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The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight & Eating Great
The best-selling author of The Perfect Recipe shares her secret for dumping pounds without dietingand the 250 recipes for her new way of eating.
To millions of citizen cooks, Pam Anderson is a trusted friend who does all the work for them, testing and retesting until she arrives at the best version of classic favorites and simple dishes for company. But gradually, Pam found herself standing with the two thirds of Americans who are more than a few pounds overweight. Fed up with whipsaw cycles of losing and gaining, she vowed to changebut not if it involved dieting, hunger pangs, or saying no to the foods she loved. Complicated recipes were out. She streamlined, creating meals as satisfying as they are quickpizzas that take just thirty minutes, big-bowl combos, and gratifying snacks to forestall cravings. She discovered a few simple habits that make all the difference. Four years later, she’s still maintaining her forty-pound weight loss. The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great is a way to eat for life. It’s filled with voice-of-experience tips for curbing appetite, no-nonsense shortcuts for getting food on the table pronto, and recipes that could only have been developed by this food-loving prono compromises, no wasted steps, just extraordinary results from ordinary ingredients.
To millions of citizen cooks, Pam Anderson is a trusted friend who does all the work for them, testing and retesting until she arrives at the best version of classic favorites and simple dishes for company. But gradually, Pam found herself standing with the two thirds of Americans who are more than a few pounds overweight. Fed up with whipsaw cycles of losing and gaining, she vowed to changebut not if it involved dieting, hunger pangs, or saying no to the foods she loved. Complicated recipes were out. She streamlined, creating meals as satisfying as they are quickpizzas that take just thirty minutes, big-bowl combos, and gratifying snacks to forestall cravings. She discovered a few simple habits that make all the difference. Four years later, she’s still maintaining her forty-pound weight loss. The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great is a way to eat for life. It’s filled with voice-of-experience tips for curbing appetite, no-nonsense shortcuts for getting food on the table pronto, and recipes that could only have been developed by this food-loving prono compromises, no wasted steps, just extraordinary results from ordinary ingredients.
308 pages, Hardcover
First published March 12, 2008
3 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Pam Anderson
27 books13 followersPAM ANDERSON is the author of the best-selling The Perfect Recipe, Perfect Recipes for Having People Over, and the New York Times bestseller The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great. She has been the food columnist for USA Weekend for the last eight years, is a contributing chef to Fine Cooking and Runners World, and writes a weekly blog for the Asheville (North Carolina) Citizen-Times.
For more about Pam, please visit www.threemanycooks.com."
For more about Pam, please visit www.threemanycooks.com."
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 2, 2012
I love the recipes! I love everything about this book EXCEPT the way the food pics are organized. I prefer the pics to be next to the recipe so I can see what I am shooting for.
February 21, 2017
This book was my answer to my request for a lower calorie version of How to Cook Without a Book, and while not written out the same way, I've memorized the best chicken recipe I know that my mom requests of me all the time. I can't recommend this book highly enough. If you're looking to cook delicious food with lower calorie values, this book is fantastic.
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November 25, 2019I like Anderson’s writing, and this book would be truly valuable for someone who is trying to cook more to eat more healthily. As someone who is already pretty adept home cook there aren’t a lot of new ideas here for me.
September 28, 2025
My local farmer's market recently had a booth at a fair, and had a shelf of healthy cookbooks to give away. I chose this one---from 2008, no less!--and it's great; still relevant. While I just got it recently and am not yet in a cooking mood (that's me, not a daily cook), she actually is a food writer, so the recipes seem great. And EASY (a must for me!). PLUS has her own weight loss story, which means she understands this from the inside out. Looking this over, it really seems like the rare cookbook that I might actually use.
She begins the book by sharing her process of losing about 50 pounds, which began with simply taking walks. Actually—let me back up--first some therapy/self-awareness, and beginning to value herself more and set boundaries (don't worry, she doesn't dwell on this if you shy from a cookbook talking about therapy, but it was important in her journey). This was not a short process, but it set the stage for a “new” her—a self-image that could carry her into new habits. She wasn’t thinking about weight at the time, particularly. Then taking the time for walks was part of the new self-care she practiced. She emphasizes that as a foodie, she refused to cut out any category. Instead she kept walking a lot, which she enjoyed and which helped her appetite reduce. She discusses how she began to plan a time for each meal and snack—not by the clock, but the knowing of each general time to eat was important, and she didn’t let waking times go more than a few hours without some kind of conscious food choice so as not to get over-hungry.
This whole part is 20 pages, not long but interesting, as she refuses to ever torture herself, cut out food groups, do exercise she hates, or do any unsustainable practices. It actually all has a gentle, kind feel. Her weight loss is gradual. But for the first time ever, she doesn't hold onto her fatter clothing as she loses weight (in the past, knowing she will slip back after every diet).
The next part is beautiful photos of the scrumptious-looking recipes!
She then has simple but nice thorough lists of what to have on hand and why, and how many of her choices give “big flavor” which is a key.
And then—the recipes! Ample choices in every category (& she definitely believes in desserts). She mentions things like brown sugar having more flavor than white sugar, which I had never heard. I don’t ordinarily use sugar, but I appreciate simple swaps such as these that she offers. She includes many examples of how she makes lower calorie rich sauces and such. While I would have to adapt some recipes to work with no dairy nor gluten, I still love how simple everything looks to cook. She includes “base” recipes like salads, soups, bowls, wraps which can be swapped with a list of different filler options, to keep from boredom.
I usually feel overwhelmed or intimidated by cookbooks, or only see a few recipes that appeal or would work for me. This book isn’t like that. I feel calm reading her simple recipes, and inspired. We’ll see! I am glad I chose this one from the freebie shelf. 😊
She begins the book by sharing her process of losing about 50 pounds, which began with simply taking walks. Actually—let me back up--first some therapy/self-awareness, and beginning to value herself more and set boundaries (don't worry, she doesn't dwell on this if you shy from a cookbook talking about therapy, but it was important in her journey). This was not a short process, but it set the stage for a “new” her—a self-image that could carry her into new habits. She wasn’t thinking about weight at the time, particularly. Then taking the time for walks was part of the new self-care she practiced. She emphasizes that as a foodie, she refused to cut out any category. Instead she kept walking a lot, which she enjoyed and which helped her appetite reduce. She discusses how she began to plan a time for each meal and snack—not by the clock, but the knowing of each general time to eat was important, and she didn’t let waking times go more than a few hours without some kind of conscious food choice so as not to get over-hungry.
This whole part is 20 pages, not long but interesting, as she refuses to ever torture herself, cut out food groups, do exercise she hates, or do any unsustainable practices. It actually all has a gentle, kind feel. Her weight loss is gradual. But for the first time ever, she doesn't hold onto her fatter clothing as she loses weight (in the past, knowing she will slip back after every diet).
The next part is beautiful photos of the scrumptious-looking recipes!
She then has simple but nice thorough lists of what to have on hand and why, and how many of her choices give “big flavor” which is a key.
And then—the recipes! Ample choices in every category (& she definitely believes in desserts). She mentions things like brown sugar having more flavor than white sugar, which I had never heard. I don’t ordinarily use sugar, but I appreciate simple swaps such as these that she offers. She includes many examples of how she makes lower calorie rich sauces and such. While I would have to adapt some recipes to work with no dairy nor gluten, I still love how simple everything looks to cook. She includes “base” recipes like salads, soups, bowls, wraps which can be swapped with a list of different filler options, to keep from boredom.
I usually feel overwhelmed or intimidated by cookbooks, or only see a few recipes that appeal or would work for me. This book isn’t like that. I feel calm reading her simple recipes, and inspired. We’ll see! I am glad I chose this one from the freebie shelf. 😊
June 3, 2009
Filled with voice-of-experience tips for curbing appetite (Pam Anderson is still maintaining her forty-pound weight loss), no-nonsense shortcuts for getting food on the table pronto, and recipes that could only have been developed by this food-loving pro-this new book The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great, offers no compromises, no wasted steps, just extraordinary results from ordinary ingredients.
We met Pam Anderson when she visited the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver. You can listen to her talk about The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great here: http://www.authorsontourlive.com/?p=131
We met Pam Anderson when she visited the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver. You can listen to her talk about The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great here: http://www.authorsontourlive.com/?p=131
March 16, 2009
I love Pam Anderson's recipes. They're well done, approachable, pretty and tasty. That said, there weren't enough I thought I'd make to actually warrant purchasing this book. I didn't like how the photos and the recipes were separated. I like my drool-worthy pics next to the recipe so I can see what my end product (might) look like. It's also fun to find your mouth watering and want to make that recipe.
And please, whatever you do, don't buy this thinking it's an actual diet. It isn't. It's a cookbook that aims (successfully) to give you encouraging tips and guidance and great recipes to enjoy while eating better. It's not a diet book.
And please, whatever you do, don't buy this thinking it's an actual diet. It isn't. It's a cookbook that aims (successfully) to give you encouraging tips and guidance and great recipes to enjoy while eating better. It's not a diet book.
December 3, 2008
I am still using this book weekly. I have learned a whole new way of cooking - efficient, quick, and healthy. Best of all, the recipes are TASTY!! I have learned how to roast veggies better in the oven, sear pretty much all types of meat, and how to do foil meals in the oven! Love it love it love it. My only objection is that a few of the recipes are too"gourmet" for us, but I can adapt most of them.
October 4, 2008
I love the fact that she gives general recipes, suggested combinations, and then just lists of possible ingredients (like for soup, salad, omelettes, etc.) When I get in food ruts, it's great to open this book and get some fresh ideas.
March 30, 2016
Pam Anderson made a decision to make a healthy life for herself when she was in her 40's and managed to lose over 40 pounds. Her recipes are healthy and delicious! Her attitude about putting yourself first and taking the time to be healthy is inspiring.
July 5, 2011
Common sense advice (which are really reminders - we've heard it all before numerous times, eat sensibly, exercise) and delicious - easy! recipes. I'm particularly impressed with her method of using evaporated milk in creamy pasta sauces. This is definitely a good reference book for the kitchen.
May 21, 2014
Well written, interesting, some great ideas and recipes. But the photos are all in one section, not anywhere near the recipe to match. Yuck. But a good read and gave me some new ideas, so that's good.
September 28, 2008
Many good, easy recipes.
May 10, 2010
One of the best cookbooks I've come across, low-fat or not. I use this all the time . . . and if you've ever seen my kitchen, you know that means a lot.
July 16, 2010
My favorite cookbook author of all time!
August 25, 2010
Really great. I love her variations on a theme. I've been losing one pound a week on her program. (Which, as she states, isn't really a diet but a lifestyle change.)
June 14, 2011
everything in here is delicious! Not a single bad recipe. I'm HUGE fan of this woman.
July 14, 2013
Found some new recipes to try this week.
November 20, 2013
Get again
October 15, 2015
good, interesting, some good recipes
February 15, 2016
Tells the story of an overweight busy woman who changed her priorities so she could take care of herself with exercise and healthy food. Has some good basic recipies that can be modified.
November 16, 2024
I love the recipes in this cookbook. My go to recipes for smoothies!
September 2, 2008
I liked her lifestyle philosophy and the recipes are great too.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews