The Great American Eat-Right Cookbook: 140 Great-Tasting, Good-For-You Recipes

According to food writer Besser (The First Book of Baking) and Doyle, Director of Nutrition and Activity for the American Cancer Society, moderation, fresh herbs and infused oils can satisfy diners without expanding waistlines or endangering health. The authors have a two-pronged approach for balancing healthy cooking with satisfying flavors: substitutions and portion control. Tips for reducing fat and calories include using ground turkey for beef in tacos, low fat milk and cheese in macaroni and cheese and rosemary-infused oil instead of butter on popcorn. Portion control is made simple with dishes like indivdually-sized Mini Meatloaves, Coffee Baby-Cakes and Two-Bite Brownies. Though bulk of the recipes are unsurprising (bran muffins, black bean and corn salad, vegetable soup, etc.), a few tasty tricks can be found in Mock-Berry Creme Brulee, employing yogurt in place of custard, and their Oven-Baked Potato Chips, which hold their own next to the fried variety. Nutritional information is provided for each dish, as are suggestions for what staples to keep on hand; cooks looking for basic, healthy methods and standard dishes will also appreciate the book's modest variety and user-friendly format. Color photos.