Simple Food for Busy Families: The Whole Life Nutrition Approach [Paperback]

Jeannette Bessinger (Author), Tracee Yablon-Brenner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2009

An easy-to-use guide to nutrition and healthful meal planning for busy parents.

Written by nutrition educators Jeannette Bessinger and Tracee Yablon-Brenner, aka "the Real Food Moms," this one-stop shopping resource and cookbook provides convenient cooking solutions based on fresh, healthful ingredients and sound nutritional science. Filled with quick tips for preparing wholesome meals on a workaday schedule, SIMPLE FOOD FOR BUSY FAMILIES helps parents nourish and teach their children balanced eating habits for life.Reviews“...packed with advice, ideas and good recipes.”—Fort Worth Star Telegram  http://www.turnto10.com/jar/lifestyles/health_med_fit/article/health_check_real_food_moms/11742/ —Cranston, WJAR-TV HealthCheck Report

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Dietician Yablon-Brenner and holistic health counselor Bessinger, who consult and teach as the "Real Food Moms," offer tips for improving the family diet in this well-meaning, if repetitive, volume. The duo argues that decades of declining health in American children and adults can be blamed squarely on the "Standard American Diet"-more a lifestyle than an actual diet-characterized by processed food, stress and too much time in front of TV and computer screens. The authors' remedies-fresh foods, plenty of water, more exercise, etc.-will surprise nobody, yet the duo have an irritating habit of repeating themselves on those very topics. A lengthy guide to vegetables and pantry staples proves helpful for readers wondering how to incorporate fennel, beets or buckwheat into the family meal, but the duo's recipes often fall short. Sautéing is their go-to method for seemingly all greens, and their mix-and-match dish-crafting approach (a couple items from column A, an item each from columns B and C) might work for salads, but comes off as lazy and impractical anywhere else. Passages on industrial farming, restaurant eating and the American experience of satiety are interesting diversions, but not enough to break the volume's monotony; one comes away thinking it could have worked better as a magazine article.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“If you’re concerned that your family stays too rushed to eat the most healthful meals, you may benefit from the guidelines found in a new book called Simple Food for Busy Families. It’s packed with advice, ideas and good recipes.” —Fort Worth Star Telegram (1/29/09)

“Families tend to find themselves cocooning during recessions, and Simple Food for Busy Families: The Whole Life Nutrition Approach (Celestial Arts) is a practical guide for finding peace and health spending more time at home. As its subtitle suggests, Simple Food… is about how we nourish our minds as well as our bodies. To wit, authors Jeanette Bessinger, CHHC, and Tracee Yablon-Brenner, RD, CHHC, offer tips on spending quality family nights together—game and healthy pizza nights, for instance—with less computer and TV time. ...Bessinger and Yablon-Brenner make a strong case for consuming locally grown, seasonal foods and they simplify nutrition with explanations that make the subject digestible and relevant. But what ultimately makes the tips and recipes in Simple Food… so accessible is the underlying idea that its approaches (like eating seasonal foods) are, in the words of the authors, attuned to ‘the natural rhythms of life.’” —Energy Times (3/1/09)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Celestial Arts; 1 edition (March 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587613352
• ISBN-13: 978-1587613357
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,908 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #27 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Special Diet > Whole Foods
  • #72 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Family Activities

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars NOT a cookbook, April 19, 2010

By 

Rachael "Rachael" (Athens, GA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Simple Food for Busy Families: The Whole Life Nutrition Approach (Paperback)

I bought this book thinking it would contain RECIPES for families that were interested in the whole foods approach. It does seem to be a very interesting book, but really it is a nutrition book about conversion from the Standard American Diet (SAD) to the whole foods approach. I am re-selling this book because I have already been "converted", I was just looking for some new recipes. It was probably my fault for not reading the description of the book well enough, but I did want other potential buyers to beware.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one of the best ever, February 26, 2009

By 

Dr. Jonny Bowden "dr jonny" (los angeles ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Simple Food for Busy Families: The Whole Life Nutrition Approach (Paperback)

As one who has written a number of books on foods and health, I can say that this book is an utter gem. Finally someone breaks the mold on "low-fat" and talks about real food for real people. These recipes are not only healthy but easy to make, and emphasize whole foods, quality protein, good fat and fiber. Adaptable to all kinds of diets and especially easy to use for families. Great job, belongs in every home!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Answer for Busy Moms!!, February 27, 2009

By 

J. Bass (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Simple Food for Busy Families: The Whole Life Nutrition Approach (Paperback)

Busy Moms, this is a must have!! Finally someone has taken the time to simplify healthy meals and cooking for busy families. This book breaks things down and makes preparing good-for-you meals simple, realistic, and easy to do. As a working mom with a hectic schedule, this book has helped me find a way to ensure I am preparing tasty meals that provide solid, well-rounded nutrition for my family. Excellent in every way!!