The New American Heart Association Cookbook

by American Heart Association

Since the American Heart Association published its first cookbook in 1973, dozens of health and diet trends have come and gone. Throughout this time, the Association, the foremost authority on heart health, has set the standard for nutritious eating. With millions of copies already in print, the Association’s flagship cookbook, The New American Heart Association Cookbook , is back—and better than ever. In today’s climate of confusing and often contradictory dietary trends, the American Heart Association once again rises above the fray and presents credible, easy-to-understand information about maintaining a healthy heart—and delicious recipes that make it simple to follow that advice at every meal.

The more than 600 recipes, including 150 new ones, follow the American Heart Association’s guidelines for healthy eating and make The New American Heart Association Cookbook, Seventh Edition a welcome addition to the cookbook world. Whether you crave classic family favorites, ethnic dishes, vegetarian entrées, or the most varied, cutting-edge recipes, you’ll find plenty of options. Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Greek-Style Beef Skillet Supper, and Grilled Vegetable Pizza with Herbs and Cheese are just a few examples of the up-to-date, exciting, and flavorful choices inside.

The New American Heart Association Cookbook, Seventh Edition can even help with menu planning, holiday cooking, and shopping for healthful ingredients. With the latest information about the connection between good food and good health, emphasizing variety, balance, and common sense, The New American Heart Association Cookbook, Seventh Edition is the ultimate healthy-heart cookbook.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Health, Reference, Food, Adult

720 pages, Hardcover

First published July 9, 1991

Reviews

[Carol Bledsoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will wait to do a final rating on this book until after I've tried a few recipes. Unlike many reviews I read, not having pictures isn't a negative for me. Many of my cookbooks have few or no pictures. There are some recipes where I will adjust things so I can use fresher ingredients. But most of the recipes that appeal to me were fine as written.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent cookbook. I made four recipes from it.

The first was Southern-Style Greens, and it was OK, but very confusing. It was fairly elementary: the collards and chard are parboiled, but then it says, "Drain and squeeze the greens," then later it says to add "the greens" to sauteed turkey bacon. I almost left out the kale. When the collards and chard are referred to as "the greens," and then it says to saute "the greens," I don't know if they forgot about the kale, or meant for it to be sauteed without parboiling.

So I tried three more recipes, with much better results. The Fiery Shrimp Dijon was really good; I snapped a photo of the recipe to have for later. I also made a slow cooker beef stew and roasted Brussels sprouts. The beef in the stew was rather dry, despite being in a stew; otherwise, it was fine. The Brussels sprouts were unremarkable, similar to many other roasted Brussels sprouts recipes, but maybe a little more work, with less olive oil, and not as tasty.

So I can say I liked the cookbook, but probably won't use it any more. I think the fear of using too much olive oil has been pretty much debunked, and the roasted Brussels sprouts really needed more oil; I suspect the slow cooker stew was just cooked too long or needed a different cut of beef or something. Everything was edible, but there are zillions of fantastic healthy cookery books out there, and I'll undoubtedly keep checking them out of the library or buying them.

[laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am disappointed at how many recipes in the cookbook are made with highly processed fake foods like margarine, egg substitute, cooking spray, dried bullion and canned broth, etc. I can't believe that a cookbook encouraging the use of ingredients like these can also have the appearance of acceptance by the medical community. I feel as though I wasted my money. I guess I wil have to look to a vegan cookbook if I want to find some good low cholesterol recipes made with real foods.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a recent health scare, I checked this cookbook out of the public library. The recipes I have tried so far have been brilliant and healthy. I absolutely love the nutritional info so I can include correct information in my FitBit app to track my progress.

Since exploring the library copy, I have purchased my own and will recommend to anyone seeking a healthy lifestyle.

[Create With Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 9th edition of The New American Heart Association Cookbook has been revised and updated, growing with each passing edition – but in many ways, the book hasn’t aged a bit! For instance, the cookbook now contains more than 800 recipes with more than 100 of them being new and 250 of them refreshed from previous editions (which means that the ingredients or cooking techniques have been updated to reflect new ingredients, spices, herbs or different cooking techniques) – but many of the recipes are still your tried and true familiar favorites.

The recipes in the New American Heart Association Cookbook contain expanded nutritional information (compared to the early versions) to help you make the best selections for your dietary needs, and the book’s overall content focuses on quick and easy cooking methods such as slow-cooker and one-pan recipes.

The most striking similarity between this new edition and previous books – and the biggest area in which the cookbook could be improved in future editions – is the complete lack of photographs, which is a major omission in a contemporary cookbook.

Nonetheless, The New American Heart Association Cookbook is a reliable cookbook whose recipes hold strong generational appeal. It deserves a place in your kitchen.

This review is an excerpt from the original review that is published on my blog. To read my review in its entirety, please visit Create With Joy.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own, based on my assessment of this book.

[Gooshe · Rating 4 out of 5]

All told, the book has sold 3 million copies.
This book has quick and easy to make recipes using simple ingredients.
There are 15 chapters in the books 507 pages that are easy to read and follow;
Healthy eating, healthy heart, Healthy lifestyle, healthy heart, About the recipes, Appetizers, Snacks, and Beverages: Soups, Salads and salad dressings, Special edition: Slow-cooker recipes, Seafood, Poultry, Meats, Vegetarian entrees, Vegetables and side dishes, Sauce and gravies, Breads and breakfast dishes, Desserts

[Cherei · Rating 4 out of 5]

The New American Heart Association Cookbook is loaded with a gazillion recipes! I wish it had pictures.. and that the font was a little larger. The recipes have easy to find ingredients and seem very easy to make. It's a book intended for daily use! I like that they include the calories of the recipes. It was well written! I do believe many will be delighted with the huge variety of easy to make meals! This book is definitely worth the price!

[Larissa ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mom just learned she must switch to a low-sodium diet. This cookbook is densely-packed with delicious heart-healthy recipes for us to try. Neither one of us wants to cut back on cheese, but the recipes I’ve cooked thus far are so yummy and filling, I don’t think we’ll miss it (in time, anyway). It’s a great cookbook for beginners: I’m still learning to cook, and I find the recipes easy to follow. But cheese! Oh, cheese. You’d think we were French!

[Drweb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good, modern recipes.. nice to have near kitchen :)

[Mark Singer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and varied collection of heart-friendly recipes. I have been using this since late 2022, and fournd it eqasy to portion the recipes down to two people.

[Gini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love to browse cookbooks, look for new ideas, and read some of the extra narratives related to those recipes. This particular cookbook caught my eye because I had purchased one of the earlier versions and since misplaced it. The older one had some good stuff in it, but this one is like a while new world. I can have tacos, and crepes, and all sorts of yummy desserts now like a brulee. Vegetables and fruit are still musts, but in new ways. Green beans and spinach are still out there, but so are edamame and artichokes. There are sauces to drizzle over nearly any category of food to enhance the flavors and appearance. This is not the regimented cookbook I remember from before. Beef is back and more recipes for a larger variety of seafood, too. As always the nutritional information follows the recipe. So yes, I’m already happy with this edition. Easier to stay on track if the food is tasty. So, to that long list of folks that worked on this edition I say, “Thank you!”

The advice offered is more helpful and much easier to understand. My favorite part is a shopping list found in the back that helps keep your shelves stocked with supplies. Another item I found useful is the portion size estimator that compares a portion with everyday articles like baseballs, dice, and even hockey pucks. Portion size creep is my favorite way to add to my weight. A good review once in a while is very needed in my case. There’s plenty more advise and suggestions within this cookbook.

This cookbook makes eating healthier much more attractive than ever before just by allowing some new flavor and variety back into a dietary plan. I like it and think you will, too.

I received this book from the publisher in return for a review.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The New American Heart Association Cookbook is a massive work of 800 recipes.

It reminds me of The Joy of Cooking in its girth. It also reminds me of that classic cookbook because THERE ARE NO PHOTOS (or even line drawings).

The New American Heart Association Cookbook does contain healthy recipe after healthy recipe. Not surprisingly, the biggest sections are Salads, Seafood and the Vegetarian sections. Other offerings include Appetizers, Soups, Slow-Cooker, Poultry and Meats, Vegetables and Sides, Sauces and Gravies, Breads and Breakfast, and finally, Desserts.

The book begins with tips on maintaining healthy eating to obtain a healthy lifestyle.

The recipes seem straight forward and easy to follow, but they are not boring (which is the perception for some healthy cookbooks). My favorite recipe thus far is the Cucumber and Mango Salad with Lime Dressing with Quinoa.

I'm not sure I would rush right out and buy this book, but I think it would make a great gift for someone trying to stay fit or needing heart healthy recipes. Each recipe concludes with nutritional information (calories, sodium, protein, etc.)

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging for Books for this review. All opinions, exclamations, gushings and rants are my own.

[Lisa (Harmonybites) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw one review on GoodReads saying they wish they had the paperback version to make it easier to bring into the kitchen. I wish I had bought the hardcover edition, so it would be easier to read and wouldn't now be falling apart. In terms of contents, this is excellent, and not just for heart patients (which I'm not) but for anyone who wants to eat healthy without resorting to tasteless eating. Lot's of international options. Take the Poultry section. There are 44 recipes, almost all featuring chicken though there's "Curried Turkey with Water Chestnuts," "Turkey Mousse," and "Roast Stuffed Cornish Game Hen" and Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Indian, Israeli, Creole, Italian, Spanish dishes--even pot pies and crepes. So more varied than you might think.

[Sanyashnick · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only problem with this book is ironically the abundance of options it offers. It's a great book for that reason as well. If you're willing to take some time to thumb through it, you will definitely find what you are looking for. It offers healthy and tasty options for appetizers, entrees, side dishes, and desserts. What I especially like about it though is that it offers a meal-planning index for special events. For example, if you're cooking Thanksgiving dinner or an outdoor bbq, it has a list of items that would go well together and suit the occasion.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book and extremely helpful insights. I still find in interesting about the use of margarine because of recent news on it. Everything in moderation though. I’ve found I can switch out oil for some of the margarine without the guilt. The portion size helper was my favorite part. Easy and wonderful even if you’re not a heart patient.

[Dj · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that has some really interesting recipes and thoughts on how to eat a heart-healthy diet. Too bad, it can't answer the question about how to be able to afford it and pay the rent at the same time.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a vary thick cookbook. I wish I had got the paperbach version so it is easier to handle in the kitchen.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of healthy recipes wihtout too many weird ingredients.

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

No one has rated this sizzling work yet!?! WTF?

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

this has a great selection of soups and ethnic foods. One of my favorite cookbooks, nothing lacks in flavor

[Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a really great cookbook.