BookOpinion

BOOKOPINION REVIEW: “Eat This Not That” is definitely not one of those “can’t put it down, sit up til midnight with mainstay chocolate” type of books. It’s more of a manual of how to eat sensibly not only just when dining out but also during the holidays (when we all tend to pack on the pounds). David Zinczenko also covers how to shop at the supermarket, what beverages to avoid like the plague, what foods are “mood” foods for stress, fatigue, etc. and even how to guide your children through the endless maze of unhealthy fast foods.

This little book (small enough to pack inside a moderate sized handbag for easy access) is loaded with great tips that are targeted to help you lose belly fat and reshape your body. You can learn to cut empty calories and take advantage of foods that are high in nutrition but also taste good. Yes, even at fast food restaurants.

“Eat This Not That: Thousands of Simple Food Swaps That Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds-or More!” begins with giving you 10 Top Swaps. For example, if you order McDonald’s Big Mac rather than Burger King Whopper with cheese, you save 220 calories and 18 grams of fat. Or if you choose the Panera Chicken Caesar Salad as opposed to Chili’s Chicken Caesar Salad, you save 450 calories and 42 grams of fat! That is a huge difference!

You will discover the eight foods you should eat every day (and substitutions just in case the recommended food is repugnant to you), the twenty worst foods in America (avoid like the plague) and how to eat at your favorite restaurants without packing on the pounds. There is a great little chapter called “The Menu Decoder” that you won’t want to miss that covers everything from seafood to pretzels.

What to eat (and not touch) at the ballpark, preferable snacks for the movies and what to choose from vending machines are also covered in some detail. And you may definitely want to keep “Eat This Not That” handy when shopping for groceries. Eliminating unhealthy choices is a snap when you have all this information right at your fingertips.

The credentials of Davide Zinczenko and Matt Goulding are impressive as well. David, editor-in-chief of Men’s Health magazine has also authored The Abs Diet and The Abs Diet for Women. He has appeared on Oprah, 20/20, Good Morning America and Primetime Live. And Matt is the food and nutrition editor of Men’s Health. It would appear that these guys know what they are talking about.

This book is not a diet book…just intelligently presented information in a format that makes choosing delicious and healthy food simple. I highly recommend this little, easy to digest, book to anyone interested in dropping a few pounds and especially recommend it to parents who want to present their children with better choices not only when eating out but when dining in as well.

– Elizabeth Channery