The Fat Chance Cookbook

December 23, 2013
Director of the UCSF Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health, member of the Obesity Task Force of the Endocrine Society, physician and author Robert Lustig (Sugar Has 56 Names) returns with a collection of over 100 healthy recipes tailored to help readers take control of their diet. Opening with an examination of the root causes of obesity and repeatedly assuring readers that obesity isn't their fault; Lustig makes an impassioned case for readers to take an active role in their lives by preparing their own food and making informed decisions at the grocery store. He then moves on to the recipesâthe bulk of which are familiar staples: pesto, homemade granola, chef salad, roast turkey. There are also a few interesting riffs such as "Veggie Brown Rice Frittata," "Chicken Tikka Masala" and "Quinoa and Black Bean Burrito Bowl." Nutritional information is provided for each dish, enabling calorie-counting cooks to keep track of their intake. Still, adding fruit or granola to cereals and yogurt is nothing new, and his "Almost Homemade Salsa" includes processed salsa, which runs counter to his advice. Those looking for a revelatory diet will likely find this to be all similar to other titles in the genre.