Book Nook: An 'Extra Lean' Mario Lopez

EXTRA LEAN FAMILY:

Get Lean and Achieve Your Family's Best Health Ever, by Mario Lopez, with

Jimmy Peña. Celebra,

260 pp, $25.95.

There he is again on the cover of another diet book, TV host and People magazine's onetime Hottest Bachelor, with dazzling smile, bristling muscles and . . . homemade muffins.

Now a dad who says he's concerned about childhood obesity, Lopez, author of the bestselling "Extra Lean" (now in paperback), explains "nutrition rules" (Avoid Empty Calories, Power Up with Protein) and emphasizes that "kids should not be on a diet." Instead, they should be "making smart changes in daily routines."

THE SCOOP Lopez suggests preparing for these changes by keeping a family food journal for a week to "spot weaknesses and strengths" in food choices -- and then, together, choosing favorite "nutrition rules" to keep.

THE BOTTOM LINE The book offers a slew of simple recipes that can be made in 20 minutes or less, from steak fajitas to maple walnut oatmeal.