Eating Smart: ABCs of the New Food Literacy

Features basic dietary guidelines that will help readers develop lifelong healthy eating habits

Though the bookshelves may be brimming with healthy, low-fat, low-calorie cookbooks, this no-nonsense approach by syndicated columnist Jones might just make a dent in the nation's bulging midsection. Essentially more essay than cookbook, her rather diminutive volume is loaded with practical suggestions for rethinking the way we shop, cook and eat. At its heart is an eating plan that suggests we "eat at least five times as much carbohydrate foods as animal protein," a theory that dovetails nicely with the American Dietetic Association's new "food pyramid" nutrition guidelines. The few recipes included are good low-fat ideas for breakfasts, entrees and snacks featuring a raspberry walnut vinaigrette dressing with negligible fat, and no-fat refried beans. Part of the book's value, too, is the author's use of catchy and all-too-true phrases--admonishments like "Fat is an accessory. If you eat it you wear it." On so-called nutrition information, she comments: "Remember that the word label rhymes with fable , and you'll find a wealth of storybook nutrition on the labels." Her wisest advice on supermarket shopping: "As soon as you have everything on your list that's in the middle of the market where the prepared food is sold, run for the wallssic !" These walls represent today's safe, and nutritionally smart, haven: produce, dairy and breads. BOMC and HomeStyle alternates .
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A book for the "one-minute nutrition manager," Eating Smart simplifies the basics of diet, nutrition, and food preparation for the beginner. The topics covered range from the familiar fuel sources of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to the essentials of vitamins and minerals. Syndicated columnist Jones, who has been called the "Dear Abby" of the food world, gives a five-to-one formula (eat at least five times as much carbohydrate food as animal protein), and notes that one should limit fat, use sugar sparingly, drink six to eight glasses of water a day, limit alcohol, and stop eating when no longer hungry. She also discusses exercises, recommending some stretches. Jones advises on how to shop for a "smart kitchen," suggests possible menus for a week's worth of breakfasts, and offers some basic recipes. While she does not cover any new material, Jones's presentation makes the information easier to understand for those who have little nutrition background. Eating Smart: The ABCs of the New Food Literacy is a good choice where popular interest warrants. BOMC and HomeStyle Book Club alternates.
- Loraine F. Sweet land, Rebok Memorial Lib., Silver Spring, Md.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.