Eat This, Not That--and NEVER That!

I'm not overweight. I've gained about ten pounds since getting married seven years ago, and I could use more exercise, but I'm not overweight. Not yet, in any case. Seeing my parents, and their health issues, before me, I want to keep it that way. I don't have the battle with my waistline that other people do, but I still don't eat right. And as my metabolism slows to a crawl, making healthier choices will become more and more important.

With that in mind, I picked up a copy of "Eat This, Not That," by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding. The small book was published earlier this year, and is full of concrete suggestions for how to eat healthier. The 300 pages have full color photographs illustrating the options, and keep the same format throughout the book. What you should eat on the left-hand side, and what you should not eat on the right-hand side.

The eight chapters invite you to examine your own diet in various times and places.

8 Foods You Should Eat Every Day (Plus 20 to avoid at all costs)
Some of the foods you should eat every day: tomatoes, yogurt, and carrots. Those all seem easy enough to work into a daily diet, and the authors give you healthy reasons for them, subtitutes (in case you can't stand or have allergies to some of them), and ways to sneak it into your meals. The one of the eight foods I had the biggest problem with is walnuts, but I love almonds, the first substitute they recommend. The "20 to avoid" get awfully specific, naming restaurants, menu items, and just how bad for you they really are. Some of them, like Chili's Awesome Blossom, are things I've only eaten with four other people, but are still meals to avoid.

At Your Favorite Restaurants
This is the largest section in the book, and my favorite. From Applebee's to Wendy's, this list of restaurants includes everything from fast food to sit-down restaurants. Each two-page spread includes a photograph of what you want, what you don't want, and caloric, fat, and sodium information for each food item. There are a total of at least four menu items on each page, including several different "safe picks," and several foods you should pass on. Some pages even have a "WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION," a gut-bomb so devastating that several of them have more calories than you should consume in a day. There are also trivia items, and tips to cut the calories further from popular foods. Some of these pages make perfect sense, like the "Triple Whopper with Cheese" being bad for you, but others, like Wendy's Roasted Turkey and Swiss Frescata having more than twice the calories of their Single hamburger. This section was fascinating, and worth the price of the book alone.

EAT THIS, NOT THAT! Menu Decoder
This veers away from named restaurants and into restaurant types--diners, sports bars, Indian, Chinese, or Mexican restaurants--places that tend to have the same types of menu. So you can look up Samosas, Pakora, Naan, and Tandoori, and see what you're doing to your diet on that special night out.

On Holidays and Special Occasions
Holidays tend to be the times when we say, "ah, it's just the holiday--live it up!" ...Zinczenko and Goulding remind us that we can still live it up, but choose the better part. The most surprising pages here were the Halloween pages--a two-page spread of candy, some of which is better for you than others. Fourth of July picnics, Nights at the Movies, and even Vending Machines are all covered here.

At the Supermarket
Since most of my meals aren't in restaurants, this might be the most useful part of the book. Over fifty pages of ingredients and packaged foods at the supermarket are included here, and some food mysteries are laid bare. Good yogurts vs. bad yogurts, breakfast condiments, cookies, and even ice cream is included. Yes, the authors say you can eat ice cream. But eat it in moderation, and choose certain brands over others.

Drink This, Not That
Juices, beers, cocktails, sodas and children's drinks. The juices page was especially enlightening--we often think we're getting something healthy, when it's really a big ol' swig of corn syrup. Choose carefully.

What to Eat When...You're Tired, Stressed or in the Mood
Feeling fat? Low on energy? Need a brain boost? This is a list of foods to seek out and to avoid when you're looking for a natural high. It was interesting, but I haven't tried it out to see how practical it is.

EAT THIS, NOT THAT! For Kids
I have two preschool boys, and these recommendations hit home. "Only 2 percent of children between the ages of 2 and 19 are fulfilling their five main recommendations for a healthy diet laid out in the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid." And my kids aren't part of that two percent. We try to do a good job, but it's easier to load them up on cold cereal and fruit snacks--a common sin, according to this book. These are more concrete recommendations, complete with a kid's meal "Eat This, Not That" section to help parents with their children's needs.

This book could be summed up by just saying "eat good things, and eat bad things in moderation." But it does such a good job that after reading the book, you're left with confidence and and overwhelming sense that you really can conquer your food demons.

The book is 6.5" square, too big for pockets, but the right size for purse, backpack, or briefcase. It's handy enough to take with you into restaurants or grocery stores, and it can be that personal coach that will help you get past the most tempting food choices. Zinczenko and Goulding don't want you to be miserable, and most of the "Eat This" food choices look as good as the "Not That" options. It won't make losing weight easy, but it makes it seem possible.