Men's Health Muscle Chow: More Than 150 Easy-to-Follow Recipes to Burn Fat and Feed Your Muscles : A Cookbook

by Gregg Avedon, Editors of Men's Health Magazi

Men ’ s Health presents over 150 simple recipes for delicious meals the whole family will love, from workout-boosting protein shakes to healthy dinners and more
 
Achieving your best body ever requires that two elements merge as solid training and good nutrition. Men ’ s Health Muscle Chow provides the nutritional component of that muscle-building equation. Inside, you’ll

• Eight easy-to-remember dietary strategies to keep your eating habits in line
• Filling breakfasts like Banana Protein Pancakes ; energizing entrées including Muscle-Bound Chili and Mahi Fish Wraps ; hunger-killing snacks such as Malted Almond Bombs ; and even desserts like Key Lime Pie —all designed to help burn fat and build muscle
• A shopping list that makes it easy to stock up on essential ingredients and kitchen tools
• A troubleshooting guide for guys with more experience at the gym than in the kitchen
• Insider strategies, tips, tricks of the trade

Men’s Health Muscle Chow is much more than just a cookbook. It offers a solid foundation for understanding meal timing and the effects nutrients have on your body to help you set and reach your fitness goals.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Health, Fitness, Cooking, Reference, Nutrition

288 pages, Paperback

First published December 10, 2007

Reviews

[Nathaniel Moger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this gem at the Little Free Library at the corner of Belmont and Park, and let me tell you, this is one great read! Turns out I've been doing it wrong all these years, and by "it," I mean every move that I've ever made in the kitchen.

They say show, don't tell, so I'll let the book itself convince you to go out and get it. Take the "Ripped Chicken" recipe on page 85. First off, you know it's okay to eat during your "Ripped" cycle because "Ripped" is in the name of the recipe and there is a "Ripped" icon right there on the page! They keep it simple here: 2 boneless, skinless, rinsed, dried, and trimmed of fat chicken breasts, and one teaspoon of McCormick Salt Free All-Purpose Seasoning. No sodium here means no unwanted water retention!

Now, in the past, when I wanted a chicken breast I would dredge it in flour, egg, and panko and do a shallow, pan-fry. Or if I didn't want to do that I would heat a pan up with a neutral oil and sear it on high heat to get a Maillard reaction, zest a little lemon over it and finish it in the oven. Or maybe poach it in white wine with a shallot or two. What a dummy I was! Here's how to really make a chicken breast: preheat to 350 and bake for 30 minutes!

The parade doesn't stop at entrees. Check out the "On-The-Go Yogurt and Cottage Cheese" recipe on page 218. All you need is yogurt, (any flavor), stevia, and low-fat, no-salt cottage cheese (those veins aren't gonna pop out on their own!). How do you make this metabolism charger? Step one is to eat half of the yogurt. Step two is to stir the stevia and cottage cheese into the remaining yogurt. And to think I was mixing my yogurt and cottage cheese without eating half of the yogurt first all of these years!

With catchy-sounding recipes like "Flex Your Mussels," "Metabolic Salsa," and "Pasta Salad," you might be tempted to just read those and immediately start tearing up the kitchen. But check out the rest of the book, or you'll miss gems like this one from the "Ready-Made Snack Solutions" primer: "Powdered Protein...I'm talking about taking a spoonful of protein powder right from the container to the gullet." Blow out the candles and put away the wine and oysters, I've got a new menu for date night with the missus!

Oh, and the "Spicy Roasted Nuts" recipe on page 229 is really good.

[Jorge Gomez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Regarding if you're building a Men's Health cover body, this book gives really functional and well tasted recipes

[Brent USA · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this book for many years. It's a good place to start if you have no experience in making healthy higher protein dishes.

[Jason Yang · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose I stopped reading this book a few months ago. I originally picked this up because I was at a phase of my life where I was trying to gain some significant mass. This book is mostly a cookbook, but also describes a program for committing to maintaining sufficient food intake while engaging in a rigorous exercise regiment. What is nice about the program is that it takes into consideration people's tendency to burn-out, and so it builds pyramid-like components into the program.

Overall, the book was nice, but really is only as useful as how willing you are to engage and implement. For people serious about controlling their diet, I would recommend this, but I think most people would find the content superfluous.

[Chuck Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this book! It is by far the best cook book and diet plan for an athlete who is actually trying to sculpt his body rather than just lose fat. Mr. Avedon gets it, and after cooking every recipe in his book, he taught me how to cook, and how to eat for building muscle and cutting fat. It was worth the cover price just for his London Broil recipe!

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely gave me some good ideas. Now I am making my own oatmeal instead of buying it - all I needed was a kick in the pants.

I will probably revisit this book in the future. I am feeling unmotivated to do any of the recipes at this moment.