Trying the Flavors of the World with the new Biggest Loser Cookbook

The last Biggest Loser-related book I read pretty much rocked. So when we had the opportunity to review the new Flavors of the World Cookbook, thereby combining my love of BL with cooking, the skies parted and I swear I could hear The Biggest Loser theme playing. It. Was. Glorious. While we’ll be sharing a recipe tomorrow that you won’t want to miss (two words: tiramasu custard), today we want to give you a review of the book to let you know if it’s worth your hard-earned bucks.

The Pros of The Biggest Loser Cookbook

First, let’s break down what’s awesome: This is way more than just a cookbook! With fun weight-loss tips from season 11 contestants and two whole chapters on what to eat and how to work out (including a primer on calories and proper exercise intensity, among other helpful info), it’s pretty much an abbreviated guide to the basics of weight loss. Then you get into the recipes—which really surprised me.

I know it’s “Flavors of the World,” but I kind of expected the recipes to be the basic worldly dishes that we all have pretty much had—pasta, fried chicken, quesadillas—and while you do get those, you also get recipes for more adventurous dishes such as Hawaiian poke, baba ghannouj and gazpacho. The foodie in me was quite pleased. Also awesome nutritional information is listed for each dish, they feature super clean ingredients and almost every recipe has a photo. (Photos, pretty!)

The Cons of The Biggest Loser Cookbook

Now for what’s lacking in this cookbook. While it’s a good read for those starting their weight-loss journeys, the information is pretty basic and doesn’t give a lot of details about why less processed foods are healthier than others. That’s really not that big of a deal since, again, the book is for fans of the show who want to learn a few secrets from the show (not a more in-depth scientific book like this one). But—and here’s the hiccup—to make most of the recipes you’re probably going to have to go to a health food store or even order a few ingredients online if you don’t have a Whole Foods up in your ‘hood. I consider myself to have a fridge and pantry full of super-healthy items and even I had to go in search of coconut sugar, avocado oil and an olive oil sprayer. This isn’t a huge deal, but just be warned—this isn’t a mainstream Hungry Girl type cookbook.

Overall, it’s a good healthy addition to your collection of cookbooks—and your other The Biggest Loser swag! —Jenn