Ins and outs of better nutrition

Out with the old and in with the new!

The start of a new year makes this a great time to assess diets and habits and make changes to improve your and your family's health. Remember: Small changes for the better can have big impact over the long term.

The following ideas may boost the nutritional value of your diet and help you lose weight, as well as saving you time and money.

Out with: Energy bars. If you were on a multiday mountain trek, trying to pack the maximum calories into the lightest load possible, they might make sense. Otherwise, they're overrated. Too many calories, too few of the beneficial phytochemicals that come with fresh foods. In with: Fresh fruit. Apples, pears, oranges, grapes and bananas are portable, and they can stay all day on your desk without refrigeration. They're high in water content, low in calories and a good choice for a quick energy boost.

Out with: High potency vitamin and mineral supplements. Yes, it's true that many people have "expensive urine" because excess water-soluble vitamins are excreted. But the consequence of taking huge doses of vitamins and minerals isn't always benign. Nutrients interact with one another. Concentrated doses of one may cause an imbalance in another, and large doses of fat-soluble vitamins can be toxic. In with: The range of nutrients in quantities as they occur in nature. In the growing season, join a CSA farm or shop at your local farmers market. Off-season, buy frozen vegetables. The only reliable way to get what you need is to eat a range of whole foods, including several large servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

Out with: Meal replacement drinks. Research suggests we don't mentally count calories from liquids, leading us to reach for extra calories from solid food. Besides, long term, most of us want to use our teeth, so liquid meals lose their appeal and aren't a permanent solution for weight control. In with: Food diaries. They're a tried-and-true tool for increasing awareness of what you eat and why. Just the act of keeping a food diary can make you cut calories and help you lose weight.

Out with: Restaurant entrees. Unless you split one with a companion, most are far more food than you need at one meal. In with: Appetizers, salads and sides. Order smaller quantities of food. A salad with an appetizer or side dish may be all you need.

Out with: Designer water. Those little extras -- including vitamins, antioxidants and even oxygen -- aren't worth a dime, and you're probably paying a lot more than that for them. In with: Tap water, in an Earth-friendly, refillable bottle.

Out with: Fast-food breakfasts. Those biscuits and breakfast sandwiches are a nutritional nightmare -- artery-clogging, constipation-causing, blood pressure-boosting boluses of saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and refined flour. In with: A bowl of cereal or two pieces of whole grain toast. Get out of bed 15 minutes earlier, if you must.

Out with: Fast-food lunches. With rare exceptions -- a Taco Bell bean burrito or a Wendy's plain baked potato -- lunch is the same nutritional minefield as breakfast. In with: Brown bag leftovers from last night's wholesome dinner at home.

Out with: Outdoor gas grills. Ouch! All right already, but nobody needs that much meat. In fact, nobody needs meat at all, and when you grill it, you also cook up a helping of cancer-causing nitrosamines. In with: Veggie burgers and meatless hotdogs, sausage and bacon cooked in the microwave or conventional oven. They're delicious and much better for you.

Here's to good health for you and your loved ones in the New Year!