As 2008 ends, what new dieting and exercise trends can be expected for 2009? Consumers are looking for nutrition on a budget, says Beth Hubrich, registered dietitian with the Calorie Control Council, an international association representing the low-calorie and reduced fat food and beverage industry. With the slow-down in the economy, consumers are looking for more nutrition for their buck. There will also be a greater reliance on tools already at their fingertips, such as online dieting and nutrition sites. With increased workplace tensions, greater workloads and perhaps the need for an additional job, people will look for fitness activities that can be done in the workplace or at home. The Council predicts five trends when it comes to dieting, weight loss and physical activity in 2009:

1. Consumers will "budget" calories in the strapped economy. Although times are tough, consumers seem to understand that "calories still count.

2. Increased consumption of foods and beverages with added benefits. Heightened consumer awareness of the relationship between diet and health has increased the demand for "functional" foods — foods that can provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition.

3. Greater reliance on personalized online dieting tools for weight management such as ediets.com, freedieting.com or startyourdiet.com. A recent study by Kaiser Permanente found that recording food and beverage intake can double a person's weight loss, so having access to online options that allow people to record their calories is important.

4. Emergence of "functional fitness" programs that simulate real life activities. Traditional weight lifting has taken a back seat to these "fitness that functions like you do" programs such as carrying grocery bags while stair climbing or a new mom lifting a stroller instead of a weight set. The focus of these programs is building a body capable of doing real-life activities in real-life positions.

5. Natural nutrition. Although there is no clear definition of "natural," some consumers prefer foods and beverages they perceive as natural. New products with natural claims such as stevia sweeteners have been hitting the marketplace fast and furiously. — Calorie Control Council.

Q & A

Does nonfat milk have a lot more calcium than whole milk?

A: No, just a little more. Milk averages 300 mg of calcium per cup, 30 percent of your daily needs. Whole milk has about 290 mg, nonfat about 310. Processors do sometimes add extra milk solids to special nonfat milks to boost nutrients. Such milk typically contains 25 to 35 percent more calcium, and the labels usually boast about the added calcium. That means it takes about three cups of milk to get 1,200 mg of calcium a day, instead of the usual four. — UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, January 2009.

NEW TOOL

Here's one of the neatest tools on the horizon to make cooking and nutrition a little easier: Kraft Foods has an application for your iPhone to plan meals, search recipes and even locate the nearest store through a new downloadable application for iPhone and iPod touch users. The application, iFood Assistant, was developed in conjunction with interactive agency Genex, a division of Meredith Corp. It is available on the Apple App store for 99 cents. More than 7,000 recipes can be found on the app. Once the recipe is chosen, iFoodAssistant creates an itemized shopping list, the ingredients can be viewed by which grocery aisle they are located in and can be deleted as they go in the shopping cart. Another click locates the most convenient store and promotional offers if available. Video cooking demonstrations can be viewed or shortcuts located like the "Dinner Tonight" and "Recipe of the Day" sections. Kraft designed the application to include partners that provide relevant content or tools. At www.iFoodAssistant.com, people can also download the application and check out how it all works by watching videos on how to find the recipes, how the store locator works, how to make a personal recipe box and other information. — Kraft Foods.

RECIPE

This recipe for Pork Medallions with Herbes de Provence, from Mayo Clinic, is quick, healthy and full of flavor. Herbes de Provence is a blend of dried herbs, including thyme, marjoram, rosemary, basil, fennel, sage and lavender. This blend works well with meats, poultry and vegetables.

Pork Medallions with Herbes de Provence,

8 ounces pork tenderloin, trimmed of visible fat and cut crosswise into 6 pieces

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence

1/4 cup dry white wine

Sprinkle the pieces of pork with black pepper. Place the pork between sheets of wax paper. Pound with a mallet or roll with a rolling pin until about 1/4-inch thick.

In a large, nonstick frying pan, cook the pork over medium-high heat until the meat is browned, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and sprinkle with herbes de Provence. Place the pork on individual plates, and keep warm.

Pour the wine into the frying pan. Cook until boiling. Scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour the wine sauce over the pork, and serve immediately. Serves 2.

Per serving: 156 calories, 24 g protein, trace carbohydrate, 4 g fat, 74 mg cholesterol, 58 mg sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian in Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at [email protected]. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.