Light and Easy for Two! Smart Eating for Life

Greg Turko is a policy analyst at the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and
Universities.

The principles and benefits of a healthy diet are generally well
understood, but, for most people, there are also significant hurdles to
adopting healthy eating habits. For example, since many of the flavors
that we find most appealing come from fats, sugar, and salt, healthy
eating can start with a serious flavor deficit. A healthy diet can also
require a sometimes grim commitment to “moral food,” which many
people are reluctant to make for any length of time.

This cookbook has the goal of making healthy eating interesting,
flavorful, and varied. The authors (both dieticians) have incorporated a
predictable range of “healthy” ingredients, such as fruits,
vegetables, skim milk and skim milk dairy products, and low-salt soy
sauce into their recipes. They have also included a few recipes that use
chocolate, regular cheese, and other higher-fat ingredients in order to
provide a greater degree of dietary variety and a representation of the
flavors most of us hold so dear. Moderation, for the authors, is the
key. In their words, “there are no bad foods, just bad diets.” All
courses are covered, including dessert. Each recipe is accompanied by
full nutritional information including calorie, protein, total fat,
saturated fat, carbohydrate, cholesterol, and sodium content, as well as
both microwave- and conventional-cooking instructions.

The two-serving size makes these recipes especially well suited to
childless couples and retirees, though any number of others will find
the recipes, the nutritional information, the extensive list of
suggested menus, and the general discussion of healthy eating provided
at the beginning of the book useful.

The recipes are best described as for “day-to-day food” rather than
“company” food, unless your company happens to be especially
conscious of healthy eating.