Customer Reviews

The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook: Eating Well for Better Health

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I picked this book up at a local discount store last week and so far I am impressed! I have only made a couple of the items in the book, but my husband and I loved them. He has never been a fan of cream soups, but I made the corn chowder recipe the other day and he LOVED it. Completely vegetarian, but FULL of flavor.

This book does not promote a diet- it promotes making healthy food choices to fuel your body. Too often books like this lack variety and have a lot of outlandish recipes that people aren't likely to make. Not this one- tons of different ethnic cuisines are represented and just about every type of meat, vegetable and fruit are there so no matter what you like to eat, this book will definitely have things for you.

One drawback- a couple recipes (not many) do call for some odd ingredients that you would have to really look for. If you're not afraid to substitute if you have to or if you have easy access to some good ethnic markets, then it shouldn't be a problem for you.

This is definitely one to try and full of dishes that you will feel good serving to your family knowing that it's good for them.

The name Mayo Clinic is synonymous with health and the New Mayo Clinic Cookbook focuses on providing healthy meals you will enjoy eating because they retain the flavors you love. It starts by providing a cooking and healthy weight pyramid you can use to choose good eating habits and an appropriate weight related diet. Each of the recipes also has a diagram indicating how many servings the meal should count for from each of the levels of the pyramid and a nutritional analysis.

One of the really nice features is the inclusion of a section on how to plan a menu using the pyramid system with example menus. With 150 recipes you are sure to find several that satisfy your palate. Some of the ones that I enjoyed were Grilled Portobello Mushrooms with Thyme and Garlic, Roasted Root Vegetables with Cumin and Coriander, Pear and Toasted Pecan Chutney, and Spinach Lasagna with Sun-dried Tomato Sauce. Most of the recipes have photographs of the finished meal so you know what it should look like. The only thing I didn't like about the cookbook is that you can't tell quickly how much time is needed to prepare or cook the meal. That is a very minor item given the ability to prepare delicious meals that contribute to your overall health. The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook is a highly recommended cookbook for anyone wanting to eat well without sacrificing flavor.

I was somewhat skeptical when I bought this cookbook as I'd had a hard time finding a cookbook with recipes that were both heathy AND tasted good, and didn't require 100 obscure ingredients and two hours of my life to prepare. But this book surpassed all my expectations, and even though I've had it about six months now, I'm still using it several times a week. The dishes are interesting and generally pretty quick to prepare, and most of them taste so good you wouldn't guess how healthy they are. Even my boyfriend (who is a pizza, beer, and EasyCheese kind of guy) likes these dishes, so apparently they are so good they appeal to even the most unhealthy eaters. Two thumbs up!

We gave this book as a gift to our adult daughter in an effort to induce her to eat healthier. It seems to have worked. She's introduced many of the featured ingredients and cooking techniques into her meal preparation for herself and her young son. The fact that the book is published by Mayo Clinic lends it substantial credibility. The recipes are creative, plentiful, beautifully photographed, and easy to follow. Our only reservation has to do with what -- for some readers, in some circumstances -- may be the occasional ingredient that proves to be too costly or exotic. Overall, however, the book served our purpose perfectly.

This cookbook is beautiful and has great presentation, but finding many of the key ingredients is a bit of a challenge. I tried several receipes but for the most part, 80% are either too complicated or have ingredients that require too much time to find (not in your typical grocery store). The ones I have tried have been great.

This book is a great asset especially for guys who are trying to learn how to cook and eat in a healthy way. The recipes are specific...how long to sear scallops. I endorse the berries and ginger sauce (P 75)..great with vanilla yogurt. The Mescun Salad with blood oranges is great as is the pea soup (P 129). And I am just getting started. This is the way the U.S. needs to learn to eat.....for health and quality of life! The pictures are also very helpful to guys to visualize "presentation". It's a no brainer when you can copy a picture. Thanks Mayo Clinic...you are helping transform a culture.

This cookbook is deceiving-- it seems like a lot of typical recipes so while I did buy it, I did not try any of them for quite sometime. Well! I've been using it for the past month and have to say-- everything is very flavorful and an interesting combination of flavors. The recipes are not complicated and the ingredients are easily available. It is definitely my favorite cookbook and I love knowing that I am healthy, great tasting food.

I have tried more recipees from this cook-book than any other. Perhaps the pictures are so enticing I can't help myself. A few dishes I've tried were just okay, but most were fantastic! My only complaint is that most of the recipees are quite time-consuming. You can however find shortcuts once you've had a little practice with them. (For example I love the turkey pot pie and have found that it is just as good if I substitute frozen edamame, artichokes and pearl onions for fresh ones and used pre-prepared matchstick carrots instead of doing all that chopping myself.) Best of all you know that despite the delicousness - you are eating healthy food!!

This cookbook has extraordinary dishes. I'm surprised by some comments, in other reviews, that state the recipes are complicated or require obscure ingredients. Yes, there are more than 5 ingredients in most recipes, but that's because:

A) The recipes offer dishes that use minimal refined ingredients...Hence, you have to mix the 'raw' ingredients (as they are found in nature) in yourself. After all aren't you buying this book as a guide to eating more healthily?

B) Many of the 'extra ingredients' are spices that, for the most part, are readily available. Using your own spices - especially fresh spices - make a WORLD of difference in recipes. If you have extra fresh spices left over, simply chop and freeze in distilled (or purified water) in ice cube trays. You'll have ready/fresh spices to use in the future.

I'm not at all put off by the extra ingredients or steps. This cookbook provides exactly what I was looking for...unique recipes that are healthy in every sense of the word while also being very, very tasty.

I'm 100% satisfied and would purchase this book all over again. A claim I rarely make with cookbooks. Usually there's a handful of recipes that suit me or are truly healthy. I plan to try every single one...They are that good. The eating advice presented is sound and easy to follow.

this cookbook is AMAZING. if only people ate like this all the time instead of the frid foods, cheap take out and 3 pound portions.

the recipes are healthy, light and absolutely DELICIOUS! did i mention they are a breeze to make?
a lot of different ways to cook vegetables, fruits, and the most delicious deserts.

if yours and your family's health is of any importance, incorporate these recipes into your meals.