What diet book would best fit my need?
May 21, 2012 5:16 PM   Subscribe

What diet book would you recommend that includes low cost, pre-made meal plans with shopping lists included?

I thought it would be simple, but I've searched high and low!

The following is what I need in a diet book:

1. Has meals planned out (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack) for several weeks, not just one sample week.
2. Has pre-made shopping lists.
3. Food is fairly inexpensive (I cannot afford things such as salmon).
4. Food can be prepared quickly.

I have no other special dietary needs like diabetes or any other such problems.

I seriously need to eat better and lose weight. The problem is that my life is more than just slightly hectic. Let us just say that for me, there are not enough hours in the day. Not even close to the number that I need!

Also, I have a lot of family that is presently living with me. Some for economical reasons (the economy sucks) and my mother is very ill. I don't have time to think about shopping lists, much less shop! I also don't have much time to cook.

Because of these problems, I've gained quite a bit of weight. I'm not eating healthy at all (I usually only eat one meal a day too due to time, yes, it's THAT bad).

Please, please, please help me!
posted by magnoliasouth to Health & Fitness (7 answers total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
I haven't tried it yet but emeals looks promising, and definitely fits a lot of your criteria... except that it's a service online, not a book.
posted by NikitaNikita at 8:58 PM on May 21, 2012


It's not a book, but SparkPeople.com's meal planner meets all of your criteria.
posted by lindseyg at 6:56 AM on May 22, 2012


Response by poster: Wow! These are both really good sites. I am totally okay with websites as well as books. I'm still interested in seeing more though because there are some problems I have with each.

Emeals looks great and would be exactly what my need is except that it only does dinners. I need a breakfast and lunch menu as well as a dinner menu. Personally, if emeals would add the other two, I'd be willing to pay $10/mo for that, which is twice what they charge. I love how they even make your list according to the current sales circulars for various stores, to include Walmart! That alone is worth it for the dinners! No kidding.

As for Sparkpeople, I was disappointed. I specifically allowed meat but instead it gave me a vegetarian diet. I understand that I can change and substitute stuff, but more on that in a moment. Also, the shopping list was not just long but also had way too many expensive items. Buying fresh blueberries (for example), at this time of year, is too costly for me. Again, I could switch those out, but then it quickly becomes a tedious hassle. My ready made menu is instead me actually having to plan it, which I was trying to avoid in the first place.

That's a great option for many (and probably most) people, but it's not exactly what I need. It's very close, but still not the right fit.

I'm still open to other ideas!
posted by magnoliasouth at 8:10 AM on May 22, 2012


Have a look at SavingDinner.com.
posted by sillymama at 10:17 AM on May 22, 2012


Response by poster: Interestingly enough, I have the Saving Dinner book sitting right here on my desk. That said, it doesn't really do what I need it to do. Not even her website either. It is like emeals, in that it's only dinner. Thanks though for the suggestion.
posted by magnoliasouth at 10:25 AM on May 22, 2012


I think The Instinct Diet could fit your criteria, with some caveats. It has complete meal plans for 3 days for Stage 1, and a week for Stage 2. Since meat and vegetarian options are offered, as well as how to stick to the plan with prepared or restaurant foods, this could conceivably be turned into a plan for several weeks.

Depending on the options you pick, it could be fairly expensive or could be made less so. And again, depending on the options you pick, food could be prepared quickly or not. I really recommend taking a look first in a bookstore or library. The plus about the diet presented in the book is that it's based on scientific research, and Amazon reviews indicate that people have lost weight while sticking to it.

I did not lose huge amounts of weight when I adhered to the eating plan to the letter, but I did lose noticeable inches in my waist and stomach area. Your mileage may vary.
posted by needled at 12:31 PM on May 22, 2012


Response by poster: Thank you, I'll take a look. :)
posted by magnoliasouth at 3:57 PM on May 23, 2012


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