Hungry Girl: 200 Under 200: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories

by Lisa Lillien

Hungry Girl mania is sweeping the nation! The New York Times bestselling phenomenon delivers even more yum-tastic recipes in an easy-to-use cookbook containing 200 Hungry Girl recipes all under 200 calories. Recipes * H-O-T Hot Boneless Buffalo Wings
* Sassy Southwestern Roll-Ups
* Cheesy-Good Cornbread Muffins
* Holy Moly Guacamole
* HG s So Low Mein w/Chicken
* Cheeseburger Lettuce Cups ;
* Chocolate Chip Cookie Crisp Puddin Shake
* Swirls Gone Wild Cheesecake Brownies
* Personal Pretzel-Bottomed Ice Cream Pie, and many more. Told with Lisa's signature wit and sassy style, these recipes are as fun to read as they are to make!

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Health, Diets, Reference

352 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2009

About the author

The creator of HungryGirl.com shares her best tips, recipes, and advice to live a healthy and full life!"

Lisa Lillien is not a nutritionist, she's just hungry. She's the founder of Hungry Girl, the website and daily email service providing approximately one million fans with guilt-free recipes, food and product reviews, dieting news, shockers and more. She also writes weekly columns for WeightWatchers.com and Yahoo!, and regularly contributes to Redbook magazine. She has appeared on TV shows like Rachel Ray and Extra, and now has her own show on the Cooking Channel. Her Hungry Girl cookbooks are New York Times bestsellers. She lives in Los Angeles, California.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/lisali...

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

The back cover jubilantly proclaims, "She's not a nutritionist, she's just hungry!" Flipping through, I was kind of amazed to see that more than half of the recipes were for dessert or dessert-like recipes. There was an entire chapter of cupcakes, and another one for stuff you can do with Cool-Whip. But when I looked at the ingredients list, I was kind of surprised. Almost every single recipes calls for stuff like powdered flavored coffee creamer, egg replacements, diet Swiss Miss packages, and so forth. There was a really yummy looking French Toast Nugget recipe that lost all of its allure when I found out the bread she recommended were really hot dog buns. The cinnamon buns were made with canned reduced-fat crescent roll dough. Eating fewer processed foods was a huge component of EVERY single book on nutrition that I read, so it seemed really strange to me that anyone would want to try to lose weight eating such processed crap. I'd rather save up my calories and blow them on something made with real ingredients: like eggs, or chocolate.

[Di · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource for those who are looking for quick, low-cal meals and snacks without having to invest a lot of time in prep or making them.

The cookbook takes time to introduce readers to a number of brand name products that are healthier versions of more commmonplace versions. Playing around with these ingredients allows you to do some experimentation of your own with other recipes.

The single drawback to this book is that there's a reliance on prepared/processed foods to cut back on cook time. Though I support anything that speeds up meal making, I would strongly suggest that you mix these in with meals made from scratch, natural ingredients to provide your body with a nutritious balance of foods.

[Shiela · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. The thing I didn't really appreciate was the fact that everything was made from artificial things (i.e.: Splenda, I Can't Believe it's not Butter, non fat everything) and though I suppose that's what makes them under 200 calories but enough with the artificial chemicals. Aren't they worse off for you than some good old fashioned sugar and butter or margarine. And I guess if you are Sugar Twinning everything, you can afford to make half of our recipes full of what is formerly known as SUGAR and call them healthy...hmmmm

Everything in MODERATION people...I'm done.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was completely intrigued with a book FULL of recipes under 200 calories. But disappointed that many of the recipes are "empty calories". I think I may be better served with sticking to whole grains, fresh fruit, and veggies, than trying to come up with a lower calorie way to make "not potato salad". All in all, I will still use and enjoy this recipe book, but it won't be my "main" menu source of ideas.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hands down my favorite cookbook and one of the few that I actually bought instead of just getting from the library. Love the substitutions. Not really a great cookbook for those seeking to eat more natural, non-processed foods though as many of the recipes contain artificial sweeteners and lower fat and calorie options that do seem to contain a lot of chemicals.

Many of the HG alternatives taste just as good if not better than the originals. Some of my favorites so far are the "Super-Cheesy, All-American Breakfast Bake," the "Devilish Eggs," and the "Fab-Five Banana Pancake Minis." I am shocked (because I'm usually not a low-fat, fat-free food person) but combined in the right way it doesn't taste at all like diet food. I was skeptical, especially on the Devilish Eggs (cauliflower instead of egg yolk) but was shocked to find tasty options for some of my favorite things.

HG has been a wonderful tool for recipes and ideas while on Weight Watchers. The daily emails are also great!

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was probably a bad choice on my part. Basically, while I like some of her sub, the artificial sweetener thing really isn't for me. Her savory stuff is more up my alley. Anyway, this is full of sweet treats, but relies very heavily on very processed foods. A lot of time when I eat things this processed, it leaves me hungrier for the real thing, kind of defeating the purpose. Also, some of the recipes are just not really recipes - she has us spreading fat-free whipped topping on mini pretzels and freezing them to make sandwiches? That's something a bored teenager would do.

Some of the recipes use more 'real' food than others (her crumbles in mugs are all real, and pretty tasty). She's also very creative with fruit - making waffle tacos and some other fruity treats that are especially kid friendly and rely on real food.

If you've got a huge sweet tooth and are trying to lose weight, this may be for you. But I actually like to cook, and am trying to get away from processed foods, so this just wasn't for me.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow -- what a terrific guide for dieters! From the popular Hungry Girl series, this book features 200 recipes all under 200 calories. Including fresh ideas for snacks, appetizers and drinks as well as the standard meal fare, I really enjoyed the new ideas for low-calorie, high taste treats that won't kill my weight loss plan.

However, I had one problem with the book -- many of the recipes call for a ton of ingredients. I'm on a calorie budget, but I'm also on a monetary budget. Although some of the dishes sounded delicious, many are cost-prohibitive for my personal purposes. I think there are other ways to eat healthy without breaking the bank. However, 200 under 200 game me some great ideas for special event dishes and other "splurges" that I will be able to look forward to in the future. Highly recommended for women that can't look at one more turkey sandwich on whole-wheat bread. The dips section alone is worth checking out the book. Yummy.

[Mare S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ask anyone I know and they will tell you two things about me: I'm a terrible cook and I'm lazy when it comes to a kitchen. So when a fellow user of Weight Watchers recommended Hungry Girl I was a bit suspect. I'm not a cook. I'm more of a microwave something already cooked by someone else.

I started with her website and tried a few things. Simple enough.

And then I gave this book a whirl from the library. I ended up going out to buy it because it has some great ideas that don't give up taste. And if you are a Weight Watchers person, Hungry Girl provides the points total for her recipes.

Look at me learning to cook. Sort of.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hungry Girl is so great at coming up with the perfect Weight Watcher friendly recipes. I love that most of her recipes are already portioned for one person, can be made with ingredients I have on hand, and are easy to make. Some of the recipes are a little complex for a small meal like this, but most of them are pretty simple. She does use a lot of packaged foods, but again, those are easier to track calories on and they are convenient. I will definitely try out some of these recipes now that I am back on plan!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because it has tons of simple healthy ideas for quick and healthy breakfasts especially. I also like the list of HG staples which resulted in my discovery of Thomas healthy start English Muffins, so much better than the original and my new fav thing. I think this book is good for people like me who are too lazy to cook and suck at it anyway, but don't want to eat crap. Also, it is cute and funny, bonus points.

[William J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hungry Girl has 200 recipes under 200 calories and is a very nice cookbook. There is a very nice Index in the back with Hungry Girl's Top Secret Food Finds Listed. The Chapter's range from Morning Minis and Egg-stravaganza to Tortilla Madness, Cupcakes, Sweet Stuff, Fun with Fiber One and much more.
The gooey cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing were very nice as was the i can't believe it's not potato salad!. There are some beautiful photos of food in the cookbook which inspired me to make the
That's a Lotta Frittata, Sassy Southwestern Egg Rolls and the Holy Moly Guacamole. The I Can't Believe It's Not Potato Salad was also pictured. There are so many beautifully pictured recipes that look very good with ingredients that look simple and healthy. I highly recommend this cookbook for healthy minded people who want simple recipes that are delicious, low calorie and easy to prepare. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

[Dana Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you plan on reducing your calorie intake and live alone or will only be making reduced calorie meals and snacks for yourself using highly processed store bought ingredients, this is book is ideal. For people who tend to use more fresh ingredients or things that don't have man-made vitamins fortified in their foods, this is not the book for you.

[Laura Cushing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good recipes, some of which I will copy down and try before returning this to the library. Not enough that I would make to want to buy the book

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn’t save a single recipe. Most recipes use processed food and artificial sweeteners. They may be low calorie but not healthy! And nothing was really easy to multiply for a family.

[Tina Shaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very healthy food ingredients. If you are looking for healthy options this isn’t the book.

[Wadeana Beveridge · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly...nothing new or so bizarre that no one has the ingredients.

[Artina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very creative and easy ideas for meals, snacks, and everything in between. I can't wait to try out some of the scoopable salads and step up my very boring daily tuna salad packet lunch.

[Shellie (Layers of Thought) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars actually

Lisa Lillien is a blogger gone mainstream author. I am now seeing her books in the grocery store. Her philosophy is to eat and to not be hungry but to cut out where ever you can. Her avatar and attitude is cute fun and positive...

She has a great website which features the latest calorie skimming foods you can easily purchase from your local grocery. (Hungrygirl.com is her site where you can sign up for daily emails for recipes and tips - which include what to eat at popular restaurants and what to avoid - so this is great for guys too.)

I do have to note that the recipes she publishes have been designed and taste tested by her growing staff and are really good. However she tends to veer toward the artificial and center aisle stuffs of the grocery store where most health and diet professional suggest that you steer clear. Most of her recipes include artificial ingredients such as sugars and non fat items which are kinda scary. However they are delicious. I have cooked quite a few and have not been disappointed and neither has my husband.

She take a number of old favorite recipes which are extremely fattening and creates low fat, low calorie dishes which you would enjoy and not feel cheated when eating. Try her site first which I did and love.

[Mckinley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't like these because ingredients are fat free this and fake that; use artificial sweeteners, etc. I tend to shy away from 'healthy' cookbooks witch feature gimmicks and tends and rely on low-fat versions, artificial sweeteners and the like.

Some health cookbooks I liked:

Eating Well, Living Better: The Grassroots Gourmet Guide to Good Health and Great Food
Read by Michael S. Fenster (cardiologist and professional chef!)

Superfoods for Women: 300 Recipes That Fulfill Your Special Nutritional Needs by Riccio

Fit or Fat Target Recipes (a bit hard core on cutting the fat)

The Low-Fat Good Food Cookbook: For a Lifetime of Fabulous Food Katahn

American Heart Association Quick and Easy Cookbook

Cook Yourself Thin and Cook Yourself Thin Faster by L Deen

French Women don't get Fat series by Guiliano

[Emily-Jane Orford · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disappointing. These desserts are supposed to be healthy and low-cal? Not when you look at the ingredients. Soy milk? Not good for you. Cake and pudding mixes? Full of sugar and unhealthy additives, even the low-fat mixes! Whatever happened to the good, old-fashioned make-from-scratch (totally from scratch, as in no mixes), which is so much better for you. And, for someone promoting sugar substitutes, it's rather scarce in the list of alternative sweeteners. It doesn't even mention Stevia as a sugar substitute. All gloss and no useful substance. Waste of paper. Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford, food author for Recipes Only and author of the recently published cookbook, "Still Delicious".

[Janet Morris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found about 4 recipes worth even considering out of the 200 that were listed. There were some interesting ideas, but the ingredient choices were just disgusting. There were a lot of recipes with empty calories, artificial sweeteners, and/or processed foods. I know she isn't a nutritionist or a food expert, but it seems that she would at least have some standards about what she was willing to put into her meals and into her body. I don't care how "hungry" she might be, a lot of the foods sounded inedible and very unhealthy. It seems like it'd be healthier to exercise and find alternative ways to restrict calories. Or maybe go talk to a real nutritionist.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm always a fan of low-cal cookbooks (cuz I'm always desperately searching for low-cal foods that actually taste good and are satisfying!!), but I definitely wouldn't say this is one of the better ones.
She really stresses the "low-cal" and not the "nutritious" AT ALL. So even if you're eating something under 200 calories, you still feel kinda bad cuz there is practically no nutritional value whatsoever.
Lots of emphasis on processed foods...and you can get most of these recipes online for free. Kinda lame.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this up from the library last night. I already have a bunch of recipes bookmarked to try out.

I tried the Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge that uses a brownie mix and a can of pumpkin. While the taste was awesome, I just couldn't get over the texture. It was almost the consistency of circus peanuts and I just thought it was gross. I ended up throwing away most of it.

I also tried the Chocolate Cheesecake Nuggets. Those aren't bad. Very easy to make and the taste is decent. I like to let it thaw out a little bit before eating it since they are super cold.

[Amy the book-bat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book at the library and just had to take a look. like the Hungry Girl series quite a bit. I like how simple swaps make recipes a little healthier and less guilty. In this book, Hungry Girl tackles desserts and comes up with some that look like real winners. I like how the chapters are broken up into topics like mug cakes, cake pops, cupcakes and other kinds of single serve desserts and then there are chapters for different cakes, pies, and multiple serving desserts. I really want to try the salted caramel chocolate mug cake.

[SKP · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t tried any of the recipes yet, but I’ve been looking for some new dessert ideas to make for my husband who loves desserts but doesn’t love the extra calories. I read several of the negative reviews, and I agree that a lot of artificial substitutions are not something that I would want to be throwing into Hubby’s diet. I am pretty good at substituting lower calorie options myself, so I may be trying out the recipes with some adaptations. I like a lot of the ideas though, which is why I gave it 4 stars.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm by no stretch of the imagination a Paleo-clean eating mama, but the amount of processed food used for these recipes surprised and repelled me. ALL of her sweetened recipes called for Splenda, for example. The ingredients were just bizarre... not at all the kinds of foods I would hope to find in a "healthy" kitchen. I was hoping for more recipes for chicken, fish, vegetables, whole grains, etc. What this book seemed to be, to me, was an extended advertisement for a few select products.

[Sandi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Easy to understand and simple recipes to follow without too many foreign ingredients for most pantries, but most recipes would leave you with portions of unused ingredients you have to talk or could just barely make the requirements of a "recipe..." unless you count "put cool whip on rice cakes and freeze" as a recipe. Love Hungry Girl and some of her regular recipes, but this book left me wanting to skip dessert.

[Caity · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first got this cookbook I enjoyed it quite a bit, I moved onto other things and just pulled it off the shelves after a few years. There are some really good recipes in here, the reason why i rated it lower is that looking at it again I find that many of the recipes call for really processed ingredients that I really don't think are very healthy. I can still see myself using this cook book occasionally especially the less processed recipes but overall it just doesn't seem very healthy.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those of us on a diet, this book appears to offer real promise: every recipe in the book produces meal items whose calorie count is less than 200 per serving. Woohoo, right? Trouble is, the average serving size appears to be maybe a half a cup--or possibly 3/4 cup. Since the promise of the book isn't to give the dieter a bunch of fiber-filled (therefore FILLING) foods, chances are the one eating these low-cal concoctions will be hungry pretty soon after. I am a little disappointed.