Thinner-Instant-Cookbook-Great-Tasting-Calories-ebook

Speedy food is of the essence when you are suddenly hungry and on a diet. The Thinner in an Instant Cookbook by Nancy Hughes uses the pressure cooker (or Instant Pot) to prepare diet friendly recipes. As the author writes all the recipes are 350 calories or less. Also, each recipe includes an extensive nutritional analysis including protein, sodium and potassium. If you have renal disease, you might be able to use some of the recipes thanks to the inclusion of protein, sodium and potassium amounts.

You will find the following chapters in her book:

Sandwiches and Wraps
Main-Course Salads
One-Dish Suppers
Soups and Stews
Protein and Vegetable Combination Dinners
Sweets and Desserts

Some of the recipes you’ll find include:

Cheesy Chicken and Poblano Rice
Two-Cheese Cauliflower Rotini
Hearty Corn, Potato, and Onion Chowder with Shrimp
Tender Pork Chops in Rich Onion Sauce
Apple-Cranberry Oat Crumble

Recommend.

Review written after downloading a galley from books-for-everyone.

6 people found this helpful

This is the Instant Pot cookbook I’ve been waiting for!! The author takes advantages of the strengths of the Instant Pot and uses them to put together healthy recipes that do not exceed 350 calories per serving. And what’s even better? Almost every single recipe sounds mouth-wateringly good and is NOT terribly complicated. I am IN. There are three recipes I’m planning to make this weekend for sure, and I have several more on deck for next week.

The author includes a quick introduction to Instant Pot cooking, followed by a couple of pages of healthy cooking and healthy eating tips and tricks. I found this content helpful and to the point. The recipes are organised into a few sections: Sandwiches and Wraps, Main-Course Salads, One-Dish Suppers, Soups and Stews, Protein and Vegetable Combination Dinners, and Sweets and Desserts. Every recipe includes detailed but easy to follow instructions, nutritional information and often, a tip or two. The book ends with a good index, making it easy to find recipes you want to return to.

The only thing missing from this book that would make it spectacular is pictures…I love good photographs in my cookbooks and am disappointed that this one doesn’t include them, but honestly–this cookbook is so well done, I can have decided I can do without them and plan to just print my own pictures as I work my way through the book…because I intend to make just about every recipe. They all sound so good!

I received an ARC from Books-For-Everyone in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Anyone who owns an Instant Pot or similar is most likely in love with the times saving aspects and ease of meal preparation that is enjoyed while using it. Hundreds of recipes are out there; unfortunately most full of fat and calories, especially those calling for convenience foods. That’s why this cookbook, Thinner in An Instant: Great-Tasting Dinners with 350 CALORIES OR FEWER from Your Instant Pot? or Other Electric Pressure Cooker by Nancy S. Hughes, is so timely and nice. Every meal doesn’t have to be a heart attack on a plate, and every meal doesn’t have to have a full days worth of fat and calories.

Some favourite recipes from this cookbook include: Greek Lemon Chicken with Asparagus (I substituted breasts for the thighs), Spiced Orange Chicken Bibb Wraps, and Tender Pork Chops in Rich Onion Sauce. The Hearty Corn, Potato, and Onion Chowder with Shrimp is delicious, as well as Louisiana Sausage and Pepper “Dirty” Rice . There are also some excellent desserts: Upside-Down Chocolate-Crusted Cheesecake, Apple-Cranberry Oat Crumble and Pumpkin Pot to name a few.

The instructions are easy to follow, and the dishes turn out well. The cooking times seem to be right, and the meats, poultry, and fish come out just right.

The one negative about this book, and it’s a big one, is that there are no photographs of the dishes. There is no excuse in this day of modern and easy photograph technology to leave the readers with no idea how their dish should look. With so many disgusting diet dishes out there, it would be nice to know that these diet dishes are appetising and look like something most of us would really like to eat.

All told, this is a good cookbook for anyone who enjoys the convenience of using an Instant Pot. It’s nice to lighten up our meals, and this cookbook has some great ideas.

Special thanks to Books-For-Everyone for supplying a review copy of this book.