New cookbook touts heart-healthy recipes over fad diets

American Heart Association
Tuesday, 28 October 2003

American Heart Association One-Dish Meals cookbook tackles home-cooking

Amidst the highly polarized, greatly hyped debates among popular weight-loss proponents, getting the most accurate nutrition information can be tricky.

With U.S. obesity rates on the rise, the abundance of best-selling books on the topic is focused more on taking off the pounds than on being healthy, and consumers can feel bombarded and confused by so many different 'get-thin-now' theories.

With that in mind, the American Heart Association is making it easy – virtually effortless – to create healthy home-cooked meals. Its new cookbook, One-Dish Meals, debuts at booksellers everywhere in November, offering more than 200 recipes that prove cooking at home can be simple to make, delicious – and good for your heart.

"The recipes in the Association cookbooks are based on the preponderance of scientific evidence about good diets that go into creating our nutritional guidelines," says Alice Lichtenstein, D.Sc., director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at Tufts University, "It's our sound medical information translated into food that's good for you and tastes great."

Since obesity and being overweight increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, it's important to be able to control what's in the foods we eat.

"Cooking at home is important for our health. It doesn't have to be hard or time-consuming, especially with the recipes in One-Dish Meals," says Jennifer Bushman, culinary educator. "In home-cooked dishes – like our savory versions of 'Coq au Vin' and 'Meat-and-Potatoes Meat Loaf' – we're more likely to get the nutrients we need and consume less saturated fat, cholesterol and calories because we control what goes into the meal."

The recipes are a far cry from the pale, bland casseroles you grew up on. One-Dish Meals includes a rich variety of possibilities from stews to stir-fry dishes and frittatas to salads – inspired by culinary traditions from around the world.

"Every recipe we created for this cookbook is a meal-in-one, containing protein, carbohydrates and at least one serving of fruit and/or vegetables. You know you're getting the nutrition you need in one inviting dish," adds Carol Ritchie, a chef and frequent American Heart Association cookbook contributor. "The recipes are simple to make and clean up, since almost every dish is cooked in just one pot or pan."

Readers will find some surprisingly audacious combinations ("Broiled Snapper and Pear Bruschetta," and "Greek-Style Chicken with Lemon-Pistachio Rice") and learn how to make some delicious, healthier versions of traditional recipes such as "Spicy Spaghetti and Meatballs," "Biscuit-Topped Chicken Casserole" and "Best-Ever Chili Mac," each simple to prepare. And, with so many cuisines represented, your palate won't get bored.

Some of the most satisfying and comforting of meals come from slow cookers and big pots: rich-tasting stews, savory soups and aromatic casseroles that evoke cozy family suppers and shared meals with good friends. Brimming with recipes for such enticing choices, the American Heart Association One-Dish Meals cookbook just might fuel a trend in the U.S. – and coax us home, to a healthier way of eating.

For more information, or to contact American Heart Association, see their website at: www.americanheart.org