Diabetes Cookbook for Dummies (Paperback)

~ (Author), Fran Stach (Author), Denise C. Sharf (Author) "We now use the term person with diabetes rather than diabetic because we recognize that diabetes is only one small part of what makes up..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Burger King, San Francisco (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you or a family member has diabetes, food preparation may seem like a chore or a deprivation. What can you cook that tastes good and fits the diabetes guidelines? The authors of Diabetes Cookbook for Dummies, diabetes expert Alan Rubin (who also wrote Diabetes for Dummies) and registered dietician Fran Stach, have come up with dishes that will please not just the person with diabetes but the whole family. The diabetes diet is healthy for all of us, and if we can make it taste good, we all benefit.

That's where this book shines. The 112 recipes are as creative and tasty as they are healthy, yet most take a half hour or less of preparation (plus cooking time). Recipes include Soy Waffles, Crispy Corn French Toast, Portobello Paté, Carrot Soup with Leek and Blood Orange, Mango Tortilla Salad, Oriental Beef and Noodle Salad, and Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Basil, plus a variety of fish, meat, and poultry entrées. Some of the recipes were created by chef Denise Sharf; others were contributed by gourmet restaurants. All recipes include nutritional information: calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, fiber, sodium, and exchanges.

Diabetes Cookbook for Dummies is more than a compilation of recipes. The book also gives guidelines for "what, when, and how much" to eat, including tips for visualizing portions (an ounce of meat is the size of a matchbox; an ounce of cheese is the size of a domino; a medium potato is the size of a computer mouse). You'll get shopping and cooking tips and illustrated food-preparation steps to help novice cooks.

Like the whole For Dummies line, the style is simple, friendly, clever, and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, such as, "Don't go to a paint store and expect to get thinner there." -- Joan Price

Product Description

Millions of people worldwide live with the word "diabetes" as a part of their daily routines. One of the major weapons in a person's lifelong battle against complications of the disease is the ability to choose. You can choose to exercise every day. You can choose to take your medications. Perhaps your most effective resource is your skill at making the right food choices. The consequences of following the right diet are immediate and enormous.

The Diabetes Cookbook For Dummies is both a cookbook that shows you how to prepare good-for-you, good-tasting foods in your own home and a guide to eating out in restaurants and fast-food places. With this invaluable resource, you also can load up on information on

Getting real with a healthy lifestyle

Shopping with a meal plan in mind

Deciphering mysterious food labels

Getting to the meat of menu matters

Deserting a ban on desserts

Knowing all about restaurant fare

Setting a good example for the young ones

Sixteen pages of colorful cuisine complement more than 100 imaginative and appetizing recipes in this inspiring reference, a book that brings you the good word – and delicious dishes – from great chefs and respected dieticians. Author Dr. Alan Rubin, a leading expert in diabetes treatment, shares his pioneering spirit about the disease that doesn't have to be disabling. With the Diabetes Cookbook For Dummies, you can discover the place of diet in a complete program of diabetes care.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 375 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; illustrated edition edition (June 12, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764552309
• ISBN-13: 978-0764552304
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #201,097 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

105 of 110 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Turns a burden into a steppingstone, October 1, 2000

By	PJ Corkery (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

When diabetics think of diet, the word that comes to mind is restriction. As you read and work with this volume, which is much more than a cookbook, you'll lose the negativity that governs so many diabetics' thinking, and feeling, about food. It's a liberating volume.

Plus the recipes are easy, interesting, and exciting. For the recipes that I've tried, I found all the ingredients readily available in any supermarket. Preparation methods and times are keyed to busy lifestyles. Most take a half-hour or less.

But more importantly, the information about food and meals is presented in such an engaging way that I found myself excited about working on my diet. Believe me, until I read this book, about the last thing I wanted to do was read a diabetic cookbook. To me the very idea of a diabetic cookbook previously had been one of rules, restrictions, no-nos, and dullness.

From the very first page -- on which Dr Rubin and Ms Stach help you figure out exactly and specifically what your daily food intake ought to be, given your own individual condition, -- the authors are intent on making eating fun, and a positive, integral element in controlling your diabetes.

Dr. Rubin clearly presents information on such recent developments as the glycemic index and on how to time medications around meal times. His insights on how to deal with medications when eating out are enormously helpful.

This a modern book, keyed not only to science and nutrition, but also to our lifestyles. The authors don't utter instructions - they walk you through typical experiences. I travel a lot and learned a lot from the "road trips" in the book where in the authors actually sit you down in restaurants as varied as McDonald's, Denny's, and even the Ritz Carlton.

"Diabetes Cookbook for Dummies" is full of real-life insight, and is written in a friendly, companionable fashion.

As a diabetic, thinking about diet used to just give me a headache. Now, as a result of having read and absorbed so much of the information in Dr. Rubin's "Diabetes Cookbook for Dummies", diet is no longer a pitfall and a burden, but fun, and a powerful tool in controlling my diabetes.

This is the one food book a diabetic needs. It's the food book every diabetic should have.

Really terrific.

109 of 123 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing for this dummie, August 19, 2000

By A Customer

I found the first part of this book very informative. Being a person with type 2 diabetes, education is very important to me.However, the receipes fall far short of what I felt I needed. Who takes the time to serve Portobello Pate?Crab and artichoke dip. What in the world is yuca? These are not what the average house wife has on hand or even wants to shop for.These are not items I have in my pantry. Having a busy life style they just don't fit in. How often do I serve lamb to my family or veal? Poached pears in red wine, feta bruschetta, yogurt rice. No way.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource for Information and Recipes, May 27, 2001

By	Jennifer F. Johnston (Parkersburg, WV USA) - See all my reviews

Hey, I like to cook. I don't like to cook normal stuff, either. At first I thought diabetes would hamper my love of entertaining, but after finding this book, I realize I was wrong. This is an easy read. The first half has great information on diabetes and diet. The second half has great recipes culled from restaurants all over the country. It certainly satisfies my enjoyment of cooking less "normal" recipes. And I can make my friends eat healthier without them really knowing it! The only thing that would make it better? More color photographs. Check out Diabetes for Dummies, too!