According to Publisher's Weekly:
According to nutritionist Nestle (Food Politics), the increasing confusion among the general public about what to eat comes from two sources: experts who fail to create a holistic view by isolating food components and health issues, and a food industry that markets items on the basis of profits alone. She suggests that, often, research findings are deliberately obscure to placate special interests. Nestle says that simple, common-sense guidelines available decades ago still hold true: consume fewer calories, exercise more, eat more fruits and vegetables and, for today's consumers, less junk food. The key to eating well, Nestle advises, is to learn to navigate through the aisles (and thousands of items) in large supermarkets. To that end, she gives readers a virtual tour, highlighting the main concerns of each food group, including baby, health and prepared foods, and supplements. Nestle's prose is informative and entertaining; she takes on the role of detective, searching for clues to the puzzle of healthy and satisfying nutrition. Her intelligent and reassuring approach will likely make readers venture more confidently through the jungle of today's super-sized stores. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
For myself, I would say that this book is set up as a reference book, but reads like a conversation. Instead of learning which foods will cure you of cancer or keep you beautiful forever, Nestle focuses on giving you the tools and mindset to choose what to eat when given an array of options. I was very appreciative of the reminder that my common sense is an excellent tool in choosing healthy options. As a person who tries to learn about nutrition in my spare time, I'm often finding myself stumbling around in my stack of facts, trying to follow my favorite rules that I've collected over the years. In reminding myself that intuition is key, I can easily choose the whole wheat toast over the white toast. This book left me feeling capable of choosing health in all situations.
