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coinchantal's review
3.0
Compressive book with lots of recipes, but also a great introduction. Nice pictures, but I wished overall that there would have been more in the book. Also, I missed the nutrition info on the recipes since it is kind of a diet book.
annieb123's review
4.0
To be posted to my blog on release: Nonstop Reader.
Instant Loss on a Budget is a diet plan, information guide, and cookbook with recipes developed by Brittany Williams. Due out 29th Dec 2020 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, it's 352 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
The recipes are grouped roughly thematically: baked goods, breakfasts, party appetizers, soups, salads, sides, pasta, restaurant favorites, meatless, land & sea, drinks, desserts, and basics (sauces, seasonings, ingredient recipes). Each of the recipes includes an introductory description, ingredients listed in a bullet point sidebar (US measurements only), step by step instructions, as well as footers with tips and alternative suggestions and some tips on presentation. Nutritional info oddly not included (in a diet book?). Special tools and ingredients are also listed, along with yields and cooking directions. The ingredients are mostly easily sourced at any moderately well stocked grocery store.
The recipes are varied, delicious, and attractive. The author makes some very salient points about the types of food (especially proteins) we choose and how that has follow on effects for weight loss and food budget. She's included some meal plans as well as clear and useful charts for cooking times for pressure cooking vegetables, grains, legumes, etc. Each of them has an estimated prep cost in a header graphic over the recipe.
The photography is not abundant; maybe 10% of the recipes are pictured, at a rough estimate. The recipes which are included are clear and easy to follow and the serving suggestions are attractive and appropriate. There are a lot of things to like about this collection - the writing is upbeat and no-nonsense. The author has a very supportive and encouraging style. The lack of photos detracts somewhat as does the lack of nutritional info, but overall this is a very good collection of healthy recipes.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Instant Loss on a Budget is a diet plan, information guide, and cookbook with recipes developed by Brittany Williams. Due out 29th Dec 2020 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, it's 352 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
The recipes are grouped roughly thematically: baked goods, breakfasts, party appetizers, soups, salads, sides, pasta, restaurant favorites, meatless, land & sea, drinks, desserts, and basics (sauces, seasonings, ingredient recipes). Each of the recipes includes an introductory description, ingredients listed in a bullet point sidebar (US measurements only), step by step instructions, as well as footers with tips and alternative suggestions and some tips on presentation. Nutritional info oddly not included (in a diet book?). Special tools and ingredients are also listed, along with yields and cooking directions. The ingredients are mostly easily sourced at any moderately well stocked grocery store.
The recipes are varied, delicious, and attractive. The author makes some very salient points about the types of food (especially proteins) we choose and how that has follow on effects for weight loss and food budget. She's included some meal plans as well as clear and useful charts for cooking times for pressure cooking vegetables, grains, legumes, etc. Each of them has an estimated prep cost in a header graphic over the recipe.
The photography is not abundant; maybe 10% of the recipes are pictured, at a rough estimate. The recipes which are included are clear and easy to follow and the serving suggestions are attractive and appropriate. There are a lot of things to like about this collection - the writing is upbeat and no-nonsense. The author has a very supportive and encouraging style. The lack of photos detracts somewhat as does the lack of nutritional info, but overall this is a very good collection of healthy recipes.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
hannas_heas47's review
5.0
I enjoyed this budget based cookbook for eating healthier. This is a real gem of a find because the author factors in price of the meal for you when a majority of people say eating healthier is more costly. Pantry list, menu list, planning all to help make budget eating a little more simple.
What did I like? I love the idea that you can lose weight by simply eating foods that are good for you. There is a meal plan and according to the website instantloss.com plenty of people have enjoyed the help. The author really breaks it down for you but you have to be willing to adopt a mindset and follow the practices. I enjoyed some of the beautiful pictures in the book, and bookmarked some recipes to try.
Would I recommend or buy? I’m all for eating healthier and avoiding processed foods. I like to enjoy a lot of vegetable based dishes and cut out a ton of meat. I think the author does a great job of presenting the budget idea in the book and she lives off 150$ biweekly meal plan. That allows you to save money for other things. That’s a low amount for a family of five but the author shows the recipe prices as well. I would love a copy of this book.
I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review. Five stars...loved it.
What did I like? I love the idea that you can lose weight by simply eating foods that are good for you. There is a meal plan and according to the website instantloss.com plenty of people have enjoyed the help. The author really breaks it down for you but you have to be willing to adopt a mindset and follow the practices. I enjoyed some of the beautiful pictures in the book, and bookmarked some recipes to try.
Would I recommend or buy? I’m all for eating healthier and avoiding processed foods. I like to enjoy a lot of vegetable based dishes and cut out a ton of meat. I think the author does a great job of presenting the budget idea in the book and she lives off 150$ biweekly meal plan. That allows you to save money for other things. That’s a low amount for a family of five but the author shows the recipe prices as well. I would love a copy of this book.
I received a complimentary copy and voluntarily left a review. Five stars...loved it.
i_dont_read_blurbs's review
3.0
This book has something for everyone. There are recipes for people, including those who are dairy-free. There are pressure cooking times. There's information on all the different types of food, meat, eggs, poultry, and fish and how they are raised, and what you should be looking for when buying them. Brittany discusses meatless Mondays and gives you a list of protein substitutes you can use to save yourself some money since meat is so expensive. She also discusses great places to shop from to get quality products at the best cost. Personally, I love Costco, which is mentioned frequently in this book. So, that is a big thumbs up from me. The thing missing for me was the fact that there isn't any dietary information for the recipes. Since it's geared towards losing weight on a budget, I think that's important to know.
**I received and voluntarily read an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
**I received and voluntarily read an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
beabeareads's review
4.0
I love Brittany Williams and this book is no exception! Great recipes, great photos, and an awesome presentation. My only issue is that I don’t know how budget friendly the recipes will be if you’re in an area where food is expensive, any kind of alternative flours etc are going to be pricey. Otherwise, loved it. Thank you for the ARC!
saschadarlington's review
3.0
Right off the bat, Instant Loss on a Budget by Brittany Williams would seem to be a hit. After all, who doesn’t want to cook healthy meals cheaply? I was very much on board until I started reading.
I liked the fact that weekly menus as well as shopping lists are included. For people who need to see the complete picture, this is very useful. However, the dishes seemed to mostly consist of “one-pot” meals, which bordered on monotonous. I was not fond of the fact that nutritional information was left out. This wasn’t an oversight but a purposeful decision on Williams’ part based on the possibility of substituting ingredients. My feeling was: but still, nutritional info regarding the recipe as written would have been useful.
read more: https://saschadarlington.me/2020/12/06/review-of-instant-loss-on-a-budget-by-brittany-williams/
I liked the fact that weekly menus as well as shopping lists are included. For people who need to see the complete picture, this is very useful. However, the dishes seemed to mostly consist of “one-pot” meals, which bordered on monotonous. I was not fond of the fact that nutritional information was left out. This wasn’t an oversight but a purposeful decision on Williams’ part based on the possibility of substituting ingredients. My feeling was: but still, nutritional info regarding the recipe as written would have been useful.
read more: https://saschadarlington.me/2020/12/06/review-of-instant-loss-on-a-budget-by-brittany-williams/
deannetownsend's review
5.0
I have all of Brittany’s books, so I pre-ordered this one as soon as I could. I have read over each and every recipe and look forward to trying them all! Most recipes either use an Instant Pot or an air fryer and many utilize a high powered blender, so you’ll need to have those items in order to make the recipes (although alternative instructions make having an air fryer optional). All the recipes promote the principle of JERF (just eat real food), so you can feel good about all the yummy foods you can make and feed to your family!
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