Book Review: The Sugar Solution Cookbook

The Sugar Solution Cookbook: More Than 200 Delicious Recipes to Balance Your Blood Sugar Naturally (Preventions) by the Editors of Prevention, Ann Fittante

I’m always looking for new ideas for healthy meals and I picked this book up from the library a couple of months ago. By focusing on healthy carbohydrates and fats, the recipes in this book help keep your blood sugar in check, keeping your metabolism up, overeating down, and help quell your cravings for fattening foods.

There are no forbidden foods in this book, so there is even a dessert chapter including treats such as Spiced Kahlua Custard, and Peanut Butter Bundt Cake.

I have been trying to cut down a little on our meat consumption, so I was very interested to look at the ‘It-can’t-be Vegetarian Main Dishes.’ A couple of recipes that I tried were Brown Rice with Butternut Squash and Chickpeas, and Quinoa-Stuffed Bell Peppers. Both were delicious.

Others on my list to try are:

• Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms;
• Bean and Veggie Burgers; 
• Asian Noodle and Mushroom Soup; and
• Warm Chicken and Cashew Stir-Fry Salad.

Some of the other chapters are:

• Hearty Sugar-Balancing Breakfasts;
• Healthy Nibbles: Snacks and Beverages;
• Hearty Soups and Sandwiches; and
• Fill-You-Up Soups and Salads.

Of course there are also beef, pork, chicken and seafood chapters, and as I previously mentioned, To-Die-For Desserts.

For those who’d like to learn more about the whole blood sugar deal, there is plenty of information in the beginning chapters, along with a diet plan and tips for success.

I found the recipes very easy to follow, they use every day, easy-to-find ingredients, and the nutritional information is included.

The author, Ann Fittante MS, RD, is a certified educator for the Joslin Diabetes Center affiliate at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle. Look for at it the library, or on Amazon.com - $9.98 for the hardcover book (as of 3/25/11), or $12.25 for the Kindle version.