200 Under 200: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories

What a wonderful easy book . Recipes are easy and so far very good

First off, I want to respond to the critical reviews-- YES the book contains recipes calling for sugar substitutes. Why? Because it's a way to cut calories. If you're allergic to them, you know that you are, and you know what sugar replacements you CAN have- stevia, anyone? Secondly, YES the recipes call for many processed foods. Why? Because we live in America, and that's what most of us eat. Hungry Girl is about getting by, cutting calories, without having to go to 14 different organic stores looking for exotic (and often expensive) ingredients. HG is about being able to go to the regular grocery store like everyone else and buy many of the same things everyone else does WITHOUT breaking the bank or the waistband. To criticize a book for NOT being that which it DOES NOT PURPORT TO BE is ignorant, plain and simple. Did you miss the title page? "Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World." That said, if you're realistic in your expectations, this book is fantastic. I started following HG about 2 1/2 years ago, near when I started going to WW. In the course of 18 months, utilizing many tips, tricks and recipes from the online newsletters, I was able to shed (and keep off) more than 70 lbs. I was able to do this with a hectic schedule, a tight wallet, and without feeling like I was being deprived every time I sat down to eat. Moreover, my non-WW co-workers, friends and family had little or NO idea I was watching my weight until the weight was gone. I loved the first book so much I bought a copy for my dad, and he loved it so much that this year for Father's Day his present was 200 Under 200. In 6 months of using both books in conjunction with WW my dad has been able to shed over 40 lbs. Recipe-wise, this book is very much an extention of the first book-- if you like those recipes, you'll like these, too. If you're following WW, you'll be happy to know that most of the recipes never exceed 5 points, and the portions, as in typical HG fashion, are generous. She starts the book with reccommended products and staples, which are helpful to people who are looking to change their lifestyles but have no place where to start-- kind of a dymystification of the supermarket, if you will (yet another arguement IN FAVOR of her use of processed food-- people don't go from Twinkies and Mac & Cheese to broccoli and veggie burgers in a day)-- and HG never asks you to. The book is broken down section by section, from breakfasts to ingredient specific chapters (eggs, tortillas, Fiber One, apples) but my favorite chapters are the mini-meals, "shivering sips" (which helped me break my Starbucks addiction, putting extra cash in my pocket!) and the cupcake chapter (yes you read that right). Again, YES Splenda is stressed-- but if you're Splenda sensitive, use your noggin and tweak it to whatever sugar substitute you're NOT sensitive to! Easy peasy, right? In short: well worth the money if you're looking to go on an incognito "di

This is a seriously good guide for eating fewer calories. I am on to this idea of staying out of restaurants somewhat and mainly eating at home whenever possible. However, I now have the tools with this book to prepare good, delicious foods that aren't going to make me gain weight, but, in acutality, will help me to lose weight, which is the point of all of this. I have to say that I loved the layout of this book and it read so easily. The recipes weren't too complicated and it's just a fun way to lose the pounds. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to make the commitment to cook at home and lose the weight that way. Another I liked and helped too was Goodbye, Fatty! Hello, Skinny! How I Lost Weight And Still Ate The Foods I Loved-Without Dieting. I guess it's just in how you want to approach the diet. Either way, you're sure to lose some weight if you stick to the plan.

As a life-time Weight Watchers member, I've known all the basics, and tried time and time again to get back on track. I had my staple go-to foods, but was bored and needed something different to keep me on my toes and add some variety. Without that, the drive-thrus and restuarnats were such easy mind-less alternatives. I struggled, until I picked up the 1st HG book and instantly felt like I had something new and exciting to get me refocused and make losing those extra pounds (courtesy of the drive thrus) easier. Most recipes are inspired by restaurant favorites, with a fraction of the calories and fat. Being single, they are perfect as most are for 1 or 2 servings (a plus since making some recipes tends to get expensive when making for only 1, and leftovers from 4-6 servings often go to waste). Plus most are so quick and easy to make they fit perfectly into my on-the-go lifestyle. Since I enjoyed the 1st book so much, I pre-ordered the 2nd and have already tried 3-4 recipes in the 2 days I've had it. Been satisfied with them all, and anxious to try more! I highly recommend HG's books to anyone looking to make quick and easy meals and stay within your "weight watchers" budget. I would also recommend to anyone who is tired of the same-old foods, and looking for something new to add back some variety and make weight loss fun! The books, coupled with the website and daily emails are a great way to keep focused, enjoy restaurant-inspired meals, get new ideas, and stay on track!

I was a big fan of the first hungry girl cookbook and am a huge fan of the second one so far. I have already made the mozzarella sticks, boneless buffalo wings, and my favorite the frozen s'mores. All are fantastic. However, if you are not a fan of processed food, this book rely on them heavily, so you'd be best suited to go a different route. But, if you want a fun book, with very low calorie recipes that taste amazing then this is the book for you.

EDIT: After having this book for a few days now, I've tried several of the recipes and wanted to point out that this is NOT a cookbook for the most fantastic-tasting dishes you'll ever savor. In fact, as some of the other reviewers have already pointed out, some of the recipes can be a little bland. Still, I think that HG's cookbook is an awesome resource to have for making smart substitutions, and inspiration for creating your own healthier version of an old favorite. My new fav is HG's pumpkin trifle, but instead of using Fiber One cereal, I use crushed gingersnaps! Perfect for me, but just a slight change from HG's! OLD REVIEW: One of the things that disappointed me about the original Hungry Girl cookbook was the dismal dessert selection. Sure, I'd had some success with the pumpkin cupcakes and brownies, but I have a real sweet tooth to keep in check, so I wanted more dessert suggestions. Fortunately for me, Hungry Girl's follow-up follows through nicely. The format is similar to the origina - a list of recommended products and staples (which are mostly the same), then the best part - more recipes to try! A lot of these recipes call for the same 'Hungry Girl stapes' - Fiber One, shirataki, eggbeaters, so you don't actually have to buy a whole slew of new foods to try out most of these recipes. For the breakfast section, I was happy to find some pretty creative oatmeal recipes - oatmeal chocolate chip pancakes, and oatmeal sundaes. I was particularly excited to try the blueberry muffins - which don't call for a cake mix (yay!) - they turned out nicely, even though I used white flour instead of whole wheat... The foods in this book, though snacks by calorie standards, seem heartier and more diverse. There's a goolash recipe, cioppino(!), cornbread, and buffalo wings. But on to the desserts...There are FOUR chapters devoted to dessert, and two that are mostly dessert. Yay!! First, to satisfy the cupcake fetish everyone seems to have nowadays - there's a chapter devoted to cupcakes, which includes red velvet adn even chocolate marshmallow - can't wait to try that one! Then there's creme brulee, tiramisu, strawberry shortcake, and apple fritters. Like in the last book, Hungry Girl also sectionalizes the last part of the book for specific foods - in this book, that's Cool Whip, Fuji apples, Fiber One, and Vitalicious. The photos in this book also seem better organized - they're organized by chapter, making for easier reference and flipping. As with the first book, my only real gripe with the whole Hungry Girl diet is the use of artificial sugars in a lot of the recipes, as they tend to give me headaches. Even then though, many of these recipes make such good substitutes for the unhealthier restaurant version, that it doesn't hurt too much to use real sugar instead of Splenda, so I can't complain!