The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life (Hardcover)

by Ellie Krieger (Author)
Key Phrases: using regular yogurt, grill pan with cooking spray, cup lowfat buttermilk, The Food You Crave, Side Salads, Yukon Gold (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
She had me at the macaroni and cheese. Before I received Ellie Krieger's new cookbook, I had never heard of her or Healthy Appetite, the Food Network show she hosts. But in my preliminary flip through the book I stopped at the photo of Macaroni and Four Cheeses and knew I had found a healthful-eating philosophy I could embrace. Krieger's smart, sensible approach to diet uses healthful fats, whole grains and plenty of fruits and vegetables in recipes for beloved comfort foods. --The Baltimore Sun

Ellie Krieger, host of the Food Network's show "Healthy Appetite," advances her sensible and appealing approach to nutrition in "The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life". Krieger, a registered dietitian, eschews processed foods - including the fat-free and sugar-free products that are the mainstays of many so-called healthy regimens. Her straightforward recipes emphasize fresh produce and meats, whole grains and judicious amounts of real ingredients, such as good cheese and olive oil that are full of flavor and nutrients. --Newsday (New York)

You’d think a book titled The Food You Crave would be all about meat loaf, mashed potatoes and chocolate cake. Think again. According to author Ellie Krieger, the foods we really crave are fresh, healthy, nutritious. The beauty of this cookbook is that she’s found a way to turn all those old-time comfort foods into healthy, nutritious meals — providing all the flavor and satisfaction without all the fat and guilt. Krieger does it by using loads of fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats such as olive oil, whole-wheat flours, nonfat yogurts and the like. And the results are delicious. --The Kansas City Star

Among the rash of "healthy eating" cookbooks appearing since New Year's, one stands out: Ellie Krieger's new book, "The Food You Crave". Krieger recognizes the stress and guilt baggage associated with diets; her book emphasizes the joy of eating. Although the title may seem to be the antithesis of a healthful diet, the "craved-for-foods" fit nicely with Krieger's two-part method: prepare old favorites in a healthier way, and follow the "Usually-Sometimes-Rarely" philosophy. --El Paso Times

If you’ve planned to change the way you eat for 2008, a new book, “The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life” by Ellie Krieger is a must for your cookbook collection. Ms. Krieger’s name may be familiar to devotees of TV Food Network’s “Healthy Appetite” show. She’s a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition from Columbia University. Her accomplishments aside, she’s one good cook as evidenced by the numerous recipes in her new book that sent my taste buds tingling. All recipes include nutritional information along with tips that will help make each recipe a success in your kitchen. Color photography of many of the dishes made me want to jump from my desk and into my kitchen. This book is a keeper when I’m looking for ways to please the family while keeping to my plan of improving the way I eat. --Anne Patterson Braly, Chattanooga Times Free Press (TN)

Ellie Krieger has a simple philosophy about healthy eating - it shouldn't hurt. That's the message behind the Food Network star's recent cookbook, The Food You Crave - that a healthy diet can taste and look satisfying. And her recipes make her case. Krieger calls for sensible cuts and swaps, the sort of changes that are easy to live with. For example, the New York Breakfast uses full-fat whipped cream cheese, which has the same calories as the low-fat version but tastes better. The book is nicely illustrated and contains plenty of tips for giving your own recipes a healthy overhaul. --The Associated Press

For those who pledged to start the new year eating more healthful food but don’t want to forfeit flavor, has Ellie Krieger got the book for you. The host of the Food Network’s Healthy Appetite, she has written The Food You Crave and that title shows she understands. She knows that turkey burgers aren’t for everyone and a good chicken or pasta recipe is worth its weight in gold. But she has managed to use ingredients we love — pasta, sugar and even a tiny bit of red meat — strategically so you get the flavor but the overall recipe is still on the healthy side. Krieger’s book, subtitled Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life offers 200 recipes and I could print anyone on these pages without a second thought. They look good in the color photographs, have ingredient lists that sound great and calorie and fat counts that are entirely reasonable for those watching what they eat. From soups to sides to desserts, she offers a variety of dishes with an endless array of wonderful ingredients. It’s a fine place to start as having healthful food at your fingertips is important when life gets hectic. --The Providence Journal (RI)

Healthy recipes, good-looking food. Ellie Krieger has a simple philosophy about healthy eating: It shouldn't hurt. That's the message behind the Food Network star's recent cookbook, The Food You Crave. A healthy diet can taste and look satisfying, and her recipes prove it. The book is nicely illustrated and contains plenty of tips for giving your own recipes a healthy overhaul. --St. Petersburg Times (Florida)

Product Description
Do you think that healthy food couldn't possibly taste good? Does the idea of "eating healthy" conjure up images of roughage and steamed vegetables? Author Ellie Krieger, host of Food Network's Healthy Appetite, will change all that. A registered dietitian, Ellie is also a lover and proponent of good, fresh food, simply but deliciously prepared. And she's not about denial--no nonfat foods here, because when you take the fat out of natural foods, in go the chemicals. Don't deny yourself butter--use a pat of it, but put it front and center on those mashed potatoes, so you can revel in it with all your senses. The Food You Crave is all you'll need to change the way you eat and change the way you feel. It contains 200 recipes that cover every meal of the day and every craving you might have. Every recipe contains a complete nutritional breakdown, as well as tips on ingredients and techniques that will keep you eating smart and eating well.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Taunton (January 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600850219
• ISBN-13: 978-1600850219
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (174 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #636 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

162 of 164 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Healthy Attitude and a Healthy Appetite, January 18, 2008

By	NYCer (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Ellie Krieger is different from the exercise fanatics and diet gurus out there in that she doesn't promise you'll lose 10 pounds or two inches off your waist if you adhere to a strict regimen over the course of a week. Instead, she provides all the tools you'll need to develop a healthy attitude toward eating that doesn't sacrifice flavor or require intensive labor. The crux of her approach is common-sensical: fresh ingredients, lots of whole grains, reasonable portions. But while the idea seems easy enough, Ellie makes it even simpler by outlining what ingredients to keep in stock (for a quick meal anytime) and what small but oh-so-important finishing touches change a dish from bland into brilliant. So far, I've made about a dozen of the recipes in this book (including 4 alone for one meal), and all have been met with rave reviews from the appreciative attendees. I recommend a meal consisting of the Oven-Fried Chicken, Garlic Fries, Zucchini Parmesan Crisps, and finishing off with the Ricotta Cheesecake with Fresh Raspberries. Let your oven do all the work, and stop worrying about your waistline!

I am a fan of Ellie's television show and completely agree with her food philosophy. If we all learn to love the way food tastes, instead of over-processing and masking it in fats and chemicals, then we can once again relish our meals instead of feeling guilty about them. Ellie will show you how in this book full of great recipes. Not only does she transform comfort foods like mashed potatoes and meatloaf into her better-for-you versions, but she also provides recipes inspired by a variety of cuisines ranging from Asian, Greek, and Middle-Eastern and covering every meal, including side dishes and desserts.

Don't expect a strict plan or any guaranteed weight loss. Ellie herself doesn't tout the "Never" approach and teaches us all that foods belong in three categories: Usually, Sometimes, and Rarely. The main reason most diets fail is because they are unrealistic and too limiting. Ellie's approach is different; it shows you a better way to eat "The Food You Crave." Anyone who wants to learn how to prepare delicious AND healthful foods should pick up a copy of this book!

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a cookbook with GOOD healthy recipes!, January 17, 2008

By	N. Lewis "digital angel" (atlanta, ga) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've also been waiting for E.K. to release a cookbook, and this was worth the wait!!
Lots of extra advice, detailed information on each recipe as far as nutrition facts and what types of vitamins/minerals are in the dishes. I've made quite a few of these already, as I watch her show regularly, so it was nice to finally have them all in one neat, organized cookbook. I haven't made a dish that I (or my husband or daughter) have not loved.. and with a second baby on the way, healthy eating was the last (and worst sounding) thing on my mind. Somehow all of the recipes truly make me crave them. Ellie is a nutritional genius!

52 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, January 16, 2008

By	Mohini "Animal Lover" - See all my reviews

Bought this book recently at the book store and thought I would give my opinion at Amazon because this is where I usually purchase my books. The recipes are really fantastic and easy and oh so delicious. I have made pita chips several times and there isn't a chip in a bag that can even come close. I will no longer purchase any chips in a bag! The cost of making them yourself is about equivilant and these are healthy. My husband loves them. Can't wait to make more things from this great book!