Friday, September 19, 2014

The Low-Sugar Cookbook by Nicola Graimes (Cookbook Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-


Most of us eat too much sugar, which can have serious repercussions on our health and well-being. It is widely accepted that a diet too high in sugar can cause mood swings, fatigue, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and even premature ageing. 

But eating low-sugar foods doesn't have to mean being condemned to a dull diet, as the wonderful range of recipes in this book demonstrates. 

The good news is that there are numerous naturally sweet foods and flavourings that can be substituted so that there's no need to resort to artificial sweeteners with their reported adverse health effects. Here, Nicola Graimes presents more than 100 easy-to-follow meals and snacks, inspired by recipes from around the world. 

Chapters are divided into Breakfasts, Brunches, Light Meals, Snacks, Dinners, Desserts, and Cakes, Bakes, Breads. You'll find delicious family favourites ranging from curries, stews, stir-fries and salads to sponge puddings, muffins and cheesecakes. Savoury foods can also be surprisingly high in added sugar, particularly canned foods and sauces, and you'll find specially adapted dishes for healthier, low-sugar alternatives. 

All the recipes have been carefully created to be suitable for diabetics to meet their dietary requirements. This means that they are also low in salt and saturated fat and high in unrefined carbohydrates and fibre – not forgetting packed with bountiful amounts of fresh produce. 

Clear at-a-glance symbols highlighting nutritional benefits provide an additional valuable feature.
My thoughts-
I am always looking for recipes that are sugar free or low on sugar. The problem I usually run into is that "sugar free" often equates to chemical laden artificial sweeteners which I won't touch with a ten foot pole (and neither should you. there is nothing healthy about them.) What I like about this book is that the recipes are all either no added sugar at all or if they do contain a sweetener it is something like xylitol or brown rice syrup, two alternatives to sugar that I am a-okay with. I thought that The Low-Sugar Cookbook was a pretty well rounded cookbook, full of recipes for all tastes. I can not decide whether my favorite section was breakfast or dessert, but there are so many great recipes that I can not wait to try. My only complaint would be that I feel like there is seafood overload in the dinner section, but I am sure many people will love that. I just don't happen to like seafood. My absolute favorite thing about this cookbook are the sample menus at the end of the book. It just goes to show that you can use these recipes regardless of what kind of diet you follow. There are sample menus for any type of diet you can think of- vegetarian, vegan. gluten-free, nut-free, ect. making the recipes appeal to quite a large audience. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for healthy yet tasty recipes. 
The Low-Sugar Cookbook by Nicola Graimes is available on Amazon.com.

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