Customer Reviews

Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found the recipes easy to follow. They make use of herbs and spices that add flavor and interest to the meals. However, one point I would like to bring up is the lack of serving sizes in the recipes. For instance the Beef Barley Soup states that it makes 4 servings and each serving counts for four points; it fails to mention the size of the serving. I had to measure out the entire pot of soup to find how many cups I had and then divide it by four. This is time consuming. I have seen throughout the entire book that there are no serving sizes for most of the recipes. Unlike your other cookbook "Simple Goodness" and your Weight Watchers Magazine.

As a "Weight Watcher" myself, I was particularly interested in this cookbook. Indeed, it does have Weight Watchers' unique POINTS values for each entry. And there are dozens of great ideas to choose from. Unfortunately, there are three shortcomings.

First, as another review here pointed out, while the cookbook identifies number of servings, it fails to provide the size of a serving. If I'm cutting-up a baked good, that's one thing. But for a whole pot-full of soup, it means measuring out the whole batch to determine the size of a serving -- very tedious.

Secondly, the recipes are composed of less-common ingredient choices, most of which are based on partial portions. A half-can of this, a sprig of that, when it's unlikely you'd use the rest of the can or bunch in something else. This leads to a great deal of ingredient waste. Why not stick to common items that could be leveraged better in routine, daily cooking, or in other recipes?

And finally, there's still too much fat in many of these recipes. Some would be better off with zero added fat, while others don't need anywhere near the amount they suggest to turn-out perfectly well. Why add needless additional calories, raising the POINTS value? Why add two tablespoons of margarine when one teaspoon (or none at all) is adequate? This seems odd.

But as a basis to stimulate ideas, this cookbook does work -- more or less.

I just absolutley love this cookbook, the recipes are very easy to follow, and dont require alot of ingredients. All of the recipes in this book sound wonderful I just wish I had time to try everything, I have allready made several recipes from this and have recieved rave reviews from my family ! THEY DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THEY WERE EATING A WEIGHT WATCHER MEAL...So for all of you WW out there this book is a great investment....

All recipes that I have tried out of this book are great. These are recipes that are low fat, and they do not taste low fat. Recipes are flavourful, easy to prepare, and for the most part have ingredients that are common to most kitchens. I have actually made of these for people not on diets and was asked for the recipe. I would highly recommend this anyone that wants a decent recipe book. The book does contain a small amount of info regarding their program.

This book has many recipes that sound delicious; however, many of the ingredients are not things that you would normally have around the house. It is very easy to count points with these recipes, but you might want to consider the 250 Family Recipes or 500 Irresistable Recipes books instead.

I have another cookbook, one of those basic Betty Crocker cookbooks full of recipes like making high fat sauces, cooking big hunks of meat, which I bought thinking "oh yeah that has everything" but never used it. Whereas this Weight Watchers cookbook that I just got for my birthday in May, I have used many times. This cookbook has a lot of basics like descriptions of difference spices and techniques to cook with less fat and more flavor. It also has a huge range of recipes, all with the POINTS breakdown. A lot of the recipes are classical updates using less fat, but there is a section of different ethnic foods that is fantastic. This is a great cookbook for anyone who likes traditional food and is trying to eat more healthy with less fat and more fiber! The hardcover edition makes it easy to open up and leave out on the counter while you are cooking.

I've gotten more use out of this cookbook than any other. Every recipe has been a hit with my family (no misses), and we are all eating much healthier. This book makes it so much easier to follow the WW program because now I look forward to dinner time and cooking.

While most cookbooks are loaded with dishes that are too extravagant for everyday, this book is full of "normal" meals that I never new how to make - or how to make well.

Easy to use, great recipes. A counter statement to those that have a problem with the serving notation. Each recipe clearly states how many servings it yields. If it says 4, divide it by 4. What difference does it make if it's one cup or 12 oz. or whatever. Who remembers what the serving weight or measure was? These recipes are easy to make, very delicious, creative, diverse. Lighten up already.

It has few fancy pictures or editorials. It is almost exclusively recipes, which is a good thing in my book. I bought the hard cover which seemed more durable. It lays flat on my counter - how convenient. It gives a one or two page summary of the program, so its not a good substitute for the WW program, but it is an excellent enhancement. Really lightens up some old favorites, but not so much so that they are yucky. It leaves in enough fat and calories for flavor, the new weight watchers is about moderation.

I bought this cookbook a few weeks ago and my husband and I are happily eating our way through it. We haven't found a bad or flavorless recipe yet! Our current favorite is Faux Gumbo followed closely by the Oven-Fried Chicken. All of the recipes use commonly found foods and spices, so there is no hunting for strange items in the store. I highly recommend this cookbook!