For the legions of harried moms who have tossed in the dishtowel on cooking healthy meals (or any meals!), the easiest-ever guide for bringing super nutrition back to the kitchen.
Getting dinner on the table night after night can be a challenge. So it’s no surprise that busy moms often rely on fast food, takeout, and convenience meals like macaroni & cheese, chicken nuggets, and fries. The kids love it but the drawback is that little twinge of guilt moms feel every time they feed their family another not-so-healthy meal. At the end of the day, many children end up with a poor diet high in sugar, saturated fat, and calories … a major factor in the rising rates of obesity.
Finally, here are realistic guidelines designed to give families a healthy meal makeover. The Moms lay out a 5-Step Meal Makeover Plan, explaining how to market good nutrition to kids, establish food rules, and make life easier in the kitchen. In The Best of the Bunch chapter they reveal which brands of kid convenience foods–hot dogs, frozen pizza, and more–are the best tasting and most nutritious ones out there. The Moms show how to stock a healthy pantry and whip up delicious anytime meals using pantry staples. They even serve up 120 reworked recipes for family favorites such as Fast-as-Boxed Macaroni & Cheese, Squishy Squash Lasagna, Cheesy Broccoli Soup, Sweet Potato Fries, and Chocolate Pudding with Toppers.
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Product Details
Author:
Janice Newell Bissex
Paperback:
368 pages
Publisher:
Broadway
Publication Date:
January 01, 2004
Language:
English
ISBN:
0767914236
Product Length:
7.4 inches
Product Width:
1.0 inches
Product Height:
9.07 inches
Product Weight:
1.47 pounds
Package Length:
9.4 inches
Package Width:
7.3 inches
Package Height:
0.8 inches
Package Weight:
1.05 pounds
Average Customer Rating:
based on 58 reviews
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: ( 58 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
46 of 46 found the following review helpful:
Great recipes and fast easy meals May 07, 2004
By Sarah These recipes are quick, easy, good, and best of all, a little more adventurous than your normal "family" cookbooks filled with chicken nuggets and pasta. I am not one to plan a week's meals ahead, and I love that I can open this book and find something great to make out of what I have on hand. I've made at least 15 of the recipes and every one was great. The prep time estimates seem to be pretty accurate. Our family in general likes things a little more spicy than most, so some recipes were a little bland but I just add a little more seasoning if that happens. I think they would probably be fine for most people, especially kids.
I think the authors are right on the mark with their advice on kids trying new foods, no "yuck!"s etc. Their philosophy is similar to our own house rules, and as a result my boys (3 and 7) are great eaters. I had the pleasure of meeting the authors at a bookstore signing, and I was very impressed with their knowledge, sensibility, and friendliness!
36 of 36 found the following review helpful:
Skeptic: Convinced!! Jan 23, 2004 I pride myself on being a pretty good cook, so the idea that a cookbook would contain recipes that were not only easy (being a working mom with five kids made that important), interesting to my children, and, compelling to myself and my partner seemed impossible. I really enjoy this cookbook. I have liked nearly every recipe I've tried--the kids have been much more open than I ever imagined--and some of the tips have already infiltrated their way into other meals. I appreciate the ease of preparation; I appreciate the range of foods suggested; I appreciate the graphics and side bars of the book. In other words, I am convinced. I really urge you to give this cookbook along with the authors' suggestions about changing your family's eating habits a try.
26 of 26 found the following review helpful:
Not only for Moms and families Sep 15, 2005
By C. T. Kalm This is a great guide for tweaking your cooking and becoming aware of the many ways you can adjust your own recipies to add nutrition and flavor while cutting out sodium, processed foods, etc. Yes, the recipies themselves are different and tempting in their own right and are creative enough that you can serve them to anyone, not just children/teens. An excellent primer begins the book about how to gradually add nutrition and fiber to your diet over a period of weeks, so you don't have to feel on a "gung-ho" nutrition kick to make some meaningful changes. Includes fun recipes with titles such as "Sweet & Nutty Thai Thing" (a scaled-back/simplified pad thai), plus an entire chapter on one of my favorite subjects "Breakfast for Dinner". A helpful volume for any cook and most any occasion.
20 of 20 found the following review helpful:
A Parent's Mealtime Guilt Reduction Program Oct 03, 2004
By K. Mann This book is great because the attitude of the authors is so realistic: they know we don't have a lot of free time with work and kids to take care of. So there are no recipes that require hard-to-find ingredients and hours of prep time, just lots of quick, easy recipes that resemble stuff kids are already used to eating (but healthier!)
I like the chapter on stocking your pantry, which has great ideas for healthy ingredients and prepared foods that can cut fat and cooking time simultaneously. They even make recommendations of what to order when you buy fast food -- so I can feel virtuous even when I'm running late.
The whole tone of this book is affirming and empowering, and I tore through the first 4 chapters in a week. The rest is the recipes. We've tried a number of them already, and my 3 year old has devoured everything! (and I've lost 4 pounds! Yippee!)
19 of 19 found the following review helpful:
Easy, healthy, yummy!! May 03, 2004
By Nancy Wessels Easy, healthy and yummy. That pretty much sums up the recipes in this great book. All kinds of common healthy ingredients are used, stuff I bought in the past but didn't know how to cook/use, like sweet potatoes and black beans. Southwest chicken and rice, sweet potato and kale soup, all kinds of different and interesting recipes that aren't too time-comsuming or intimidating. Highly recommended!
based on 58 reviews
Great recipes and fast easy meals May 07, 2004
By Sarah
