I’m a Registered Dietitian (RD), and people have been known to flee in horror if they spot me in the grocery store, but I’m definitely NOT the food police! I grew up in a steak and potatoes family, where the steak was so big it covered the entire dinner plate, with an additional, small plate for the potato. My grandmother had a special candy drawer in her cupboards that was just for us grandkids. So how did I become an RD? Here’s my story:

I recently spent a week in Italy, and have these first-hand observations about the different eating habits between Americans and Italians. Granted, I was there as a tourist, but here are my impressions: 1.  I didn't see one fast food restaurant my entire trip, even though I spent a lot of time in large cities. That's right, zip. The typical American eats fast food an average of two times per week. That seems low to me, especially since I drive by McD's at least twice each day, and I live in a small town of only 2000 people.

How do you decide to try a new, popular diet book? Is it based on the celebrity who promotes the book? The food choices? Your friends' recommendations? Someone gives you a copy? I'm struggling with this topic myself, primarily because there are so many diet books available. To narrow it down, I looked at the top 5 weight control books on Barnes and Noble.com. Here's my take on each:

There are a few delicious foods that are only found in early Spring. Miss them, and you'll have to wait the next 11 months to enjoy their bright, fresh tastes. Some can be found in supermarkets, but many are available only in the area where they're grown. The locals know all about them, and look forward to adding them to meals once the snow melts and the sun starts to shine longer each day. Here are 3 favorites:

Yep, that's right:  there are 14 cuts of red meat that qualify as a lean choice (less than 10g total fat, 4.5g or less saturated fat, and less than 95mg cholesterol per 3.5 oz serving). Why choose lean? Fat is calorie-dense, meaning if you choose a higher-fat cut of meat you'll get more calories, and eating more calories translates into more fat on your body.

I never realized how many of my neighbors grow asparagus in their gardens. Now, I adore asparagus, but I've never tried to plant it or grow it. I get mine at the supermarket or local farmer's market.

Here's the dilemma:  I'm in Sicily on a food trip. That basically means that we eat our way through the day, starting with a wonderful buffet breakfast, moving to a 4 course lunch that takes at least 2 hours, and then on to dinner that often has even more courses than lunch. Don't even mention the wine or limoncello! I still need to be able to zip my pants and walk up and down the 2 flights of stairs to my hotel room without passing out from gaining weight during this week-long trip. Here's how I'm managing it, with tips for you to use at home:

Have you ever been to an olive oil tasting? I bet you haven't, right? But you've probably either been to a wine tasting event, or sampled different wines at a vineyard or wine bar. Tasting olive oil is similar, but also a lot different. Here's why: First, the professionals (yes, there are professional olive oil tasters) use a dark colored glass so that they're not influenced by the color or the clarity of the olive oil. While we might consider those qualities in wine, they're not important to olive oil.

I simply adore herbs. They require almost no maintenance, which is definitely a bonus in my book. They look wonderful in any type of garden, either in their own herb garden space, or mixed in with vegetables or even flowers. Plus, you get to use them in cooking! Herbs are packed with antioxidants that help keep our body healthy and strong. Adding fresh-from-the-garden herbs to your cooking not only tastes great, it's good for you too!  Here are seven herbs to plant - and enjoy - this summer:

Admit it:  you've got at least one bad eating habit that you'd love to change. Maybe you put a lot of sugar in your coffee, or always order french fries with lunch, or don't go to bed at night without first eating a really big bowl of rich ice cream. I've got some bad eating habits myself:  I crave chocolate after lunch and dinner every day (I manage to avoid chocolate at breakfast, though!) and I eat waaayyy too fast. Blame it on my childhood when it seemed like every meal was a race to see who could finish first.

A 15-year review of fast food habits by the University of Minnesota, published in Lancet in 2005, showed that people ate fast food 1.3-2 times per week. The more often you eat fast food, the more you weigh and the higher your risk for developing type two diabetes. Does that mean it's impossible to eat at a fast food restaurant and not gain weight? Can healthy foods be found in the fast food lane?

There are three steps to building healthy eating habits: Identify what we want to do. Make sure we understand why this change is important. Develop a specific game plan to make this change happen. First, identify your specific goal. "I want to eat healthy" is too broad, so narrow it down. You might decide to eat a balanced breakfast, or drink fewer sweetened beverages, or limit after-dinner snacking. Pick something specific that you can measure.

I'm not kidding. You really can eat dessert and maintain your weight, or even lose weight. It's all about what dessert you choose, how much you eat, and how you fit dessert into your overall food plan. 1.  Which dessert to choose

The other day I hauled out all of the boxes in my cereal and cracker cabinet, searching for the big container of plain oatmeal so I could make oatmeal muffins. By the time I reached way into the back corners of the cupboard, I found a whole bunch of foods I didn't realize were there.

BMI is body mass index, a method of looking at your weight in terms of risk of developing chronic illness such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer that are related to obesity. If your BMI is over 25 (over 162 pounds for a 5'5" tall person), then your risk of disease increases. Lose weight, lower your BMI, and decrease your risk of disease.

Do you make time to put gas in your car? Of course you do! If you don't put gas in your car, your car stops, usually while you're on the freeway in the middle of nowhere and you have to schlep miles to get to a gas station for help. Next question:  do you make time to eat?

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