The Calories In, Calories Out Cookbook: 200 Everyday Recipes That Take the Guesswork Out of Counting Calories - Plus, the Exercise It Takes to Burn Them Off

By: Catherine Jones and Elaine Trujillo MS, RDN
Publisher: The Experiment LLC
ISBN: 978-1-61519-104-8
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: October 21, 2014

Catherine Jones, Elaine Trujillo and Malden Nesheim have teamed up and created a phenomenal cookbook, The Calories In, Calories Out Cookbook. This body of work transcends well beyond its 200 everyday recipes in that it is an exceptional reference point and source of information.

In the first 34 pages of this book, Jones and Trujillo address the importance of understanding what makes our respective ‘temples’ of our bodies tick and more importantly, the necessity of engaging with the overall process of living a healthy lifestyle. Jones opens the book with her chapter titled: A Cookbook for Everyone and breaks down her message with her own testimonial of what inspired her to delve into the importance of who we are, what we eat and why we eat it. Once the tone is set, the message evolves in the next chapter with a logical explanation of Understanding the World of Calories (by Malden Nesheim). There is a wealth of knowledgeable professionals throughout our world today who have done insurmountable studies surrounded with the premise of eat this, not that. However, what makes this particular book stand out is the simplicity and logic behind the intended message. We live in a society rife with ‘diet and weight loss,’ yet, there is a stronger sublime message of ‘do this, not that’ and, generally speaking, the end result is typically failed attempts and on to the next...

The authors have virtually paved the way for the reader to understand the process of what it takes to make healthy food choices (and live a healthy lifestyle). The most valuable information for me personally were the two chapters devoted to determining daily caloric and exercise needs and the tools to get there: healthy recipes and shopping and cooking tips. It was time for me to put what I had learned to the test! This is the perfect time of the year for making soups and this book has some amazing recipes! Two of my personal favorites are Quick Zucchini-Basil Soup and Perfect Pumpkin Bread. Hello? It’s Fall. Who doesn’t want ‘comfort’ food sans the guilt? There is a guide paired with each of the 200 recipes that not only breaks down the nutritional value, but also provides what man or woman must do to work off those calories he or she just ingested. Sheer brilliance.

This book has moved to the front of my pantry reserved for my cookbooks. Not only are the recipes easy to follow, but not once did I find an ingredient that I couldn’t pronounce (or not know what it was). The Calories In, Calories Out Cookbook covers snacks, breakfast, desserts, dinner, vegetarian and a wealth of information. The message that resonates throughout this book is all the baker/cook needs to do is engage and the end result I personally believe is the perfect life balance: healthy food choices, exercise and feeling good! Bravo ladies and thank you for such a thorough and easy guide!

Quill says: The Calories In, Calories Out Cookbook is the perfect balance of making smart food choices, cooking them and liking what you see in the mirror down the road!

For more information on The Calories In, Calories Out Cookbook, please visit the book's website at: www.caloriesinandcaloriesout.com