Like many women, I was not born a skinny minnie. I’ve always carried around a few extra pounds and motherhood added a few more. Unfortunately, I often lack the discipline to stay on top of what I’m eating and rather than eating healthy, low cal options, it’s a scarf fest of whatever I can shove in my mouth. The worse it is for me, the more I seem to love it.
One thing I do have going for me is that I recognize weight loss isn’t about a quick fix. It is about simple math: burn more calories than you consume. Eat less and move more and eat a well balanced diet. Now if only I could practice that, I’d be in good shape (pun not intentional). Having an arsenal of low calorie recipes is a good place to start.
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to 200-300-400 Calorie Meals attempts to give you those recipes. What you’ll find in the book is a breakdown of nutrition, such as what to eat and when to eat it. There is a great list of pantry must-haves to keep your kitchen stocked for successful eating. For those who feel intimidated by setting up a good eating plan, the best part of the book is the meal plans. These meal plans cover 2 weeks of meals including breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks a day for 1,300, 1,550, and 1,800 calorie diets. (though if you go from what you are currently eating to a 1,300 calorie diet please give me the heads up so I can avoid you. I’m pretty sure you are going to become hungry and very cranky). The recipes themselves are simple and easy to follow. Each one breaks down prep time and cook time, serving sizes and nutritional content. You’ll even find a glossary at the back if you come across an ingredient or technique you are unfamiliar with. The book lives up to its name and presents dieting in a very simplified manner and the few recipes I tried were tasty.
One thing I don’t like about the book is the lack of photos. Other than the few pictures shown on the cover, there are no photos in the entire book. Now I don’t know about you, but I like a recipe book that shows me a picture of what the finished product is supposed to look like. Seeing an appetizing photo makes me want to try the recipe.
Over all, if you are looking for help getting on the right track to low calorie eating, you will find this book helpful.
I received a complimentary copy to facilitate my candid review.
14 Days Left 
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Last Day! 
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I need to see a photo to get interested in a recipe – I guess I need a visual to entice me but it is nice to have the nutrition facts
This sounds like a helpful book for cutting down on calories. I try to do portion control a good majority of the time.
Agree completely about the photos, but on the other hand, I’m always on the hunt for healthier recipes, so it may be something I could suck up for some kickass recipes.
Yes.. the concept is GREAT! But I won’t buy a cookbook without photos. Might be cheaper to produce the book… but if you don’t sell the book because of lack of photos – then it isn’t a win anyway. Just my thoughts.
I love this because I have always had questions when trying to cut down on things I eat and trying to eat healthier. This would really help out a lot
I totally agree about the photos. That’s the sell! But I do like the idea of the lower calorie counts.