by N Zinser

Created on: July 20, 2009

With the influx of fad dieting, it can seem difficult to find the best cookbooks that will not only have great recipes, but also be a an easy diet to stick to. Here are a few cookbooks that stand out as following both of those ideals!

All New Complete Cooking Light Cookbook (2006)

This collection is a must have for any household. It's not only an essential diet cookbook, but it is a great healthy lifestyle cookbook. Cooking Light magazine is a wonderful monthly magazine featuring recipes and tips that have been tested numerous times to perfect the result. This cookbook features 1000 of the top-rated recipes from the magazine, as well as tips to reduce calories and fat without sacrificing flavors. The banana bread recipe in particular is one of the best recipes out there!

Mediterranean Light (2000)

The Mediterranean diet is one that is based on low fats - the majority of fats consumed is from olive oil, with some lean meats. It is high in vegetables and fruits as well, and some unprocessed grain. This diet has been used to reduce chances of developing heart problems and heart disease, as well as for its weight loss benefits. This cookbook in particular has wonderful recipes like Chicken Provencal, Pasta e Fagoli, and Moroccan Carrot Salad. The lower fats are hardly noticeable, with the spice and herb combinations used! A wonderful addition to the cookbook library.

Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook (2006)

Weight Watchers has been around since 1963, and with good reason. It has always focused on portion control and exercise as a way to control weight and promote healthy weight loss. This cookbook is a diverse collection, with each recipe's Points value, as well as categorizing the recipe as "Core" or "Points". Core and Points plans have since been combined to form the Momentum plan, but this has been a bit of a controversy among Weight Watchers dieters. This cookbook is great because it sticks to the old plan, and has some really adventurous additions - Moo Shu chicken with homemade whole wheat pancakes, Middle Eastern Beef Kebabs, even a Challah recipe! No diet could be called boring when cooking from this book.

This is only a few of the hundreds of diet cookbooks out there, but these cookbooks focus on a healthy weight loss, portion control, and a balanced diet, not on being the new "diet trend". The tips contained in the Cooking Light Complete cookbook, for example, can help you modify your favorite "regular" recipes to have a healthy spin. The key is to use these as your everyday cookbook - they're great ways to change up your diet in a fun way, no crash dieting involved. If you try any of these books, you won't cook any other way!

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