Both are processed from the oat cereal, but oatmeal is ground from the whole kernel while oatflakes are made from steamed and rolled oats. Oatmeal is graded according to how finely it is ground; the largest is pinhead oatmeal, followed by coarse, medium and fine. Both oatmeal and oatflakes can be used in sweet or savory dishes. Because oatflakes (also known as rolled oats or porridge oats) have been lightly steamed, they cooked faster than oatmeal. Oatmeal is used in stuffings and coatings instead of breadcrumbs; it is also added to breads, although it cannot be used on its own for this purpose as the gluten content of oats is too low. Traditionally, rolled oats are used in biscuits.

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Both statements are correct. All nuts, but particularly peanuts and almonds, are a good source of protein, and play an important part in a vegetarian diet. They are also a good source of B-group vitamins. However, all nuts except chestnuts are high in fat and therefore high in kilojoules, so anyone on a low-kilojoule diet should avoid them. Macademias, pine nuts and walnuts are highest in fat; pine nuts and walnuts are highest in fat; pine nuts and hazelnuts contain less saturated fat then other nuts.

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Because of their high fat content, nuts turn rancid quite quickly in warm or damp conditions and they are best bought only when you intend to use them, and in small quantities. They can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer, providing they are kept very dry, or in airtight plastic containers.

Nuts sold in vacuum-sealed packs showing a 'use-by' date are the best to buy, as they will keep in a cool, dry cupboard until you are ready to use them. Once the packet has been opened, however, the nuts should be kept in an airtight container and eaten quite quickly.

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There is some concern about the amount of salt used in Western diets because of the links between sodium and high blood pressure (hypertension), a condition which increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.

We need sodium (salt is sodium chloride) for proper cell, nerve and muscle function, but the danger of consuming too much comes partly from the hidden salt in processed foods and the habit of oversalting food at the table. While many of us consume about 3,000-4,600 mg of sodium daily, the recommended intake is no more than 2,300 mg.

There are two ways of reducing your salt intake. Limit your intake of foods, such as smoked and cured meats or fish, cheese, salty snacks, packet soups and stock cubes. Secondly, reduce the amount of salt you add to food, both when cooking and at the table.

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Omega-3 and omega-6 are generally known as essential fatty acids and are found in some foods such as oily fish, seeds and seed oils. Believed to be essential for brain and eye development, omega-3 is also useful to the body for reducing inflammation and lowering the tendency for blood to clot.

Omega-6 appears to help regulate blood pressure and the body's water balance. It also improves our nerve and immune functions. There is some evidence to suggest that people who eat oily fish, such as mullet, mackerel and sardines, twice a week may have lower rates of heart disease. Certainly, it is an easy and inexpensive way of increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids. The seeds of pumpkin, sesame and sunflower are good, tasty sources of omega-6.

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All low-fat or reduced-fat spreads contain less fat than butter or standard block margarine and a great deal more water. This means that while they can be used like butter or margarine as a spread on bread and so forth, they are not always suitable for cooking. They can be used successfully for all-in-one sauces and cakes, for choux pastry and, if mixed with full-fat butter or block margarine, can sometimes be used for other pastry. To make a cheesecake base, normally done by mixing butter with biscuit crumbs, melt the low-fat spread carefully over a low heat and then add the crumbs.

Low-fat spreads are generally not suitable for shallow or deep-fat frying because they contain too much water. However, they can be used in a nonstick saucepan to fry foods such as onions or mushrooms, as long as it is gently done over a low heat. They are also unsuitable for traditional biscuits and cakes, and preserves such as lemon curd, because they do not set firm.

Very low-fat spreads, which have an even higher proportion of water and contain less than 25 percent fat, are quite unsuitable for frying or sauteing because they will spit and are liable to burn very easily.

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In general, softer cheeses have a lower fat content than hard cheeses because they have a higher percentage of water. Cream cheeses and cheeses labeled double and triple cream are the exceptions as they are particularly high in fat, containing about 47 percent fat. Hard cheeses made from goat's and ewe's milk are likely to be higher in fat than similar cheeses made from cow's milk, as both goat's and ewe's milk have a naturally higher fat content.

If you are aiming to cut down on your fat intake, it is best to stay with cottage cheese or soft, fresh cheeses such as ricotta and feta. Of the harder cheeses, Edam is a better low-fat choice than Cheddar. Some cheese varieties can be found in reduced-fat versions. These include Edam, Swiss, Cheddar, cream and mozzarella.

Some supermarkets stock a selection of lower-fat alternatives to full-fat cheese in which the saturated butter fat has been removed and replaced with polyunsaturated vegetable oils. These cheeses are particularly useful for those people who want to reduce their saturated fat intake. The nutritional information supplied by manufacturers can be misleading. The fat content is often expressed as 'fat in dry matter', which means the fat content of the cheese solids after the water has been removed. An ordinary Brie which is labeled a '60 percent' Brie is not as rich as it sounds because it actually contains half the fat of a regular cream cheese.

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Nearly everyone is familiar with the family holiday dinner syndrome. After eating your way through generous helpings of every dish gracing the table, you adjourn to the living room and sink into a comfortable chair, possibly to watch the televised football game. Long before the official gun marks the end of the first half you are already in dreamland.

Your drowsiness is caused by more than the sheer bulk of food you consumed or the dullness of the game or its commentator. Certain of the foods you are likely to eat on such occasions are rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that helps your body produce serotonin, a biochemical that has a soporific effect on man and other animals. Foods known to have high levels of tryptophan include turkey, beef, pork, and lamb - all traditional specialties for festive affairs.

Because carbohydrates also help produce serotonin, the gargantuan portions of starchy potatoes, yams, and bread you ate allowed the sandman to perform his miracle in a wink. The type of food affects how long you will be sleepy. Your body digests fats more slowly than it does carbohydrates and proteins, so the higher your meal's fat content, the longer your doze.

Alcohol compounds the dozing problem. It anesthetizes brain cells that normally would keep you alert. Naturally, if your food and alcohol intake is too much or too rich, your peaceful slumber may be short-lived when a nightmare or upset stomach gives you a rude awakening.

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Suppose a person weighed and exercised the same at 65 as he did at 25, his body would require 10 percent fewer calories than he did in his youth, partially because his fat-to-muscle ratio decreased as he grew older. Body fat requires less energy than protein-rich muscle.

A senior citizen also needs fewer calories because his basal metabolic rate has decreased. He burns fewer calories. The need for vitamins and other essential nutrients does not decline as much as an older person's caloric requirements. Consequently, the aged have little room in their diets for the empty-calorie foods, such as sugar and alcohol, that they may have enjoyed in their earlier years. For health's sake, they must make every calorie count.

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When we eat, our blood glucose levels rise temporarily. Our blood glucose receptors perceive this change and signal the brain that the body has consumed enough food. It takes about 20 minutes for this signal to reach the brain. Therefore, it's easy to pass the point of satiation without realizing it.

This problem is especially acute for fast eaters. Within the 20-minute duration, they can consume a lot of food, many more calories than they really need, leaving them with an uncomfortable, bloated feeling. If they had chewed and eaten slowly, they wouldn't have ingested as much food by the time the brain transmitted the "full" signal.

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Fortunately for vegans and traditional vegetarians, one does not have to eat meat or dairy products to obtain all the amino acids the body cannot produce. They can instead plan a meal consisting of foods that collectively contain the essential eight. Whole cereal grains and legumes are the most famous of such complementary foods whose proteins add up to form a complete source. There is one salient condition, however. The two must usually be eaten at the same meal. Thus, the traditional peasant dish of rice and beans or the American Indian mixture of lima beans and corn (succotash) are good sources of protein.

Lacto and lacto-ovo vegetarians need not be as concerned about consuming their required share of complete protein because dairy products and eggs contain all eight essential amino acids.

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A 300-pound fat person burns more calories than does a 150-pound thin person because he requires more energy to move his body weight around, pump blood, and perform other functions. Don't conclude, however, that this fat person needs twice as many calories. On a pound-per-pound basis, the average fat person burns fewer calories than the average thin person, for three reasons.

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The average man burns roughly 1,700 calories per day for basal metabolism, the average woman roughly 1,325 calories. These are the calories the body burns for basic life-support processes, including breathing, digesting, thinking, circulating blood, replacing cells, and maintaining body temperature. These basal metabolic functions take place even if one is sitting perfectly still.

In addition, your body needs calories for physical activity. For instance, the typical per hour calorie expenditure rate beyond the basal metabolic rate is practically zero for watching TV, 300 for casual walking, 400 for leisurely cycling, 500 for unhurried swimming, and 600 for moderate-paced jogging. Children, in addition, need extra calories for growing. Calories you consume beyond the basal metabolic, physical activity, and growing requirements are converted to body fat.

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When food scientist say an apple has 100 calories, they are specifying the potential energy (heat) that the apple can generate as it passes through the body. Each food calorie is equal to the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram (1 liter or 2.2 pounds) of water by 1C at 1 atmospheric pressure. This calculation is based on a kilogram rather than a gram, so a food calorie is 1,000 times greater than the normal calorie, the one commonly used in physics and chemistry.

Scientists calculate the food-calorie value with devices such as the bomb calorimeter, a sealed compartment in which a specific weight of food is completed burned. Sensitive instruments measure the amount of energy generated by the burning food.

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Unfortunately, the news isn't encouraging. Most people seeking to lose 10 or more pounds on a weight-loss diet will regain most or all of the lost weight within a year or two. And some of these people will eventually end up weighing more than they did when they started their diets. The consensus of leading independent weight-loss authorities boils down the secrets of success into three simple caveats: Don't eat more calories than your body burns, exercise regularly, and learn to make healthy food choices.

** Healthy Food **