After reading Jodi Picoult, I felt some lighter fare was in order. Literally. I picked up The Biggest Loser Cookbook the other day at Borders, and was excited to "read" it for the Soup's On Challenge.

The basic philosophy behind The Biggest Loser "diet" is to eat mostly unprocessed, natural foods. In the words of trainer Kim Lyons, "If God didn't make it, don't eat it" (xi). Thus, the recipes in the cookbook rely on natural ingredients, as well as some specialty foods that you probably don't have sitting in your pantry. The recipes aren't exotic, but you will probably have to make a special trip to the grocery store before trying most of them.

The recipes are divided into 6 categories: Breakfasts; Hearty Snacks; Sandwiches, Soups, and Stews; Sides and Salads; Main Courses; and Sweet Snacks. They come from past contestants on The Biggest Loser and from chef Devin Alexander. All of the recipes seem fairly easy to prepare; some have as little as two ingredients. As I was flipping through each section, I was surprised at the variety and originality of the dishes presented. I marked plenty recipes I want to try (after a trip to the grocery store, of course). I also liked that nutrition facts were listed for each dish.

I only found one recipe I could make with the ingredients I had on hand. It didn't turn out so well, but I think that was my fault :) Here's the recipe: