I picked up this book in the library because of its wonderful photos of food and its attractive and readable page and section formatting. In fact, a good use for this book would be to encourage appetite by showing healthy options to someone who is ill and needs to eat more.

This book is a product the carbo-loading era (late 1990s), so the healthful diet information is somewhat dated. Still, there is some good information in the Foods sections, where individual vegetables, oils, grains, etc. are analyzed for vitamin, mineral, antioxidant, etc. content. The section on Improving Your Health, applying food and other therapy to the body to solve various problems, was somewhat lacking and contradictory. The short section on The Healthy Kitchen gives a few good tips on preparation and cooking, but is hardly complete. The page formatting and wealth of illustrations make all of these pages very attractive to peruse, however.

The best part of this book is the recipes, most of which are healthful. The ones I've tried are also delicious. Pureed Carrot-Cilantro Soup is simple and fabulous, as is its variation Beet-Dill Soup. Polish Carrot Cake is a potluck hit, and Baked Tomatoes are a simple summer treat for gardening families. Still to try: Vegetable Chowder, Thai Coconut Soup, Shrimp in Green Tea, Greek Fish Stew, Summer Herb Salad (a pasta salad), and Earl Grey Tea Bread.

Though I wasn't too impressed with this book at first, the more I cook from it the more I like it.