Even though I don’t have a “sweet tooth,” per se, I still have a hunch I get too much sugar in my diet. And I’m certain my kids do. (So is their dentist.) So, when I received a review copy of the yet-to-be-released cookbook Half the Sugar, All the Love by Jennifer Tyler Lee and Anisha Patel, I wanted to dive right in.
Let me just say it’s rare that I find a cookbook where I think, I could probably just start on page 1 and cook my way through this without a single complaint from my family. I felt that way about I Heart Naptime and most of Nom Nom Paleo, and now Half the Sugar, All the Love has joined their ranks.
I was shocked to learn that the average woman or child in the US gets more than three times the daily recommended level of added sugar in their diet. What?!? That’s insane. But despite this, rest assured that the advice for parents here is practical and non-alarmist, and truly helpful. Starting with some myth-busting about sugar that might surprise you too.
From simple advice like cooking at home more and using more spice in your meals, to clear explanations about how to read food labels better, the introduction alone is almost worth the price of this book.
But, there’s more! Like, recipes, of course.
CME is an Amazon affiliate.
Related: Is coconut sugar really a healthy sugar alternative?
The recipes cover breakfast through dessert, and even drinks. And they all look great.
They’re really created with families and kids in mind, as it’s organized by topics like Busy Morning Breakfasts & Lazy Weekend Breakfasts, Lunch Box Favorites, and Salads for Lunch. Dinners are organized by protein, making it easy to glance at your freezer to see what you have on hand that night to cook.
And since sauces are where sugar tends to sneak in without us realizing, I love that they have a whole section devoted to basics and condiments. You’ll find everything from BBQ and Teriyaki sauce to ranch dressing and pizza dough in here, making it easy for you to cut sugar where it’s really not needed or appreciated.
I will just caution that there aren’t a lot of vegetarian recipes in here; so I’d definitely say it that Half the Sugar is more for omnivore families.
Related: 5 ideas for sweet after-school snacks, hold the pounds of sugar.
Dishes like Stuffed Chicken Parmesan Strips with marinara dipping sauce, Beef and Broccoli Terriyaki Bowls, and Meatballs with Spaghetti will all be big hits at my house. And yeah, I’ll be trying the Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cake and the Blondies with White Chocolate and Almonds too — because yes, there are real dessert-desserts that still help you cut back on sugar!
If you’re a parent who’s trying to cut back on the sweet stuff in your cooking, or even trying to be more aware of the sugar your family is consuming, possibly without even realizing it, I can say decidedly that this is the cookbook you need to add to your shelf this year.
Half the Sugar, All the Love by Jennifer Tyler Lee and Anisha Patel will be in stores and available to purchase from our affiliate Amazon on December 24, 2019. Pre-order now for it to arrive on Christmas Eve. It’s going to be a perfect last-minute Christmas gift for yourself…and any other parent you know, or a good gift to yourself, to get your new year off to a good start.
