Low-fat or low-carb? A recent New York Times Magazine (July 7, 2002) cover story answered this question and said that Dr. Atkins was right all along, "its not fat that makes us fat but carbohydrates." Though the government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in research trying to prove that fat is the cause of obesity, there has been a subtle shift in the scientific consensus over the past five years supporting what the low-carb diet doctors have been saying all along: if we eat less carbohydrates, we will lose weight and live longer.

One of the toughest challenges of any diet is having enough variety and choices to keep the dieter from losing interest. The most common reason that people abandon their diet is boredom but 500 LOW CARB RECIPES: 500 Recipes, From Snacks to Dessert, That the Whole Family Will Love by Dana Carpender has more than enough recipes to keep even the most finicky dieter on track.

With recipes for everything including hors dÆoeuvres, snacks, breads, muffins, side dishes, entrees, cookies, cakes and much more, this is an endless supply for creating meals for the whole family night after night. Whether everyone in the family is on a diet or not, these recipes are proven winners with adults and kids alike.

Also included:

• Many one-dish meals for single people--main dish salads, skillet suppers that include meat and vegetables, and hearty soups that are a full meal in a bowl.
• Ideas for breaking out of old ways of looking at food with suggestions that save time and money and change what is considered a normal meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Information about where to find low-carbohydrate specialty products and descriptions of low-carb specialty foods found in grocery stores everywhere.
• An entire chapter that lists and describes low-carb substitute ingredients such as fats and oils, flour substitutes, liquids, seasonings and sweeteners.

Dieters will be pleased to know that they can eat foods like guacamole, omelets, pizza, steak, ham and dessert without giving up great taste and still lose weight. There are enough recipes to create the perfect menu for any holiday of the year--including Thanksgiving. Each of the 500 recipes includes a carbohydrate count to help calculate the total carb intake of each menu.

There are more recipes for main dishes and side dishes than most low-carb dieters will ever be able to eat--everything from down-home cooking to ethnic fare; from quick-and-easy weeknight meals to knock-their-socks off party food. 500 LOW CARB RECIPES is the last cookbook any dieter will ever need to buy and certain to be used until the binding is worn out!