Comfort Food Makeovers: Healthy Alternatives to Your Favorite Homestyle Dishes (Plastic Comb)

~ Elaine Magee M.P.H. R.D. (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese, chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, soup...these are the comfort foods we crave—but many of us are afraid to eat them because of their high fat and calorie content. Now, thanks to Elaine Magee, we can eat our favorite comfort foods in a healthful way! Comfort Food Makeovers provides 116 easy, mouthwatering recipes for your favorite comfort foods that are full of flavor and texture yet healthy enough to eat anytime.

Magee, the author of Fry Light, Fry Right! truly knows how to cook the healthy way, and she is on a mission to teach the world how to use ingredients and techniques to lighten a recipe without losing the flavor: incorporate reduced-fat ingredients, boost the fiber, and always cut down on serving sizes. She keeps us tempted with main dishes such as American Meatloaf and Butter-Baked Chicken, savory side dishes such as Potatoes with Leeks and Gruyere, and decadent desserts such as One-Bowl Brownies and Triple Chocolate Decadence Cookies. The delicious recipes in Comfort Food Makeovers will make you think twice before eating the full-fat, full-calorie versions of your favorite comfort foods ever again!

About the Author

Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, has written more than 24 books, has a popular newspaper column called “The Recipe Doctor,” is the nutrition expert and content provider for WebMD, and is a regular contributor to Cooking Light, Woman’s Day, Parenting, and more. She lives in the San Francisco Bay area.

Product Details

• Plastic Comb: 208 pages
• Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers (January 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157912464X
• ISBN-13: 978-1579124649
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #329,315 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A new family favorite!, August 11, 2006

By	L. Kinser "ljkinser" (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am new Elaine Magee fan with regards to her general cook books (have and loved her What to Eat for Headaches book) so I can only speak to this cook book, but I love her cooking style! I personally DON'T want cookbooks by chefs. I end up spending twenty dollars on the book only to make one or two recipes only. Chef's only have two things in mind...looks and taste. They don't care about making the recipe easy and convenient and healthful. Elaine does this oh so well. The other reviewer totally missed the point. This isn't a book about fancy food, it's a book about making over America's favorite comfort foods to be as healthful as possible. I have personally made 10 dishes so far from the book and not only did I love them, so did my kids who can be so hard to please! Somehow Elaine has managed to make the recipes over so they still taste great but with fewer calories and less saturated fat. You can see the "before" and "after" nutritional analysis for yourself on every page. Thanks Elaine for another wonderful and practical book.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cooks will want this for their home collections, May 25, 2006

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Usually there are two answers to old favorite recipes which have long been packed in calories and fat as well as comfort: abstain or modify until it's entirely. So it's refreshing to find COMFORT FOOD MAKEOVERS: HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES TO YOUR FAVORITE HOMESTYLE DISHES does neither: it modifies dishes to omit the calories - but not the original comforting tastes. From a leaner Beef Shepherd's Pie which uses a lean sirloin roast and fat-free half-and-half to a light version of the classic cream-laden Fettuccine Alfredo - truly an achievement, done with light cream cheese, divided whole milk or fat-free half and half, and butter or substitute - all dishes retain their original appeal while boasting makeovers that work. While plastic comb binding may not make for durable library lending long-term, it will delight cooks who will want this for their home collections.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional Cook Book!, August 16, 2006

By	Chris (California) - See all my reviews

I purchased this book because I've been looking for heathly alternatives for my family. The use of detailed comparisions for nutrients is incredibly helpful and there are so many useful tips for cutting back on fat and calories! I never imagined I could make a healthy and delicious chicken pot pie. Elaine shows that you can still enjoy old fashioned comfort foods and not feel guilty about it. The format is simple to follow and there is a great variety of recipes.