Healthy cookbook for an omni
So, my mom has really been wanting to lose some weight (and I want her to be healthier and eat fewer animal products and completely eliminate red meat), but she really stinks at the whole "avoid foods X, Y, and Z" thing. She has mild acid reflux and was told to avoid coffee, pop, any really acidic foods, dairy, fried things, etc. And what does she eat? All of the aforementioned foods ::)
Anyway, I was wondering if there was a good cookbook or website that I could recommend for her with healthy recipes--with many veg*n dishes, but without it being "in your face" veg*n. Maybe something that had some fish recipes and then some "normal" veg*n recipes, like meatless Mexican and Asian dishes.
How to get her to exercise more, well, that's a different story ::)
I have the peaceful palate and vegan vittles cookbooks. I think they are pretty good.
Favorite websites are:
Vegweb
www.vegcooking.com
I don't want a vegan cookbook/website, though. My mom would just ignore it and continue with her unhealthy habits. While I would prefer she ate veg*n, I know she never will, so I want to find a book/site with healthier versions of the foods she will eat.
There is a book I have from my omni days called Eat, Drink & Weigh Less--which actually just came out in paperback! I used it as a way to have a healthier, more balanced diet, and not necessarily to lose weight, but weight loss is the technical purpose of the book. Here is its Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/EAT-DRINK-WEIGH-LESS-DELICIOUS/dp/1401308929/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-2529503-5215367?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187277139&sr=8-1
What I really like about it is that it is written by Walter Willett, a doctor, nutritionist & professor at Havard Medical School--AND Mollie Katzen, a vegetarian cookbook author. So, the suggested diet (which covers 21 days--3 meals a day, plus snacks--and can be repeated until the desired amount of weight is lost) is HEALTHFUL, balanced, and delicious. It doesn't taste like "diet food," and is full of nutrition. There are some really great recipes in the book (in fact, after reading this book, I bought several of Mollie's cookbooks because I liked the food so much), and the emphasis is truly on nutrition & a well-rounded diet full of lots of fruits & vegetables. It is NOT about rapid weight loss that won't last. Plus, it's useful for both vegetarians & omnis alike (though not really vegans so much; though this could be a good intro to her cutting out meat).
I can't really personally attest to the book's ability to help one lose weight, as that's not why I bought it, but it has great reviews on Amazon, and really teaches you to eat for health & have sustained weight loss. Also, I felt great while eating the way it taught me to. I think this book would be a great introduction to healthful eating (and weight loss) for your mom.
I sound like I work for the publisher of this book... But really, I just love how great this "diet" book is. The emphasis on health is so refreshing! :) Good luck to her!
The Healthy Hedonist: it is heavily vegetarian, but there is a chapter for fish and chicken.
http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Hedonist-Delectable-Flexitarian-Recipes/dp/0743255704/ref=sr_1_6/104-1735918-8395934?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187278325&sr=1-6
I say www.bettycrocker.com
Marilu Henner wrote a book called "Healthy Life Kitchen" which has lots of vegetarian recipes, some fish recipes, and a few chicken recipes. I used it before I became vegan. She emphasizes low fat recipes. She believes in something about food combining which I know nothing about but I liked the recipes I made & I ignored the food combining information. Since she is an actress and has a tv show on the Fit TV channel your mother might feel comfortable using her book. She doesn't use dairy though - she uses soy products and tofu so I don't know if she is still too extreme for a traditional omni.
The Moosewood cookbooks might be good. While they are vegetarian, they have a very homey, crafty appeal and style that might appeal to her. Just a thought.
MEDITERRANEAN LIGHT BY MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN
This is my favorite omni cookbook. It has great, flavorful meals modified to be even healthier with good descriptions by the author.
http://www.martha-rose-shulman.com/medlight.html
Thanks, gals and guy :)
I'll take a look at those and see if I can find a good fit for my mom. I don't think she needs a "diet" book--she really just needs an "eat healthier" book and the weight loss will follow.
Thanks, gals and guy :)
I'll take a look at those and see if I can find a good fit for my mom. I don't think she needs a "diet" book--she really just needs an "eat healthier" book and the weight loss will follow.
You're welcome! :) Also, the Eat, Drink & Weigh Less book is nice because it's not necessarily a "diet" book. It will help one lose weight if that is the goal, but I like that it explains WHY specific foods are good for us--and that's why the weight loss can occur. I used it & didn't lose weight (because I wasn't trying to & didn't follow the diet part; just used the recipes & read the information on nutrition & health, etc.) There is also an emphasis on healthy fats, which I am a big fan of!
You should let us know what you decide on, and how your mom likes it! Maybe I'll pass it onto my parents... ;)
Thanks, gals and guy :)
I'll take a look at those and see if I can find a good fit for my mom. I don't think she needs a "diet" book--she really just needs an "eat healthier" book and the weight loss will follow.
You're welcome! :) Also, the Eat, Drink & Weigh Less book is nice because it's not necessarily a "diet" book. It will help one lose weight if that is the goal, but I like that it explains WHY specific foods are good for us--and that's why the weight loss can occur. I used it & didn't lose weight (because I wasn't trying to & didn't follow the diet part; just used the recipes & read the information on nutrition & health, etc.) There is also an emphasis on healthy fats, which I am a big fan of!
You should let us know what you decide on, and how your mom likes it! Maybe I'll pass it onto my parents... ;)
I think that one sounds the most promising--I want my mom to understand the "why" behind nutrition and not just eat mindlessly. I think I'll recommend it to her and see what she thinks. I wish I lived closer to her so we could make meals together. My dad is able to eat whatever he wants and not gain an ounce (although this is NO measure of his overall health, of course--cholesterol levels, cardiovascular fitness, etc.), so he hasn't been good about making healthier meals because he feels like he doesn't need to change anything since he's not the one gaining weight...really supportive (and healthy), Dad... ::)
http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Italiano-Meat-free-Dairy-free-Sun-Drenched/dp/1557884943
http://www.amazon.com/Mediterranean-Vegan-Kitchen-Donna-Klein/dp/1557883599
I REALLY recommend the cookbooks linked above. If you only want one get the Mediterranean one.
They are vegan but have no tofu, no soy milk, no nutritional yeast etc. Lots of VEG!
They are our favorite cookbooks, vegan or otherwise! Other than VCTOTW ;)
I second the Med Vegan Kitchen suggestion, it has a ton of veggie receipes that your ma could add a little grilled chicken to or fish (that's have I tend to cook for me and my fella as he's omni) if she wanted to