Dear Lynn,

While some people have a sweet tooth or crave salty foods, I love fat foods. I don't like vegetables if they don't have butter on them or if they're not served with dip. I love cheese on everything. I love tuna, but it's got to be mixed with mayo. Drinking plain water is a chore, and I've been told even unsweetened fruit juice has as many calories as pop. How do I balance my enjoyment of food with healthy eating? I've tried spices and herbs and all the other things that are supposed to replace fat, and I've given them a fair chance -- trying them more than once and with an open mind. Through these trials I've found other dishes I enjoy, but nothing that satisfies my cravings for foods with fat. For me, there is no gray to this healthy eating thing. It's either black and I hate everything I have to eat, or it's white and I eat things I like and continue to be significantly overweight.

I have seen a nutritionist and managed to follow her plan for six months, but never enjoyed a meal the whole time (unless it was "bad" food.) I need to know how I can eat the foods I like and eat healthily. How does an incredibly picky eater like me achieve this? --anonymous

You've received some great ideas so far, but of course I have a couple more:

1. There is a difference between liking something and using it to excess. Think about it ‑- you may like a glass of wine with dinner, but do you routinely drink an entire bottle? You may like to ride roller coasters, but can you do that every day? Life is full of choices, and somehow you'll need to figure out what is influencing your choices around food.

2. Look at why you are eating ‑- is it hunger, anger, boredom? And then look at why you stop eating, and when. Try to eat only when you are hungry, and then only enough to satisfy the hunger. Some wise folks have said there is a difference between stomach hunger and mouth hunger, or the "trolling through the cupboards looking for something" type of eating. Figure out which type of hunger you typically satisfy.

Take care,
Lynn Grieger, RD, CDE