, not to store them for 1 year in your cabinet and then use them!
• Secondly, soak the beans - two methods:
  • long soak - soak the beans in water overnight. Be sure to cover them completely - around 2" water over the top level of beans. Give them room to expand in the container.
  • "quick" soak - in cooking pot, add the beans, cover with water - plus a spare couple of inches, cover the pot, bring to a boil, turn off the heat and let them sit for 1/1/2 to 4 hours, depending on the bean.
    
    HOW TO TELL WHEN THE BEANS HAVE SOAKED ENOUGH? Your thumbnail should be able to penetrate the bean easily.
    
    
• After one of the above soaking methods, drain the water and rinse the beans well (good for bean digestibility issues) .
• Finally, in a large pot, put in the beans, cover with water by 2", bring to a boil and simmer for approximately 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Different types of beans take different lengths of time to cook. Don't add salt tomatoes, vinegar or any type of acid until the beans are soft.
• One more note: if your water has a high mineral content, use bottled water to cook the beans.
  
  FYI: you can also use a pressure cooker to cook the beans. It greatly shortens the time for soaking and cooking.
  
  That should do it! Hope this helps. Enjoy.

Q:What is the difference between vegetarian and vegan? Is one better than the other and if so,why?   Harry - Manchester, NH

A:Are you sure that you don't want to know "how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?"

Honestly, I'll gather my thoughts on this one. In the meantime, I am asking a guest columnist to debut with with a philosophical response.