333 of 394 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The nonfiction book of the year?, January 2, 2009
This review is from: Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution (Paperback)
I know, that sounds like a wild claim. And I'm surprised I wrote it.
I own both of the previous Eat This Not That books (
Thousands of Simple Food Swaps,
For Kids!), so when I noticed this one was about to come out I decided to skip it. What more could it offer than what was already in the other two?
Then, tonight, I went shopping for food with my teenage daughter at Target. We spotted this in the little book section and, at her urging, picked it up and glanced through it.
What a great book! So helpful! So useful! Yes, if it keeps my husband healthy and my daughter enthused about nutrition, it gets my vote as best nonfiction book this year. I read about every day, and no book has struck me as a Must Buy as much as this one.
The reason? Since the book is entirely about food at supermarkets, every item on every page is something readily accessible to you. And since every item is captioned with its relevant nutritional information, it's like having the "Nutrition Facts" panel of every major item at your grocery store right there in your purse, in a little book that is so well designed and organized it is remarkably easy to use.
By comparison, the earlier titles had less detailed grocery sections, as well as lots of stuff about fast food chains and table-service franchise restaurants, material that is useful only if you frequent those particular places.
In this book, every page has valuable content for anyone who shops at a supermarket -- so much, in fact, it's tough to determine just what to highlight in this review. Every time I flip through the book I come across useful, surprising information. For example, right now I'll randomly open it a few times and learn why....
1) Fruit Loops are better for you than Apple Cinnamon Cheerios...
2) Regular Cheerios is a better choice than Smart Start...
3) Regular Quick 1 minute Quaker Oats is healthier than Quaker's Simple Harvest Multigrain hot cereal...
4) Dole pineapple cups are more nutritious than Dole mixed fruit cups...
5) Del Monte pear halves beat Del Monte sliced pears...
I could go on forever.
By the way, not all the pages are side-by-side product comparisons. One spread, titled "The Meat Matrix," compares the nutritional value of a variety of meats, everything from pork to ostrich. Another, "The Perfect Refrigerator," displays a perfectly stocked healthy fridge. My daughter was especially interested in a spread titled "The Snack Matrix," which shows which combination of snack items (fruit, peanut butter, cottage cheese) mix well together for both nutrition and taste. Another section discusses how to store fresh fruit and produce and explains why fresh food is better for you.
Until now, I have never used the phrase "book of the year" in any of my Amazon reviews. But this one, at least for nonfiction, just might live up to that claim.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
35 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Is this about product marketing or nutrition??, September 2, 2009
This review is from: Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution (Paperback)
I have now read this entire series and while there is a great deal of interesting & valuable information, there is also a lot of conflicting information. Nowhere is their specific methodology for determining "Good" from "Bad" shown. And it's very strange to see 2 products with nutrition numbers very similar, one in the "EAT THIS" group with the other in the "Don't Eat That" group. And there comparisons about entire types of food that should be avoided completely if weight loss & nutrition are the concerns. Example: Frozen Pizza. There's no such thing as healthy frozen pizza.
Why can't they compare like to like. They don't compare the various types of Raisin Bran. They compare one brand of Raisin Bran to Cheerios. And cheese. They recommend Velveeta but call a brand of Provolone bad. As a rule, white cheeses (Swiss, Mozzarella, provolone, etc.)are almost always better choices than any yellow cheese (cheddar, American).
One has to wonder if this series of books is more about the marketing of processed food (which should be avoided entirely if at all possible) than about good nutritional advice. If weight loss & nutrition are concerns, you're better off just reading the labels and using fresh or homemade products whenever possible.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lots of good tips, May 25, 2009
This review is from: Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution (Paperback)
I bought this book after I had gone through the first "Eat This Not That" book. Unlike its predecessor, Mr. Zinczenko goes much more in depth into all different kinds of food, rather than just focusing on what you should eat at different fast food restaurants. It was especially helpful in distinguishing what food labels really mean (whole grain vs. multi-grain, cage-free vs. free range, just for starters.) As well as clever comparisons, such as the nutritional value of different cuts of meat and which fruits and vegetables carry the most pesticides.
Unfortunately, the amount of information is also its downside. Unlike the first book, where there were short lists that are easy to remember (the foods you should eat every day, what to eat when you feel sick/tired/etc.) Mr. Zinczenko creates many different different categories, some of which may not be necessary (sweetened vs. unsweetend cereals, for example). This muddies the message with too much complexity and I often end up ignoring the finer points when actually doing my grocery shopping.
A very interesting, easy to read book. But plan on devoting some time to digest the wealth of information here.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No