Cookbook Review: “Diabetes Superfoods Cookbook and Meal Planner” by Cassandra Verdi and Stephanie Dunbar

The growing trend of “superfoods” touches every area of cuisine — including diabetes management. A superfood is a food assumed to confer health benefits resulting from an exceptional nutrient density. In Diabetes Superfoods, Cassandra L. Verdi, MPH, RD, and Stephanie A. Dunbar, MPH, RD, provide an overview of superfoods and how they can be used to improve health and manage diabetes.

Summary of Diabetes Superfoods Cookbook and Meal Planner

The authors define the term “diabetes superfood” as food that is “rich in nutrients that benefit diabetes management or nutrients that are typically lacking in the American diet.” Using this definition as their base point, they provide a primer using a superfoods approach to cooking and meal planning.

What Worked for Me

The book is very easy to read and the recipes are laid out in a way that makes them easy to follow. The book is a soft and floppy trade paperback, which means when you open to a recipe you want to make, the book stays open. I love that.

The photographs are well taken but don’t overpower the book. As a cookbook should be, the recipes are the focus. And, whether you have diabetes or not, a lot of the recipes look really tasty. I’m especially looking forward to trying out the Avocado Cilantro Dressing, Lemonly Pesto Hummus, and Pecan-Crusted Port Tenderloin with Apples and Onions.

What Didn’t Work for Me

I’m not crazy about the color choice for the interior. They are printed in black and orange, which is an odd choice since there is no orange on the cover. I would have brought in the blue or red from the cover inter the interior.

I also would have preferred a listing of the recipes in the Table of Contents. As it is now, you either have to look in the index or go to each section to find a listing of the recipes. It makes it a bit more challenging to find what you’re looking for.

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

Frankly, the book is pretty good as it. The only change I’d really recommend is losing the orange in the interior and either keeping everything black or bringing in the blue from the cover to replace the orange.

Recommendation

If you are curious about superfoods and how they can help you manage your diabetes or even pre-diabetes, Diabetes Superfoods Cookbook and Meal Planner is an excellent starter cookbook.

Rating for Diabetes Superfoods Cookbook and Meal Planner

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you’ve read past book reviews, you’ll know that I don’t pull my punches when I believe they are warranted. I also try to provide balanced information so you can make your own decision to read or not read the book, even if you disagree with my opinion.