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Book Review of Hungry Girl: 200 Under 200: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories

Hungry Girl: 200 Under 200: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories
meanlittlereader avatar reviewed on
Helpful Score: 9


I normally don't review books but I had to chime in for this one.

I love the idea. The author did a great job coming up with easy, creative ways to make low-calorie snacks, meals and desserts. There are a variety of ingredients, and many of the recipes sound quite tasty.

So if you're looking for low-cal and low-fat recipes and that's your only concern, this is a great book. If you want healthier versions of unhealthy foods, this will work.

But if, like me, you're looking for some all-around healthier options, this book might not work.

The sodium counts for many of these recipes are off the charts. The reliance on processed foods (particularly meats and cheeses) drives the sodium way up. For example, one recipe is 197 calories and 5.75 g fat...but 1,258 mg sodium.

For anyone eating a 1200-1400 calorie diet, these recipes (while tasty) are going to be too low in calories and too high in sodium (and possibly carbs).

So, for a more traditional diet, this book might be good for the occasional dessert or treat, but probably not for regular use. Don't get me wrong - there are several options here that have decent numbers for everthing (calories, fat, carbs, sodium) but overall it just wasn't to my liking.