The Digest Diet Cookbook

by Liz Vaccariello

Eat up and slim down with this companion to the phenomenally successful The Digest Diet.

In The Digest Diet , Liz Vaccariello and the editors of Reader's Digest sifted through the latest weight-loss science to develop a groundbreaking 21-day eating plan demonstrated to help you drop the pounds. Real-life men and women who tried the plan--and lost up to 26 pounds!

The Digest Diet Cookbook will give readers 150 all-new fat releasing recipes so they can branch out with new foods but still maintain their weight loss results. In addition, the book will

Whether you're new to The Digest Diet or looking to maintain your fabulous success, The Digest Diet Cookbook is all you need to get and stay thin and healthy for life.

Genres: Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Cooking

320 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2012

Reviews

[Karielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a huge fan of both Reader's Digest and diet recipes, I knew I had to try this new companion cookbook to the New York Times-bestselling The Digest Diet. This book is a compilation of brand new recipes to go along with that diet, so it's less reading, and more recipe-enjoying! And boy, can I say how much I enjoyed sifting through this to get new ideas and even cook up some waistline-friendly food of my own!

I'm still skeptical about the actual diet plan itself; the "lose up to 26 pounds in 21 days" claim obviously does not speak to typical results. In fact, a lot of the diet plan doesn't settle well with me, as it involves lots of skipping meals and only one snack a day (not healthy!). It also emphasizes the importance of fat releasers (good!) and fat increasers (bad!) which can be helpful in selecting ingredients, but I feel it was a bit restrictive.

What I absolutely love love love however, is how there's such an expansive variety of recipes here. Recipes range from flank steak (!!!!) to chickpea-crust pizza to turkey milanese to frozen berry terrine. Good golly, that sounds tasty! It's not the typical layup you'd picture when you think "health food," which is great because most people—myself included—are turned off by the idea of diets that solely consist of salads-san-dressing and kale smoothies. Yeeuch.

Pros
Variety of recipes // Well organized into sections: Breakfasts, Soups, Main Dishes, One-Dish Mains, Salads, Side Dishes, and Desserts // Includes informational chapters about fat releasers // Helpful conversion charts for measurements and portions

Cons
Some recipes don't include pictures! // "26 pounds in 21 days" claim baffles me—anyone could do this, simple. Just starve yourself.

Verdict
A fabulous collection of scrumptious-sounding recipes, The Digest Diet Cookbook is definitely something you want to invest in for getting on track with your diet with delicious sides, meals, and desserts that won't stretch your waistline. While I can't actually endorse the diet plan Liz Vaccariello recommends (it just doesn't sound nutritionally adequate!), the different recipe ideas presented are sure to be a hit among whole food lovers like yours truly, and will inspire healthful lifestyles among foodies of every breed.

Rating: 8 out of 10 hearts (4 stars): An engaging read; highly recommended.

Source
Complimentary copy provided by publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, FSB Media!).

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just in time for the Christmas blow-out and New Year's promise to lose a few pounds, this is a new diet book that the author claims will, thanks to the latest weight-loss science, help you lose up to 26 pounds in 21 days.

Cards on the table. This reviewer tends not to put a lot of confidence in such bold claims or notes that the regime on offer is such that there is no "quality of life" during the length of the diet. Instead a more middle-of-the-road approach is taken. Does the diet have the potential to help me lose weight whilst keeping me engaged and enthused. Any weight loss might be less dramatic but the dieter is more likely to want to continue with it.

This book promises 150 new fat releasing recipes, based around 13 "amazing" fat-releasing foods as well as recipe planning, diet advice, customisation tips for vegetarians and those on a very tight budget and also a range of "inspirational" stories from those who have tested the dietary regime. So what do you get?

Well first there is a look at what increases one's waistline (fat increasers) as well as what can hopefully lead to reductions (fat releasers). A lot of this appears to be common sense but, of course, if it was so simple there wouldn't be an obesity epidemic in the developed world. The advice given is fairly methodical and builds upon what you have learned. The author has felt it necessary to add various jokes throughout the book so you "laugh off" the weight as well. This reviewer didn't really feel this added anything and in some way devalued the book. Personal choice and you can skip over that if it grates.

Like everything in life some of the advice seems contradictory, such as eating more dairy produce, when many diets call on you to reduce fats, but a bit of everything in balance is again a bit of a middle-of-the-road approach. At least where apparently contradictory (to current "wisdom") advice is given, the author has backed up things with reasons. Many similar dietary approaches could learn from that. Knowing the thought process behind a recommendation is a good thing. The book even recommends an occasional glass of red wine!

Consideration is given to how one cooks with fat releasers and whilst a lot of this stuff might be obvious unless, of course, you never step foot in your kitchen to do some "proper cooking" it is worth a glimpse for the hints. Those who are afraid of their kitchen will get some hand-holding here. Then it is onto the 21-day fat release plan, looking at the strategies behind the diet and the production of the recipes so you keep the faith. After that it is time to look at the various recipes. The first is a "fast release shake" that will form a key part of your diet and each recipe features elements of advice and tips and is well-written and easy to follow. These shakes certainly look more appetising and engaging than the commercially-available shakes that some dietary programmes use. The rest of the recipes continue in a great vein and thanks to some excellent photographs you can see that the dishes are visually appealing (an important part of the battle) and well-thought out. The range of the recipes seems to confront conventional thinking about what should be found in many diets. Bread, wine and cheese. Yum! Even Pizza!

It would not be over-kill to suggest that many of these recipes would be great even if you are not trying the diet itself.

When you get to the end of the book there is still a lot of advice to receive. Shopping advice, helping you get the best possible ingredients and to store them for the longest-possible life was a thing that this reviewer was first sceptical towards, but after a little time this went over as not everything is as "expected" as one might imagine.

Everything about this book seems positive and one might be forgiven for forgetting that it is first and foremost a diet book. So this bodes well for getting the reader on-side and hopefully losing weight. This reviewer doesn't take an opinion on the science behind the diet and its success, or failure. Mostly that depends on the individual. The book and its content is engaging, encouraging and expresses an openness that is not seen that often. Maybe in the new year this reviewer might even lose a few pounds (or more!).


// This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //

[Desiree · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have used this book quite a bit over the past few years. My fiance and I grew up eating in a very traditional Midwest way (heavy on carbs, fried stuff, what are calories?...), and we ended up gaining weight when we got further into our 20s. We initially started this as just a diet, and it worked well for us. I can't remember exactly how much we lost the first time around, but it was around 10lbs each. We did also go to the gym.

The biggest challenge for us was getting rid of things that we shouldn't be eating and buying some seemingly strange new pantry staples. I will admit, I had to Google image search things at the grocery store more than once! Meal prep takes more time than eating ready-made meals and fast food all the time, but it can actually be relaxing. I also found it a lot more rewarding when something turned out amazing and we could say "hey, we made this awesomeness!".

My favorite thing about this cookbook is that it introduced us to some amazing new ways to cook vegetables and other foods, and a lot of new food items in general. The shakes are delicious, and I would say at least 90% of what we made we liked. We resorted back to the full diet plan a few times when we fell back into old ways as a way to kick-start healthier decisions. Right from the first time we used this, though, we incorporated a lot of better habits into our life permanently. We used it last November again, and then transitioned into a clean eating lifestyle. We feel better, look better, and have more energy. I am extremely thankful I decided to get this book. It really gave us the confidence to change the way we eat permanently, which seems so scary at first!

Some of our favorite recipes include:
Butternut Breakfast Bread (freezes SO well!)
Buttermilk Pancakes with Cherries
Smoked Turkey & Swiss Breakfast Sandwiches (which also taste amazing at lunch time!)
"Bacon," Lettuce & Tomato Soup
Roasted Pepper Soup with Basil Meatballs
Slow-Cooker Sunday Roast with Onion Gravy
Spicy Chicken with Green Beans & Baby Bellas
Mexican Cobb Salad
Roasted Winter Vegetable Salad (THIS changed my life...I love roasted veggies!)
Grilled Pork & Pear Salad with Walnuts
Creamy Potato Salad
Green Beans with Basil & Toasted Walnuts
Cajun Sweet Potato Fries
Chocolate Chocolate-Chip Cookies (YES there are desserts in here too!

Also, I will add, we did not get the first Digest Diet book. I was worried I would be missing something, but I wanted to get this one with more recipes and less about the actual diet. There was enough information in this one to get us started and to get through the 21 day plan with no issues. The only thing I wish there were more of is ideas for good snack combinations. I am still horrible at coming up with good snacks!

I give this 5 stars. This book helped change our life! Honestly though, any book like this is only as effective and beneficial as you let it be. If you use this as a tool to permanently improve your lifestyle, you may have better luck than if you are just counting down the days until it's over!

[Narita · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the Digest Diet, I looked forward to seeing the cookbook. One of my first concerns was were there any repeated recipes in the new cookbook that the Digest Diet shared. I am happy to say there is not! There are 150 new recipes to help on your 21 day diet!
The first part of the book gives reviews the important concepts of the Digest Diet. I liked this I didn’t have to get my Digest Diet book out. One thing that impressed me is these recipes is encourage and explain the need for ‘good’ fats in our diet. I am totally against the non-fat diet craze that has been around for so many years. All the recipes help you to incorporate and use the much needed ‘good’ fats’. Also included in the recipes are the foods 13 foods they refer to as ‘Fat
Releasers”. This makes it so easy to prepare meals and eat the foods that are key in your weight loss.
Suggestions for stocking your pantry, freezer, and kitchen are made so that you have everything you need to make meal preparation easy. While there are rules, there is also flexibility. There are helpful, multiple brand name suggestions for different foods throughout the book. I thought this was great because it makes finding what you need at the grocery store so easy! I was excited to see pages that help create your own snacks. There was a lot of variety and combinations! For those with allergies there is a table of suitable swaps for foods used in the recipes and also another table of non-dairy sources of calcium.
Recipe categories are:
Breakfasts
Soups
Main Dishes
Salads
Side Dishes
Desserts
Each category is divided into the phases of the diet: Fat Release, Fade Away, and Finish Strong, This way you can quickly locate the recipes available for the phase you are in. I like that in each and every recipe they listed the Fat Releasers that are in it. Not only for the information, but it also gives you a sense of accomplishment in your diet. Every time you eat you are being proactive in losing weight! I found the special menus included very useful. These menus are:
Quick Fix
Vegetarian
Dairy Free
Cooking for One
On a Budget. These also are divided into the diet phases.
The recipes are varied, tasty, and easy to prepare. The full page color pictures were wonderful in helping me choose what I want to fix. What I find so great and unique about the Digest Diet and Digest Diet Cookbook is how they have done everything to help you succeed in your weight loss goals. A cookbook you will want to own, even if you aren’t dieting and just want to eat healthy!
I received this book free from FBS Pulishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diet books are popular this time of year, with many people resolving to lose weight and get healthy as the new year begins. The problem with many of them is that they are so complicated, requiring a degree in science to be able to understand and follow the program.

Reader's Digest editor-in-chief Liz Vaccariello and her team reviewed the science of weight loss and created a 21-day eating plan called The Digest Diet to help people lose weight. Now she has a follow-up book, The Digest Diet Cookbook, with 150 recipes using her plan to aid in that goal.

The good news is that the recipes are filled with fresh ingredients that anyone can find in your grocery store- nothing crazy or exotic. There is also a wonderful variety of foods; you can make Thai, Greek, Vietnamese, Italian and American food. You won't get bored making the same thing over and over again.

Even the Fat-Release Shakes, which you can drink twice a day, start with familiar items like nonfat yogurt, coconut milk and honey and allow you to add variations such as bananas, berries, grapes, peanut butter, and cinnamon to create a new shake each day (and it's not that awful green color).

There are lots of recipes I want to try, such as:

Smoked Turkey & Swiss Breakfast Sandwiches
Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup
Mexican Cobb Salad
Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse
I did make one recipe already- North Carolina Barbecued Tenderloin, a pork recipe with cider vinegar, honey, tomato paste and Frank's Red Hot Sauce that my husband really enjoyed. Each serving had 168 calories, 24 grams of protein and 2.5 grams of fat.

Each recipe includes a graphic with the fat releasers contained in the dish (vinegar, honey, hot sauce) and there is a two page spread of all the fat release staples that will help you stock your pantry. I also liked that they give a list of their favorite wraps and crackers. They also have some success stories from readers who have used the plan.


If you are looking for a healthy, easy-to-follow way to lose weight or if you just want some new, healthy, fresh recipes, The Diet Digest Cookbook is a great way to go.

[Lindsey Silvestrini · Rating 4 out of 5]

With busy schedules fast food has become part of the daily routine for many American’s and obesity continues to rise. Maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle has become a huge challenge for many, especially us busy moms that are always on the go. The Digest Diet Cookbook provides great tips as well as recipes for accomplishing our healthy eating goals and keeping our weight down.

Growing up my mom always read Reader’s Digest and I used to love to read all of the stories. I figured a cookbook by a respected household name was bound to be good and I was right! I love that the book includes valuable information about food and not just what to eat but why. I think too many people don’t really understand how different foods affect our bodies and overall health so they continue putting bad things into their bodies.

There are success stories and pictures of people who have reached their goals through healthy eating. It’s important to see how other people have succeeded for people to realize they can do it too.

Each recipe also shows you the ingredients that are fat releasers as well as the serving information on calories, fat etc. It’s important to know exactly what is going into your body if you have any hope of controlling it. There are thirteen foods that are considered fat releasers, many of which were a surprise to me. I’m embarrassed to realize how little I know about what I eat!

One of my favorite things about this cookbook is that some of the recipes show how to make it just for one so you don’t have a ton of leftovers. Sometimes I don’t bother cooking just for myself because it’s always too much food so this is a great tool! It also gives you options on what you can do with leftovers to mix it up a little bit so you aren’t eating the exact same thing twice.

The Digest Diet Cookbook gives you all the information you will need to reach a healthy weight and maintain it while giving your body all the nutrients it needs. You could be their next success story!

[Edythe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Vaccariello created this cookbook after presenting a successful diet plan preview. “Since we first released the book in March 2012, thousands have laughed, danced, and eaten their way to their happy weight.”, she has written a quick weight loss program that can be accomplished in as little as 21 days.
“I wanted to develop a cookbook for another reason, as well. A growing body of research says that cooking and eating at home with loved ones is better for your health than dining out.” I have found this to be true, even when dining alone at home.
She lists exercise as a fat increaser, “Don’t get me wrong—exercise is wonderful!...since aerobic exercise can make you hungrier, sometimes it can actually increase your body fat….So what can I eat on this diet anyway?” This is answered by the wonderful recipes she has included.
Ms. Vaccariello explains in her book thirteen fat releasers used in the diet plan: Vitamin C, Calcium, Dairy, Protein, PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids), MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids—the healthy fats), Coconut Oil, Resveratrol, Fiber, Vinegar, Quinoa, Honey, and Cocoa. You are not cheated out of anything here. She also provides a plan to get your kitchen set up for the task. Throughout the book, there are short success stories of the people who are using the diet and losing weight in the process.
There are numerous recipes that include pasta, beef, pork and seafood. The dessert recipes sound simply scrumptious. The key here, understand what your fat releasers are and apply them to your proportioned size meals.
Anyone looking to lose weight will find this book very helpful. I recommend it to the health conscious who may want additional recipes and information on a healthy eating lifestyle.
(I received this book free from Reader’s Digest for review purposes)

[Heydi Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

This cookbook held no appeal for me. I didn't like the recipes or how they were laid out.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Has Awesome Recipes. I would Recommend It.