Tried and trusted cookbooks for healthy meals?

Takes2long
Takes2long Posts: 367 Member
edited November 11 in Food and Nutrition
I LOVE to cook. And I LOVE cookbooks. Does anyone have any suggestions for a cookbook that they love? I have several that I go to, but most only have a few recipes in them that I use. Just looking for some new, healthy ideas. I have two of the Fix it and Forget it, An Eating Well that's a little older. LOL...I own a LOT of baking cookbooks. That's what I love most...:heart: baking:heart: !!!! I'm good in that area :bigsmile: I'm curious what everyone is using that's full of ideas, hopefully nutrition info, too. If it matters, I'm not big on veggies, I'm trying. But a vegetarian cookbook wouldn't get much use. I have The Hot, Spicey & Meatless cookbook. We have a small farm, so I have acess to grass fed-hormone free beef, pork, and chicken, fresh eggs, and soon, raw milk. Thanks everyone if you leave any suggestions!!!!
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Replies

  • phoebenaiman
    phoebenaiman Posts: 12 Member
    I'm not much of a baker but I really enjoy cooking. My favourite cookbooks have to be Rose Reisman's Complete Light Kitchen and Bonnie Stern's Heart Smart Cooking. Everything I have made out of either of these two cookbooks I have always enjoyed. Also, both cookbooks include the nutritional information for each recipe, which makes it really easy for tracking calories.
  • 99clmsntgr
    99clmsntgr Posts: 777 Member
    We've been making a lot of recipes out of Weight Watchers' Make It In Minutes cook book, everything is in the 15-, 20- and 30-minute range and pretty easy. Some really good stuff in there (the Tortellini with prosciutto and peas are a household favorite, the kids devoured the maple-glazed chicken and tonite's honey pecan chicken).

    I've also gone off to find some good recipes at hearthealthyonline.com.
  • Hungry Girl has really good ideas and they're all healthy/low calorie.
    www.hungry-girl.com/books
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    I love Taste of Home's cookbooks. They do have some cookbooks with 'Light' titles at Amazon and I think you can find them online for free. Allrecipes is a good site too. Discovery channels website has a lot of really good, healthy recipes.
  • Hungry girl, though a lot of recipes seem high in sodium.
  • magoch
    magoch Posts: 134
    I love cookbooks too, my husband laughs at me because I often read them cover to cover.

    For healthy & low cal I love Now Eat This by Rocco DiSpirito -- comfort foods made heathy/low cal. I've got the original & the Now Eat this Diet, I use the recipes from both (I didn't use the diet plan though). And the great thing about them is that once you learn the tricks he uses you can apply them to lots of recipes.

    America's Test Kitchen Light and Healthy is also good for learning tricks. I usually have to adjust the seasoning, I find the recipes a little bland because they are meant to be kid friendly as well.
  • vickie28
    vickie28 Posts: 68 Member
    I like skinnytaste.com lots of good recipes !
  • giggitygoo
    giggitygoo Posts: 1,978 Member
    I really love my weight watchers cook book! It has a huge variety of recipes, and everything I have tried has been great. It's the most stained, splattered and loved book in my kitchen.
  • shellie1206
    shellie1206 Posts: 80 Member
    I like skinnytaste.com lots of good recipes !

    yum yum I love this site :)
  • abbigail_r
    abbigail_r Posts: 283 Member
    I like the cooking light magazines. I always find good recipes that taste good and it has the nutritional info printed on them!!
  • jerzypeach
    jerzypeach Posts: 176 Member
    I really love Leanne Ely's Saving Dinner series. She has both a regular and a low-carb book. There are even ready-made shopping lists for each week on her web site. The books are divided up by season, so that you can use recipes that make the best use of seasonal produce. Using the shopping lists has saved me loads of money each week at the grocery since I only buy exactly what I need for the week. I'm also eating lots more veggies since she gives great ideas on what to serve on the side with each entree.

    Wishing you good luck!
  • myboysmomx2
    myboysmomx2 Posts: 505 Member
    I love http://www.skinnytaste.com/ Her recipes are amazing and she's great about posting several pictures for each recipe. One of my favorite books is Cooking Light's Mix and Match Low Calorie Cookbook. 1,500 Calories a Day. You can check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Light-Match-Low-Calorie-Cookbook/dp/0848734084

    I love to cook, and I bake professionally. I also collect cookbooks. However, I'm VERY picky about the cookbooks I buy. I want the recipes to be easy to follow, enjoyable to read, and have LOTS of pictures. Now that I'm more health conscious about what I eat, I like to have the nutrition content too. The site and book I listed above have both, plus the recipes are DELICIOUS! Enjoy!
  • SixCatFaerie
    SixCatFaerie Posts: 690 Member
    My favorite website: http://www.dashingdish.com/

    These are my favorite cookbooks at home:

    -Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook

    http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7551626-taste-of-home-comfort-food-diet-cookbook

    -Taste of Home: Guilt Free Cooking: 356 Home Style Recipes for Healthier Living

    http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6433198-taste-of-home

    -Fix-It and Forget-It Diabetic Cookbook: Slow-Cooker Favorites to Include Everyone!

    http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/131993.Fix_It_and_Forget_It_Diabetic_Cookbook


    I think that the Crock Pot one is my favorite out of the 3. Good luck!
  • Takes2long
    Takes2long Posts: 367 Member
    Thanks for the ideas! I put all those books in my Amazon wish list so i can check them out later! I usually check out Allrecipes.com and yesterday I bookmarked cookinglight, eatingwell, skinnytaste and Emilybites.com! I have a Taste of Home cookbook, but they seem to be comfort food, not really claorie friendly! I do know how to modify, but sometimes I just want to make something, not adjust it! LOL...truth? I own over 100+cookbooks. LOVE them! The best ones are out, the second choices are in the laundry room :-)
  • SERinDC
    SERinDC Posts: 93 Member
    If you like earthy and mostly vegetarian, any of the Moosewood Restaurant cookbooks are AMAZING. The one I have is the "new classics" version which I really like

    Also, I have a Cooking Light- Complete Cookbook that I really enjoy as well. Even though most of the Cooking Light ones could be found online, I still really like having the book in hard cover.
  • damore76
    damore76 Posts: 17 Member
    The Taste of Home diet cookbooks are the best! I have three of them and everyone in my family (including my picky kids) loves the recipes. Whenever I am looking for something to make I reach for these books and some of the recipes I already know by heart because they have become family favorites. You do not even know you are eating light. Aside from these I also enjoy the Cooking Light magazine. I subscribe to this and have found many good and healthy recipes there as well.
  • bump for later!
  • JPDad
    JPDad Posts: 147
    The ones we are using a lot right now are:
    - Veganomicon
    - Quinoa 365
    - Spilling the Beans
    - Rebar: Modern Food Cookbook

    We also have a subscription to Clean Eating (mentioned already) and really like Skinny Taste as well.
  • noiva
    noiva Posts: 94
    I love any cookbook by Food & Wine Magazine. They have lots of different topics.
  • NicoWoodruff
    NicoWoodruff Posts: 369 Member
    Hard to find but the old edition of "The Joy of Cooking" really is a classic.

    I also like the original "Moosewood" cookbook and friends/family I've passed it along to have used it as well. The copy I gave one relative is now dogeared and travelworn.
  • Skeebee
    Skeebee Posts: 740 Member
    This isn't really a cookbook, but a website. I haven't gone wrong with http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/
  • wurgin
    wurgin Posts: 241 Member
    i like the moosewood cookbooks
  • Takes2long
    Takes2long Posts: 367 Member
    My favorite website: http://www.dashingdish.com/

    These are my favorite cookbooks at home:

    -Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook

    -Taste of Home: Guilt Free Cooking: 356 Home Style Recipes for Healthier Living

    -Fix-It and Forget-It Diabetic Cookbook: Slow-Cooker Favorites to Include Everyone!

    I think that the Crock Pot one is my favorite out of the 3. Good luck!

    I really like taste of Home, and the Guilt Free cookbook is sitting in my wish list already! The Fix it and Forget it books are nice, too. I already have the slow cooker book :-) I also have Fix it and Enjoy it!


    Thanks everyone!
  • AmyEm3
    AmyEm3 Posts: 784 Member
    bump b/c I'm looking for ideas too
  • Takes2long
    Takes2long Posts: 367 Member
    Even though most of the Cooking Light ones could be found online, I still really like having the book in hard cover.

    My DH said I should put my recipes on the computer. Nope! I like having the book! LOL...although I DO look online for ideas.
  • trixylewis
    trixylewis Posts: 197 Member
    i love my biggest loser cookbooks!
  • bump
  • DannyMussels
    DannyMussels Posts: 1,842 Member
    Mens Health puts out a series of books "Eat This, Not That" and they're geared towards making heathier choices. There's one for children...a few about desserts, some are about grocery shopping.

    the one I'm most impressed with is the 'Cook This, Not That' one.. It's basically a bunch of restaurant-style popular dishes, and breaks down the nutrition of them (usually double or triple what you'd expect or need) and provides a make-at-home version thats waaaay healthier

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTMwGsfW2VpDXZxmCEo_wCFT2PZKQova_gAlFcEZ9QRrtnAnlt_

    I actually gave a copy to my bro.

    As far as cooking for myself goes, I'm always looking for healthier ways to make junky dishes.

    :)
  • parker13
    parker13 Posts: 2 Member
    I love "The Looneyspoons Collection"... tasty recipes and nutritional information in a fun format!
  • Takes2long
    Takes2long Posts: 367 Member
    I love "The Looneyspoons Collection"... tasty recipes and nutritional information in a fun format!

    Ahahaha...I have one of those, too! Bean me up Scotty! Bon Bon Jovi!
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