Phew! You made it through the holidays without picking up too many extra pounds -- but you still could use some help with that New Year's resolution to eat healthy. Fortunately, the Web is handy in the kitchen with nutrition tools and menu planners that can show you exactly what you're eating -- and what you should be eating -- as well as help you get organized and save time in front of the stove and at the supermarket.

PHYS: The Personal Nutritionist The first thing you want to do is get a sense of whether what you're eating is right for you. Plug in some basic information (sex, age, height, etc.) so that the Phys Personal Nutritionist can give you your ideal diet and then -- watch out -- analyze your real diet when you check off what you've eaten today. Of course, it helps to tell the truth about that "rice cake" you dunked in your morning coffee ...

The Personal Nutritionist will point out problem areas you should be aware of -- maybe you're not getting enough protein -- and make dietary recommendations -- perhaps you might want to try some cruciferous veggies since you've mentioned someone in your family has had cancer. You'll also get dietary quotas, plus tasty sample menus that show you what these numbers mean in the real world.

My Menus Now that you have the "ideal meal" and some nutritional goals in mind, it's time to start planning. With My Menus you can choose a meal plan by category (such as weight loss, low sodium or quick and easy), build your own menu from tempting morsels in the recipe database, or even find recipes based on a nutrient you need more of or an ingredient you already have on hand. Toss some Kiwi Orange Jicama Salad, for instance, and you've taken care of both that extra dose of vitamin C and those oranges from the back of the fridge. No jicama? My Menus -- once you've customized the site -- gives you a shopping list to print and tells you which aisle to check in a local supermarket. And if you discover you only can salvage half a moldy orange, you can still zest some orange peel into Warm Broccoli Salad, because the database can sort the recipes by ingredient amount. Definitely handy -- and the site's nutritional breakdowns make calorie counting a cinch.

Meals Online Another solid cooking database, Meals Online is stocked with more than 10,000 recipes and lets you build a menu for dinner tonight or plan the week ahead. Found something you want to try later? File it in the personal recipe box for future reference. You can select meal by cuisine (Italian, Thai, Tex-Mex ...) or theme (Casual, Gourmet, Party/Buffet ...) and other preferences you set. The site creates an ingredients list, and you can add or delete items before you head out to the store. Substitution information, a glossary of terms and measurement conversion tables are a few kitchen essentials you'll find here. Be sure to sample some of Meals Online's other features, such as Ask the Chef, puzzles, a cooking chat room and special menus such as the "Imaginative Meal for One" or a feast to "Impress Your Mother In Law."

--Kathleen Sands spends more time reading cookbooks and playing with menu planners than she actually does cooking. Click here to let us know what you think of this story or to suggest a site.