The South Beach Diet Cookbook by Arthur S. Agatston M.D. (2004)

This book is full of realistic food choices - not just a bunch of gourmet dishes that one may not want to attempt for daily fare. The pictures are beautiful, instructions are easy to read and follow. The foods are common and available. If you have a busy life or family - you can still find time to prepare these delicious choices. And there are a lot of choices. You will never get tired of this book - or the plan. Just so many options!

I bought this book along with the New Mayo Clinic Cookbook when I decided to change my eating habits to eat more fruits and veggies each day. Actually, of the two cookbooks, I found more recipes I wanted to try in the Mayo Clinic book. Still, the South Beach cookbook shows that the diet is anything but dull and boring. There are a variety of choices in this cookbook, so no matter what you like to eat, you will find recipes that appeal to you. Even those who aren't dieting should find this cookbook helpful for making better choices when cooking.

When I'm considering buying a cookbook, I look for a variety of recipes that look appealing, that are simple to make, and that don't have "odd" ingredients that might be difficult to find. This cookbook met all my criteria.

I consider myself a good cook, with simple tastes. So I must warn that some recipes seemed a bit outlandish, or listed ingredients that are obscure or difficult to find. But I am not disappointed, and I don't think you'll be disappointed in this book: it contains many recipes, dozens of them, that only include items you almost certainly have on hand.

To reduce the stress in my life, I try not to cook more than 2 or 3 new recipes a week. So I haven't tried many recipes from this cookbook yet, but the ones I have tried have been easy to follow, quick to make, tasty and satisfying.

I was going to do the south beach diet and needed to "get into it" to make it work. So I wanted the recipe books. Found them on ebay for a great price and it was nice not having to go to find it at a store. Having the cookbook keeps me focused on coming up with new items to eat. The food is great tasting and the time flies by concentrating on what to make next. There have been a couple of things, I didn't care for. But overall its been working. I've lost some weight and feel great.

I purchased the South Beach Diet Cookbook because about 8 weeks ago, I along with 4 other girlfriends began the diet. We have all done very well on it but began to get bored with the original menu. This cookbook has been great because it rekindled the desire to continue our new healthy lifestyle by giving us more choices and delicious recipes. The only negative comment...I would like to see more Phase 1 recipes for those of us who need to stay on that phase longer.