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Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World
by
Do you want to eat burgers, chocolate cake, frozen margaritas, fudge, and French fries--and still fit into your pants? Is life not worth living without brownies and onion rings? Do you want a surefire way to tame your cravings? From breakfast ideas and chopped salads to guilt-free junk food and cocktails, Hungry Girl recipes taste great but are low in fat and calories. Che
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Paperback, 336 pages
Published
April 29th 2008
by St. Martin's Griffin
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Start your review of Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World

This book is terrible! The author claims to be a "self-appointed 'foodologist'" which means nothing. She just put together a bunch of recipes, substituting normal ingredients with "lite" "fat-free" "no-calorie" and "sugar-free" (splenda-flavored) foods, most of which are so processed and chemically flavored that they are not at all healthy. And as for cocktail hour? Mix your liquor with Diet Soda and drink Lite Beer!
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May 23, 2008
Deb
rated it
it was ok
Recommends it for:
vegans or vegetarians looking for fluffy new recipes
Shelves:
cooking
This cook book has a lot of good ideas if you're into alternative foods and soy products; most of the recipes are written for single-servings, so they're ideal for solo cooks.
However, I didn't make anything from this cookbook: most of the recipes advocate fat-free cheese (or even soy cheese...*shudder*), soymeat subtitutes for real meat, and tofu everything. This is not "real world" cooking: it's escapism from cooking in the real world.
But, not all cooks and eaters are made alike. If thats what ...more
However, I didn't make anything from this cookbook: most of the recipes advocate fat-free cheese (or even soy cheese...*shudder*), soymeat subtitutes for real meat, and tofu everything. This is not "real world" cooking: it's escapism from cooking in the real world.
But, not all cooks and eaters are made alike. If thats what ...more

Substitution cooking. Every recipe I've tried out of this book has been pretty tasty. I never would have tried Almond Breeze milk substitute otherwise (makes the best chai ever, srsly), so for that alone, worth the price.
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Lisa Lillien is not a nutritionist, she's just hungry. She is the founder of www.hungry-girl.com, and close to half a million loyal fans receive her daily emails containing guilt-free recipes, food and product reviews, dieting news, shockers, and more. From breakfast ideas and chopped salads to guilt-free junk food and cocktails, Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World, recipes taste great but are low in fat and calories.
We met Lisa Lillien when she v ...more
We met Lisa Lillien when she v ...more

Good book for those who strive to be really healthy. Granted a lot of the ingredients are tofu, soy, diet, and are alternatives to eating foods such as french fries (kale chips is one of her alternatives in another book.) I have made her brownie muffins (the one with the cake mix and the pumpkin puree) they turned really great. I'm not too keen on substituting a lot these ingredients for healthier options since I don't exactly like a lot of foods anyways, but some of the ideas are open to each p
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Too heavy (haha - unintentional pun) on fake foods, including artificial sweeteners, for my taste. Lots of fat-free dairy etc. (She is apparently a big fan of "Cool Whip Free" as well - ick!). While I am obviously no expert on healthy eating, I just don't think these "recipes" are the answer. There are a few recipes I might try, like the baked squash fries. For now I'll just stay fat.
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The restaurant section is helpful, but the recipes weren't my cup of tea. I'm more of a cook from scratch, not cook from cans, kind of girl. I can also figure out that using reduced fat cream cheese (or sour cream) instead of regular will cut calories.
If you are not a cook from scratch kind of cook this will be helpful, if you are you will be disappointed. ( ...more
If you are not a cook from scratch kind of cook this will be helpful, if you are you will be disappointed. ( ...more

The idea of the book is fun. The author takes traditional recipes and makes them over to be more healthy. There are fun facts throughout the book. However, she tries too hard to be cool. Most recipe titles included something like "crazy-good", "rockin'", or "fiber-ific".
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This is a great cook book for those that are trying to be good with their eating habits! It contains easy recipes that are yummy! They also have a website that you can sign up for and receive new recipes everyday. I'm a fan!
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Good recipes for indulgences. Okay, some foods just can't be subbed, but at least Lillien gives it the ol' college try. She has turned me on to Fiber One Cereal, Laughing Cow Lite cheeses, Canned pumpkin, and butternut squash. The chili recipe in this book is good.
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There are only about 3 recipes in the entire book I'm willing to try and even then two are variations of drinks I already make. I'm not a big fan of processed foods and this book has a lot of that in it. I picked it up desperate to find good low carb foods and snacks that I could make easily. While there were a few, there wasn't anything that just stood out and said wow. I'm certain there is a market out there for this kind of thing, just not with me. I also have to agree with an earlier review,
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I met the author several years ago at her book signing. She is really nice, and I'm glad that her recipes and strategies for health worked for her. I did make a few of the recipes, and they were okay. I think my cooking has evolved since then and uses recipes with fresh ingredients instead of canned or processed ones.
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OK, I don't LOVE all of the ingredients. At times some of the recipes feel a little repetitious. However, there are some great ideas and a few "keepers".
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

Hungry Girl cookbooks are a great tool for those wanting to watch what they eat, along with the calorie content. It is also great for single women as the portions to be made are smaller, usually for one or two people, which is great and makes cooking fun again. Helpful tips are given throughout the book, along with pictures of the food and tools needed. Simple and easy and good tasting are what this cookbook series is all about.
I love Hungry Girl cookbooks. They are wonderful, easy and super yum ...more
I love Hungry Girl cookbooks. They are wonderful, easy and super yum ...more

This is a great book for ideas on low-cal snacks. There's heavy reliance on Splenda, soy, and processed food, but for someone like me, it's easier to wean my way into cooking by using shortcuts. One of the things I like about these recipes is that they're mostly designed for one serving, which is unusual. It's also got recipes for parties, so it's not just a solo cookbook, though. Weight Watchers has worked in conjunction with the author for some of the recipes, so if you're familiar with their
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I don't know about this one. I believed the hype and purchased my own copy, convinced that these recipes must be really wonderful, delicous ways to trick your brain/body. Not my experience so far. I love to cook (and eat) and consider myself somewhat of a "foodie" and these just don't cut it. (I made the "fudge" which was a box of cake mix, mixed with a buttload of pumpkin. Other than the fact that it was brown, there was no resemblance to anything choco-like.)
This seems to be a humongo trend ri ...more
This seems to be a humongo trend ri ...more

I've gone through Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray's "30 Minute" Meals (30 minutes to cook sure, after you've spent 5 hours searching 40 different grocery stores for some of the ridiculous ingredients she chooses. And then you need someone to chop it all up for you..THEN it's 30 minutes), Better Homes & Gardens, Cooking For Dummies, Weight Watchers cookbooks... you get the picture.
This is by far the easiest, best tasting, healthy cook book I've come across. I can't say that I'm completely sold on addi ...more
This is by far the easiest, best tasting, healthy cook book I've come across. I can't say that I'm completely sold on addi ...more

I have decided to try to eat healthier and picked this cookbook up at the library. I am anxious to try some of the recipes. So many of them sound tasty and they look to be simple to make. I have tried one of her recipes from the Dr. Oz website and it was pretty good, so I feel confident that the ones here will be good as well. I like that this is not a "diet" but rather suggestions for items to swap out to make dishes healthier with lower fat and sugar. Sometimes it just takes someone to say if
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May 16, 2008
Megan
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
anyone who's looking to eat and live healthier--but not give up the goodies!
Hungry Girl is Weight Watchers meets Rachel Ray! I just love her.
The helpful hints throughout the book make you want to read it like a novel. I was so interested in the "Shockers", which will hopefully help me steer clear, and the recipes seem so simple and easy, yet look yummy!
This will definitely be a go-to book for me long after I've reached my dieting goal. The tidbits scattered throughout the book will definitely help keep me on track when I'm searching for a healthy recipe.
I especially ...more
The helpful hints throughout the book make you want to read it like a novel. I was so interested in the "Shockers", which will hopefully help me steer clear, and the recipes seem so simple and easy, yet look yummy!
This will definitely be a go-to book for me long after I've reached my dieting goal. The tidbits scattered throughout the book will definitely help keep me on track when I'm searching for a healthy recipe.
I especially ...more

WOW! Lisa Lillien has penned two more books!
Not all of these recipes will make it to my table, but this cookbook is inspiring nonetheless.
My dear friend, Debbita, gave me her copy ( complete with recipes she tagged with ***** five stars for their fantastic flavors).
Sometimes, when I am out of control, like when I eat half a cream cheese pie in the course of a day, I enjoy reading Lillien's preaching on how long I would have to dance, vacuum, run, etc. before burning off a certain number of ca ...more
Not all of these recipes will make it to my table, but this cookbook is inspiring nonetheless.
My dear friend, Debbita, gave me her copy ( complete with recipes she tagged with ***** five stars for their fantastic flavors).
Sometimes, when I am out of control, like when I eat half a cream cheese pie in the course of a day, I enjoy reading Lillien's preaching on how long I would have to dance, vacuum, run, etc. before burning off a certain number of ca ...more

I cannot wait to try these Weight Watchers friendly recipes! Yup, I live by myself and you know what? I dislike cooking a recipe that serves 4. I eat one serving and then I'm forced to choke down 3 more servings as left overs. Growdy. I always end up throwing food away. That's depressing. These recipes are designed for one and perfect for bringing my lunch to work! Hollah!
I'll be trying the Crazy Good Turkey Taco Meatloaf; hacked and whacked BLT salad; freakishly good french onion soup; and the ...more
I'll be trying the Crazy Good Turkey Taco Meatloaf; hacked and whacked BLT salad; freakishly good french onion soup; and the ...more

May 02, 2008
Gracee
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
anyone doing Weight Watchers, or just want more healthy alternative recipes for everyday life!
Recommended to Gracee by:
hungrygirl.com
Shelves:
own
Love this one! Do-able, imaginative, tasty recipes that even my husband will eat! Mr "I WON'T eat tofu" @@
Recipes with ingredients that most Weight Watcher members have in their pantry / fridge. The only thing that would make it better would be to have converted their recipes into point system. But that is easy enough to figure out.
Met my lifetime goal - yay me!, plus hubby lost 10 lbs without feeling deprived. ...more
Recipes with ingredients that most Weight Watcher members have in their pantry / fridge. The only thing that would make it better would be to have converted their recipes into point system. But that is easy enough to figure out.
Met my lifetime goal - yay me!, plus hubby lost 10 lbs without feeling deprived. ...more

There are no Weight Watchers points listed in the book. You have to go the author's website to get the points listings. I had hoped to be able to flip through the book and glance at the points to see if it was a recipe I wanted to use. I'm sure it's some copywrite issue with Weight Watchers, but it was a huge inconvenience. Glad this was a library book.
Sign up at the Hungry Girl website instead. Daily emails give you recipes and substitution ideas. ...more
Sign up at the Hungry Girl website instead. Daily emails give you recipes and substitution ideas. ...more

I love the "fake-fry" stuff. Yum! Some of the dessert recipes are not so good... it's really hit or miss. Many recipes seem like they're trying to hard to be inventive. I'll keep playing with them and see what will become a staple (so far, the only think I'm going to make again are the fake-bake recipes, esp. the onion rings). I'm sure my boyfriend would prefer I never made any of them again; he thinks they're all pretty gross.
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If you are at all trying to watch what you're stuffing in your pie-hole, then this book will make a great addition to your kitchen bookshelves! It's filled with recipes that are delicious, healthy and don't make you feel like you're "dieting"!
Also, the website is a really great tool too! And if you follow Weight Watchers(like I do), she gives you Points values for everything she rates and reviews.
Good stuff. ...more
Also, the website is a really great tool too! And if you follow Weight Watchers(like I do), she gives you Points values for everything she rates and reviews.
Good stuff. ...more
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cool! | 1 | 6 | Dec 24, 2008 05:42PM |
The creator of HungryGirl.com shares her best tips, recipes, and advice to live a healthy and full life!"
Lisa Lillien is not a nutritionist, she's just hungry. She's the founder of Hungry Girl, the website and daily email service providing approximately one million fans with guilt-free recipes, food and product reviews, dieting news, shockers and more. She also writes weekly columns for WeightWatc ...more
Lisa Lillien is not a nutritionist, she's just hungry. She's the founder of Hungry Girl, the website and daily email service providing approximately one million fans with guilt-free recipes, food and product reviews, dieting news, shockers and more. She also writes weekly columns for WeightWatc ...more
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