Grocery costs are a bit crazy right now. I was forgiving of it when fuel costs were also outlandish ... after all, food has to be transported so fuel costs directly effect grocery costs. But now the fuel costs are down and grocery costs are staying high. I don't know about you, but I think it's totally unfair.

In these tight economic times, we all have to be penny-pinchers. Since meat is one of the most expensive grocery items to buy, it only makes sense to cut back. Beans and tofu spring to mind as meat-replacements -- they're inexpensive, filling and high in protein. Another great option -- though not high in protein -- is mushrooms.

Swapping mushrooms for meat isn't only economical, it's healthful, lower in calories, filling and completely tasty. Try them in lasagna or grill up a marinated portobello as a burger. A recent study found that when participants ate meals where mushrooms replaced beef, they consumed an average of 420 fewer calories. Great news if you're trying to lose weight!

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Baking up goodies for parties, gifts and Santa is a terrific part of this festive holiday season -- even for me, your loving fitness trainer. Baking doesn't have to be bad for your body though, nor does it have to contribute to that traditional December weight gain.

If I weren't a fitness professional, I'd be a baker. It's fun and allows me the ability to be creative while making people happy. I love making people happy. I don't, however, enjoy putting fat on my hips or the hips of others. This has lead me to be really creative.

I've got a few suggestions for you to follow and a link here to my favorite baked treats in my online recipe book at Fitzness.com.

• Substitute eggs for an egg substitute like Egg Beaters.
• Substitute butter/oil for a sugar free syrup like the ones sold a DaVinci Gourmet. (Use equal amounts as the ones given for the oil/butter.)

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I try to steer clear of sugar. I first ditched the sweet stuff to cure headaches -- it worked -- and then realized I feel so much better, headaches aside, without the refined stuff sailing through my veins. I credit some of my recent weight loss to my sugar ban too.

What do I do about artificial sweeteners, though? RealAge says I should be cautious, because stuff like saccharin-sweeteners can lead to overeating and weight gain too.

Studies on lab animals tell us that those fed with no-sugar-added yogurt packed on more pounds than those fed with full-sugar yogurt. Seems that no-calorie substitutes put the brain and body at odds. The brain is happy. The body wants more. Time will tell if humans gain like animals do. Chances are, we do -- studies linking diet soda to excess weight already exist.

Your best bet for satisfying a sweet tooth: Go natural -- dive into a bowl of berries -- or indulge in just a bite of the real thing, like an ounce of rich dark chocolate.

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Here's another lab rat study to bash the effect of artificial sweeteners. This time it all but makes you think the only option is to just go back to regular old sugar! A small bit of research is indicating that zero-calorie sweeteners could be making it harder for you to lose weight.

How? By tricking your body into thinking sweetness doesn't mean extra calories. Basically, they're saying these artificial substitutes could make it a little harder to gauge caloric intake (which could lead to gaining weight). In addition, they're also pointing to a loose connection between high sales of diet soda and a rise in obesity. Considering the widespread use of sweeteners now in such drinks, they may not be too far off the mark.

But naturally, companies producing these sweetener products call this study irrelevant. For one, it used lab rats -- and a very small number as well. Less than 30 rats were used to test these claims, causing one dietitian to say it does a disservice to the consumer. The weight gain observed in lab rats may not have any relevance to humans, after all, but it won't keep people from debating the effectiveness of artificial sweeteners.

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Chef Ethan McKee, like Darlene Dougherty, former president of the American Dietetic Association, has a few tricks for spicing up holiday recipes that won't clog arteries or pack on the pounds. McKee, who dishes out health-conscious cuisine year-round, says his technique tweaks can slim down a menu. Here's how he does it.

McKee braises his sweet potatoes in vegetable stock, herbs, and garlic so when he purees them, he can ditch the butter. He brines meats to boost flavor without adding loads of extra calories, and when he wants to create a creamy dish, he grabs some non-fat yogurt. Add some to your mashed potatoes, he says, and you'll get a nice little tang.

Is cauliflower on your holiday menu? If so, slice and sauté it with olive, some raisins and almonds and your dish will come out caramelized and crunchy. To lighten up your desserts, cut portion sizes and use Whey Low, an all-natural sugar substitute with a quarter of the calories.

See, it's possible to be jolly without abandoning taste. You just need to know what's naughty and what's nice, says McKee.

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Tis the season for baking and sweets, that's for sure. Unfortunately, typical white table sugar most commonly used in cooking, along with corn syrup usually found in store-bought sweets, is stripped of its few nutrients during the refinement process. In the quest for healthier alternatives without sacrificing flavor or the indulgent spirit of the holidays, you might want to consider some natural and slightly more nutritious sugar substitutes in a few of your baking recipes this year. Naturally milled sugar, for example, goes through a much simpler refinement process -- therefore several of the trace nutrients from the cane sugar are still present. Molasses is a byproduct of making sugar and can make for rich flavor in desserts and entrees alike. It's rich in potassium and also has calcium, iron, and magnesium. And of course there's honey, the most common and versatile sugar substitute with antibacterial and enzyme properties.

I don't know that I'll try molasses instead of sugar in my next batch of chocolate chip cookies, but the idea of a more nutritious sweet dessert inspired me to look up a new recipe to try this year. There were lots out there, but one easy looking one that caught my eye was honey brownies, I'll have to give it a try!

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