Cooking à la Heart, Fourth Edition

Thoughts: This is one of the better cookbooks I’ve seen recently as far a recipes go. There are a lot of them: 500! They are based on the Mediterranean and DASH (MIND) diets which means they lean toward lots of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. What I really liked was the chapter on making your own seasonings and blends so you’re not depending on salt-laden ones you find in the stores. The only drawback for me was the lack of gluten free options for some of the grain based foods. There were also very few pictures of finished products. Granted, this isn’t necessary. I’ve got shelves of cookbooks that don’t have them, but they are nice to break up the wording. Each recipe contains the number of servings, ingredients, directions, notes, and nutrient information which is more important to me than pictures and GF options.

Recommendation: If you’re looking for a straight-forward recipe book to help you toward a healthier lifestyle, this one will do it. Recommended.

Disclaimer: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Imagine 500 good recipes all in one book. What a great resource! The authors base this book on “plant forward eating” and care about healthy food; this does not in any way mean that the food will not be delicious. This was clear from the book’s first photo of Olive Oil Brownies.

Here are recipes for everything from quick breads to desserts, from appetizers to pizzas and so much more. In addition there is a lot of information about healthy eating.

I would enjoy a day where I begin with Apple Dutch Baby for breakfast. Perhaps I would follow this later in the day with Mock Risotto with Zucchini or Chicken Tandoori Skewers. For dessert, I might have those aforementioned brownies.

All in all, this book appears to be a great resource and just right for those who have resolved to eat more healthfully in 2023.

Many thanks to NetGalley and The Experiment for this title. All opinions are my own.

I can finally give away some of my cookbooks! What is so great about this cookbook is it combines DASH diet (low sodium), MIND and Mediterranean diet into these heart healthy recipes -- whereas before I felt I had to pick and choose recipes from various books. This book has a great educational chapter up-front, and throughout there are helpful guidelines on what to choose in terms of oils, etc. The books lays out five key principles for considering while reading the book and provides research into why this way of eating has tremendous health benefits. There are recipes to create your own seasonings, rubs, sauces, stocks and dressings. Not only is there incredible variety of recipes, there is also a listing of key nutritional detail such as calories, protein, carbs, dietary fiber, sugars, fat, sodium. The recipes are easy to follow. I recommend this book!
Thank you to Netgalley and The Experiment for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I highly recommend this wonderful book filled with extremely important information about heart health and how to impact it in a positive way with 500 delicious recipes. Just the spice mixes alone are worth getting this book! And, you don't have to be a chef to incorporate these dishes into your everyday. It is a very practical, helpful cookbook plus!

Lots of ideas and recipes! While there are a lot I will use - there are many that are just not my type or things my family would revolt over!
While I know how important healthy eating is - I need other ways to win them over. Time will tell if this book will help! I will definitely buy this book and give it a try!

I love cookbooks and finding one with heart healthy recipes on NetGalley I had to read it. This cookbook includes easy to follow explanations about various heart healthy diets including the DASH diet and Mediterranean diet. Information is presented clearly with no preaching about what not to eat. Recipes are arranged by meal/protein and directions/ingredients are concise and clear.

Personally cannot wait to try the recipe for “light-hearted clotted cream” using Greek yogurt. Yum. Also appreciate the chapter with homemade spice mixes, sauces, and salad dressings.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc I received in exchange for my honest review.**

This cookbook is full of healthy recipes that give numerous ideas for mealtimes. Unfortunately, with the prices of food soaring, many middle income people are looking for inexpensive and cheap groceries. Low income families are receiving groceries from food pantries, which often have items that are processed. This book is loaded with items that not only cost more but are not available at my local grocery store (e.g. tofu). I live in a rural area and try to eat food grown locally but not every type of food is available. Though this is a good cookbook, it will not be popular in my area.
I received an advanced reader copy for free from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I'm always looking for easy ways to be healthier in my eating habits, so when I saw this cookbook I knew I had to check it out. It's very informative without being preachy, which I always appreciate, and there are tons of recipes for all sort of meals, snacks, and desserts.

I haven't had a chance to try any of the recipes yet but there are so many that I'm eager to test out and I can definitely see adding some of these to my usual rotation.

I do wish there were more pictures; the aesthetic of the book is pretty basic, but I think this is going to be a great resource for people!

Thank you to The Experiment and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This cookbook is for anyone is who is trying to eat healthier in the new year. If you suffer from any health issues, the author will steer you into trying healthier alternatives to some of your favorite foods. I like that she has lots of ways to make healthy dressings and sauces. She also explains in the book why it is beneficial to cut back on foods such as cheese.

Focus on flavor and use less salt. Use more spice blends that don't rely on salt. Use more grain flours in your baking. Use more fruit and vegetables in all forms. Choose healthy sources of protein from plants and animals. Eat more seafood and snack on nuts. Enjoy desserts with better-for-you ingredients. Stop hypertension, reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimers disease. Sections in the book include Healthiest for our hearts., 500 delicious health-promoting recipes, Nutrition facts for calories, protein carbs, fiber, sugars, fat, saturated fats, omega 3's, sodium and potassium. Eating healthy isn't boring anymore. Thanks to The Experiment and NetGalley for a copy for an honest review.

This cookbook has so many options. I am beginning my journey on heart healthy eating due to higher cholesterol in my family. I love the breakdown of categories. Most of these are definitely attainable; not a crazy cookbook with lots of weird ingredients.

Looking for ways to improve your heart health? Cooking à la Heart, Fourth Edition: 500 Easy and Delicious Recipes for Heart-Conscious, Healthy Meals has enough mouthwatering recipe to keep you healthy and satisfied for at least a year with enough recipes for even the pickiest eaters to choose appealing dishes. In fact, the number of recipes is almost overwhelming.

This huge cookbook is well-organized and has chapters on everything from spice blends to sauces and condiments, to breakfasts, and the usual meats, seafood, vegetables, chicken, desserts, and the list goes on and on. Every recipe has been developed for heart health, but they do have enough fat and flavor to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. The recipes are written in traditional form, and are easy to follow. They call for ingredients that are easy to find at any regular grocery store, so there is no need to visit the high-priced specialty grocery stores.

The one drawback is that there are very few photographs, and the ones that are included aren’t particularly inspiring. Cooks will have to use their imagination as to how the finished recipe will look. The authors are professional medical people, and their focus is obviously re-educating us to eat in a heart healthy way.

While it would be better if there were photographs, there are hundreds of excellent recipes to choose from and this cookbook is one that should be on the shelf of anyone who wants to improve the health of those they cook for. It will be oft used.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

I am blown away by this book. A cookbook, yes, but it is so much more. The introductory chapters are full of information! I consider myself fairly knowledgeable on what foods are healthy but this book takes it to another level altogether; for example, a chart on the pros and cons of every type of fast I could think of! The book begins with five principles for heart healthy eating. Everything that follows comes from these principles and exudes a spirit of abundance, health, and taking joy in our food and its preparation. 500 recipes address divided between 18 chapters including seasonings, sauces and dressings, soups and stews, breakfast and brunch, and individual chapters on veggies, grains, pasta, burgers, and more. And not to be left out: it includes appetizers and desserts (Olive Oil Brownies, anyone?). There are some pictures in the book but nowhere near one for each recipe, for those of you for whom that's important. I love this and wait to keep coming from it, pictures or no.

I would like to thank The Experiment and NetGalley for a reviews copy to read.

The fourth edition of Cooking à la Heart by registered dietitian nutritionists Linda Hachfeld and Amy Myrdal Miller promises 500 easy and delicious heart-healthy recipes. The recipes have been inspired by the Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND diets and are intended to improve health by reducing processed foods, sugar, salt, and saturated fat while increasing consumption of whole foods, including vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, healthy protein (particularly seafood), and olive oil.

The first two chapters provide helpful science-based nutrition information and explain the principles that this cookbook follows. Charts include a guide to cooking fats and a comparison of different protein sources. The writing is easy to understand and I love the practical, encouraging tone. The authors emphasize that eating should be a pleasurable experience and encourage readers to avoid perfectionism.

The recipes are organized into 18 chapters, such as seasonings, sauces, soups, salads, pasta, vegetables, seafood, and desserts. Each chapter begins with a list of recipes for that chapter. Recipes are clearly written with helpful notes and include number of servings and detailed nutrition information per serving. Most of the ingredients should be easy to find.

Those who are motivated to cook by seeing photos of the finished product will be disappointed. This book does contain attractive photographs of a few dishes, but most recipes are not pictured. There are no process photos either, but most of the recipes are simple to make if you have basic cooking skills.

I’ve enjoyed all of the recipes I’ve tried so far. The Honey Balsamic Onion Jam is a delicious condiment. The Hearty Clam Chowder is much healthier than the version I am used to, while still offering good flavor. Rice Noodles with Snow Peas and Shrimp are dressed up with fresh herbs, although the next time I make this dish, I will add even more vegetables. Simply Roasted Carrots, Simply Roasted Green Beans, and Simply Smashed Potatoes are easy sides that can all be baked at the same time and temperature. We served them as sides to accompany Lemon Chicken with Smoked Paprika, which also bakes at the same time and temperature for an easy and delicious meal. The South African Lamb Pie (Bobotie) with its creamy custard topping was a delight. The Cranberry-Pear Crisp topped with Spiced Ginger Cream was not too sweet but a very satisfying dessert for a chilly evening. The Wine-Poached Pears were so good—a nutritious, easy to make treat that tasted delicious and made my kitchen smell great. And as suggested, the poaching liquid made a fantastic warm beverage.

The back matter includes references and an index that includes both ingredients and recipe names.

This cookbook is educational and offers simple, delicious recipes for those wanting to improve their health. I highly recommend it.

I was provided an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review.

This is the fourth edition. I found the numerous salt free rubs, spice mixes and sauces enticing. I enjoyed the explanations of the DASH, Mediterrean, and other healthy diets without the preaching of what not to eat. There were plenty of recipes to choose from and I was happy to read this when offered by Netgalley.

My only regret is there were few pictures of the meals/recipes. I like to see what a dish will look like.

These are my own opinions and I am not required to leave a positive review.

Very informative and enjoyable information for all who want to cook healthy good food. Everyday food that can be easily prepared and served. Recommend!

A heart cookbook approved by pre-eminent cardiologist James Rippe of UMASS is a cookbook worth having whether or not someone needs a ‘heart healthy’ diet. This cookbook is jam-packed with delicious nutritious recipes from unique spice mixes and sauces through desserts. Divided into sections addressing ways and meals people want to eat, whether it’s soup, salad, grain bowls, legumes, burgers, tacos, or meaty main dishes, there is something to appeal to every appetite. It’s recipes anyone would seek to eat, even those without heart conditions. Nicely dovetailing divergent/related medical issues, these are also recipes suitable for diabetics and those with inflammation issues. This should quickly become the cookbook you reach for first, to get meals on the table quickly and enjoyably.

This is a very thorough collection of better-for-you recipes. I appreciate that the authors refer to healthy eating patterns rather than a specific diet, since this style is more accessible to more people. They promote some universally held eating guidelines, such as eating more vegetables, limiting processed foods and reducing salt intake.

The format of the cookbook is very easy to use. I love how they include recipes for staples like spice blends, sauces and dressings. When those basics are listed in other recipes, they are linked to the original recipe. Some of my favorite recipes from the book are the soups and the "bowl" recipes, aka entree salads.

I will refer to this book often, and I will recommend it to our library patrons who are looking to eat healthier.

Thank you to The Experiment and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This cookbook contains 500 heart-healthy recipes! These recipes are great for diabetics or cooks who want better mental or brain health. The first part of the cookbook includes a plethora of research and information about healthy eating. It introduces 10 principles and practices of healthy cooking. Since one of the principles is to use less salt, there are seasoning charts and tons of recipes for seasonings and dressings to help flavor the food. The recipes look amazing! I can’t wait to try the Tzatziki sauce recipe. Happy cooking!

Thank you to NetGalley and The Experiment for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I love this cookbook. It has great recipes that are heart healthy and taste great! There are 500 recipes in this book and while I have not tried all of them, I have really liked the ones I have tried. I would recommend this cookbook.

Thank you The Experiment and NetGalley for an e-ARC of the book.

This book begins by introducing us to science-based nutrition information as well as explains what are Mediterranean, DASH and MIND diets. This introduction helps us to understand which ingredients are better in supporting our bodies and what makes these diets healthy. The recipes are divided into types of food and by ingredients which makes it easy to find a desired recipe.

I thought this was an excellent cookbook. There was a nice introduction to the Mediteranean, DASH, and MIND diets.

The book starts off with some interesting and useful information regarding health and diet. I’ve done some research into healthy eating due to my personal dietary needs and I still found some new information in this section. For example, did you know that spinach and eggs help to reduce your risk of macular degeneration? I did not.

There is a useful chart distinguishing between all the different oils available that gives information such as how much saturated fat is in the oil, what it is best used for, and how to store it. I also liked the eat twice strategy chart.

There is a decent sized section for seasonings, as well as sauces and dressings, which was nice.

I like that photos included were labeled with the recipe name and, in the ebook, a link to the recipe. I wish all of the recipes included photos or at least that there were more of them. I do understand that it would make the book much longer, but I find them helpful and interesting.

I thought there were a lot of delicious sounding recipes that I would try. I think I will start with the Chicken Chile Verde. Yum!

We are trying to eat more heart healthy so this book was a must read. There’s so many positives but a few negatives too.

*Tons of recipes for each section.
*Easy to find ingredients and easily followed instructions.
*Cute intros to the recipes.

Negatives
*Not enough pictures.
*If you are a picky eater , this isn’t the book for you.

This isn't a cookbook, it's a bible – one of those efforts that just crams its pages with recipe after recipe, from seasoning after seasoning to sauce after sauce, on through soups, salads, baked goods, breakfasts, pasta dishes, home-made pizzas, and so on. This kills off stone dead the idea a cookbook needs a "personality" behind it, with their copious photos of food porn interspersed with them and their organic children chasing a chicken around an allotment. Gone is the wasted ink of the waffle as they reveal finding their favourite recipe while talking to a gypsy with no name in an ashram somewhere. Absent is the advert for their lifestyle, and added commercial properties.

This does aim for a lifestyle, mind – a fairly low-sodium, low-meat diet, bouncing with fruits and veggies. It's the Mediterranean diet more or less – they do like the extra virgin olive oil – but here the influences are allowed to come from all over, so we get coconutty curries, Tex-Mex hacks, and a worldful of grains to make a breakfast porridge out of. (That said, this is the first recipe book I've read in years to not feature a shakshuka, so the makers must go to jail for breaking that unassailable law, I'm sure.)

On that regard, some of the ingredients are not your generic local shop kind of material. Here in the UK I am restricted to the cheaper stores but I cannot remember specifically seeing a catfish, an acorn squash happens when you sit under an oak tree too long, and I cannot reasonably say I've ever seen a dried cherry (they're bound for a Persian pilaf with pistachios). The flip side of that is that the recipes don't want you to do unearthly things with these – there is no smoke gun until you're miles in, no blowtorch, and you will get more than enough from these pages without a spiralizer. This likes keeping things relatively unadulterated.

Finally, the book doesn't hammer the pseudo-science into you; it plugs the benefits of each and every recipe in snappy fashion, but unlike other books where you're allowed to be a quarter in before seeing a recipe this cuts back on the preamble and justification. OK, I didn't pull too many recipes from my digital review copy for future reference, but that's just me – it doesn't stop this from being as close to essential as any cookbook I can recall.

Description
Promote heart health, support brain health, and reduce inflammation, with this comprehensive cookbook filled with 500 flexible, flavorful recipes and practical tips for healthy eating, including 50 color photos and illustrations

*Opinion*
Well, I have Heart Problems myself and I am exited to explore this Cookbook - I just flipped through it but I was stunned and I will dig in it later. Also inflammation is a problem sometimes - but I am sure I will finde great meals to cook. 500 Recipies are a lot so it will take me some time =))

Thanks for letting me read it!

Everyone needs to know how to care for the one and only body you will receive on this earth. This book carefully, but in layman's terms, tells us the latest research on heart-healthy eating.

The Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating patterns are scientifically proven to be the healthiest for our hearts, and they even have added brain health benefits. Combined, they make the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet, which further reduces the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Cooking à la Heart incorporates all three into one nourishing, wholesome, environmentally friendly cookbook with
500 delicious, health-promoting recipes for every meal (plus snacks and desserts), including: Spinach Scramble Pita Pockets • Turkey-Vegetable Soup • Cilantro-Lime Chicken & Corn Salad • À la Heart Mexican Inspired Mac & Cheese • Shrimp Tacos • Blueberry Crisp • Pumpkin Spice Ginger Bars
an emphasis on plant-based ingredients, healthy fats, and thoughtful use of dairy, poultry, and lean red meat
nutrition facts for calories, protein, total carbs, dietary fiber, added sugars, total fat, saturated fat, omega-3s, sodium, and potassium
More than 35 color photographs show off how indulgent heart-healthy eating can truly be. With Cooking à la Heart, eating better isn't difficult or boring—it's an investment to keep you enjoying good food for many years to come.
My Take:

My number one reason that I loved this book is that the book opens with this: There's no single dietary pattern that's best for everyone. I love that this author/nutritionist recognizes that fact and lets you know that it is ok that you have tried every diet under the sun. Still, the book features ways to improve your own patterns of eating and tells you some of the research about the popular diets like the Mediterranean Diet, and more.

About the Author:

Amy Myrdal Miller, MS, RDN, FAND, is an award-winning dietitian, farmer’s daughter, public speaker, author, and president of Farmer’s Daughter Consulting, an agriculture, food, and culinary communications firm founded in 2014. During her 25-year career, Amy has worked for Fleishman Hillard (a global public relations firm), the Rippe Lifestyle Institute (a small clinical research firm in Massachusetts), Dole Food Company, the California Walnut Board & Commission, and most recently, The Culinary Institute of America.

A farmer’s daughter from North Dakota who now lives outside Sacramento, Amy received her B.S. in dietetics from the University of California, Davis, completed her dietetic internship at the University of Minnesota Hospital & Clinics, and earned her M.S. in nutrition communication from the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.

She and her husband Scott Miller love playing golf, listening to smooth jazz music, sampling wine and craft beer at local Northern California wineries and breweries, and hosting family, friends, and neighbors for backyard parties where they can enjoy the beauty and bounty of CA GROWN foods and beverages.