5 Minutes For Books

Diabetes & Heart Healthy Meals for Two

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The idea of a cookbook for diabetics doesn’t really sound all that appealing, does it? Or doesn’t it? When I was pregnant with our first child I was told by my doctor that I should eat like I was a diabetic and so I tried to do that. (I am not saying I succeeded, mind you. I’m just saying I tried.) While I wasn’t diabetic he wanted to make sure I was eating healthy and that was the easiest diet to point to. I hunted and browsed around online trying to find suitable (and tasty) recipes. I could have used this particular book back then.

Now there are three of us which makes a cookbook for two less necessary. However, it’s as simple as anything to double a recipe if you decide you’d like to do so. I also used this book to make my son and I lunches while my husband was at work. It was great to have the motivation to make a healthy meal for my two year old and I to share. It’s so easy to just try to throw something together quickly and this book encouraged me to make sure my toddler and I were well fed during the day.

The biggest question in my mind when I’m considering buying a recipe book is whether or not the ingredients are common enough throughout the book that the chances of my having the necessary items on hand are high. I don’t like recipe books which force me to go shopping for unique items. Sure, I like to make meals exciting but I’m also extremely practical and with the economy the way that it is, simple recipes are sometimes best. I can say to you that this recipe book has quite a few recipes with “general” ingredients. There are some recipes that do require some planning ahead, but most of the stuff I had on hand.

I also refuse to give a positive review of any recipe book which I have not personally experimented with. I’d hate to tell you “this book is great!” unless I had eaten the food myself. I have sampled the goods and can honestly say the dishes were good. The recipes that we tried were on the lighter side, mostly. My son and I ate the Peach Melba Breakfast Parfaits for lunch one time. As a side dish, we sampled the Cherry Apples which were quite tasty and filling. I even made home made macaroni and cheese (with veggies) for the first time ever! Prior to this I had always used the boxed macaroni and cheese but this recipe was so simple I don’t think I will ever go back to boxed. My son snarfed this down (he’s a veggie lover so having broccoli and cheese was a tremendous treat). That particular recipe was absolutely awesome and a firm family favorite. (My husband tried the leftovers and approved.) The Peach-Glazed Chicken was also a hit and was declared “a nice variant on the chicken & rice theme.”

All in all, our family really liked this book. And none of us are diabetic. I don’t think you have to be in order to take advantage of these heart healthy meals. However, if you are, each recipe tells you what Exchange/Choices have been used, along with calorie and fat counts. I found this very helpful.) Another thing that is helpful is that the recipes are catagorized as to whether they are appetizers, main dishes (further divided up between seafood, poultry and other meats), vegetarian entrees, side dishes, breakfasts and desserts, among others. It is all broken down so that you can plan meals according to calorie intake or exchanges.

Again, it’s also really easy to double the recipes to suit your needs. It is a worth while recipe book to own for evenings when you’d like to keep things light, simple and tasty. The recipes do satisfy.

The publisher has kindly agreed to give away one copy of Diabetes & Heart Healthy Meals for Two so leave a comment if you’d like to win! We’ll announce the winner on December 17.

For more easy and delicious meals, check out today’s other cookbook review, Cooking with all Things Trader Joe’s.

The winners of last week’s Flirting with Forty giveaway are:
81–Grand prize tote and book:
Book:
83 — Cassandra
103–Karli
140–Doris
144–Amandasue
12–Monica
136–Linda Peters
30–Ruth Bousquet
107–Marcy Strahan
47–Sharon Jones
111–Amy Ormsby

Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know.

Comments

  1. Thank you so much for posting this. My mother just found out that she is diabetic last week. This would make a perfect gift for her.

  4. I have heart issues and my husbands family has a history with diabetes. I would love to win this. Thanks.

  5. I have a neighbor whose husband was diagnosed this week and this would be a wonderful book for the 2 of them.

  8. Diabetes runs in our family and I would love to learn more about how to cook good meals and what recipes would be appropriate for someone with dieabetes. TY

  9. My father in law is diabetic so I worry that my hubby will inherit it. I’m trying proactively to keep him as healthy as possible.

  10. Hi, This sounds like the perfect cookbook for my sister and her husband! They are now both retired and my sister has been diabetic for 5 years. Our only brother was a juvenile diabetic and our mother was diabetic. Please enter me in your drawing for this book. I would love to give it to them. Many thanks, Cindi

  11. This sounds like a great book. I would love to make some of these dishes. My doctor told me its just a matter of time before I’m a diabetic. How I hope he’s wrong.

  13. Very nice! We have diabetes in our family and we all could use a healthier diet. This would be especially good for my grandmother who will be 90 next month and has been diabetic for several years. Her meals can get very boring. Great idea!

  17. Being diabetic and newly engaged, this book would help my future husband cook healthy meals for both of us.

  19. This book would be extremely help for my mom. Healthy eating is good for anyone, not just diabetics.

  20. My hubby is diabetic. He was diagnosed many years ago. I have run out of ideas of what to cook. We actually have 3 in our household (16 year old) and so it is difficult to cook meals that are diabetic friendly AND TEEN-Friendly. It’s a challenge. I would like to win this cookbook and see if it can assist me in preapring meals that would satisfy both.

  30. I was told I was diabetic in Aug. And I’m stuck on what to eat. I’m always looking for new ideas.

  31. I love cookbooks,and I need this one,with my mom is a diabetic,my daughter is,and a sister and a brother who are diabetics.Thank you for a great giveaway!!

  32. thnx for the opp! my dad has diabetes and this would be great since there is just the 2 of them at home now

  34. My 74 year old Father just found out that he has Diabetes. This would be a great book for both him and my Mother to use to cook healthy meals to control his Diabetes.

  35. I was looking for a book like this, and here it is! Cooking for diabetes can be confusing, especially if you are newly diagnosed. Thanks
    for offering this book.

  40. My husband and I are both diabetics-uncontrolled-we are getting desperate and this book would be great.

  43. my husband is a diabetic and he is a meat and potatoes guy, so it would be nice to have a good cook book with some recipes I could try for him.

  50. This sounds like a neat cookbook! I love finding recipes that are both healthy and also for just the two of us(which is perfect for my husband and I). So many times recipes make enough for 6 or 8 people (which is a lot of wasted food — or overeating), and it’s sometimes not able to make them for just 2 people as the ingredients sometime do not scale down (due to the amounts or flavoring).

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