Whole Foods Companion: A Guide for Adventurous Cooks, Curious Shoppers, and Lovers of Natural Foods [Paperback]

Dianne Onstad (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 2004

What if you could have information about more than 400 foods at your fingertips? You can find it all in the new edition of Whole Foods Companion. Originally published in 1996, Whole Foods Companion has become the definitive resource guide to the rapidly expanding world of whole foods. This revised and expanded edition updates key nutritional information in six categories: •Fruits •Vegetables •Grains •Legumes •Nuts, seeds, and oils •Herb, spices, and other foods. Each entry includes nutritional value, general information, buying tips, culinary uses, and, when appropriate, health benefits, lore and legend, by-products, and descriptions of the more popular varieties. In the face of staggering confusion and conflicting claims about the nutritional value of different foods and herbs, this book is a detailed and invaluable guide to natural foods. It is a perfect companion to cookbooks and should be required reading for chefs everywhere. No mere collection of dry nutritional information, Whole Foods Companion also explains the origins and naming of different foods and relays some of the legends and traditions with which they have been associated.

Editorial Reviews

Review

eWonderfulO Whole Foods Companion is a valuable resource. It does make a difference what you eat, and this book describes in detail the range of nourishing organic foods available to all of us.i Alice Waters, founder and owner, Chez Panisse restaurant

About the Author

Dianne Onstad is actively involved in nutrition education and the promotion of organic whole foods, with a special interest in living and raw foods.

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing; Rev Exp edition (March 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931498628
• ISBN-13: 978-1931498623
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #314,961 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #51 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Special Diet > Whole Foods

More About the Author

Dianne Onstad is actively involved in nutrition education and the promotion of organic whole foods, with a special interest in living and raw foods. She is the author of five books, including The Vitamin Companion, The Mineral Companion, and A Cup of Sunshine.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource, May 1, 2005

By 

Jennifer A. Wickes "Food Writer" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Whole Foods Companion: A Guide for Adventurous Cooks, Curious Shoppers, and Lovers of Natural Foods (Paperback)

"Whole Foods Companion" is a wonderful resource about foods from the earth. The author, Dianne Onstad, brings us more information in this revised and expanded edition based on her 1994 success!

Dianne Onstad is involved in nutrition education, as well as in the promotion of organic whole foods. She even has a special interest in living and raw foods.

In this impressive reference book, you will find information such as: Buying Tips, Culinary Uses, Health Benefits, Lore and Legend, and General Information on Fruits; Vegetables; Grains; Legumes; Nuts, Seeds and Oils; and Herbs, Spices and Other Foods. There is also a glossary and an extremely comprehensive index.

Despite not having any photographs, this book is quite extensive and thorough. I tried to find obscure items within this text, such as loquats, and I actually did find them. I, also, tried to find some misinformation, such as health information, and was unable to do so. Onstad has done an excellent job once again!

In today's world where everything is prepackaged, I find books such as "Whole Foods Companion" to be a welcome and refreshing change to becoming a healthier eater.

For anyone interested in understanding more about their food, how to select it, cook it and what health benefits it provides, then this is a fantastic food reference book of encyclopedic proportions!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great reference, February 5, 2006

By 

Cathe Fein Olson "Avid reader and writer" (curled up with a book) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Whole Foods Companion: A Guide for Adventurous Cooks, Curious Shoppers, and Lovers of Natural Foods (Paperback)

If you are confused about the world of whole foods and want more information, the new revised and expanded Whole Foods Companion is a great place to start.

The book is organized like an encyclopedia and lists information for more than 400 different plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, oils, herbs, spices, and more.

Each entry in the book includes information about the plant's origin, buying tips, culinary uses, and health benefits. Sidebars scattered throughout the book offer lore, legends, and other fun facts. For example, The Egyptians served lentils liberally to children because it was believed that they enlightened their minds, opened their hearts, and made them cheerful. The Greeks and Romans used asparagus to relieve the pain of toothaches and to prevent bee stings.

Of course, there's more relevant information as well, like "Raw broccoli contains almost as much calcium as whole milk and is linked to lowering the risk of cancer" and "Exceedingly nutritious, it [millet] contains an abundance of minerals and vitamins, and the most complete protein of any of the true cereal grains."

Even if you are not a newcomer to whole foods, this book can be useful as well as interesting. I consider myself pretty knowledgeable about whole foods but I still refer to this book often and have learned from it. This is a great reference and would be a helpful addition to the whole foods kitchen.

Review from www.vegfamily.com by Cathe Olson

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Authoritative Guide for Lovers of Natural Foods, September 4, 2006

By 

Gilberto Villahermosa - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Whole Foods Companion: A Guide for Adventurous Cooks, Curious Shoppers, and Lovers of Natural Foods (Paperback)

This is a wonderful book! It is authoritative, detailed, well written, and extremely entertaining.

Author Dianne Onstad writes with an insight and understanding of all aspects of whole foods that is simply mind boggling. "Whole Foods Companion" is intended for those interested in eating well, eating better, or simply knowing the benefits of the many fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts-seeds-oils, and herbs and spices that are available to enrich and prolong their lives.

Each is described in detail, including nutritional value, general information, culinary tips and health benefits. Also listed for many of the whole foods is their lore and legend and buying tips for how to purchase them at their best.

Yes, there is more information in this humorous book than the average person will probably ever use, but that should not detract from its value as the best reference available of its kind.