Just Tell Me What to Eat: Real World Meal Plans by Timothy Harlan

Just Tell Me What to Eat, by Timothy Harlan, provides a 6-week weight loss plan using both convenience foods and homemade recipes.

Timothy S. Harlan's approach to dieting is not telling his readers what not to eat, but rather what to eat. Harlan, a physician and chef, runs the website DrGourmet.com and is the author of the two heart-healthy books It's Heartly Fare and Hand On Heart. His book, Just Tell Me What to Eat isn't based on fad dieting; it simply tells the reader what and why to eat the suggestion menu items.

Amazon: Just Tell Me What to Eat!: The Delicious 6-Week Weight Loss Plan for the Real World

Just Tell Me What to Eat Overview and Chapters

The core of the book has 6 weeks of menus and two bonus weeks which help lay out how the recipes and suggestions can be incorporated in a typical family menu. The three principles of Just Tell Me What to Eat are eat high quality calories (whole grains and low fat proteins), eat according to the Mediterranean diet principles, and make your own meals whenever possible. The three basic principles are heart-healthy for long term weight loss.

All menus have recipes that are included in the book (a new recipe a day), and have a convenience food and a restaurant meal alternative. For nights when time is short, Harlan lists convenience meals that can be stored in the freezer, and have been reviewed by Dr. Gourmet tasters.

The chapters are listed by week, with the bonus weeks at the end. Chapter One focuses on the basics like eating a good breakfast, making your own lunch, and how to arrange your dinner plate. Chapters Two and Three give advice on menu planning and shopping, including how to read food labels and portion sizes. Chapters Four and Five deal with the Mediterranean diet pantry staples and snacking. Chapter 6 offers advice on eating on the go, and dining out in restaurants when at home or out of town.

There are 42 recipes in the book, which coincide with the 42 days in the 6-week menu plan: a new recipe to try every day of the 6-week diet regimen. Over 25 additional recipes are included in the bonus weeks, along with several desserts to try. There are no photos in the book, but the nutritional and diet information that the book contains makes up for that deficit.

Recommended for Those Wanting a Simple Menu Plan to Follow for Healthy Eating

The easy-to-follow menu guide approach for weight loss makes Just Tell Me What to Eat a good read for those who have never put a menu together, let alone one for healthy cooking. Also, rather than stating all the things that shouldn't be consumed on the diet, Harlan instead focuses on all the items to eat which makes the menu plan more positive and easier to follow for the long term. The recipes include a wide variety of cuisines, like pizza with a Thai peanut sauce or a spring barley salad, so there is no flavor burnout during the 6-week diet plan.

Book Information:

• Just Tell Me What to Eat! The Delicious 6-Week Weight Loss Plan for the Real World; by Timothy S. Harlan, MD
• Da Capo Press, 2011
• ISBN13: 9780738214528
• Hardcover with Jacket, 309 pages

Disclosure: This book was provided by the publisher and any opinions are my own.