Q.	Is it true that taking vitamins gives you more energy?
A.	No. Many people will claim this and it may be a placebo effect - doing something perceived to be healthy makes you feel healthier - but vitamins are not proven to give you increased energy.
Q.	I really need help with after-school snacks. I have four kids ranging in age from four to 13 and they all come home from school and raid the kitchen, I need some healthy, kid-friendly suggestions.
A.	Okay here are some of my favourites. Stock your cupboards with these and I think everyone will be happy and healthy. Try hummus and whole grain crackers (make sure they don't contain hydrogenated fats), baked nachos and salsa or refried bean dip (it's not really fried), vegetable or tomato soup, or yogurt fruit smoothies. Make pizza bagels on whole wheat English muffins and pile on the veggies; peanut or almond butter sandwiches on whole wheat bread; homemade bran, oatmeal or carrot muffins; yogurt; raw veggies and yogurt dip; fruit salad served over frozen yogurt; cereal with milk (not a sugar cereal); nuts (almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts are best) - mix them with a few raisins or chocolate chips; baked apples; apple sauce; milk or chocolate milk; or even scrambled eggs. These should get you started and fill up your hungry crowd.
Q.	I am trying to reduce the junk that my three teenage children eat, but they say they don't like the taste of healthier choices, what should I do?
A.	Don't give up, this will take time. One of the big problems that we have is when we feed our children a diet full of "kiddy foods" or fast food, junk foods and highly processed foods, they become very used to eating foods that are highly sweetened, salted or high in fat. Then healthier foods taste bland and undesirable by comparison. Keep trying. It's a fight worth fighting. Stock the house with healthy foods and let them shop with you.
Q.	I am lactose intolerant and I know the obvious places to find lactose - in all dairy products - but I wonder if there are hidden sources?
A.	There are indeed many unlikely places where lactose can be found. Lactose is a sugar, which, when it is removed from dairy foods, can be used to flavour many non-dairy items such as breaded foods, hot dogs, flavoured potato chips and snack foods. It can also be found in vitamins and medications. Read the labels and look for lactose. When buying vitamins or medications, ask the pharmacist for the ingredient listing, as it will not appear on the label. Just to let you know as well: not all daiiy products contain lactose.

Lisa Weinberg is a registered dietitian/nutritionist in Toronto, in private practice and at the Genesis Professional Group.