Food: What the Heck Should I Cook by Mark Hyman

*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-

The companion cookbook to Dr. Hyman's New York Times bestselling Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?, featuring more than 100 delicious and nutritious recipes for weight loss and lifelong health.
Dr. Mark Hyman's Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? revolutionized the way we view food, busting long-held nutritional myths that have sabotaged our health and kept us away from delicious foods that are actually good for us. Now, in this companion cookbook, Dr. Hyman shares more than 100 delicious recipes to help you create a balanced diet for weight loss, longevity, and optimum health. Food is medicine, and medicine never tasted or felt so good.
The recipes in Food: What the Heck Should I Cook? highlight the benefits of good fats, fresh veggies, nuts, legumes, and responsibly harvested ingredients of all kinds. Whether you follow a vegan, Paleo, Pegan, grain-free, or dairy-free diet, you'll find dozens of mouthwatering dishes, including:Mussels and Fennel in White Wine BrothGolden Cauliflower Caesar SaladHerbed Mini-Meatballs with Butternut NoodlesLemon Berry Rose Cream Cakeand many more With creative options and ideas for lifestyles and budgets of all kinds, Food: What the Heck Should I Cook? is a road map to a satisfying diet of real food that will keep you and your family fit, healthy, and happy for life.

My thoughts-

I have been a long time fan of Dr. Hyman's. He has great advice and isn't afraid to stray away from the "norm" and tell you the truth. I trust the advice he gives. This book is about navigating all of the "advice" we get from all different directions about what exactly it is we should be eating. The beginning that explains what we should and shouldn't be eating, as well as cooking techniques and important things to eat to fuel our bodies is not new to me, but will be very helpful to someone looking to get healthier. I reached for this book for the recipes at the end and they didn't disappoint. There were tons of delicious recipes that I can't wait to cook. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to start eating healthier.

Beating the Lunch Box Blues: Fresh Ideas for Lunches on the Go! By: J. M. Hirsch Book Review

*Disclosure- I received a free e-copy of the book via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

My daughter is starting Kindergarten in the fall and a big concern for me is the lack of nutrition offered by the school cafeterias in our nation. As a result, I have been planning to pack her lunches daily and send them with her. The dilemma, of course, is to make the food seem more appealing than the rubber fakery that the school cafeterias call food and I don't think eating a sandwich every day would be desirable nor would I expect her to cheerily consume the exact same lunch every day. I had already decided that I will pack her lunches as many of the Japanese do- Bento style. It is an art form, really, but also a great way to pack a healthy, varied lunch.

Anyway, I was super excited to run across a cookbook on NetGalley devoted specifically to packing interesting lunches. Many of the recipes are derived from cooking dinners and using left overs which is cool by me. I think a lot of the recipes in the book would be more appealing to my husband than my 5 year old daughter, but it was still helpful because I have also been in a rut trying to figure out what to pack him for his overnight shift at the hospital. I do think that many of the recipes are things my daughter will eat as well though.  There are several categories the book is divided into including breakfast for lunch (this will definitely come in handy for my breakfast loving 5 yr old, I would have never thought to send breakfast for lunch, but why not?) a section on sandwiches, another one on sausages and one completely devoted to poultry. There is even a small vegetarian section, which I found refreshing (I just wish it contained a little more)! There are ideas in this book for pretty much every meal under the sun that you can possibly think of. I love the idea of taking school lunches beyond sandwiches and prepacked Lunchables which have a gazillion milligrams of sodium and are also highly processed. I like that this book offers a variety of options, keeping lunch less boring than lunch can be known to be. This book will definitely come in handy when school starts and I need some great ideas for my daughter's lunchbox!





Beating the Lunch Box Blues will be available for purchase September 3. You can pre-order at Amazon.com. In the meantime you can check out J.M Hirsh's website where he posts pictures of his son's lunch box contents. If you need ideas for lunches, you will love his website and the book!