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You are here: Home / Archives for healthy cookbook review

healthy cookbook review

Review: Eat a Little Better by Sam Kass

April 16, 2018 By Joi Sigers

Eat a Little Better by Sam Kass

Eat a Little Better: Great Flavor, Good Health, Better World (Amazon Link) by Sam Kass

As I’ve mentioned on the food blog a number of times, I collect cookbooks and have since I was a teenager. I have candy cookbooks, vegetarian cookbooks, meat lovers cookbooks, Paleo cookbooks, Keto cookbooks, cookie cookbooks, Indian cuisine cookbooks…. okay, I have just about every conceivable kind of cookbook you can imagine.

You’re looking at the newest member of the cookbook family above: Eat a Little Better by Sam Kass. 3-4 years ago, I had to give up all gluten and wheat. Around that time, a close family member had to have a stint put in and these back-to-back health upheavals shook up my world as well as my kitchen. The fact that the way we eat directly effects the way we live hit home and I totally changed the way I looked at food.

I hope to never see another person I love in recovery of a cardiac hospital and I am determined to do my part to keep it from happening again. I’m also committed to stay as healthy as I possibly can because, if we’re being honest, this crazy family of mine needs me more than they realize!

For this reason, the majority of my cookbooks now focus on eating healthy. NOT counting calories, NOT depriving yourself of delicious food, and NOT obsessing to the point of making people want to throw an entire cheesecake at you…. but simply eating healthier food and making smarter choices at the store as well as in the kitchen.  You know, things that’ll help keep you playing horseshoes in the yard with your family as opposed to having them visit you in the hospital.

Books like Eat a Little Better make it easier because the food is DELICIOUS and… this is something we all appreciate… the recipes are completely doable, with ingredients we’ve heard of, can easily find, and very often already have on hand.

Grilled Vegetables Recipes in Eat a Little Better

Did you know that fried potato consumption (hello, French fries) beats out even soft drinks as an indicator for obesity?

From the Back Cover: As a chef, and then as a senior food policy advisor to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, Sam Kass became an expert on the ins and outs of deliciousness, nutrition, and sustainability.

Recipes in Eat a Little Better Include…

  • Whipped Sweet Potatoes  with Maple-Cider Vinegar
  • Slow-Roasted Salmon
  • Barbecued Chicken
  • Roasted Chicken Stir-Fry
  • Dirty Brown Rice
  • White Bean Hummus
  • Canned Salad (fascinating!)
  • Mustard Green Salad
  • Celery-Radish Salad
  • Charred Zucchini
  • Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
  • Pork Chops with Tomato Corn Relish
  • Rigatoni with Pork Ragu
  • And many, many more…

While I do have to eat gluten-free and most of the recipes on Get Cooking are gluten-free…. this is not a gluten-free cookbook. However, as I always point out in all of my non-gluten-free cookbook reviews, all recipes are easy enough to tweak and twist in order to make them gluten-free. Simply substitute gluten-free options for the gluteny ones listed! For example, in the Rigatoni with Pork Ragu, it’s a cinch to substitute gluten-free pasta for the traditional rigatoni.

Sam Kass, former chef to the Obamas and White House food policy advisor, makes it easier to do a little better for your diet–and the environment–every day, through smart ways to think about shopping, setting up your kitchen so the healthy stuff comes to hand most naturally, and through 90 delicious, simple recipes.

This book lays out Kass’s plan to eat a little better. Knowing that sustainability and healthfulness come most, well, sustainably when new habits and choices seem appealing rather than drastic and punitive, Kass shares his philosophy and methods to help make it easy to choose, cook, and eat delicious foods without depriving yourself of agency or pleasure. He knows that going organic, local, and so forth all the time is just not realistic for most people, and that’s ok–it’s all about choosing and doing a little better, and how those choices add up to big change. It’s the philosophy he helped the Obamas instill in their home, both in Chicago and that big white one in Washington.  – Amazon

Recipe from Eat a Little Better

 

I love everything about this beautiful cookbook. I love that it’s hardback (so much more durable!), I love the big gorgeous photographs, I love the creativity and the simplicity of the recipes (a rare combo), and I love the fact that the focus is on eating healthier.

But there’s something else I love… I love the peak we get inside President and Michelle Obama’s family – as in their efforts to eat healthier. This focus on health, of course, led Sam Kass and the First Lady to implement healthier meals in our public schools. Their efforts were incredibly commendable and I hope their hard work continues.

One thing that stands out the most from reading this book actually has to do with children. It’s up to us to provide them with better diets than French fries, soft drinks, and hamburgers. Arming yourself with wonderful recipes is the single best way to provide healthier meals for your children, grandchildren, spouse… and, of course, yourself!

You will love Eat a Little Better – click through and read more about it (there’s even a recipe on the Amazon page for “Lucky Pasta!”).

Eat a Little Better 

 

Note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. The opinions are entirely my own.

Filed Under: Cookbook Reviews, Gift Ideas for Cooks Tagged With: cookbook review, healthy cookbook review, Sam Kass

Review: Lose Weight by Eating by Audrey Johns

May 18, 2016 By Joi Sigers

Lose Weight by Eating by Audrey Johns
Lose Weight by Eating by Audrey Johns
One of my favorite parts of being a food blogger is the opportunity to review new cookbooks. As a cookbook collector, they’re a great passion of mine, so getting my eager hands on the newest and best cookbooks makes me kind of giddy.

Okay… very giddy.

One of the newest cookbooks I’ve had the opportunity to review is Lose Weight by Eating by Audrey Johns. This beautiful cookbook is packed with great recipes for healthy, clean eating. You won’t miss the extra fat and calories because author Audrey Johns has replaced them with tons of flavor and creative combinations.

Book Description:

Lose weight by eating guilt-free, low-calorie, unprocessed versions of all your favorite foods, with this helpful, accessible diet and cookbook—featuring more than 130 clean eating recipes and gorgeous full-color photos—from the popular weight loss blogger who lost 150 pounds in eleven months.

At 275 pounds, Audrey Johns was unhealthy and unhappy—until the day she vowed to give up the “fake food” and taught herself to cook her favorites from scratch. Within eleven months, Audrey mastered the kitchen, began to take better care of herself, and lost more than 150 pounds—over half her body weight.

Now, Audrey shares her story, insights, and clean eating recipes to help you slim down. Lose Weight by Eating includes more than 130 mouthwatering recipes for family favorites, including pasta, scones, fried chicken, nachos, meatloaf, and cookies—all bursting with flavor and fewer than 500 calories per serving. Most recipes use simple and inexpensive smart swaps and are full of hidden vegetables that keep you feeling fuller longer, and all are picky-kid-friendly and husband-approved.

Imagine losing eight to sixteen pounds the first week and fifteen to twenty-five pounds a month eating skinny pizzas with only 125 calories per slice or 150-calorie cheesecake bars! Lose Weight by Eatinglets you enjoy these delights and more, such as “Jelly Doughnut” French Toast, California Club Pizza, Whole Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Onions, Veggie Packed Lasagna, Cheddar Stuffed Turkey Burgers, Chocolate Peanut Butter Dip with Fruit, and Skinny Cheesecake with Raspberry Drizzle. Audrey also provides a handy six-week meal plan and weight loss tips to keep you motivated.

Lose Weight by Eating is all about making the naughty nice. Giving your favorite foods a delicious, healthy makeover, you can eat what you love every day—and still shed those unwanted pounds.

{Review Continued Below…..}

Lose Weight by Eating by Audrey Johns
Spaghetti Bolognese from Lose Weight by Eating 
After losing more than 150 pounds (150!), Audrey Johns started LoseWeightByEating.com and has, over time, helped thousands of people lose weight and get healthier.

Her story has been featured on CBS’s The Doctors. She was also on the cover of Woman’s World magazine and was even a chef contestant on the second season of ABC’s The Taste.

Audrey hosts a clean-eating video series on eHow.com and writes food, wine, and travel columns for local magazines.

It was just a matter of time before a wonderful cookbook came into play and this beauty was well worth the wait.

Recipes Include:

  • Twice-Baked Cheesy Potato Boats
  • Four Metabolism-Boosting Greek Yogurt Dips with Veggie Sticks
  • Cheddar-Stuffed Turkey Burgers
  • Grilled Chicken Strips
  • Peach Sunrise Cobbler
  • Homemade Blueberry Orange Soda
  • Salsa Rice and Chicken Bake
  • Skinny Chicken Alfredo
  • Spaghetti Bolognese
  • Overloaded Baked Potatoes
  • Blended Mocha Coffee
  • Skin-Firming Citrus Boost Water
  • Margherita Pizza
  • Easy Tortilla Chips
  • Sausage and Pepper Hogie
  • And MANY more – 130 in all!

{Review Continued Below…..}

Lose Weight by Eating by Audrey Johns
Lose Weight by Eating by Audrey Johns
In addition to beautiful pictures accompanying each recipe (love that), I’m also crazy about the information and inspiration that comes at the front and end of the book. Meal planners and even sample menus will help anyone get on track. The author has also included plenty of information on making her wonderful recipes very “kid friendly” – this really excites me because childhood obesity and diabetes can be prevented if adults will simply put the child’s health first.

Whether you’re looking to lose weight, maintain your weight, get healthier, or simply enjoy good, clean, healthy food, you’re going to really, really love Lose Weight by Eating by Audrey Johns. It’s a wonderful addition to any cookbook collection. I know it’s one I’ll use again and again.

Lose Weight by Eating by Audrey Johns
Lose Weight by Eating by Audrey Johns

Filed Under: Calorie Counters, Cookbook Reviews, Daily Gift Ideas for Foodies, Health and Fitness Tagged With: healthy cookbook, healthy cookbook review, new cookbook, new cookbook review

Cookbook Review: Inspiralized by Ali Maffucci

June 24, 2015 By Joi Sigers

Inspiralized by Ali Maffucci
I have to admit, one of the things that drew me to Inspiralized (new cookbook by Ali Maffucci) in the first place was my great love of my Spiral Vegetable Slicer. I was curious how anyone could come up with enough different recipes to fill a cookbook.

I further have to admit that I was a little skeptical! My skepticism thought, “Meh. She’ll probably fill the book with 75% pictures, 25% recipes.”

Wrong on all accounts!

Inspiralized is a beautiful, fresh, and downright inspiring cookbook that is, in fact, filled with exciting recipes.

{Review continued below….}

Recipe from Inspiralized by Ali Maffucci
From the inside cover:
On her wildly popular blog, Inspiralized, Ali Maffucci is revolutionizing healthy eating. Whether you’re low-carb, gluten-free, Paleo, or raw, you don’t have to give up the foods you love. Inspiralized shows you how to transform more than 20 vegetables and fruits into delicious meals that look and taste just like your favorite indulgent originals. Zucchini turns into pesto spaghetti; jicama becomes shoestring fries; sweet potatoes lay the foundation for fried rice; plantains transform into “tortillas” for huevos rancheros.

Ali’s recipes for breakfast, snacks, appetizers, sandwiches, soups, salads, casseroles, rices, pastas, and even desserts are easy to follow, hard to mess up, healthful, and completely fresh and flavorful. Best of all, she tells you how to customize them for whatever vegetables you have on hand and whatever your personal goal may be—losing weight, following a healthier lifestyle, or simply making easy meals at home.

Here, too, are tons of technical tips and tricks; nutritional information for each dish and every vegetable you can possibly spiralize; and advice for spiralizing whether you’re feeding just yourself, your family, or even a crowd. So bring on a hearty appetite and a sense of adventure—you’re ready to make the most of this secret weapon for healthy cooking.

{Review continued below…}

Recipe from Inspiralized by Ali Maffucci
If you love vegetables – and I mean love them to the point of getting as excited about veggies as the average person does chocolate or bacon – you will definitely want this cookbook.  Inspiralized: Turn Vegetables into Healthy, Creative, Satisfying Meals is a celebration of vegetables.  Tomatoes, zucchini, corn,  bell peppers, carrots, parsnips, kale, and their colorful friends are the star of the show. There are, however, lots of herbs, cheeses, fruit, seasonings, and even meat as well.

If you enjoy “mixing things up” and creating meals that are as visually impressive as they are delicious, you’ll want this cookbook.

The recipes create colorful, fresh, delicious, and beautiful dishes that will make you a legend in your own kitchen.

Some of the recipes include:

  • Daikon Ramen with Skirt Steak
  • Pickled Onion and Watermelon Salad with Ricotta Salata
  • Jalapeno Turkey Burgers with Cilantro-Lime Kohlrabi
  • Short Ribs with Sweet Potato Grits
  • Zucchini Linguine with Garlic Clam Sauce
  • Spicy Jicama Strings
  • Cucumber, Avocado, and Strawberry Salsa
  • “Everything Bagel” Breakfast Buns

The recipes are extremely creative and most unusual.  Suffice to say the average guest would never be able to guess what you were about to serve them.

Earlier in the review, I noted that this cookbook was “downright inspiring.” It honestly is, from front to cover – and that’s what, ultimately, you want from a cookbook – more than anything else. You want to be inspired to come up with your own creative recipes and ways of expressing yourself with your cooking.

Ali Maffucci reminds us that vegetables are incredibly versatile that can be.. and should be… used as beautiful and tasteful center attractions to build our meals around.

Find out more about Inspiralized: Turn Vegetables into Healthy, Creative, Satisfying Meals (Amazon link) and order your own copy today – just in time to use on all the fresh produce this summer!

Note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. The opinions are entirely my own.

Filed Under: Cookbook Reviews Tagged With: cookbook review, Cookbooks, healthy cookbook review, Vegetables

Review: The Blender Girl by Tess Masters

July 31, 2014 By Joi Sigers

The Blender Girl
 

The Blender Girl: Super-Easy, Super-Healthy Meals, Snacks, Desserts, and Drinks–100 Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipes! (Amazon link) is currently the number 1 bestseller in blender recipes on Amazon and is receiving rave reviews.

Here comes another one!

As I’ve said 1,000,001 times, I collect cookbooks – they’re an obsession of mine. I don’t know where the fixation came from, but since my first cookbook (I was 16 at the time)  to my most recent cookbook (never you mind about the age..), I treat each like any collector treats their individual prizes… like treasure.  Someone once asked if I sell my cookbooks after I’ve reviewed or read them. I said… well, never you mind about that, too.

The Blender Girl is the most recent prized addition to my cookbook collection.  It’s full of gluten free and healthy recipes and I can’t wait to try each one.   Although the gorgeous author is on the cover drinking a smoothie, this cookbook is more than just smoothie recipes.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m ALL about smoothie recipes and the ones in this collection are fantastic – but I do love the fact that The Blender Girl (Amazon link) has a wide variety of recipes. Below are just a few:

  • Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake (shake)
  • Pineapple Salsa (smoothie)
  • Artichoke and White Bean Dip
  • Incredibly Edible Edamame Dip
  • Onion and Herb Socca
  • French Dressing
  • Greek Salad/Dressing
  • Creamy Cauliflower (soup)
  • Thyme for Corn Chowder
  • Pesto
  • Chili
  • Pizza/Pizza Sauce
  • Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff
  • Key Lime Pudding
  • Orange Dreamsicles
  • Mint Chip Ice Cream
  • Sugar-Free No Pumpkin Pie
  • Healthy Butter
  • Many, many, many more!

If you’re committed to healthier eating, this honestly should be the next cookbook you buy. In addition to the wonderful recipes, you’ll learn the many benefits of eating a more wholesome diet. You’ll also learn all about  soaking, sprouting, and dehydrating; proper food combining; and eating raw, probiotic-rich, and alkaline ingredients. Fortunately, it’s all in a very easy to understand format.  You don’t need a dietitian’s degree or nutritionist’s experience.

You just need a blender!

This is a beautiful, very detailed, and reader-friendly cookbook that’ll help get you on your way to cleaner, healthier eating. See The Blender Girl: Super-Easy, Super-Healthy Meals, Snacks, Desserts, and Drinks–100 Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipes! (Amazon link) for more information. This book is also available on Kindle.

Note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. The opinions are entirely my own.

Filed Under: Cookbook Reviews, Gluten-Free Recipes, Heart Healthy Foods and Recipes Tagged With: blender recipes, gluten free recipes, healthy cookbook, healthy cookbook review, smoothie recipes, vegan recipes

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Welcome to the Get Cooking Food Blog

My name is Joi (“Joy”) and Get Cooking is where I celebrate some of my greatest passions: Recipes, kitchen gadgets, gluten free food reviews, gluten free recipes, pig collectibles, chocolate, cookbooks, and coffee.

Lots of coffee…

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What’s New on the Food Blog?

  • Brilliant Organizer for Cans and Other Pantry Items… Even Dishes
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Gluten-Free Recipes

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Wedge Salad, Starring Roasted Tomatoes

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Caulipower: Quite Possibly THE Best Gluten-Free Pasta

A Wonderful Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Cookbook: Whole Bowls by Allison Day

Gluten-Free Lasagna with Explore Cuisine Green Lentil Lasagna Noodles

Easy Gluten-Free Lasagna with Explore Cuisine Green Lentil (No Boil!) Noodles

Tostadas with Refried Beans and Tomatoes

Fast & Easy Summer Meal: Meatless Tostadas

Gluten-Free White Chocolate and Pecan Cookies

Gluten Free Cranberry Pecan Cookies

Air Fryer and Rotisserie in One!

Instant Vortex Plus 10 Quart Air Fryer, Rotisserie and Convection Oven (Amazon link)

A Reminder for all Cooks…

Kitchen Accident Tracker

If my accident can prevent you, a pet, or a child from being hurt, it will have been worth it to me… read more here!

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T-fal… As Good as Good Gets

The T-Fal Cookware Set (Amazon link), above, is absolutely one of the best cooking sets you’ll ever find. It’s on Amazon and available in several gorgeous colors.

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Contact me through e-mail at joitsigers@gmail.com and/or connect with me through social media (see above). ~ Joi (“Joy”)

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