As summer arrives, it is almost possible to hear the sounds of despair as Muscovites who have spent the winter hibernating within arm's length of the refrigerator see those extra pounds of flesh.If you are trying to trim down or merely lower a cholesterol level sent into overdrive by a diet of sausage, pelmeny and cheese, you have probably discovered an obvious fact about health food in Russia: The concept does not exist.Even with the recent proliferation of modern supermarkets in Moscow, the search for health food is challenging, to say the least. If you have a dacha in the country where you can grow fresh vegetables, you have an advantage, but most people are relegated to the often pricey produce sections of Western supermarkets. There are alternatives, but in a country where meat is a daily staple and sala, or salted pork fat, is considered a delicacy by many, it can be nearly impossible to find low-fat or even healthy non-processed foods without a time-consuming search. Bearing these difficulties in mind, more nutritious versions of some basic food groups are available if you know where to look.Low-Fat Dairy. Whether you seriously want to lose some weight or are merely trying to preserve your arteries, low-fat or skimmed milk and other dairy products are at least a step in the right direction. The German firm Milram manufactures the most widely available form of low-fat milk (1.5 percent fat), which is available at large supermarkets such as the Arbat Irish House (21 Novy Arbat, 291-7641) and the Garden Ring Supermarket (1 Bolshaya Sadovaya, 209-1572). Perhaps the best selection of milk products is available at Stockmann's (4/8 Zatsepsky val, 233-2602), which carries low-fat curdled milk for 50 cents a liter, light (low-fat) milk for 95 cents a liter, skimmed milk for 86 cents a liter, and low-fat sour milk for 98 cents a liter. Prices do not include VAT, an additional 10-13 percent depending on the product. You can also get non-fat milk at Diplomat (55 Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Ulitsa).In addition to milk, low-fat or "light" mayonnaise and salad spreads are available at Stockmann's, where Hellman's Light mayonnaise costs $2.50 plus 10 percent VAT, and the Union Supermarket (4 Krasnopresnenskaya Ulitsa), where Mayodal low-fat salad spread sells for 2.90 Deutsche marks. The Garden Ring also stocks Hellman's Light mayonnaise. If you are in the market for dietetic tvorog, or curd, Novy Arbat Gastronom (21 Novy Arbat) has it in stock for 1,035 rubles (54 cents) a packet. Low-fat yogurt is hard to find in Moscow, but it is usually available in fruit flavors at Shop No. 1 on Oruzheiny Pereulok, near metro Mayakovskaya, and at Intercar Colognia.Grains. Even if you cannot be choosy about your breakfast foods, you can at least make an effort. Stockmann's carries a reasonable selection of whole-grain cereals including Barley Flakes and Wheat Flakes for $2.60 a box, plus 13 percent VAT. "Good for You" Flakes are $4.85 a box, plus 13 percent VAT. The ABH Russian Bavarian Trading House (ExpoCenter, 1 Krasnogvardeisky Prospekt) has couscous for 3.95 DM and "Fitness" Brot Bread (dark bread) at 3 DM for a small loaf.Snacks. Looking for something to nibble on? There is life beyond Mars bars.Stockmann's has a selection of mixed dried fruits ranging from $1.95 to $3.75 a bag, plus 13 percent VAT. Foodland (Sadko Arcade, 256-2213) also carries dried fruits and dates, raisins, almonds and other nuts at $2.10 to $3.95 a bag. Both the Garden Ring and Shop No. 1 carry pitted and unpitted prunes. If you are looking for fresh nuts, dates and prunes, the markets are a good place to look. At Rizhsky market, dates were going for 5,000 rubles a kilo and hazelnuts for 10,000 a kilo. Raisins, walnuts, and almonds were also in plentiful supply, as were the usual range of fresh fruits and vegetables that are a basic element of a healthy diet. Miscellany. Shoppers looking to minimize the effects of an imperfect diet might want to try some vitamin supplements. The Novy Arbat Gastronom's pharmacy section carries children's generic chewable vitamins, at 6,600 rubles for a bottle of 100 tablets; Centrum brand vitamins are $8 (or the ruble equivalent) for a bottle of 60 children's tablets and $15 or ruble equivalent for a similar-sized bottle of adult vitamins. Many neighborhood apteki, or pharmacies, also stock vitamins.Finally, if you are adamant about getting rid of those extra pounds, Global USA (35 Ulitsa Usacheva, 245-5657) carries Ultra SlimFast chocolate drink, at $20 for a 1.8 kilogram canister.