Yikes. Less than 3 weeks until Christmas, my mom gently reminded me on the phone last night. Here are some books and other gift ideas for the nutrition geeks in your family:

* Food Tees: www.dietdetective.com/tshirts. Cute cotton T-shirts illustrated with simple pictures of fruits and vegetables and short messages such as celery "stalker", cauliflower "flower child", and carrot "eat me." (877) 367-6199 ext 88

Books:

* "Calorie King": 2008 Calorie, Fat and Carbohydrate Counter, Allan Borushek, RD, Family Health Publications. www.calorieking.com. Buy the book or go to the Web site for free access to a 50,000 food item database to help you keep track of the calories, carbohydrates, fat, protein and other nutrients in the food you eat.

* "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think," Brian Wansink, PhD, Bantam Books, 2006. Based on solid research, this author outlines ways to recognize and deal with the triggers that cause us to overeat.

* "The Traveler's Diet: Eating Right and Staying Fit on the Road," Peter Greenberg, Villard Books, 2006. For the traveler on your Christmas list.

* "Food Allergies for Dummies," Robert A. Wood, MD, Wiley, 2007. Ways to recognize potentially harmful ingredients on menus and food labels, including suggestions for treating allergic food reactions.

* "Gluten-free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide," Shelley Case, RD, 2006. A comprehensive list of gluten-free foods and companies that make them. Includes recipes, baking tips and menu ideas.

* "The New Family Cookbook for People with Diabetes" by the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association, Simon and Schuster, 2007. More than 400 recipes plus information on carbohydrate counting, exercise and other tips. http://www.diabetes.org/shop-for-books-and-gifts.jsp

* "Month of Meals" by the American Diabetic Association.. For the carb-conscious on your list. Balanced breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack ideas that fit into meal plans for people with diabetes. http://store.diabetes.org/

* "What Einstein Told His Cook 2: The Sequel: Further Adventures in Kitchen Science," Robert L Wolke, Marlene Parrish; W.W. Norton and Co., 2005. For the intellectual "foodies" on your list, this second book by the same name explains "kitchen science" and debunks misconceptions about food and nutrition in plain, non-technical language.

* "Weight Loss Confidential: How Teens Lose Weight and Keep it Off -- and What They Wish Parents Knew," Anne Fletcher, MS, RD, Houghton Mifflin, 2006. For teens who struggle with their weight, this book features inspiring real-life stories for teens and their parents.

* "Your Child's Weight: Helping without Harming," Ellyn Satter, MS, RD, LCSW: Kelcy Press, 2005. www.ellynsatter.com Practical guidance on feeding kids from one of my favorite child-nutrition experts.

* "Endurance Sports Nutrition," 2nd Edition, Suzanne Girad Eberle, MS, RD, Human Kinetics, 2007. Training menus and nutrition advice for marathoners and other endurance athletes on your list.

Happy Shopping!