Eating Between the Lines: The Supermarket Shopper's Guide to the Truth Behind Food Labels

Eating Between the Lines has a wealth of information about food. This book explains what the product labels really mean. I've never come across such a book before. It is presented in such a way that it keeps my attention. So, it is not just another boring nutrition book full of big words and numbers. I could really see taking this book to the grocery store for tips on healthy eating. I might feel a little silly if people look at me funny but I am sure the health benefits would be worth it. Maybe one day I would even know the info well enough to not have to bring the book to the store. But for now, I will brave the possibility of looking silly because a person just isn't born knowing the truth behind all the food labels.

I've been a professional chef for 28 years and was startled by the huge amount of product information I was able to learn from Kimberly Lord Stewart's research. I recommend this book to all of my culinary students and anyone who wants to learn more about the foods they cook and eat. Chef Dan The Gourmet Spoon

Ten reasons I highly recommend Kimberly Lord Stewart's "Eating Between the Lines": 1. It's informative without being didactic or boring. 2. The anecdotes are entertaining and thought-provoking. 3. Several times during the reading of this book, I found myself saying out loud: "Wow! I didn't know that!" 4. I've gone back to the book several times to use as a reference before grocery shopping. 5. The book now holds an esteemed place in my house--above the stove with my dog-eared cookbooks. 6. It's obvious that Ms. Stewart has thoroughly researched this subject. 7. This has to be the best treatise on U.S. food laws written for the average American consumer. 8. I understand now the differences and similarities between organic, natural, farm-raised (etc, etc.) foods. 9. There is no agenda here---just thorough, reasoned, interesting writing. 10. Ms. Stewart's passion for food leaps right through the pages of "Reading Between the Lines"!

As a skeptical journalist who has a working knowledge of the traditional and natural food industries, I found Ms. Stewart's book deeply researched and factually complete. Books such as this one oftentimes are written in a frantic tone, but the author keeps her cool and, with the personable confidence of an expert, assumes her reader is intelligent. A "foodie" who can engage an average reader for 300 pages without new recipes for chicken is rare, which speaks to the importance of the book's subject. To take just one example, everyone knows you should eat fish for the heart-health benefits, just as everyone knows you should not eat fish because it's full of manmade toxins. Ms. Stewart is able to break this complex subject down into seven points for the reader to consider, one of them being that the chances of getting cancer from fish are less than the risk of getting heart disease from not eating fish. The operative word here is balance--the author generally takes the middle road in her advice and criticisms. (Again, unlike so many other "health" books, whose predictable message is "do this or die.") Finally, this book covers pretty much everything the average grocery-store shopper would need to know. Especially helpful are the explanations of what common food labels--USDA Organic, USDA Grade A, Certified Humane, for instance--mean, don't mean, and have come to imply (sometimes exclusively to the benefit of the manufacturer). You read this book and realize that even selecting common food items is becoming complex. That would be yet another burden among the many for today's consumers, if it did not directly affect their health and well-being, as well as that of their families, the planet and its creatures. The one criticism that could be made is that food laws and interpretations are constantly changing, and this book, by its nature, can only capture a certain period of time. One hopes for a follow-up version of Eating Between the Lines.

This book cuts through all the hogwash and gets straight to the truth. When there is so much confusing and conflicting information in the media a good reference guide on food labeling and healthfulness is essential to make appropriate choices. And this book is a great reference guide. It's also an enjoyable read, with heart warming family stories mingled throughout.