Cook This, Not That!: Kitchen Survival Guide [Paperback]

David Zinczenko (Author), Matt Goulding (Author)

Book Description

Release date: December 29, 2009

Did you know the average dinner from a chain restaurant costs nearly $35 a person and contains more than 1,200 calories? That’s hard on your wallet and your waistline, and few people understand this better than the authors of Eat This, Not That! After years of helping consumers navigate America’s daunting culinary landscape – and literally thousands of weight-loss success stories – Dave and Matt have finally turned their nutritional savvy to the place with the greatest impact – your kitchen. The hundreds of recipes contained inside this book will help you and your loved ones eliminate body fat, get in shape, and lead fitter, happier lives.

 

But make no mistake – this is no rice-and-tofu cookbook. The genius of Cook This, Not That! is that it teaches you how to save hundreds – sometimes thousands – of calories by recreating America’s most popular restaurant dishes, including Outback Steakhouse’s Roasted Filet with Port Wine Sauce, Uno Chicago Grill’s Individual Deep Dish Pizza, and Chili’s Fire Grilled Chicken Fajita. Alongside this you’ll find other priceless advice, such as:

 

· The 37 Ways to Cook a Chicken Breast, A Dozen 10-Minute Pasta Sauces, The Ultimate Sandwich Matrix, and other on-the-go cooking tips.
· Scorecards that let you easily compare the nutritional quality of the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins that go into building every meal you eat. 
· The truth about how seemingly healthy foods such as wheat bread, salmon, and low-fat snacks are secretly sabotaging your health.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"These books are a great guide to carry around and have with you whenever you're not sure what to choose." --Oprah Winfrey on Oprah

"You can make pretty easy substitutes and do very well." --Meredith Vieira, co-host of The Today Show

"David Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men's Health and author of [the] New York Times best selling book Eat This, Not That! is going to help you fight the battle of the bulge." --EXTRA!

"It's just so easy with these books. I now control my food instead of my food controlling me. I'm losing weight without even trying." --Darlene Coburn, Eat This, Not That! reader, who--in 4 months--lost 40 pounds and went from a size 14 to a size 8.

"I think Eat This, Not That! is a brilliant book." --Rachael Ray

About the Author

DAVID ZINCZENKO is editor-in-chief of Men’s Health and editorial director of Women’s Health.

MATT GOULDING is a food and nutrition editor of Men’s Health.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books; 1 edition (December 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 160529442X
• ISBN-13: 978-1605294421
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 0.6 x 6.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (156 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,186 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

456 of 472 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Yummy recipes, but know that several are still high in fat, calories, or sodium. No carb or fiber info January 4, 2010

By Chandler #1 HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I hadn't heard these authors were doing a cookbook. I am a huge fan of the Eat This Not That! books. Although I'm a weight loss coach myself, I learn a wealth of information EVERY time I open one of these books. Even better, they are done so well that you WANT to read them from cover to cover rather than flipping through a few pages and putting it on a shelf. They are full of color photos, pages that stand out with artwork, colorful fonts, tons of information...just very well done.

Because of this, I was excited to get this new "COOK This, Not That!" recipe book. I'm a huge fan of cooking, huge fan of eating healthy, but an even bigger fan of GOOD food. With their knowledge behind the recipes, I figured it had to be a win/win cookbook and information guide.

And it is...it does have some drawbacks, however. First, all the good stuff:
If you want to learn how to eat well for a lifestyle that includes craving restaurant meals and formulating a better kitchen at home, this book will do it. It's not just a book of recipes. You get a comparison of how all the oils rate as far as fat per tablespoon, which are good oils to use etc. You get information that I personally know is backed up by great research I've read before, on what foods are "super foods"...which ones, for example will give you energy (this is quinoa--one I discuss at great length in my own diet groups. Full of energy and vitamins and protein, called the "food of the Gods" by the Aztecs, keeps you full as well.) Or which fruit will give you great skin, which helps your joints, etc. Really wonderful info. The book is full of things like this that aren't just recipes, but life changers.

The recipes are of a wide range and should appeal to most any palette.... And adaptions are not hard to make for special diets if you are a creative cook. Here are a few I like, to give you an example:

Grilled chicken salad with cranberries, avocado, and goat cheese
Breakfast burritos
Tortilla Soup
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Loaded fettucini alfredo with chicken and vegetables
green chile cheeseburger
loaded pizza
patty melt
hearty lasagna
mac and cheese
nachos with chicken and black beans
chicken panini with pesto and peppers

There are also ethnic dishes, appetizers, vegetarian dishes intermingled within, breakfasts, drinks, desserts...you name it, it's covered. And the dishes that I've made have all turned out great and been simple to prepare. Your family may not even know you've made some changes to lighter cooking!

NEGATIVES:
As much as I love the book and the recipes, there are some drawbacks. The recipes are presented as a lighter version to familiar restaurant meals. And that's excellent if you eat out a lot and want to save both money and calories. However, although the dishes may be lighter than say, your favorite dish at Outback Steakhouse, it doesn't necessarily mean it's a "diet meal" or a lighter version of that dish than at MOST restuarants and the reader should know this. A low-fat dish is one that has around 3 grams fat for every 100 calories the dish has. You'll find dishes here that are actually HIGH in fat and sodium and many fairly high in calories (like almost 500 calories for a small bowl of mac and cheese. This recipe is neither lower in fat or calories than most restuarant mac and cheese for the same serving size. It's just lower in fat and calories from the one restaurant they compared it to with mega fat and calories in their dish.) But if you crave recipes from certain places and want them lighter...and still VERY good..It's a win/win book.

For example, although you save some fat with the Crispy Quesadillas with Quacamole, you come out with a serving of this appetizer for 310 calories, 16 grams fat, and 730 mg sodium. Granted, the original restaurant dish had 1,480 calories, 96 grams fat, and 510 grams sodium...but 16 grams fat, with some of it saturated, is still quite steep. And that amount of sodium will keep your waistbands tight and your body bloated, among other things. So keep in mind you may want to balance some of these dishes with lower fat and lower sodium and sometimes even lower calories dishes within your day. Also take for example, their suggested breakfast recipe for a ham omelette. It has 330 calories, a whopping 20 grams fat and nearly half of it SATURATED fat at 9 grams sat.fat...if you compare that to an Egg McMuffin at McDonald's that fast food dish has 300 calories, 12 grams of fat and 5 grams saturated fat. When I can go to McDonalds and get half the fat, half the saturated fat, and 30 less calories than a breakfast recipe in this book for almost the same dish and McDonalds gives me an English muffin on top of it, and no messy pans...that's not a good thing. I am not a fan of Micky D's and haven't eaten there in years, but they won on this comparison for both calories, fat, and saturated fat for a breakfast dish. Was this ham omelette recipe in the cookbook better than the scary ham omelette at a restaurant they compared it to (IHOP)? Yes. But is it a healthy or light dish in any way itself? Nopers...

But I can ignore those dishes in the book and go for things like the Miso cod which is just 260 calories and 1g fat, or the chicken marsala which is 390 calories and 9 g fat. You'll find several to please those wanting low calories and fat. If, however, your only goal is to get lighter dishes than those in a restaurant, even if they are still a little too steep for me in the fat grams or calorie count personally, that's what this book is all about. It gives you a restaurant dish you may be familiar with, it's calorie and fat count, and then remakes it lighter to save you some calories.

Unlike most healthy cookbooks that now contain fiber counts in the nutritionals for those counting points on Weight Watchers, this does not list them on the recipe pages. The dishes simply list calories, fat, and sodium. So if you are wanting to use fiber counts for that diet plan, know this going in. You may have to figure out fiber on your own to get accurate point counts. If you want protein, carbs, etc to get a full picture, it's not listed...this will matter to some, it won't matter to others...so I thought I'd throw it out there for those who are wondering.

CONCLUSION: This book is especially important for those who want good taste but want to avoid eating out as much and I would say it's the primary target audience. If you want all low fat and low calorie dishes, however, you'll need to be sure to read the counts on each page and balance your overall day accordingly as some of the recipes are high in calories, fat, or sodium or all of the above...though still less than its original restaurant dish. The variety of calories can be good because men can use the book too for the higher calorie dishes they may want, while a woman can choose those that are lighter for her...just watch the fat and sodium either way. As for taste, the recipes have all been winners. (And if you feel deprived, you'll never stick with it anyway.) I'd recommend the book but, like I tell my weight loss classes, use it with caution and while adding up your fat, calorie, and sodium counts or you might not see the loss you hope for.

KNOW GOING IN: There is no disagreement that it takes a deficit of 3,500 calories to lose one pound. Meaning you have to take in 3,500 calories less than what your body uses in normal activity (walking, digesting, breathing sleeping, etc.) so that your body will then dip into fat stores for fuel for energy resulting in weight loss. If you are on the Biggest Loser you might reach this deficit half way through the day or in just a few hours because of all the calories your body is using. If I ate solely from this book I probably wouldn't lose weight, or I'd just lose a pound or two per month. However, if I was doing a lot of eating out, it would PREVENT me from gaining weight. Due to the higher fat and sodium content in many recipes, you need to leaf through the book for the healthier ones. But I am not gonna say I don't love this book either. I just balance it with lower fat and calorie dishes and I love the fact they've made some popular dishes lower in fat and calories on days you crave 'em. It is, after all, all about balance in the end.

also know: The recipes in here are typically at least half the size of the restaurant serving when I began comparing after someone else mentioned this fact, so in reality many wind up the same fat and calories (or more) as the restaurant-sized serving when compared apples to apples. Read more ›

91 of 97 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Eat smart, not dumb! January 4, 2010

By Julie Neal TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Addicted to the Cheesecake Factory's Warm Apple Crisp but can't afford the 1,355 calories? Save a whopping 1,155 calories by making your own! Cook This, Not That shows you how.

This book is for anyone wanting to eat smarter. It gets down to basics: "Forget dieting. Forget joining a gym. Forget the ads for the Abinator device you saw on QVC. If you really, truly want to lose weight, there is no quicker way to shave pounds off your body -- and dollars off your food bill -- than to cook more at home."

Cook This, Not That makes it simple for even novices to prepare home-cooked meals. A whole chapter gets you set up with exactly the utensils and equipment you'll need, and the items to set up the perfect pantry. Most of the dishes can be made in 30 minutes or less, and the instructions are short and straightforward. Every recipe is paired with a close-up color photograph of the finished dish. On same page is a small photo of the "Not That!" variation of the recipe from a restaurant chain, complete with price, calories and, in most cases, sodium and fat counts. In each case you learn how many calories and dollars you save by cooking at home.

Besides the hundreds of recipes, sprinkled throughout the pages are helpful segments:
* Scorecards: Ratings of fat, meat, carbs and dairy foods clearly show the best, worst, and everything in between in terms of healthiness. (The winners? Canola oil, light meat chicken, bulgar and nonfat yogurt.)
* Master the technique: Instruction on how to perform chef-like functions such as sautéing vegetables or cooking an omelet.
* Secret weapon: Particular foods the authors recommend, and why. For example, Thomas' Light Multi-Grain English Muffin (only 100 calories each, and packing a whopping 8 grams of fiber)....
* Save-Money Strategy: How to alter the accompanying recipe to make it less expensive but still delicious.
* Meal Multiplier: Ways to alter the recipe by changing the ingredients.

This book has a lot going for it, but its biggest benefits are:
1. Recipes that are easy, delicious and illustrated with beautiful photography.
2. Thorough nutritional information for each recipe, including the portion size, calories and gram counts of fat, sodium and sugar.
3. Simple comparisons with similar restaurant dishes.
4. Advice on the best brands to buy, from vegetable oil to breakfast cereal.

Other books in the series: Eat This, Not That!, Eat This Not That! for Kids!, Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide, Eat This Not That! The Best (& Worst!) Foods in America!, Eat This Not That! 2010 and Eat This Not That! Restaurant Survival Guide. All are uniformly excellent. I also recommend In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life and Deceptively Delicious.

Here's the chapter list:

1. The Truth About Your Food
2. The Eat This, Not That! Kitchen
3. Breakfast
4. Appetizers & Small Bites
5. Soups & Salads
6. Sandwiches & Burgers
7. Off the Grill
8. Pasta
9. American Classics
10. Ethnic Dishes
11. Sides, Snacks & Sauces
12. Desserts & Drinks Read more ›

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Another winner in this franchise! January 5, 2010

By Steven A. Peterson TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

There are a variety of books in this series ("Eat This, Not That" is the key term in several titles). This volume suggests cooking one dish rather than having something else less healthy for one.

One cool example. . . . Whip up a grilled chicken and pineapple sandwich. The recipe includes the ingredients needed and the steps needed to make this sandwich. The entry shows how much per serving this costs ($2.64) as well as calories (400), fat content (11 grams of fat, 6 of which are saturated), and 640 milligrams of salt. What not to eat? Outback's grilled chicken and Swiss sandwich--costing $7.95 and featuring 896 calories, 33 grams of fat (10 grams saturated), and 1,323 milligrams of sodium. The point is pretty inescapable: You can make something yourself that is less expensive and better nutritionally. Thus, one gets a recipe as well as data allowing the reader to compare cost and nutrition. The end result? Maybe a little more discriminating eater of foods. . . .

A second. . . . A homemade ham omelet, with a step-by-step recipe. $1.87 a serving, 330 calories, 20 grams of fat (9 of which are saturated), and 570 milligrams of salt. IHOP's ham and cheese omelette: $9.56, 990 calories. One would save 660 calories and $7.69 making it yourself!

Other cool features. Pages 256-257 focus on "The Wok Matrix" with "The Rules of the Wok." First, choose your protein; next, choose your vegetables; then, choose your sauce; finally, choose your garnish. A recipe lays out how you proceed, step-by-step, with a stir fry.

A clever volume that educates as it provides useful recipes and hints for cooking. Nice addition to the series!!