Celeriac. It's not going to win any beauty contests, but don't let its appearance fool you. Also known as celery root, celeriac is coming into season now and can be used both raw or cooked.

Try mashing boiled celeriac and adding it to casseroles; it's a nutritious and low-calorie way to extend some of your favorite comfort foods. You can also enjoy mashed celeriac in lieu of or mixed in with mashed potatoes -- the flavor is light and pleasant. Or, opt for raw preparations; celeriac is great in cole slaw. You can also slice or cube celeriac for stews and soups, and roasted celeriac makes a great side dish.

Check out this slideshow for some more of spring's nutritional superstars.

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Very rarely do I drink juice -- so often it has added sugar and is high in calories for the amount of nutrition it provides. I'll just eat the apple or orange instead. But, some juices have distinctive properties and benefits, so I might need to adjust my attitude toward juice.

For example, celery juice is known for curbing cravings. And that sounds great, except ... well, I've never had celery juice. Have you? I like celery well enough (especially with some peanut butter on it), but I'm not sure how actual celery juice would taste. Maybe it kills the cravings because, after you choke it down, you don't want anything else -- I have no idea. But I'd be willing to try (as long as somebody else tries it first).

VitalJuice has a whole list of unusual juices with special properties, and it's worth checking out. And, if you've tried any of them, leave a comment and let me know how they were. Because, raw potato juice? Blech.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, residents are being treated to a billboard-sized healthy message: "Beat Obesity with a Stick," says the ad, atop a background of celery sticks. Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, the mega-corp and HMO to many, it's raising more than a few eyebrows.



Sure, we can all accept that obesity is an issue of critical importance -- the health of a nation is at stake here, after all. But the ad gives off a very distinct impression: That obese people don't eat celery, and that a few sticks can solve the problem.

What do you think of this ad? It's clever, yes, but does it cross the line?

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Would you go organic if you could afford it? How about going half and half? If you do, here are eight items definitely worth the splurge: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, and lettuce.

Why?

Because these foods rank the highest in amount of pesticides used to grow them. Some of the lowest pesticide-treated foods are onions, avocado, frozen sweet corn, pineapple, mango, frozen sweet peas, asparagus, and kiwi.

For a full list, from most pesticides to least, check out foodnews.org.

A few years ago, my office was taken by storm -- by celery. Someone had read that celery uses more calories during digestion than it has--so, in essence, it had something like -25 calories. My co-workers were filling up on celery, convinced that it would make them slim.

I'm not saying that celery will ever make you fat, but the truth is, there's no such thing as true 'negative calorie' foods. However, there are foods that are more calorie -efficient than others. Many produce items besides celery have been claimed to be 'negative calories' foods--things like asparagus, broccoli, strawberries and so on. So it can't hurt to stock up on these things -- I say go for it. Just do it with the knowledge that truly negative foods don't exist.

For more so-called 'negative' foods, click here.

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