Customer Reviews

Pillsbury: Fast and Healthy Cookbook: 350 Easy Recipes for Every Day

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Honestly, I like this book better than the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. Why? The instructions are better worded, the ingredients clearly marked at the beginning of each recipe, there are lots of pictures of nearly every recipe, and on each page there's interesting "tidbits" of information about different kinds of foods (such as the differences between different kinds of potatoes, how to care for strawberries, the history of fat in meats).

A lot of the recipes are made from things that you would normally have in your pantry, so that shopping specially for a recipe isn't a necessity. The recipes are so fast you won't have time to set the table, and so easy to follow you'll feel like Julia Child.

Who cares if these recipes are healthy? They're too yummy to count the few calories in them!

Tired of bland food that's healthy? Are you looking to eat better food, not just for your hips, but your tongue too? Well, look no further. There are several reasons this Pillsbury book is at the top of the list in terms of cookbooks.

1. Nutritional Information
How many times do you buy a healthy cookbook only to discover it has NO nutritional information. This isn't just annoying (although it's extremely annoying indeed!) but it makes it hard to fit recipes into your fitness plan without extensive math.

2. Realistic portion size.
This is a key one; it's not a two-by-two inch piece of chicken that fills you up, its a chicken breast. This book has realistic portions that most people eat, for your kids but for you too.

3. Balanced selection
Not too many desserts, a great selection of other departments, and in general a well-rounded selection of food. Some are "ethnic" in nature, most of these being middle eastern or oriental. There are italian dishes and a few curry recipes as well.

4. Price
For the price, you get a huge cookbook, with a lot of information.

In general, there were very few cons to this book. It is a bit awkward to cook with due to its size; it is pretty hefty. A cookbook stand is reccomended (but I reccomend those anyway). If other healthy books have left you stranded, give this one a try. The food is tasty and it's healthy to boot. How many pleasurable things are also good for you? Not many, and that's why this book is such a gem.

I discovered this cookbook online while searching for something that had healthy and real-life recipes. I have several other healthy cookbooks and while their recipes are good, they involve either a lot of preparation or ingredients that are hard to find. Or for that matter, ingredients that my family is just not willing to try. This book was a breath of fresh air. I've had it for 6 months and use it nearly every week at least twice. The recipes are delicious and really easy to make. Some of the desserts (low fat ones even) are to die for! I took one of the pies to a potluck and received raves all night! It's great! I would and have highly recommended it to a lot of people. Friends and family. And we all know that family will get back to you if you recommend a bad choice. At least mine will! :-) My only complaint about this book is that it's not a three ring binder. But then again, I believe all cookbooks should be binders. But it hasn't stopped me from using it again, and again, and again, and again . . . Well you get the picture.

I use this cookbook almost every day, and it saves my (low-fat) bacon every time. My family is thankful for this book, because they rarely get the "same-old" dull, worn-out meals. Instead, they get different, flavourful and HEALTHY dishes every time. I love it, and I've bought copies for all my favourite people!

This is probably the book I rely on most in the kitchen. I have purchased a lot of cookbooks since my doctor ordered me to eat healthier, but this one is the best! I am a very impatient person -- I think microwave ovens take too long. I also hate to cook anything that's too fancy. But the Fast & Healthy Cookbook takes all the angst out of my kitchen; it truly lives up to it's title. Everything in it is fast, healthy.... and absolutely delicious. I have used the recipes for everything from family meals to special occasions and parties and no one has ever been able to tell that the food is "good for them". I can't recommend this book highly enough! It also contains boxes throughout the book that highlight certain foods or methods of cooking which is great for anyone who has ever been intimidated in the kitchen. I also especially love the color photos of the dishes. This is a great cookbook. My only complaint is that I agree with the reviewer who wanted it to be spiral bound, but we can't have everything...

We came across this wonderful cookbook in our local public library. After trying no fewer than nine recipes (maincourse,soups and one dessert) we knew that this was a cookbook that we had to have. The page layout is excellent, typeface easy to read at some distance, ingredients seem to be readily available, instructions are easy to follow, and nutritional information is first rate. For us this will become the new staple in our kitchen and we are looking forward to trying many more of the recipes.

I bought this cookbook just before I got married, and it is a resource that I have reached for again and again. The recipes are quick, delicious, and usually require ingredients that you already have in the kitchen. (No miso paste here.) The main dish entrees focus on lean meats, poultry, and fish with light but flavorful sauces. Almost every recipe I've tried out of the book (and I've tried most of them) has come out a winner, with minimal time and effort on my part. This cookbook is truly one of the trusty standbys of my kitchen.

This cookbook is great for the following reasons:

1) It's not solely a vegetarian book, it offers a great selection of poultry, beef and fish based entrées in addition to non-meat dishes. 2) It gives nutrition information for every meal, so you can vary fat content easily. 3) The recipes are easy to follow and the ingredients are basic and readily available

My Grad student daughter became a cook this year thanks to this cookbook. She had very little experience prior to this and now has become quite accomplished. She just spent a week visiting at home and cooked for the family from these recipes. We loved them! So it's good for families as well as singles. It's given her the confidence to search other places for new and healthy recipes. It's a great start for the inexperienced. She especially likes the pictures showing the finished product.

I have owned this book for several months now but not until recently have I taken it out and actually used some of the recipes. Well actually, I have taken up Weight Watchers again and I was looking for some recipes that wouldn't remind me that I was dieting. I just finished a Garden-Fresh Tuna Salad Sandwich (4 points) that was just packed with flavor with just a scant 3 grams of fat. The photograph of the sandwich is what caught my eye and that is one of the big selling points of this and other Pillsbury cookbooks.

The book begins with a comprehensive discussion called, 'A Guide to Healthier Eating'. Here you will find information about the soon to be amended Food Pyramid and just what is meant by a 'serving'. The authors then give the reader the 'Seven Steps to a Healthy Diet' which include suggestions for improving your food intake. Additionally, there is a glossary of health and food-related terms, some suggestions for using the nutritional information included in the book and some suggested menus combining some of the recipes.

Like many cookbooks, Fast and Healthy covers the culinary experience from Appetizers to Desserts. Aside from the many beautiful photos, the book is replete with many sidebars. These give the user tips that will enhance not only the recipe, but the expertise of the cook as well. Nutritional information for each recipe is provided and dietary exchanges for diabetics are also included. Weight Watchers clients like myself can easily calculate the Winning Points from the information provided and most of the recipes will fall into weight loss plans. For the chocolate lover, who can resist Cocoa Mocha Brownies or Double Chocolate Chip Cookies....two and one point respectively???

As you can tell, I like this book. I am a big fan of Pillsbury's cookbooks and this one is going to be a good friend over the next three months...and well beyond!