Simple Food for Busy Families: The Whole Life Nutrition Approach

by Jeannette Bessinger, Tracee Yablon-Brenner

An easy-to-use guide to nutrition and healthful meal planning for busy parents.

Written by nutrition educators Jeannette Bessinger and Tracee Yablon-Brenner, aka "the Real Food Moms," this one-stop shopping resource and cookbook provides convenient cooking solutions based on fresh, healthful ingredients and sound nutritional science. Filled with quick tips for preparing wholesome meals on a workaday schedule, SIMPLE FOOD FOR BUSY FAMILIES helps parents nourish and teach their children balanced eating habits for life.Reviews“...packed with advice, ideas and good recipes.”—Fort Worth Star Telegram   —Cranston, WJAR-TV HealthCheck Report

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, Cooking, Health, Cookbooks, Nutrition, Parenting

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2009

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved this book!! I would give it six stars if I could.
Why I LOVED this book:
1. I finally understand why I've been hypoglycemic, and why I've gained weight and not been able to lose it in the past five years. I know what to do about it now, and am VERY HOPEFUL for the future.
2. After reading this book I feel like I can lead my family to a healthier life style. There is so much information out there on what to do, too much information in too many places. This book is a one stop shop for me.
3. They have a Mix & Match section (this is the "recipe" part). I love these because you can be creative and us whatever is in your pantry instead of having to follow a specific recipe.
4. The second half of the book has a guide for spices, vegetable, grains, and beans. It has pictures, their season, how to store, prepare, benefits, etc. Soooooooo helpful!!
5. I understand better why it is healthier to eat organic, local produce and in season.
6. Has a strong foundation on research, but is simplified to understand easily - very well written

I can write so much more. I'll just say that I'll be keeping this book close and using it as a reference for a long time!

[mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book masquerades as a cookbook, but it is mostly a book about eating more naturally. It is filled with interesting statistics about the Standard American Diet and what it is doing to our bodies. It made an interesting point, that humans are still just animals, yet we no longer fuel ourselves as though we are animals.

"From this perspective, it's very easy to understand why some children are so unwell. What do you think would happen to the fox population if you fed them Sour Patch Kids instead of mice? Would you feed a camel two mocha lattes and a Dunkin' Donuts croissant and expect it to make a long trek across the desert?"

There are some recipes as well, although it generally gives mix and match charts instead of specific recipes. I am not a good improv cook, so this seems quite helpful. Instead of looking for a recipe that includes things I have on hand, I can just use the formula and pick something from each category.

Seems like a great reference book to have around...I only docked it a star because most people would expect this to be a traditional cookbook that focuses on natural foods, and might be disappointed to find out that its more of a manual than a cookbook.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome basic book for any family who wants to make healthier changes to their eating and lifestyle. I think this book is worth owning! They talk about everything from exercise, water, getting plenty of fruits and veggies and whole grains and what to buy organic if you can, along with recipes to get you started. They touch on the fact that many American families simply are not aware of the basic connection between what they eat, how much they eat and their health and well-being. It is one of my favorite things to read about! The format of the book is nice too, there are nice photographs, packed with good info! Read it.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! I would say the best health/cookbook I've read yet, especially if you have kids. Tons of helpful info about all kids of health foods, spices, everything. Also, instead of straight recipes, it gives mix and match sections, which I'm not sure if I'll love or hate, but I'm excited to try! I am going to buy this book, which says a lot. There is so much helpful info, I think it will really help with making high quality food, and hopefully be a little easier on the budget. I think I will give this 4.5 stars.

[Alissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not just a cookbook, it provides great information about nutrition and how to eat well. The two chapters at the end provide more of formulas than actual recipes, which I found less intimidating since I'm not super cook. Also, by provide a general formula with mix and match options if you don't have a specific ingredient you can sub.

All in all a great read for those looking to change their eating habits.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me this book is preaching to the choir in many ways, but this would be a great resource for a family that needs to get out of the SAD (standard Amerian diet) way of life. It does not have many recipes, but it does have a great section on spices and vegetables and how to prepare them. It actually made me feel good for what I have been feeding my family.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expected this to be a pure cookbook, it's not. It is more. It is written in two parts, the first is information about eating more whole foods and why it's important. The second part is more ingredients, methods, ideas and charts to mix an match ingredients to create nourishing meals.

I need to buy this one.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is an interesting book with lots of facts about why someone would want to choose to eat a whole food diet. The recipes are set up differently than most cookbooks giving you an option to mix and match ingredients. It gives very detailed descriptions of vegetables, what they are, look like, and how to cook them.

[Arctic · Rating 5 out of 5]

good summary and review of whole life / whole earth eating. A lot of this I found I was already implementing, but it was good to see it in print none the less. great as a food reference for staple vegetable recipes in particular. well laid out and a pleasure to read.

Note: this is not a cook book. as long as you go into it knowing that, you won't be disappointed.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I reviewed this book for Vegbooks.org. While the authors' suggestions for incorporating whole, fresh foods into a family's lifestyle are useful, I was disappointed to see that they don't present veganism as a viable alternative to the Standard American Diet.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I'm not a parent unless you count my dog as my child, I still found this book to be very helpful. I feel like I have a better understanding of whole foods and how to prepare them. I appreciate that this book has enabled my to prepare food without constantly needing elaborate recipes.

[Cookie · Rating 3 out of 5]

No real review as I didn't make a single thing inside. I liked the book so much because it turned me on to researching GMO's, which I was ignorant to previously. There was a ton of other nutritional information and I wouldn't have minded getting a gift like this when I was pregnant as a resource.

[Cherie · Rating 1 out of 5]

F I thought this book would be interesting, but only if you have kids is this a good book. Otherwise, it sucks.

[Carollida]

I throughly enjoyed this book. So much more than a "cook book".