The New McDougall Cookbook: 300 Delicious Low-Fat, Plant-Based Recipes

by John A. McDougall, Mary McDougall

The perfect gift for the health-conscious chef from the bestselling authors of  The Starch Solution  and  The Healthiest Diet on the Planet.
 
Food is our most powerful medicine. And with this revolutionary program, the fat-free way to healthier eating has never been easier—or more delicious.
 
Thanks to John and Mary McDougall, countless health-conscious Americans have learned that our standard meat-heavy diet is hazardous to our health—and that the low-fat solution doesn't have to be low on taste. This collection of three hundred vegan, high-carbohydrate, virtually fat-free recipes offers a well-balanced, mouthwatering mix of fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains to help you lose weight, reverse illness, and do right by the environment. Inspired by dishes from around the world, the recipes use familiar ingredients and rely on simple and consistent preparation methods.

You will also
· An explanation of the groundbreaking McDougall Program and its nutritionally based approach to health,    
· Easy-to-prepare recipes for nondairy drinks, dressings, and sauces that aren’t based on oil,
· Ten simple steps to make a lighter version of your favorite recipes,
· An updated “McDougall-Okayed Packaged and Canned Products” list to help you shop with confidence.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Vegan, Cooking

416 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1993

About the author

John A. McDougall was an American physician, author, and advocate of low-fat, plant-based nutrition. After surviving a stroke at 18, he pursued medicine, ultimately creating the McDougall Program, a starch-based vegan diet aimed at preventing and reversing chronic disease. His bestseller The McDougall Plan popularized his nutritional philosophy, emphasizing unprocessed starches, vegetables, and fruit while eliminating all animal products, oils, and processed foods. Over his career, McDougall published multiple books, sold more than 1.5 million copies, and co-founded Dr. McDougall's Right Foods.
McDougall ran a 10-day residential health program in California and appeared frequently in media to promote dietary change. He also served on the advisory board of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and was a plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging federal cholesterol guidelines. In 2018, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
Though praised by supporters for his unwavering commitment to diet-based healing, McDougall also faced criticism for promoting what some experts labeled as a restrictive “fad diet.” Concerns included potential nutritional deficiencies and the exclusion of entire food groups like nuts and oils. Nonetheless, studies reported health improvements among adherents, and the American Heart Association acknowledged partial alignment with its dietary guidelines.
McDougall's work significantly influenced the plant-based movement and helped reshape public understanding of nutrition’s role in health. Despite controversy, his emphasis on whole foods and dietary simplicity made lasting contributions to preventive medicine and lifestyle change.

Reviews

[Xanthi]

I have tried a few McDougall recipes so far and intend to try a lot more now that I have gone through this book. From experience, the recipes can be a bit hit or miss - some are super tasty while others very bland. But I guess that is true of a lot of cookbooks.
If there is one thing you can take away from this book, it is the technique of oil free frying of vegetables.
On the down side, this book is a bit dated, though the information given is still sound. Also, it is very American-centric. All the measurements are imperial and there are ingredients used that are hard to find outside of the USA. Also, some of the terms used for ingredients have been baffling. Thank goodness for Google.

[Catarina]

I had great hopes for this cookbook, but it was definitely let down. The absence of pictures does´nt bother me that much, but what does, is that he in the intoduction, tells us not to depend to heavily on food like; beans, tofu, and high fat foods like olives, avokado, etc., but the recipes in his book almost all of them, all contain these very things!

If you whant to eat low fat, like dr mcdougall recommends, I would recommend you to by another cookbook.

[Carson hall]

I've tried some of Dr. McDougall's recipes and most are good. I'm going to cook some from this book starting today. I know sometimes I have to get creative and add some spices to make things a little more tasty. Dr. Barnard has some yummy recipes if you are interested in a low fat vegan diet. My body does not process fats or meat well.

[Anne]

I bought this book because my husband has heart disease and was prescribed a low-fat vegan diet.
This book has too many recipes with nuts and low-fat dressings (both of which he can not eat) to be of much value to me.

[Jordan]

Sadly many of the recipes I tried in this cookbook were bland and not very good. I really wanted to find some gems in there...

[Art]

Great cookbook, great added attractions. Well worth picking up, at a discount.