Fit Fare

It wasn’t long ago that reality TV seemed like it couldn’t get any lower. It seemed like every season, a new batch of mind-rotting shows would crop up, with titles not all that far off from Adultery Cruise Ship, How to Eat Dead Puppies, and Women: Pretty but Dumb/Men: Smart but Ugly. There was very little in the genre of reality TV that a typical viewer could admire. However, NBC took a risk on the show The Biggest Loser. It stopped relying on the gross-out and voyeurism that had typified reality television and instead took a long-term look at people working hard to improve themselves.

On the surface, you wouldn’t think that type of show would appeal, given the current market. However, many Americans saw themselves in the faces of the Biggest Loser participants. They had tried and failed time after time to lose weight, and see others do it without surgeries, diet pills, or anything but exercise and healthy eating was inspiring. Though the show is nominally a competition, really all the contestants win: even if they don’t get the big prize at the end, they get to learn healthy lifestyle habits and stave off the serious health risks associated with obesity.

The viewers of the show aren’t candidates for the big prize either, but the “everyman” and “everywoman” approach to casting and filming made the successes of the contestants inspiring and attainable. Naturally, this success led to merchandizing. One product that came out of the success of the show is a cookbook entitled The Biggest Loser Cookbook: More Than 125 Healthy, Delicious Recipes Adapted from NBC’s Hit Show. Now, healthy cookbooks are nothing new. Every library and bookstore with a cookbook section has shelf after shelf of cookbooks geared toward people looking to eat more healthfully. What’s different about this book is its tie to the emotional connection viewers feel with the show’s contestants. Any reader would logically know that eating a diet low in fat and refined sugars and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is a smart choice. But the appeal lies in having seen specific people eat specific foods and find success.

The cookbook exploits this by including a section with bios about the show’s participants. This is of dubious value for a cookbook, but for a companion item for fans of the show. It’s smart marketing. People interested in learning more about their favorite competitors will find it fun, but others might find it superfluous.

The book is based on solid nutritional theory. Later chapters include information about the Food Pyramid and tips about how to portion out servings from the different food groups. The recipes are grouped by meal type, and the emphasis is on simplicity of preparation–the recipes are almost all made with readily-available, affordable ingredients. This too is smart marketing. The target audience is not looking for exotic delights for a fancy dinner party (because, seriously–who wants to go to a dinner party and be served diet food anyway?). It’s much more important for people who are looking to make sustainable lifestyle changes to find recipes that work on a daily basis. The book includes recipes for all meals of the day, as well as smart snacks. Complete calorie, fat, and other nutrition facts are published with each recipe.

My main criticism of the book is that it would not be appealing to people who aren’t fans of the show; there’s too much show-related fluff. Also, the recipes are solid and simple, but they’re not as attractive to a more advanced cook who craves more variety. Still, the tips and skills incorporated into the book (e.g., using a spritz of olive oil from a mister rather than glugging it into a pan) are valuable and can be incorporated into other recipes and cuisines. Photos are included of some finished products, but not all.

This book would be a good choice for someone who is not very experienced in healthy cooking and is looking for lightened-up versions of comfort food and old favorites, or for someone who found the show to be a kick-start for a new lifestyle and wants some supporting materials. Others would do just as well with one of the many other health-conscious cookbooks available.