Kathy Manweiler: Where to go for nutritional advice

INSTEAD of offering a recipe today, I'm sorting through my mailbag to answer some questions and share some comments from "Don't Say Diet" readers.

I'll have a new recipe for you next week!

KATHY: I would love to get diet tips and recipes to help me in my goal to lose weight.

- Josephine

HI, JOSEPHINE: I have some of my recipes and tips about weight loss and exercise on the "Don't Say Diet" Facebook page. I'll keep adding to that page each week. If you'd like to become a "Don't Say Diet" fan on Facebook, I'd love to have you! Here's the link to follow: http://tinyurl.com/cwr6wg.

And if you have suggestions for the kinds of tips that would help you and/or recipes that you'd like me to lighten up, please let me know!

DEAR KATHY: I tried your cheddar biscuits recipe this week, and I have to tell you they rock!

- Linda

HI, LINDA: Thanks for the compliment! I love those biscuits, too. I have to ration them at my house!

KATHY: I read your articles all the time. I wonder if you could tell me the calorie and fat content in this oatmeal-raisin cookie recipe. I am not on a diet, but I do like to watch the calories and fat content of what I eat.

- Lloyd

HI, LLOYD: Thanks for writing. I'm sorry to say that I don't have time to calculate the nutrition data on readers' recipes, but everyone can calculate any nutrition information they want on their own recipes by using a food count book from the library or a bookstore. You can also get a lot of nutrition information for specific ingredients online at www.nutritiondata.com.

HEY, KATHY: One of the things I'm working on now is gathering simple, healthy ideas for beverages, soups and salads to spice up the lunches I pack for myself.

I've discovered that Earl Grey tea on ice is a much different thing than when it's hot. It's wonderful with any kind of savory food, and it's certainly easy to fix. It takes a lunch-box meal into the realm of a restaurant meal.

- Jenny

HI, JENNY: That's a great tip! I'm going to try that tea on ice myself. If any other readers have ideas on how to perk up healthy lunch-box meals, please send them to me!

Did you miss my healthy version of Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits? Get that recipe online by going to the "Don't Say Diet" Facebook page at

http://tinyurl.com/cwr6wg. *

Do you have a favorite food or popular recipe that you'd like to see made healthier? Send your ideas and recipes, along with a daytime phone number, to Kathy Manweiler at

kmanweiler@wichitaeagle.com, or mail to: Don't Say Diet, McClatchy Newspapers, P.O. Box 820, Wichita, KS 67201.