Book Review: 5-Ingredient Family Cookbook by Kristen Smith, MS, RDN

Recipes

Mar 1

We are always on the search for recipes that taste good (#1), are balanced in healthfulness and are simple to make. The reality is that most families need a good tasting meal that is faster than it takes to get meal delivery to the door.

Enter the 5-Ingredient Family Cookbook: 100 Easy, No-Fuss Recipes to Enjoy by Kristen Smith, MS, RDN. Kristen and I served together as national spokespeople of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is the owner of 360 Family Nutrition based in Atlanta, GA. We share a love of helping families eat well together.

Most of us have those cookbooks that offer quick meals, but then when you make them, there is no flavor. Flavor wins every time when it comes to whether we will make a recipe again.

This cookbook does not disappoint. Our family went 3 for 3 with our taste testing. We made the soy-marinated flank steak (p. 77) with the garlic roasted potatoes with rosemary (p. 109) and on another day, the Hawaiian pork pineapple kebabs (p. 83). We loved the flavor of the flank steak! Our Texas family absolutely loves beef, and flank steak is a big winner in our home. The roasted potatoes were super easy to make, and they were very flavorful. I had a lot left over, so I put them with my scrambled eggs and sauteed spinach the next day for breakfast.

Kristen has a great 2-week meal plan in the front of the book that utilizes recipes in the cookbook to build breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Each recipe takes up one full page with larger than normal lettering (my old eyes love that!), prep time and it tells you if it is free of major allergens.

Do keep in mind that the 5-ingredients are one dish, though. You make the flank steak with 5 ingredients and then the potatoes with 3 ingredients. Not all dishes are full meals. Regardless, Kristen does an excellent job maximizing flavor with minimal ingredients and that is impressive.

If you are looking for a great set of recipes that are easy, tasty and happen to be balanced in nutrition, pick up the 5-Ingredient Family Cookbook. You will be happy you did.

Our dietitians specialize in personalized eating guidance. If you want more tips specific to your needs, call us at 972-422-9180 and schedule an appointment. Our visits are often covered under most insurance plans.