Q. I know about yo-yo dieting can slow down my metabolism and make it harder to keep weight off. To head off this problem, are there any foods that boost metabolism?

A. There are no specific foods that boost metabolism. A better approach to weight management is to avoid cycles of “yo-yo dieting,” or starving, then binging. Avoid periods of severe caloric restriction. With severe caloric restriction the body senses it is “starving” and responds by slowing metabolism. During periods of severe caloric restriction, you tend to lose more muscle than fat. You want ot keep as much muscle as possible because muscle uses more energy than fat. Most people are unable to maintain a severe restriction for the length of time to needed to lose significant amounts of weight. Try to normalize your eating habits. Eat a small meal three to four times a day so that your body does not think its starving. By eating as little as 150 calories less per day you can lose approximately 1 pound per month. This could be as simple as giving up one 12-ounce soft drink of 1 ounce of chocolate candy a day. Evaluate your eating habits to identify where you could make changes to limit high-calorie foods. Choose nutrient-dense foods that are lower in calories and fat and watch portion size. By increasing physical activity to use an additional 150 calories a day (walking for approximately 30 minutes) you could increase your rate of weight loss by two pounds per month. While this sounds very slow, two pounds per month is 24 pounds in a year. Working toward permanent changes in eating habits and increasing physical activity is the best approach for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. Ask your physician about a referral to a registered dietitian to help you evaluate your situation and make the changes needed to achieve your goal.

Q. While at home for the summer, my kids snack on dry cereal right from the box. Will this hurt them if they eat a lot of it?

A. Any harm that might result from “eating dry cereal right from the box” depends upon how much is “a lot”, what type of cereal it is, and other circumstances of how it is eaten. Depending upon the ages of your children and how rapidly they eat the dry cereal, there might be slightly increased risk of choking on the dry cereal as compared to eating it with milk. Otherwise, it should not pose a problem unless it is replacing other foods the children need to get adequate nutrients for growth. Cereals are a grain product and are good sources of B vitamins and energy, which growing children need. If the cereal is one of the fortified ones that supply 100 percent of recommended levels, eating large amounts could lead to excessive intakes of some nutrients. Probably a greater concern is that, eaten dry because cereal would remain on the teeth for longer periods of time, creating the optimum environment for tooth decay. Children need other sources of calcium for healthy bones. Fruits and vegetables are good sources of vitamin A, vitamin C and folic acid. Protein is very important for growth and can be supplied from lean meats, poultry, fish, dairy products and meat alternatives, such as dried beans and peas. Adequate fluid intake is important as well. You could try offering fresh fruit, fruit juice, carrot sticks, milk or peanut butter and crackers to replace some of the cereal snacks to increase the variety of foods eaten.