In my last post I discussed ways that parenting can help you overcome stumbling blocks to good health. Today, I’m reviewing and giving away a book that deals with how to put healthy eating and activity into action.
The Food Lover’s Healthy Habits Cookbook written by Janet Helm with Cooking Light, is ideal for the New Year because it is organized into 12 steps, making it easy to digest and master one step a month.
The unique set up of the book makes it a true gem in my opinion. It addition to the amazing recipes, it provides strategies, steps, real-life stories and expert tips on how to eat healthier and exercise in a way that fits your lifestyle. It’s also done in a very positive manner — focusing on healthy habits over dieting or restriction.
Here are the 12 steps along with a brief summary with what is included:
1. Learn to Get Cooking — The goal is to cook at least 3 more times week. Tips include how to stock a kitchen, easy meal prep and other simplification ideas. Recipes include alternatives to takeout such as Chicken Fried Rice and Shrimp Pad Thai.
2. Eat Breakfast Daily — The goal is to eat a healthy breakfast every day. This section includes tips and recipes that will help you get out of your breakfast rut — healthy muffins, tasty yogurt parfaits and multiple egg-related items.
3. Go for Whole Grains — The goal is to eat at least 3 servings of whole grains daily. Tips include making whole grain swaps and trying new grains such as bulgur, farro and freekeh. I personally want to try some of the whole grain salads that can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for quick meals.
4. Get Moving — The goal is to be active 30 minutes a day, three times per week. Tips include what you need to get started, how to naturally fit activity in your life and what to eat before and after workouts to maximize energy.
5. Veggie Up — The goal is to eat 3 or more servings each day. Tips include adding veggies to breakfast, familiar meals and how to purchase produce in season. There are also flavor boosters, roasting tips and salad recipes.
6. Eat More Fish: The goal is to make seafood the centerpiece of meals two times per week. There are ideas on how to include fish in favorite recipes, tips on cooking it, and ways to make it more appealing (to kids too).
7. Eat More Healthy Fats: The goal is to increase healthy fats and decrease unhealthy fats every day. You get tips on how to include how to make easy swaps, an A-Z guide on nuts, and the biggest fat mistakes people make. Recipes are heavy on heart-healthy nuts, avocados and olives. Yum!
8. Go Meatless One Day a week — The goal is to go meatless for all three meals one day week. Tips include how to make over family meals, tasty side inspiration and what counts as a protein serving. Recipes like vegetable lasagna and three-bean vegetarian chili look amazing.
9. Get Stronger: The goal is to include strength training at least 2 times per week. Tips include what you need to get started, inspiring stories, and sample exercise. The content of recipes is meant to help promote stronger muscles.
10. Eat Less Salt:, — The goal is to reduce the amount of salt you eat every day. By reading labels, making your own salad dressings, sauces and soups, you can save a lot in the sodium department.
11. Be Portion Aware –– The goal is to find ways to eat a little less without thinking about it. Tips include dividing up food, understanding serving sizes, increasing the volume of food and avoiding mindless eating patterns. Meal ideas include delectable sweets!
12. Eat Mindfully — The goal is to be mindful, purposeful and joyful each time you eat. There are great tips on how to avoid the judgment and low awareness that leads to over-eating. This part has comfort foods such as Bacon Mac and beautiful looking meals.
All I can say is this is an amazing book that can help anyone incorporate healthy habits in a sensible way. I need to work on expanding whole grains beyond rice, oats and wheat, getting out of breakfast our rut and finding new ways to cook and enjoy fish. I have already used this book to make my goals for the New Year!
Here’s what you need to do to enter the giveaway:
1) Mandatory entry: Leave a comment telling me why you’d like to win a copy of this book.
2) For a second entry, Join our Fearless Feeding Community (LIKE) on Facebook and leave a comment here saying you did. If you already like us, share the Fearless Feeding Facebook page with a friend and tell me here.
3) For a third entry tweet or “Like” this page and leave one last comment.
One winner will be chosen using random.org. The winners will be announced on Raise Healthy Eater’s Facebook Page. This giveaway ends next Monday, January 7th, at midnight.
You must be 18 to enter. Products shipped within the US only.The best part about this review is I have an extra copy to give away.
I had a gastric bypass on 12/27/11 and have spent the last year losing 144lbs. Now that I can actually eat again, I am scared. I would love this book to help me make healthy choices.
I would love this b/c I am always looking for good new healthy recipes
I liked you on FB 🙂
I would like to win so I can learn how to set the best example possible for my kids. My mom didn’t teach me how to cook or make the healthiest meals, so I plan on teaching them while they are young and growing…rather than making them wait to learn on their own in their 30’s!
I liked your page on Facebook
https://twitter.com/avrilekl/status/285805290140614656
I tweeted your page!
My family and I are pretty heathy eaters, but since our best friends moved next door, we’ve gotten a bit unhealthy. One of our goals for the new year Is returning to heathy eating, and help our friends to do the same. This book would greatly help in that goal! Happy 2013!
I’d like to win so I can get some new healthy ideas for the new year.
I shared the FB page with my mom.
I liked this page
I need to learn to be a healthier eater so that my kids can have a good example!
I need this book! I am in a major food rut with my family. I have two picky little eaters, 2 and 4, that hardly eat anything I prepare for them that isn’t “kid food” (pizza, mac n cheese, nuggets etc). My husband is much more concerned with taste and flavor than health. Pleasing everyone is such a challenge! It’s usually one meal a week that everyone enjoys and its so frustrating that I’m losing motivation. I need a new start.
I’ve “liked” you for many months on fb!
“liked” this page on fb!
I would love to use this book as a curriculum to teach my kids! Thank you for the chance, and I so enjoy your blog.
And, I liked your Facebook page, too.
I need this book! I’m a full time working mom of a two and six year old. My husband usually works nights and I find it very hard to mange feeding the kids. My 2013 goal is to be MUCH more organized!
Always looking for new healthy recipes. This would be a great book!
I like you on FB.
I would love more meatless meal ideas, especially for my meat-loving husband!
It’s always good to get new ideas for healthy eating.
This book would help me keep off the weight I spent the last year losing.
Who doesn’t want great food and expert advice that will change your life? This book looks great!
I’m always looking for ways to keep my family healthy. And I need all the help I can get… because as much as I want to model good eating habits for our children… extended family do a horrible job, with fast food, hot dogs, candy and too much fruit juice too frequently with our children.
Number 5, 6 and 12 would be my first to read to make improvements on in our house.
I’d love to win this book because I’m always looking for new ideas to help my family eat healthier.
[email protected](DOT)com
Liked this page.
I would like this book so that I can eat healthier.
I’d like to win so I can get some new healthy ideas for the new year.
My 7 year-old daughter is overweight BECAUSE she eats nothing! (other than starch that is) .
I REALLY need a 12-step program for my kids eating habits! Some great advice and recipes that would help get nutritious foods into their little bodies would be helpful too.
Thanks for the review!
Wow, these 12 steps are all the things swimming around in my head and I have no idea how to tackle them— I have a 2 yr old and an infant and a husband who could survive on takeout and fast food. I am so overwhelmed at how to incorporate eating healthy into daily practice, this book looks like it would be a great tool to have!
I liked Fearless Feeding community on Facebook!
I am always looking for new ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is NOT easy with two growing boys, but we try very hard to be as active as possible and eat healthy too. This means searching for healthy recipes and this book would be great!
This book sounds amazing, and seems to give ideas for so many aspects of keeping your family healthy. I’d love to have a copy to help mt family stay on track in 2013!
I liked the Fearless Feeding Community on Facebook!
Within the next year, I will have three children under 3 and I want to be able to feed them the best I can, so they can grow in a healthy way and hopefully make healthy choices themselves when they can make their own decisions.
I would love to win this book because all of my 3 sibling and their children are chronically over weight, or obese and my elderly parents are too. I need to break this cycle for myself, as well as my children.
I am always looking for ways to eat better, and this looks like a great resource!
I “like” Fearless Feeding on FB.
I “liked” this page on FB: https://www.facebook.com/laura.wales/activity/4132010746086?og_perm_src=RECENT_ACTIVITY
I just had a baby and my husband and I are trying to lose the baby weight by eating healthy and staying fit.
I’d love to win this because I lost 60 pounds last year and have about 20 more to go, so it’s time to change up my eating habits again. Thanks!
With a brand new baby, I am in the wee stages of family cooking, but always up for a great new ideas and family cooking!
I’m trying to get in the habit of healthy cooking and its not always easy working and managing a 16 month old so this book seems like it might be the perfect solution!
I liked your facebook page!
I would love to have a beginners book on healthy eating. So many books are about what not to do and deprivation. This seems like a positive focus similar to your blot.
I’d like to win to help me stay on track with family eating when my newborn arrives!
Its time me and my daughter git healthy, Id love some help doing that !! We just don’t know where to start…Your book looks like the way for us to get healthy….Id love to win one for us to began our new year of 2013…..Thank you
I’m always looking for ways to improve our health and motivation. A new book to read- great!
Just liked your page post reminding us of the contest.
Just joined “liked” the Fearless Feeding Community on FB!