182.6 A New Look of Comfort Food

My weight's at another all time low! Now only 12 more pounds to go!

It's not even 9 AM and I'm writing this post. Usually, I don't get to it until much later in the day, but I am really excited to write this one. I woke up early and went out on the back patio to enjoy the beautiful morning and to look at a cookbook that our son and his family sent my husband for Father's Day. (Yes, healthy eating has become a family affair!) Perhaps you've seen it. It's title is Now Eat This, by Rocco Dispirito.

This cookbook is geared to folks who want to "have their cake and eat it, too". These are basically comfort food recipes for dishes like macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, even my favorite dessert, tiramisu. Working with a nutritionist, the author has come up with healthier, lower calorie versions of favorites. As he writes in the front of the book, "My goal for this book was to take the foods we love--no matter how bad they are for us--and make them healthy and flavorful, something I really want to eat." A couple nights ago Jeff made an absolutely delicious fish recipe, and I know I am going to want to prepare a lot of the recipes that are included in the book. One of the features I find motivating is that the author compares the calories and fat found in traditional recipes with those in his versions! He also explains why substituting things like whole wheat flour for white flour, using Greek yogurt rather than any other really makes a difference in the food value and encourages weight loss.

Since I haven't been eating desserts or many carbs except for fruit during this weight loss journey, I probably won't start eating them now. But I am thinking that once I reach my goal, I may use recipes in this cookbook to start adding a little more variety as I wend my way through the minefield called maintenance. As I was reading it, I kept wishing I had learned to cook with this cookbook years ago.