A Noggin Of Nutrition : Wholesome drinks are a healthy way of keeping those resolutions to lose weight.

More than 40% of the American adult population perceive themselves to be overweight, according to an independent national study, released Tuesday by Weight Watchers International, Inc. Of those, some two-thirds went on a diet at least once last year and will begin another in 1989.

The preoccupation with weight-loss is especially prevalent at this time of year. Upwards of 1.2 million people across the nation have already begun their New Year’s resolutions and enrolled in the Weight Watchers program. (The organization’s average weekly attendance is 600,000, according to a company representative.)

The New Year is the time when countless Americans try any means possible--some nutritionally acceptable and some not--to lose the excess weight accumulated during holiday festivities. For many, the gluttony began as far back as Thanksgiving and has added as much as 10 to 15 pounds. So they join exercise gyms, participate in diet programs, swallow diet capsules and ingest diet foods and protein drinks in an effort to shed the extra weight.

The hectic pace of today’s life style is one explanation for the popularity of radical diets that eliminate food groups or suggest unusual food combinations. But dietitians warn against such extreme and unusual methods of losing weight--specifically when undertaken as a means of undoing the damage from the holidays. Instead, people are encouraged to choose a sensible eating pattern that fits into their individual routine.

A way to accomplish this, according to Linda Dahl, president of the California Dietetic Assn., is to resume previous dietary habits that were established before the holiday eating frenzy took place and to begin or continue a regular exercise program. This means cutting back on high fat foods and controlling portion sizes, she said.

“Usually if you return to your previous dietary habits and exercise program you will return to your previous weight,” said Dahl, “and that makes a lot more sense than going on a diet, which is temporary and you may go off it and wind up in the same place you were during the holidays.”

One sensible approach is to eliminate the traditional morning meal and opt instead for a nutrient-rich blender drink. Since it is the hour of the day when time is at a premium, it tends to be a time when fast-food or coffee and sweets are favored. Or, if one’s schedule permits and a traditional breakfast meal is an option, it typically features high-fat meats like bacon, sausage and eggs, pancakes, syrup, fatty breads and spreads or cereals loaded with cream and sugar.

But a nutritionally-adequate blender drink can meet the body’s energy supply needs as well as the palate’s desire for good taste, and for a lot fewer calories. These beverages can be powerhouses of nourishment when packed with foods rich in vitamins and minerals. They offer waistline-watchers an alternative to high-fat breakfast fare on the run.

By combining wholesome ingredients such as nonfat milk and yogurt, dried and fresh fruits, vegetables and grains, it is possible to achieve the calorie-sparing benefit of a light meal, provided that sufficient fiber and other nutrients are included in meals the remainder of the day.

“People are in a hurry in the morning,” Dahl said, “We’ve gotten away from the traditional breakfast. I think that beverages are handy but the problem I have with them is they are very low in fiber. We manage to get in the fruit and the milk, but we don’t get in the insoluble fiber.”

To increase the amount of fiber in the beverage meal, Dahl explained, add a tablespoon of bran to the mixture. It lends sufficient fiber. Then, include whole grain breads, legumes and other carbohydrate-rich foods in the remaining daily meals to meet the recommended daily allowance of fiber.

This way, Dahl said, nutrition drinks “can fit into a sensible diet program--especially for people on the run,” as long as they are not denying themselves food and using the beverages as an entire intake for the day. That doesn’t teach people how to choose lower fat foods and control portion sizes. “We’re not talking about the modified fasts for weight reduction,” she emphasized.

Bananas, fruit juice, dairy products and wheat germ are the most popular ingredients in blender drinks. But, if meeting the daily requrement for fiber isn’t a problem, use the juice extractor for fresh, natural juices from all sorts of vegetables. The automatic juice extractor will separate solids from almost every fruit and vegetable imaginable, leaving the pure concentrated juice for use in recipes.

If a juice extractor is not an option, use the blender to puree such fruits as pears, peaches and berries. It will create nectar rather than clear juices, but these can be strained and diluted with water or thin juice and combined with crushed ice for a thick and frosty drink.

Pureed, steamed vegetables are another possibility. Mix with clear fruit juices or homemade chicken broth (it is lower in sodium than commercial brands) and serve with cucumber slices, radishes, celery or carrot sticks or sweet pepper strips for swizzlers. Health food stores or the health food section of the supermarket also have large displays of vegetable juices including some surprising ones such as spinach, celery and cabbage.

To ensure nutritional adequacy of the beverage, here is a list of important vitamins and minerals, their function in the body and their dietary sources. Follow the recipes given, then mix and match according to the desired taste or nutrient emphasis. Oat bran is a good alternative to wheat germ, but we learned when developing these recipes in The Times Test Kitchen that the oat bran tends to thicken the drink upon standing. Therefore, unless several people will be served, those recipes should be scaled down to serve only one then doubled when needed.

--Vitamin A: Needed for normal cell growth, healthy lining of body cavities and glands, healthy bones and teeth, maintenance of the cornea; its precursor, beta carotene, is linked to cancer prevention. Food sources: green leafy vegetables such as spinach, turnip tops, chard and beet greens; green stem vegetables such as asparagus and broccoli; yellow vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash and pumpkin; and orange fruits such as apricots, peaches and cantaloupe.

--Vitamin C: Important for cell formation, synthesis of collagen and absorption and use of iron. Deficiencies usually result in poor wound healing, poor bone and tooth development and, although rare today, scurvy. Food sources: citrus fruits, pineapple, berries, tomatoes, melons, cabbage, broccoli, strawberries, potatoes and some green leafy vegetables like kale, cabbage, kohlrabi and greens.

--Vitamin D: Necessary for calcium and phosphorous regulation to prevent brittle bones and teeth. Food sources: fortified milk and very small amounts in egg yolk and butter.

--Vitamin E: Primary function is as an antioxidant. It prevents oxygen from combining with other substances and damaging them. Deficiency is rare since it is widespread in plant foods. Food sources: vegetable oils are principal source but whole grains, wheat germ and dark leafy vegetables contain appreciable amounts.

--Vitamin K: Fat-soluble vitamin necessary for blood clotting. Food sources: green leafy vegetables such as spinach and cabbage.

--Calcium: Responsible for bone and tooth formation, blood clotting and nerve transmission. Many women fail to meet the Recommended Dietary Allowance for this mineral and as a result may suffer brittle bone disease (osteoporosis) at menopause. Food sources: dairy products--milk, cheese and yogurt--tofu, greens and some whole grains.

--Iron: Found as a component of blood protein (hemoglobin) and muscle protein (myoglobin). It enables these proteins to transport oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from body cells. Intake is usually below the RDA. Food sources: whole grain and enriched cereal products contribute substantial amounts as do peas, deep green leafy vegetables, dried fruits such as raisins and apricots.

--Magnesium: A factor in bone mineralization, muscular contraction, maintenance of teeth and protein building. Food sources: whole grains, green vegetables, chocolate and cocoa.

--Potassium: One of three minerals found in the body that preserve water balance. The others are sodium and chloride. None are particularly regarded as in short supply in the body since they are all widely available in food. Food sources: bananas, potatoes, milk and plain yogurt.

--Zinc: Involved in making genetic material and the normal development of the fetus, the transport of Vitamin A, taste perception and wound healing. Food sources: whole grains.

Food Styling by Minnie Bernardino and Donna Deane

TOMATO-CUCUMBER COCKTAIL

1 large tomato, seeded and chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1/2 bunch cilantro, minced

1 cucumber, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (24-ounce) can low-sodium tomato juice

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Salt, pepper

Celery stalks

Combine and grind tomato, celery, green pepper, cilantro, cucumber, onion and garlic in food processor or blender container. Add 1 cup tomato juice, hot pepper sauce and lemon juice and puree until smooth. Stir in remaining tomato juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with celery stalk. Makes about 2 quarts.

CITRUS SOOTHER

1 cup low-fat lemon yogurt

1 tablespoon thawed frozen orange juice concentrate

1 banana

1 tablespoon oat bran

4 to 5 ice cubes

Combine yogurt, orange juice concentrate and banana in blender container. Blend until bananas are chopped. Add oat bran and ice cubes blend until smooth. Makes 1 serving.

Note: Oat bran will cause drink to thicken upon standing. Serve immediately.

POLYNESIAN PICK UP

3/4 cup guava nectar

3/4 cup apricot nectar

5 to 6 fresh pineapple chunks

1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder

1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt

3 tablespoons oat bran

5 to 6 ice cubes

Place nectars, pineapple, milk powder and yogurt in blender container. Blend. Add oat bran and ice cubes and blend until smooth. Serve immediately. Makes 3 1/2 cups.

Note: Oat bran will cause drink to thicken upon standing. Serve immediately or divide recipe in half.

TROPICAL FRUIT SHAKE

1/4 cup dried apricots

1 medium ripe banana

5 to 6 fresh pineapple chunks

1/2 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder

12 ice cubes, cracked

1 tablespoon wheat germ

Combine apricots and 1/2 cup warm water and let stand 10 minutes. Place apricots and their liquid in blender container. Add banana, pineapple, orange juice and milk powder. Cover and process until smooth. Remove center of blender cover and gradually add cracked ice, blending at high speed. Add wheat germ and blend 1 to 2 minutes or until shake is very smooth. Makes 3 cups.

DRIED FRUIT CHILL CHASER

4 cups cold water

1/2 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup chopped pitted prunes

1/2 cup raisins

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Large strip lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup apple cider

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Cinnamon sticks

Nonfat plain yogurt

Combine water, apricots, prunes and raisins in saucepan. Bring to simmer, then remove pan from heat. Allow to soak 3 hours.

Add cardamom, cloves, lemon zest and juice, apple cider and almond extract to pan and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Discard lemon zest. Pour into serving mugs, garnish with cinnamon sticks and dollop of yogurt. Makes 2 cups.

GINGER-PEAR DRINK

6 ripe pears, peeled and quartered

3 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean

1 stick cinnamon

4 whole cloves

1 (3/4-inch) slice ginger root

Nonfat plain yogurt

Ground nutmeg

Poach pears in simmering water and sugar along with vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, cloves and ginger slice 35 to 40 minutes. When pears are tender, drain and reserve liquid. Discard vanilla, cinnamon and cloves and puree pears and ginger slice in food processor until smooth. Pour mixture back into pan and add 2 cups poaching liquid. Place over medium low heat just until hot. Pour into serving mugs, dollop with yogurt sprinkle with nutmeg. Makes 4 servings.

CARROT CREAM

1 pound carrots, sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

2 stalks celery, cut in pieces

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Plain nonfat yogurt

1 cup nonfat milk

Dash white pepper

Minced green onion

Grated lemon zest

Combine carrots, onion, celery and 1 cup chicken broth in saucepan. Cook covered 15 minutes. Turn half of vegetables and liquid into bowl of food processor or blender container and blend. Add 1/2 cup yogurt and nonfat milk and blend until smooth. Stir in remaining chicken broth and season to taste with pepper. Heat until hot. Serve garnished with dollop yogurt, minced green onion and lemon zest. Makes 5 2/3 cups.

CHOCOLATE-FRUIT SHAKE

1 cup chocolate frozen yogurt

1 banana, chopped or 1 cup berries

1/2 cup nonfat milk, chilled

2 tablespoons oat bran

6 ice cubes

Combine yogurt, fruit and nonfat milk in blender container. Blend until smooth. Add oat bran and ice cubes and blend until smooth. Makes 2 2/3 cups.

Note: Oat bran will cause drink to thicken upon standing. Serve immediately or divide recipe in half.

BERRY-SPOON DRINK

3 tablespoons cold water

1/2 cup frozen raspberries

1/2 cup frozen strawberries

2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder

1 tablespoon wheat germ

1 cup crushed ice

1 tablespoon sugar, optional

Combine water, berries, milk powder and wheat germ in blender. Blend 2 seconds. Add crushed ice and sugar and blend until smooth. Pour into tall 16-ounce glass and serve with spoon. Makes 1 serving.

SPINACH BUTTERMILK

1/2 cup cooked spinach

1 green onion

1 pint buttermilk

Salt, white pepper

Combine spinach, green onion and enough buttermilk to moisten in blender container. Blend until pureed. Through feed cap in top of blender, add remaining buttermilk and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or cold. Makes about 2 cups.

APPLE-CELERY COOLER

3 stalks celery

1 large green apple

6 ice cubes

Using juice extractor, process celery and apple to juice. Serve over ice. Makes about 2 cups.