What better way to say you care than to give a gift that promotes good health?

This doesn't have to be boring food or elite athlete gear. There are a few notable gifts that could help your family and friends become a bit healthier in the coming year.

FOODIES

Just because you're promoting good health doesn't mean you have to steer clear of tasty treats. There are foods out there that don't break the calorie bank.

Check the bakery department of your grocery store or health food store for portion-controlled, whole-grain items.

Another option is a fruit-of-the-month subscription, which brings nutritious treats to the doorstep all year. Here are two to try: www.HarryandDavid.com, (877) 322-1200; or The Fruit Company, (800) 387-3100 ($10 for second-day delivery, phone orders only). Gifts start at $199.

FITNESS EQUIPMENT

A treadmill can be a wonderful gift, and, according to Consumer Reports, a $400-$700 model is fine for walkers. Occasional runners need a sturdier machine costing $800 to $1,800. Committed runners are best served by one costing $2,200 or more. The machines that rated the best in Consumer Reports' tests are: Landice L7 Series Pro Sports Trainer, $2,900, www.landice.com, (800) 526-3423; the True Z4 HRC, $2,300; the Precor M 9.31, $3,000; and the Schwinn 820P, $1,300, www.schwinn.com, (800) 782-4799.

If you're looking to go all out, consider a home gym for the family. The ParaBody GS1 Home Gym is $999 (www.omnifitness.com). For a free-weight workout, Men's Health recommends the HF-985 Hoist Fitness Half Cage Ensemble for $2,700 (www.hoistfitness.com) as the best home gym.

TEAS

Tea is on the fast track to becoming the new "hot" health food. Serengeti Tea (www.serengetitea.com) has a wide variety of great teas in a smart, innovative package that eliminates the messy, old-style tea bags.

Adagio Teas (www.adagio.com) has a variety of gift packages, including combinations of teas and tea-brewing equipment. Prices range from $15 to $75.

One of my favorite tea concepts is from Sencha Naturals (www.senchanaturals.com). They make mints from organically produced green-tea extracts, so you can get your dose from a mint if you're not in the mood for a cup of tea ($4, www.teatreasures.com).

YOGA AND PILATES

Whether you're shopping for someone who wants to start a yoga program or is already practicing, consider "Yoga Fan," a thick but simple book with great descriptions of poses that will walk you through a basic yoga routine. As a yoga beginner, I loved it ($14.95, www.trainingfan.com).

Another possibility for a newcomer or even the die-hard yoga addict is a gift certificate for classes at a local studio. Visit www.yogajournal.com and use the "class search" tool to find studios and classes in your area.

Crescent Moon (www.crescentmoonyoga.com) produces high-end, stylish accessories, including mat carriers made of sea-grass or leather, mats and rugs, and their best-selling ExerSocks. And they have a great selection of complete yoga gifts such as the Deluxe "Black" Linen Yoga Kit for about $100.

KITCHEN GOODS

Need help with portion control? Zevro's Indispensable Dispenser SLS 100 (www.zevro.com), which looks kind of like a gumball machine, is perfect. Four turns of a crank deliver about one serving of cereal from its spout into your bowl ($60, Container Store, www.amazon.com or www.cooking.com).

Another neat invention is the vacuum sealer ($30 to $300). They're great for portion control and pre-cooking, allowing you to divide meals into desired portion sizes and reheat as needed. Rival (www.rivalproducts.com.) makes the Seal-a-Meal Vacuum Food Sealer ($60 on www.amazon.com, and rolls to seal with, about $10).

BOOKS

Each year, Cooking Light magazine produces a compilation of all 900 recipes that appeared in the magazine the previous year. This year's "Cooking Light: Annual Recipes 2006" is available for less than $24 on www.amazon.com. Or order "Your Ultimate Pilates Body Challenge" (Broadway, $17.95), by Brooke Siler, probably New York's best-known Pilates instructor.

DVDS

Shape magazine recommends "Power Up: The Best of Rodney Yee" (www.amazon.com, $26.99), a compilation of the yoga guru's best work. Self magazine's "Slim and Sleek Fast" DVD (www.amazon.com, $10.99) is also a total body workout that keeps your heartbeat up for 45 minutes. The easy-to-follow, well-paced exercises are perfect for beginners, but the DVD also includes a more advanced version for the more experienced. And Fitness magazine selected "Get Ripped" by Jari Love (www.collagevideo.com, $19.95) and "Brazilian Dance Workout" (www.collagevideo.com, $14.95) among its top 10 DVDs.

Charles Stuart Platkin is a nutrition and public-health advocate. Write to info@thedietdetective.com.