Eat, Drink, and Weigh Less

by Mollie Katzen, Walter C. Willett

Here's the dream team for healthy eating: Mollie Katzen is the author of the landmark Moosewood Cookbook and one of Health magazine's five "Women Who Changed the Way We Eat;" Dr. Walter Willett is the head of the Harvard School of Public Health's Department of Nutrition. Together they've created a weight-loss plan that's not only easy to implement—with gradual shifts rather than quick fixes—but filled with delicious, enjoyable foods and more than one hundred of Mollie's fabulous recipes.

Mollie Katzen, author of Moosewood Cookbook, is one of the bestselling cookbook authors of all time. She lives in the Bay Area. Walter Willet, M.D., is the author of Eat, Drink, & Be Healthy, as well as a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. He lives in Boston.

Genres: Health, Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Reference, Self Help, Cooking, Food

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 11, 2006

About the author

Educated at the Eastman School of Music, Cornell University, and the San Francisco Art Institute. Although her formal training was as an artist and musician, she exhibited natural cooking inclinations from a very early age, and cooked professionally - in restaurants and as a caterer - for ten years. In 1973 she was one of the founders of the Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, New York, and during her five years of cooking there, she compiled, illustrated and handlettered the Moosewood Cookbook.
In addition to her writing and illustrating, Mollie is a committed student of classical piano.

Reviews

[Beth A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book emphasizes the importance of eating well and exercise for health and longevity in addition to weight control. I liked his "Nine Turning Points." They are "five fundamental shifts you can make in your diet and lifestyle that will help you reach and maintain a healthy weight, and reduce your risk of chronic disease."

1. Eat lots of vegetables and fruits.
2. Say yes to good fats. (Unsaturated fats)
3. Upgrade your carbohydrates. (Whole grain, high fiber foods)
4. Choose healthy proteins.
5. Stay hydrated.
6. Drink alcohol in moderation. optional
7. Take a multivitamin every day.
8. Move more.
9. Eat mindfully all day long.

It has lots of interesting recipes. I didn't, however, like the 21 day diet plan, I don't like diets that tell you what to eat each day, and he recommends the same amount of calories for every dieter, even weight watchers knows better than to do that.

I did like his warm-up plan, because it includes the healthy principles without dictating a diet.

Eat a good breakfast.
Eat nothing after dinner.
Exercise for at least thirty minutes every day.
Add healthy vegetables and fruits.
Limit your "white starch" carbohydrate intake to just one serving.
Allow yourself one small dessert every other day. Eat it slowly and enjoy.
Try to drink at least six 8-oz glasses of water a day.
Have some protein at each meal.

I enjoyed reading it, and it helped motivate me to try and eat healthier.

[Inder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate diets and diet books, but this book has great recipes for healthy whole grain and vegetable dishes. It's the ONLY vegetarian-friendly diet book I've ever seen. The diet recommendations are so common sense than even someone who loves to eat a lot and drink beer, and hates dieting and being hungry (like me), can make a few small improvements, feel a lot better and lose a couple of pounds.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a bible. A bible for those of us who struggled with their relationship with food, exercise and what it means to nourish oneself. And unlike most bibles, it contains real science, science that is applied to every day eating and drinking. It also addresses the spiritual side of eating. And the message is, folks, like any relationship, it takes work, which will reward you many times over. Molly Katzen is my hero!!

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

B Blah blah blah diet books. I didn't want a diet book but I love Mollie Katzen. She offers some good tips (well, it's her written with Walter Willet) but it gets too diety (no blah blah blah). Some yummy recipes and good tips for eating better--and to ingest less calories to lose weight, not eat less fat. Bring on the avocados!

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This diet/way of eating makes good sense to me. I have tried about a dozen of the recipes and find them delicious, and well-written. I especially appreciate the helpful info about how and how long to store leftovers, what and when to prepare ahead. Yay Mollie! Please write a sequel, with more recipes!

[LemontreeLime · Rating 3 out of 5]

S'alright.

[Matthew Gatheringwater · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've enjoyed Mollie Katzen's cookbooks, so I thought I'd check out her book on healthful eating--which is saying something, because I usually steer clear of these kinds of books. I appreciate that Katzen and her MD co-author try to bolster their advice about eating with medical research, although I do not think they are always successful, as some of what they recommend seems questionable or out-dated to me. What was supported by research was pretty much the same kind of sensible advice you'd expect from Weight Watchers or a dietitian. What I liked best about the book was Katzen's positive attitude toward promoting pleasure in healthful food and her simple and sensible outline of what constitutes a healthful diet and how to prepare it. Her system if flexible and forgiving. Sometimes her advice is bizarre--like when she suggests eating only half your baklava at a restaurant and leaving the other half as a tip for the waiter--but it was mostly sensible advice from a woman who seems genuinely to care about public health and obesity.

[Emily Kestrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The recipes sound really good. Well, of course they do, it's Mollie Katzen! I could probably eat the Ethereal Broccoli soup every day and doubtless lose weight by doing so. The diet parts of the book are just standard conventional wisdom diet advice: Choose "good" fats and "good" carbs and get a bit of exercise and don't forget that calories count. It's not bad advice, but seriously, we've heard it all before. Some of it seems a bit dated, too (or maybe I've just read too many diet and nutrition books since then, causing the dreaded "paralysis by analysis"), such as saturated fat being bad (I think it has pretty much been exonerated, even former nay-sayers like Dr. Weil admitting as much), canola oil being good (can anything that processed be good for you??), and a daily multivitamin being recommended (eh, I still don't know about that one.) So...skip the diet advice and jump into the recipes, whilst watching your portions and getting some exercise every day, that's my advice.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just because of the fact that is book is written by Mollie Katzen and Walter Willet, I knew it would be good (Mollie Katzen is my favorite foodie cookbook author and Walter Willet is a super famous Nutritionist from Harvard. The book is backed by science and is practical. My favorite parts are Mollie's - her recipes and ideas for incorporating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into the diet. I also really like how the recipes call for your "protein item of choice" and teach you how you can include tofu, seitan, chicken, beef, etc. The only thing I don't like about it is that its focus is weight loss, and would much prefer a book with a goal of general health and well-being.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just pulled this book out again to grab a recipe and read through some of the highlights for a nutrition course I m taking and remembered how much I like it. Walter Willette--MD & Scientest and Mollie Katzen, chef and cookbook author known for the Moosewood Restaurants together in a book less about a formal diet (although there is a 21 day plan that is a focus) than the way we should all be eating.

[Tatjana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good stuff.
I combined this approach with my weight watchers and have had very good luck, slowly losing weight and feeling better. I have been able to maintain my loss and my habit of exercise which involves non-artificially-derived exercise: riding my bike for groceries, walking my dogs, chasing chickens, gardening, etc.
Most of the recipes are good, if a touch bland, but I find I have to spice up the Moosewood recipes a touch anyway.
enjoy!

[Shefaly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purchased this book because Walter Willett is a leading researcher in the field of nutrition and his first book an excellent primer for anyone. This book was equally great, esp. because i like mollie katzen's moosewood cookbooks. Though it is geared more for people who want to lose weight, I still liked the book--very concise and a quick read.

[Happyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is essentially an expansion of Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy with the lovely addition of recipes by Mollie Katzen and meal planning advice. What's great about the diet advice in this book is that it's friendly to a number of different eating philosophies -- unless you're anti-vegetables. Then you're on your own.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, excellent book. It emphasizes the tried and true method of weight loss -- modification of eating habits and exercise with greater emphasis on diet. I had already modified my eating habits and with exercise have lost 11 lbs. to date. I am incorporating many of the authors suggestions and am looking forward to being healthier and happier!

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great resource, especially for this time of year. I find it to be a great guide and interesting reading. It is realistic. The tips on types of good and planning are helpful.
Check out the eggplant parmesan and egg salad. I love that she doesn't use artificial sweetners or anything of the sort.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Dr. Willet's previous book, "Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy" because I was diving into more and more junk food, and needed the motivation to jump out of that pit and eat right. Then I read this book, and learned how to put it all together into an easy, delicious, and flexible eating plan that I can live with.

[Erin]

This was good with lots of good recipes from Mollie Katzen (of Moosewood fame). Walter Willett is the Dean (or something equally high up) of nutrition at Harvard. He knows his stuff and did TONS of research

[Alexandra Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the approach- understanding what to eat in order to maximize calorie consumption = choosing the right foods for health (creating healthy habits). Always happy to add new thoughts and suggestions on eating well to my cocktail of knowledge. Very practical advice.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book about making good choices. Makes whole grains feel accessible. Breaks down eating choices far enough that they are not overwhelming. Safe to say it has changed our family's diet for the better!

[Holli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new book on how to change ones eating habits to better health and weight. Full of recipes, studies to support the system and good ideas.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent synopsis of good nutrition advice, the way we all should be eating all the time, backed up by the latest research.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting "eating plan" book (I refuse to say "diet"!) with some new scientific information and ideas. The 21-day eating plan and accompanying recipes sound mouth watering and delicious!

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really like the focus tool which teaches you to have a well-balanced attitude about all aspects of food and again to add the best foods to your diet.

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't read this book for weight loss purposes. I read it because it has great suggestions and recipes for working in appropriate servings of veggies, fruits, grains & dairy on a daily basis.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first part is a good summary of just about every other book on nutrition I've ever read. The second part is a 3-week menu plan (no thanks) and a bunch of recipes--some look really good.

[Gina]

I own book.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and good recipes, I checked this book out from the library and ended up buying it on ebay.

[G.G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only diet book I’ve ever read that’s full of sensible, up-to-date advice--as well as recipes for food you actually want to eat.