Customer Reviews

The New American Heart Association Cookbook

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Last February 1999 I was hospitalized for several weeks with a heart problem. After I was discharged I knew I had to do something about my weight. I purchased the New American Heart Association Cookbook and changed my eating habits. Using the recipes from this cookbook, along with an excellent walking program, I have lost almost 50 pounds between the end of February 1999 and August 1999. There are way too many good recipes for me to list, but several of my favorites are: Chicken Fajitas (I use the low-fat tortilla wrappers that you can find in any store), Crispy Baked Chicken, Asian Grilled Chicken and Vegetarian Chili. The best recommendation I can make for this book is to tell you that my doctor now tells me that I have a very healthy heart and I sincerely believe that I owe it to my walking program and the excellent recipes from The New American Heart Association Cookbook.

This book contains many delicious recipes that are simple to make. Moreover, there is a wonderful selection of appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, vegetable dishes, breads and desserts. A bountiful array of fruits and vegetables are featured in each recipe category. As a clinical nutritionist, I have high regard for a cookbook that presents easy to prepare, heart healthy recipes that use many different foods thereby allowing people to enjoy a wide variety of foods in their diet. I encourage readers to explore a most impressive compilation of healthy and tasty recipes. This cookbook will effectively promote adherence to contemporary dietary recommendations and, thus, help lower the incidence of coronary disease. A wonderful virtue of the many recipes is enjoyable eating and, at the same time, heart health!

When a heart important to my heart was told by his doctor that he has high blood pressure, my own went up. All priorities suddenly shift, and you realize there is nothing but nothing more important than the good health of those that you love. I immediately went on a hunt for a cookbook that would satisfy the palate but also keep us heart-healthy. I quickly came across this cookbook. What better sense than looking to an association that deals specifically with the health of the heart? Yes, but.... what about taste? A good diet is only as good as the tingle of the tastebud; it won't do you any good at all if you don't eat what's good for you.

I've made meals from most all of the sections in this cookbook. Fish, poultry, vegetables, even dipped into the desserts. We have both been pleased with the tasteful results. Low on salt and fat, but high on flavor. Good sense paired with good food - that works! From chicken with broccoli and mushrooms in a creamy sauce, to zucchini stuffed with spicy vegetables, to a rice pudding that was all comfort food, we did not miss what was missing: that nasty stuff that clogs arteries and hammers the heart and adds the slops to the waistline. My only negative is purely an esthetic one... I love to see a photo of what I am about to prepare for the first time. No photos here. But that's a small matter and not enough to keep me from going back to this cookbook again and again.

Best of all? My sweetheart is a healthy heart. Blood pressure is right where it belongs.

Bon appetit!

This is the best book for I have used when trying to cook for a healthy heart. There are thousands of recipes to chose from, easy to elaborate. The entrees are well seasoned, and the instructions are very easy to follow. I had the old version, and this one is 100% better. I recommend it to anyone who is trying to eat healthier.

This cookbook is several inches thick and does not have pictures. Please don't let that discourage you. If you're serious about healthy, heart-friendly cooking, this is the cookbook you need. I'm an experienced cook and have tons of cookbooks, but I'm turning more and more to this "all-in-one" cookbook that I can trust to have a healthy recipe for just about anything I have a taste for that day/week. You will SO appreciate that they give heart-healthy recipes for "basics" (gravies, sauces, basic breads, basic salads, etc.). This morning I whipped up a quick bowl of tuna salad to have for my lunch today. It's the best tuna salad I've ever made (and the healthiest), made with light mayo/nonfat yogurt, chopped tomatoes and green onions, cilantro, and lemon zest. There are hundreds of interesting entree recipes, mostly using ingredients you'll already have on your shelves. When "special" ingredients are called for, the book often gives a more common substitution - but do yourself a huge favor and stock your pantry with as many special ingredients as you can and keep your fridge stocked with lots of fresh produce. I've found that the key to success in lowfat cooking is to be prepared to jazz up recipes with spices and various bottled items without having to run to the grocery store. Also, keep citrus on hand - lemons and limes are called for in many heart-friendly recipes and completely transform some foods (like the lemon zest in the tuna salad). Some of the recipe introductions also tell you how you can use the leftovers in another recipe - Sweet-Spice Glazed Chicken can become Island Chicken Salad with Mint later in the week. For a busy Mom who doesn't want to always serve the same old boring meals to my family, those suggestions are helpful. It saves time hunting thru cookbooks and simplifies my grocery shopping. If you're serious about cooking more healthfully, you'll be happy you got this book!

Like many people these days, I'm trying to improve my diet... but I love good food! I've wasted my money on several "healthy" cookbooks only to find the recipes were simply terrible.

This book is the exception. Simply put, the recipes are easy to prepare, original, and very tasty. You'd never guess you were eating "healthy." We've tried about a dozen recipes so far, and every one has been a success.

The book also includes cooking tips and advice that are helpful for any type of cooking, and good advice on healthy shopping.

If you want to improve your diet without sacrificing the joy of preapring and eating good food, buy this book.

After my husband's heart attack, I immediately went on a search for heart-healthy foods and found the American Heart Association's "Big Red Book." (Yes, it's true. I took his heart-attack as a great excuse to buy more cookbooks.) So far, each of the recipes has been a hit, especially the "Chicken Curry in a Hurry." But the biggest hit of all was the "Easy Apple Cake" teamed with the Caramel Custard Sauce from the recipe for poached pears with the same sauce.

So in an unusual move, I ordered a second copy of this cookbook, but this time the hard cover edition especially after I looked at the paperback and noticed the number of creases in the spine. And then I ordered nearly all of the other cookbooks from the Heart Association.

The recipes are generally short, simple, and do-able on a weeknight. The use of spices is nice, although you may, as one reviewer suggested, want to add more spices (for example, I like a LOT more curry in my curries). But what's nicest is the wide variety of recipes, including quite a few vegetarian recipes that make a nice change. (Be sure to try the Spaghetti with Lentil Sauce. Delish.)

In all, this one is a real gem and goes up on the bookshelf next to "The Joy of Cooking," "Brilliant," the old "Pillsbury Baking Book" inherited from my grandmother, and, of course, the Betty Crocker "Cooky Book," back in print after all these years.

I have the 6th edition and thought I would check out this 7th edition before I purchased it and what I find is that the AHA does not work with, evidently, the American Diabetic Association in guidelines.

I have had bypass surgery and am supposed to have a low cholesterol - low fat diet. My dad, for whom I am caregiver, has had a mild heart attack and his cardiologist has told him the same thing and to include the low sodium to his diet.

Well, when the dietician came to talk to us, all she had was food exchanges and did not know how to convert the recipes in the book I have to food exchanges. I sure don't know, so, I don't know how to use this book to help me with meal plans.

Anyone got any ideas? ADA doesn't seem to concern themselves with how many grams of fat, mg of sodium, or gm of cholesterol are in a dish.

I wish someone would create a book that does have both of these things in them. Then, it would be helpful for both groups!

Like many other people I picked up this book because my doctor told me that I needed to lower my cholesterol and I needed help figuring out how to do that. This book has recipes that are very easy to make, but every dinner I've prepared has tasted good. I mean really good - the food has flavor and the meat is tender & juicy. I was so tired of trying other diet recipes that tasted bland so I'm astonished at all the variety in this cookbook.

Also the recipes really spell out "how" to cook to for those who might be more unfamiliar with cooking in a kitchen. It gives sensible advise that makes it easy to get started cooking meals at home. With all the variety on sides, beef, pork, seafood, poultry, and desserts it is sure to help anyone start healthy eating & cooking habits. Also the index sections help you understand how to make healthy choices which is great because sometimes you need guidence when going out to eat or buying prepared food.

I prefer to cook with just my imagination, but this is a terrific book when my inspiration and creativity needs a boost. I'd say that over 80% of the recipies are things that my family enjoys, while most of my other books rarely come in above 30-40%. The bredth and depth of each section is just right and the nutritional information is particularly helpful. Instructions are easy to follow.