REALITY CHECKS can be fun--real- ly! Just for a few days, consider using getting a nutrient analysis to see how your eating stacks up.

This is especially useful for folks who are struggling to lower their cholesterol, blood pressure or blood sugar. And there are many Web sites and iPod apps that provide instant feedback.

Often, people tell me that they feel it's just impossible to eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. But they have mistaken the serving sizes in their minds, and when we analyze their food diary, they're actually doing pretty well.

Of course, you can use a paper diary, but that requires that you look up the food or drink you ate in a reference book, and add up calories and nutrients for each item. Computer programs can save you a lot of time.

The Web sites and apps that can analyze your diet are fairly easy to use. Generally, they ask for your height, weight, age and activity level (along with what you've eaten). In turn, they make recommendations for how many calories and nutrients you should eat. Most sites use the same database from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to analyze nutrition.

One caveat for all these sites: They're only as accurate as the data you enter. In other words, you have to be specific about what you ate, as well as how much.

KNOW THE TRICKS

Knowing what you ate sounds simple. But the first time you try to enter something, such as 1 percent milk, for example, you may have to choose from a long list of variations of it. For example, you might be asked if it has "NFMS," which stands for "nonfat milk solids" added, which is another way of saying "protein-fortified."

Regular 1 percent milk is not protein-fortified.

The computer may also ask you whether your milk has "added vit A"; your answer is probably yes, as all regular milk sold in the U.S. is fortified with vitamins A and D.

Luckily, with most of these programs, you can create a list of favorite foods. That way, once you choose what kind of milk you normally buy, you can save that item to be used again and again.