Okay, here is a cookbook that I give my full stamp of approval! Every recipe in this book is something I would definitely make myself. But the best part is the in-depth explanation of the health benefits of all the foods included in each meal. What is this wonderful cookbook?
The title is The Healthiest Meals on Earth, written by Jonny Bowden. I found this volume at my local library. It was published in 2008. If you want to make well-informed, intelligent choices about what foods to eat, and also what foods to avoid, this book is a great place to start. And for those of you who are ultra-visual when it comes to cookbooks (and I count myself in this category) you will appreciate the large, glossy, full color photographs of every single dish. For me, this often makes or breaks a cookbook. If I can't see what a dish will look like, I'm probably not going to try that recipe out. Unless it involves chocolate, of course.
In this miraculous book, you will get the down-low on which foods are truly the healthiest! (Hint: they might not be the ones you think!) Learn whether or not to eat red meat: is it good or bad for your health? What vegetable contains the most nutritional benefits, pound for pound? What oils are not as healthy as the media might have you believe? What drink contains loads of polyphenols (powerful anitoxidents) and is probably sitting in your pantry right now? What is the number one weight loss supplement that really works, is cheap, readily available, and comes in many shapes and colors? Yes, the answers to all these questions and many more lie within the pages of this fabulous book!
Unfortunately, I don't have the room to go into in-depth explanations of these answers in this one measly blog! To cut to the chase: yes to red meat (grass-fed is recommended); spinach is the most nutritionally dense; canola oil is a no-no; tea is big, fat YES; fiber can help you lose weight and it is in all fruits, vegetables, and legumes! But do check out the book and learn the WHY behind all of these recommendations.
If you are not quite sold yet, let me tantalize your tastebuds with a few recipe ideas! These are the recipes that I am going to try first:
Dandelion Greens with Warm Sesame Dressing: Fresh, young greens are torn into small pieces and then coated with a warm dressing made from rice vinegar, honey, spicy mustard, macadamia nut oil, and sesame seeds. You could substitute young kale, collards, spinach, or mustard greens.
Curried Quinoa Greens with Coconut Dressing: Chopped kale and quinoa are cooked together then tossed with a dressing made of coconut milk, lime juice, curry powder, and agave nectar. Top with roasted peanuts before serving. (I might substitute cashews!)
Sweet and Simple Almond Butter and Apricot Cookies: Only 5 ingredients is these easy-as-pie, gluten-free cookies. Just almond butter, xylitol (a sugar alcohol based sweetener), 1 egg, vanilla, and dried apricots. You could substitute another sweetener such as honey.
Real Food Brownies: Sweetened with whole dates and agave nectar, these brownies are also grain-free. Made from garbanzo beans, using 4 whole eggs and cocoa powder, they are loaded with protein and fiber. Maybe not a weight-loss food, exactly, but definitely a healthier version of a chocolatey treat!
If you like to cook and eat in order to satisfy both your tastebuds AND your health, I bet you will love this cookbook! If you are currently using a cookbook that fills the bill for you, I'd love to hear your recommendations, too.
The title is The Healthiest Meals on Earth, written by Jonny Bowden. I found this volume at my local library. It was published in 2008. If you want to make well-informed, intelligent choices about what foods to eat, and also what foods to avoid, this book is a great place to start. And for those of you who are ultra-visual when it comes to cookbooks (and I count myself in this category) you will appreciate the large, glossy, full color photographs of every single dish. For me, this often makes or breaks a cookbook. If I can't see what a dish will look like, I'm probably not going to try that recipe out. Unless it involves chocolate, of course.
In this miraculous book, you will get the down-low on which foods are truly the healthiest! (Hint: they might not be the ones you think!) Learn whether or not to eat red meat: is it good or bad for your health? What vegetable contains the most nutritional benefits, pound for pound? What oils are not as healthy as the media might have you believe? What drink contains loads of polyphenols (powerful anitoxidents) and is probably sitting in your pantry right now? What is the number one weight loss supplement that really works, is cheap, readily available, and comes in many shapes and colors? Yes, the answers to all these questions and many more lie within the pages of this fabulous book!
Unfortunately, I don't have the room to go into in-depth explanations of these answers in this one measly blog! To cut to the chase: yes to red meat (grass-fed is recommended); spinach is the most nutritionally dense; canola oil is a no-no; tea is big, fat YES; fiber can help you lose weight and it is in all fruits, vegetables, and legumes! But do check out the book and learn the WHY behind all of these recommendations.
If you are not quite sold yet, let me tantalize your tastebuds with a few recipe ideas! These are the recipes that I am going to try first:
Dandelion Greens with Warm Sesame Dressing: Fresh, young greens are torn into small pieces and then coated with a warm dressing made from rice vinegar, honey, spicy mustard, macadamia nut oil, and sesame seeds. You could substitute young kale, collards, spinach, or mustard greens.
Curried Quinoa Greens with Coconut Dressing: Chopped kale and quinoa are cooked together then tossed with a dressing made of coconut milk, lime juice, curry powder, and agave nectar. Top with roasted peanuts before serving. (I might substitute cashews!)
Sweet and Simple Almond Butter and Apricot Cookies: Only 5 ingredients is these easy-as-pie, gluten-free cookies. Just almond butter, xylitol (a sugar alcohol based sweetener), 1 egg, vanilla, and dried apricots. You could substitute another sweetener such as honey.
Real Food Brownies: Sweetened with whole dates and agave nectar, these brownies are also grain-free. Made from garbanzo beans, using 4 whole eggs and cocoa powder, they are loaded with protein and fiber. Maybe not a weight-loss food, exactly, but definitely a healthier version of a chocolatey treat!
If you like to cook and eat in order to satisfy both your tastebuds AND your health, I bet you will love this cookbook! If you are currently using a cookbook that fills the bill for you, I'd love to hear your recommendations, too.
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