Cookbook Recommendations Needed
I need recommendations for some healthy cookbooks. My BF needs to loose 40lb in the next 13 months before our wedding. He eats lunch at work, and I make us dinner 5-6 nights a week. I dont use a lot of fat or cook very heavy, but I need some help with packing our meals with more nutrients and just generally cooking more well rounded meals.
Would appreciate any recommendations for cookbooks for this issue.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
25 Comments:
I am NOT a fan of "diet" cookbooks, but I have this one that my wife refers to on the rare occasion that she cooks something. You can find it on Amazon.com if you are interested:
"Eater's Choice: A Food Lover's Guide to Lower Cholesterol", by Nancy Goor
salpico at 3:25PM on 09/22/09
i like Cooking Light's yearly compilations. I picked up the 2008 (or was it 2009) recipe book at Marshall's for about $7
_greenbean at 3:43PM on 09/22/09
Weight Watchers has some great recipes that are low-cal and actually delicious -- I have 2 WW cookbooks and they are pretty good. If you want to try a few recipes before committing, you can find some online at http://www.dwlz.com/recipeTOC.html
The recipe section is on the bottom to the right.
gbania at 3:46PM on 09/22/09
I know, I know, I know....you're all probably tired of my Bento shtick but making them for hubby for lunch weekdays along with lean meats, beans and veggies for dinner has helped him lose 40 pounds since February and that's without much exercise (Wii doesn't count: ). Seriously, I'm not sure what your BF is eating at work but the Bentos help with portion control and I throw in all sorts of fruits and veggies he didn't used to eat a lot of. Plus I have a lot more fresh produce in the house now and don't use a lot of processed food anymore. He gets one cheat day a week too.
arm1970 at 3:59PM on 09/22/09
Cooking Light and Eating Well both have great recipes and lots of nutrional info.
CJ McD at 5:58PM on 09/22/09
I'm not a fan of diet cookbooks or magazines. I really like Patricia Well's Vegetable Harvest cookbook and I cook from it a lot. She has a wide range of recipes using mostly veggies, but there is a section on protein too. The recipes are flavorful, pretty easy for the most part (good for weeknights) and they list the nutrition information for each recipe. It's very helpful and I recently found out that she is a runner, which maybe is why the book is so nutritious without compromising her chef's sense of quality. Highly recommend it.
laurelie at 6:11PM on 09/22/09
Try looking at www.epicurious.com. They have a great recipe archive with search options for low cal, low fat or just healthy recipes. I find lots of stuff there to choose from. Saves a couple bucks on buying a cookbook too. Also, this might be old school but try taking a couple out at the library and cooking from those to see if you like the recipes. I've recently started doing that since so many cookbooks I've bought end up being disappointing.
I bake quite a bit and I found the healthy oven baking book to be a great way to get soothe the sweet cravings with lower fat/calories as well as a bit of extra fiber.
bigfatmouth at 6:39PM on 09/22/09
don't bother with all the diet cookbook junk, simply use portion control and have him stop eating when he's full. people become fat as a result of how much they eat not what they eat.
olddad at 7:23PM on 09/22/09
excersize
onepercent99 at 7:33PM on 09/22/09
Do you want him to lose 40 lbs b/c it's healthy, or for the wedding pix? And was it his idea or yours?
Go high fiber. All Bran for breakfast. Simple sandwich for lunch (made with double fiber bread) plus a side of veggies, like celery. A normal dinner, like you do now. Skip desserts except for weekends. Stop going out those 1-2 nights/wk. That's huge calories, guaranteed (and a waste of money, if you've got a wedding coming up). Change it to once a month.
And exercise faithfully 4-5x/wk. Just walk together, maybe 45 minutes a day. Nothing crazy: just make it habit.
Voila! 40 lbs gone easily. No cookbooks or silver bullets or magic beans.
Garvey at 10:51PM on 09/22/09
13 months is a good long time, so some small changes can make a big difference by then. I agree with @Garvey that a evening walk will help. My husband and I walk every night just to get out, get some fresh air and chat without distractions.
The best thing he could do is get into the habit of bringing a lunch from home rather than getting something at work. A 400 calorie sandwich from home (wheat bread=200, 2 slices of turkey or lean ham=100, 1 slice of cheese=100 and mustard) with a couple of healthy/high fiber/satisfying snacks - like celery w/ peanut butter (200) or a bag of raw nuts and dried fruit (200) will add up to fewer calories and far more protein and fiber for longer lasting energy (and less overindulgence later) than a sandwich and chips from a lunch place (average 800-1000 calories). Also, going out offers more temptation to pick up another 300 calories in a cookie or brownie as an impulse buy.
yayfood at 12:05AM on 09/23/09
Read Bittman's "Food Matters." There are some recipes and meal plans as well.
dbcurrie at 1:30AM on 09/23/09
Trust me -- it's never just about food.
It must be diet + exercise. Always. It's just pure math.
Based on his height/weight, determine the number of calories needed to maintain body weight.
Then, decide on a new diet plan. Lots of small meals is good -- starving yourself and skimping is not good.
Then, determine your exercise plan. This will supplement your diet approach.
There should be a calorie deficit. It's healthy and reasonable to lose 2 pounds per week. Many folks do much less than that. Either way, his 40 pound loss should be manageable.
Most important thing? It's not just about food. It's food + exercise.
tmj529 at 4:42AM on 09/23/09
South Beach actually works for me.
Ribster at 6:03AM on 09/23/09
The Eating Well cookbooks are quite wonderful. Lots of emphasis on flavor, and many have reworked classics made healthier.
You can check out a lot of recipes on their web site. In fact, no need to wait for a cookbook to get started!
http://www.eatingwell.com/
lemonfair at 6:45AM on 09/23/09
The French Culinary Institute's Salute to Healthy Cooking focuses on fresh seasonal ingredients prepared in light but flavorful ways. I also agree with going to epicurious.com. And there is no substitute for exercise--burn those calories up, especially before and after when you have a special occasion and you know you're going over indulge. Just know that the BF has to be on board. And it helps to pack a nutritious lunch rather than going for take out with the gang at work, besides the added bonus of saving $.
dhorst at 7:18AM on 09/23/09
I'll second the Cooking Light recommendations. You don't even need to buy the magazine. Their website is pretty comprehensive. The key is actually sticking to the intended number of serving sizes the recipe is supposed to yield. :)
I also agree with everyone else who has pointed out that you'll need exercise in addition to portion control/calorie counting. A good way to get a realistic picture of how many calories you are consuming right now versus how much you should be consuming is to keep a food and activity journal. There is a good one online at CalorieCount through about.com. I dabbled with it this summer and had a magical revelation about why I wasn't really losing weight anymore! Sometimes you just need your intake and outtake spelled out for you.
Good luck!
Amandarama at 7:26AM on 09/23/09
Before buying a book, I'd do what most others have suggested--try Cooking Light online. That way you can see what 'works' for both of you--is it lightened up but tasty versions of classics? Is it trying new flavorful food of less heavy cuisines, like Americanized Chinese, Japanese, Mediterranean? Is it dieting that works for you or portion control? Is it lower sugar, more filling volume-based foods? Is it more protein? Everyone is different, and finding a new way of eating and looking at food will be personal.
Likewise, instead of thinking of exercise as medicine--our bodies are designed to move. A lot. And the more and the harder you move, the greater the mental and physical benefits.
However, one thing that does not work is dieting for an occasion, otherwise the honeymoon may be one long caloric weekend.
HeartofGlass at 8:57AM on 09/23/09
Garvey - no magic beans, but in weight loss beans are magic ;)
Fudluvr at 9:24AM on 09/23/09
The Canyon Ranch cookbooks are great. None of the recipes taste "diet."
sathome at 9:49AM on 09/23/09
Thanks everyone for the advise. For those who are interested in more details; When Dave and I started dating over 5 years ago, he weighed 135lb (he's 5"9) he was a toothpick, way too thin. Over the last few years since he started working a desk job he has gained about 45lb. He refused to belive that he was getting older and his metabolism was slowing down, up until the last 20 lb he was still eating as if he was 20 not 34.
I honestly didn't care about his weight much until I noticed that he was becoming sluggish and unhappy. At first he thought it was awesome that he was finally able to gain weight because that was always a problem for him, but as he's gotten bigger it's no longer fun or cute.
The reason I turned to all of you is because I dont want for him to go on a "DIET", he is very good about exercising daily, and we both know the basics of nutrition enough to know what he should and shouldn't be eating. But what I really needed where some good recipes to help me along.
arm1970- I like you idea of the bento box, but we haven't had much luck with bringing lunch from home, half the time when I pack him a lunch he forgets it in the fridge. But I think I will have to get more diligent about him taking lunch to work, because that's where he's eating all his calories, BBQ, Sandwiches, and Italian food from Aurthor Ave in the Bronx.
To make things a bit more complicated in our house; I was sick this passed Spring with some intestinal issues. I have always been petite and hovered around the 100lb mark, when I got sick I dipped from abt 98lb to 82lb in a matter of 2 weeks, it was very scary. So the last months have been a mission for me to gain the weight back and keep the weight on.
So you see, one person trying to gain, the other person trying to loose, and I am the sole person cooking. I really need healthy meals more than diet meals, that way we can both eat the same things (in different portions) and achieve our weight goals.
allakarasik at 12:39PM on 09/23/09
Another $0.02 here:
I have lost 45 pounds since March by removing all grains and sugars from my diet and by working out briefly but intensely five days a week.
Since you're the cook, just make meat and veggies. There are simple and plentiful variations for lunches and dinners (for example, tuna on greens with balsamic vinaigrette, grilled salmon and asparagus, steamed veggies covered with meat sauce, spaghetti squash with meat sauce).
Breakfasts can be fruit, fruit smoothies, yogurt and fruit, or eggs and bacon or sausage (or both!). Dinner for breakfast is good too. Stay far away from cereals of any sort.
Eating this way should both boost your weight and lower his. I'll be happy to pass on any particulars if you wish. Hope this helps.
spongedaddy at 2:26PM on 09/23/09
"we haven't had much luck with bringing lunch from home, half the time when I pack him a lunch he forgets it in the fridge."
I bring a small cooler to work w/ an ice pack inside. It has my sandwich and veggies plus my water bottle. Just load the cooler in the AM and set it out conspicuously for him to grab on the way out. That eliminates the fridge problem.
From what you describe, he's probably eating 1200-1500 calories at lunch daily by going out all the time. By packing his lunch, you'll cut that down to 400 or so. If he's already exercising, then the weight should melt off from this change alone.
If you stopped all eating out and changed nothing else, I'm sure he'd lose that weight. Plus, you're not making deep fried twinkies for dinner, are you? I don't see why you need to change your *recipes*: you just need to alter his *habits.*
Garvey at 3:12PM on 09/23/09
Garvey, you are correct, I do need to change his habits more than anything. He's half Filipino, so white rice has always been a big part of his diet. I have removed all the rice from my house and will only cook Quinoa now as many tell me it's much healthier. I think a lot of the issues come from starchy sides, which we were both just used to always having, him being Filipiono- rice, me being Russian- potatoes. I have turned to more beans and healthier grains the last few weeks, like Quinoa and Buckweat, so I hope this will help.
Your totally correct about this massive calorie intake at lunch time, I really have to convince him to start taking lunch with him to work. Part of the issue is that he hates to carry any sort of anything in the morning because his commute is so long, wont even consider a man bag let alone a lunch box. I guess I just have to convince him that if he's really serious about loosing the weight he has start making some major changes.
Supermarket Sunday, here we come! I'll be making him lunch all next week, do or die. I just want to see for myself if he looses any weight if I make him lunch all week. Maybe I just need to take him to Bed Bath and Beyond and have him choose his own lunch carry all, than he would likely remember to take it if he liked it.
Wish me luck.
allakarasik at 3:55PM on 09/23/09
A couple of years ago my doctor said I could lose weight or start on high blood pressure meds. I opted for weight.
I dropped 22 pounds in 3 months by taking 300 calories a day out of my diet and exercising 15-25 minutes per day 3 days a week. And by changing the protein to carb ratio of my meals to 40% protein, 30% carbs and 30% fat.
I've dropped from a 38" waist to 36", and kept the weight off for 2 years. I still get a sweet treat in the evenings and eat the foods I love. I'm 61 years old.
As others have said, he has to find an approach that fits him, or he'll just bog down.
Your fiance can do it, especially since he's willing to work out harder than I was.
Have a great wedding!
zak822 at 4:32PM on 09/23/09