Hungry Girl 1-2-3

With the New Year fast approaching, perhaps you're looking for something to kick-start a new healthier lifestyle, but a strict diet isn't really what you had in mind.

, by Lisa Lillien, is the latest in the bestselling Hungry Girl series. The book promises "healthy, guilt-free appetizers, meals, snacks, and desserts, with practically no effort whatsoever."

Lisa has designed this book to help with losing or maintaining weight, and she has given a selection of 200 low calorie recipes for that purpose. The recipes are intended to be simple and quick to prepare, or as easy as 1-2-3.

I usually find there are ingredients in cookbooks which I prefer not to use, and one thing I dislike about this book, is that artificial sweeteners are listed in the ingredients, for some of the recipes.

My personal recommendation is to avoid these sweeteners, where possible. I certainly would not advise using them in your cooking. Healthier options for adding extra flavor include cinnamon, vanilla, coconut, nuts and seeds.

Regardless, the book does offer some helpful suggestions, and I wouldn't right it off just for its use of artificial sweeteners.

Is this a diet book? is not a diet book as such, and you won't find any exercise advice in here. The book is basically a healthy recipe book. So, if you find it difficult to come up with new recipes that actually taste good, you might enjoy the suggestions found in this book.

Use this book to help you with menu planning for weight loss, but don't forget to add some cardio and strength training to your regimen, to boost your fat loss potential.

is available from Amazon for $13.

Books book reviews ElsewhereWorst Fast Food of 2010 (That's Fit)Senior 15 May Be More Accurate Than Freshman 15 (DailySpark)7 Surprising Secrets of Successful Weight Loss (Diet Blog)Video Exposes Horrible Conditions at Embattled Egg Farm (Diet Blog) 3 Comments Spectra on 23 Dec 2010

Sorry, but I'm not a Hungry Girl fan. She uses a lot of "fake" food in her recipes--lots of "diet" foods and artificial sweeteners/lowfat/nonfat foods/etc. Some things are fine, but some of her recipes are low calorie, but definitely not healthy.

Reply O. on 25 Dec 2010

I hope that a diversity of views and food options stays out there in the nutrition information world because people have different tastes.

Reply Deb on 28 Dec 2010

wouldn't "right" it off???

Reply Add Your Comment Name Required
Email Required (never displayed)
URL Remember personal info?
--