Customer Reviews

The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've used this book for the past few months now, and i can't recommend it enough for anyone out there who, like me, hates dietary 'fads'; a new one seems to appear every other week, and most of them are either unworkable over the long term or unpalatable at any time.

If you want to lose weight fast, then you can choose to stick to Agatston's 3 phase method, of eliminating certain foods for short time periods then gradually reintroducing them, but not having the patience or interest, I tend to use his recipes to simply eat healthily on a day to day basis.

It's an American book with US terms and measurements, but this isn't a problem; if I can't get any ingredients, or don't like what he's suggested, it's very easy to substitute like for like. The recipes are organised in chapters, by main ingredient - fish/side dishes/veg dishes/salads/meat/desserts etc. Being a dairy lover, I like the fact that cheese and cream aren't eliminated; healthier options are substituted, such as sour cream, ricotta and mozzarella. Pasta is still in there, but whole wheat is recommended. Sweet potato and tortilla wraps are generally used instead of white potatoes and bread.

This is currently one of 2 hardback South Beach recipe books that are available; there's also a smaller paperback outlining the theories and methods behind the diet which i'm sure is useful if you can be bothered to read it. Personally, i'm not too interested in the theory but the recipes in both books are great, and I dip in and out of both all the time. They also work well as stand-alone cookbooks if you're not interested in dieting/health issues and just want some simple, tasty meals to impress your friends and family with.

The South Beach Diet does work. The principles are well written and the recommended menu programme is easily followed. As with all diets, the programme needs to be followed closely, showing a high degree of commitment from the user. However, on this diet, you will not go hungry and will eat quality food that will achieve positive results. The Quick and Easy Cookbook is designed to be used when the reader reaches the final or maintenance stage of the weight loss programme. It contains lots of additional recipes to sustain a healthy lifestyle yet provide variety and balance. This book is best purchased along with the original handbook, the South Beach Diet.

The South Beach Diet is great if you're not a carb fan. Otherwise, not so much. I've done it several times but unless you eat at home all the time, it's incredibly difficult to stay on it when eating out. It's easier to make strange requests in London than in smaller towns but when eating with friends, it's extremely embarrassing to have to ask for everything 'non-South Beach' to be taken off your plate. It also leaves with you with a very sad-looking meal and serious food envy!

This book however has some great recipes for the home and are easy to prepare. The breakfast section is wonderful and the fish recipes are delicious. I'm not a pudding fan so can't say I've tried any of their pudding recipes.

Recipes are clear and concise -- Although UK folks: Note that the ingredients are spelled in an American way and that American measures are used. So just make sure you convert and double-check it before going out to buy your ingredients!

Overall a great book to have around the house. I use recipes from time to time when I want a healthy snack and use it probably once a month for a dinner party if I want a lighter recipe, i.e. when entertaining post-Xmas when people are on a detox!

I am still on phase I which is very restricted so not a lot to choose from but certainlyis working 4lbs in 4 days! but I am looking forward to trying out some of the suggestions in this book for phases II and III. Lovely photos and easy to follow guide

I have the previous books and I found this cookbook easy to follow, though I would say that some of the recommended ingredients such as types of cheese and condiments are only US market based. Overall, is a good option for those that already know the South beach diet. I was a bit disappointed when I found most of the recipes were already on the internet published so you can always just google and odds are half the recipes will already be there..

having waited nearly 3 weeks for this book ,i was pleased to find it was worth the wait . i dont think i,d send for any more books from the U.S.A. again as they take too long to arrive .,.

I am an American living in England. I have this cookbook in the States and I love it. The recipes are easy and very tasty. And, the bonus is, you really will lose weight and feel better cooking the South Beach way.

This is another book in the South Beach Diet family and has lots of great new recipies to try out. Beware that it is the US version and thus uses US terminology and measures.

I bought this book instead of continuing with SB online. Tried a recipe (chicken Jambalaya) that the whole family loved. The book is a bit on the big side, and hard backed. I haven't found a logical place in my kitchen for it yet, and so it doesn't get used. I think the recipes are good and low in (bad) fats. For losing weight, I think it doesn't compare with the diet online. Don't buy this if you don't want to substitute ingredients on occasions (we are a bit short of mahi mahi fillets in my area), or learn american english (cilantro = coriander). Apart from that, very decent.

This is my favorite cookbook of all time. I love it. The recipes are simple and fast. Most only require 30 minutes of time and a few ingredients. Many of the ingredients are used in several recipes so no worries about buying random oils and spices. The dishes are fresh and healthy and most important, delicious!

I have two complaints about the book: the pages start to fall out after a year of use (needs better binding) AND more vegetarian recipes would be preferable (better for the environment).

I cook recipes from this book for all my dinner parties and they are a hit. I also like the other SBD cookbooks but since these are fast and easy they are good for 5-course dinners.