This is not my usual kind of cookbook. A dear friend told me that they needed to make some dietary changes because their blood sugar levels were consistently high, though not yet over the diabetes threshold. They were stressed because they didn’t really know what they needed to do, what to eat, what to not eat, and so on. An hour later I was looking at NetGalley and there was the Betty Crocker Simply Delicious Diabetes Cookbook.

I don’t have any expertise in what makes a good cookbook for someone managing diabetes through diet, or changing their diet because of a diabetes diagnosis. What I can say about this cookbook is that it had several recipes that when I read them aloud, my friend was willing to try. She was also more open to considering recipes because the Betty Crocker name was on it. The dishes tend towards standard anglo-American diet with the occasional curry, chick pea, or tagine. Each recipe has nutritional information, and at the beginning of the book, they explain how they arrived at that information. Most of the recipes included tips and tricks.

I do know from experience that suddenly having to change the way you eat and cook is daunting, even overwhelming. There are definitely recipes in here that I would make for myself. I made the spicy ancho chicken sandwiches and they were delicious. The frozen desserts looked particularly good, though it was too cold for them to be appealing at the moment. Most importantly, after my friend and I looked at some of the recipes together and she felt better about altering the way she cooks, I would buy it for her.

I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

Good book with a variety of recipes and lots of photos. I wouldn't limit this to diabetes - the recipes are overall healthy, and there are pages about low salt as well. The recipes are in chapters on Flavor-Packed Basics, Breakfasts, Light Meals and Snacks, Salads and Veggies, Dinners, and Treats and Drinks. Even outside of.rge veggie chapter I found there to be a lot of veggie focused and/or veggie heavy recipes.
The recipes include nutritional info and a very visible carb counter. A few of them included artificial sweetener, but most were either naturally low in sugar or just had a small amount included.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book: Betty Crocker Simply Delicious Diabetes Cookbook
160+ Nutritious Recipes for Foods You Love
Author: Betty Crocker
Publication Info: March 8, 2022
Genres: Cooking, Health, Diabetic Health, Nutrition, Hobby/Skills, Leisure

I received a copy of this cookbook via NetGalley in exchange for honest feedback. Thank you to the publisher, authors, photographers, and NG.

I am reviewing this cookbook as a diabetic. Since my diagnosis, I have been able to keep my blood sugars in really good control, but it took some learning and serious lifestyle adjustments. Every so often, it gets a little frustrating. As someone who loves to cook, I sometimes feel a bit sad when I think of all the things I perfected over the years that are not really on the menu for me anymore. Instead of moping over that, I sought out other foods, substitutes, and cooking methods. After all, our choices have consequences.

This cookbook is what one would expect from Betty Crocker brand. It has a lot of high quality photographs and is packed full of different types of foods. Everything is meant to be low carb and low to zero sugar of course. You can see the nutrition labels clearly. The offerings include “basics” like meats and entries, breakfasts, light meals & snacks, colorful salads & veggies, dinners & eating out, and sweet treats & desserts. I found the recipes to be straight forward, and for the most part, the ingredients aren’t anything you would have to go to specialist shop or pay extra for. Therefore, it’s really relevant to anyone who wants to eat low carb / low sugar, and with Keto being a very popular diet, it may be relevant to those choosing that lifestyle habit. However, I think these recipes are healthier across the board compared to Keto, so it may be for the more long-term change than a temporary diet.

Either way, my favorite things about this cookbook included the section about eating out, the desserts/treats, and some of the ideas for entries. While you could get some of these from Google, it’s great to have them collected. For those of us who love to cook, it just hits different.

TLDR: Good for anyone who wants to eat low carb / zero to low sugar. Good photos, a range of recipes and categories that stretch across breakfast to dinner and snacks / desserts.

Betty Crocker Simply Delicious Diabetes Cookbook has great information on how to make wise food choices without compromising flavor. The colorful pages have striking photographs, showing off the finished dishes in a way that is sure to inspire. This cookbook is an excellent choice for anyone who wants a more balanced diet with less sodium, more lean proteins, more complex carbohydrates, and more of the beneficial whole grains.

The recipes are divided into sections, which I have listed below with some of my favorites.

Flavor-Packed Basics: Reduced-Sodium Roasted Chicken and Broth; Rotisserie-Style Chicken; Spicy Ancho Chicken Sandwiches; Freezer-Friendly Turkey Meatballs; Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Vegetables

Scrumptious Breakfasts: Almond Flour Zucchini Muffins; Almond Butter Breakfast Cookies; Oatmeal-Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

Tasty Light Meals & Snacks: Greek Turkey Burgers with Cucumber Sauce; Soy-Ginger Salmon Burgers; Healthy Split Pea Soup

Colorful Salads & Veggies: Roasted Beet Hummus; Thai-Style Chopped Salad; Quinoa and Vegetable Salad; Mango-Black Bean Salad

Satisfying Dinners: Fiesta Lime Chicken Tacos; Grilled Sriracha Chicken with Garlic-Cilantro Rice; Coconut Chicken Curry; Turkey Quinoa Skillet Dinner; Kale and Tofu Stir-Fry; Spinach Lasagna

Sweet Treats & Refreshing Drinks: Orange-Ginger Biscotti; Hot Cocoa Meringues; Mini Lemon Pound Cakes

Enjoying Dessert: Mocha Granita; Cold Brew Yogurt Pops; Zero Proof Frozen Mango Margaritas

This cookbook proves that eating healthy is not a compromise. Although diabetes is not an issue in my family, there are many recipes from the Betty Crocker Simply Delicious Diabetes Cookbook that will become part of my weekly meals.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of the Betty Crocker Simply Delicious Diabetes Cookbook by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this cookbook was entirely my own.

The Betty Crocker Simply Delicious Diabetes Cookbook does what is promises to do. There are very simple and easy-to-make recipes in this book that offer variety and options to people who are diabetic. Right in the beginning of the book, it is explained that each meal is classified with a certain number of points so the reader can judge whether or not it is adequate to their diet. The recipes seem truly delicious and there are a lot of pictures, as there should be for a cookbook.

A good collection of recipes. Some seem quite basic for anyone with a bit of nutrition knowledge but there were enough there that would tempt me into trying something different. Visually I didn't find this as tempting as some other recipe books but these recipes aren't the type that necessarily translate well to foodie photos.
All recipes have a carb counter so this would help with anyone on a Keto diet.

Excellent book for ideas on how to eat less sugar or manage diabetes.

Love that the recipes included nutritional info (as not all do and that is a little annoying).

The Betty Crocker Simply Delicious Cookbook has a wide selection of recipes that should appeal to both diabetics and non-diabetics alike. The recipes look doable and some feature using the air fryer to prepare the recipe. Overall, this is a tasty cookbook that should help in following a diabetic diet.

Recommend.

Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.

I’m not diabetic myself, but I take care of a lot of people who are, and I do prefer my plate to be full of healthier options. This book seemed like a great resource to explore and gather some ideas and inspiration. Betty Crocker recipes are always a favorite, so I knew it would be a winner for me. The photos are an excellent embellishment to draw the eye to mouthwatering dishes. The recipes are simple and easy to follow, which is a must in my kitchen. None of the recipes felt unreasonable or too complicated to attempt. The dishes provided are proof that being diabetic does not mean you have to cut out taste and flavor. Thanks to Betty Crocker for compiling a treasure trove of palatable, acceptable, and healthy recipes. I especially appreciated the fast (can be prepped in 20 min or less) and slow-cooker options. Other options, such a vegetarian and gluten free are represented as well. I also really appreciated the Carb Choices provided, for those who manage their diabetes by counting carbs.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I liked that the sections were broken down for you and that the majority of the recipes did t require a lot of ingredients. The recipes are simple but sound good. Most, if not all of them, have a corresponding picture to go with the recipe as well. I liked that there was a taco seasoning recipe too because the store bought ones have so much sodium. Pumpkin spice French toast looks good. It had more ingredients than others, but nothing outrageous. A good mix of recipes and the fact it’s lower sugar content, it’s always a plus.

Loved it! Insulin resistance is a big thing these days and it’s great that Betty Crocker is on the band wagon with some great recipes to try. I’m definitely going to make that strawberry barbecue sauce and the no salt taco seasoning. It’s a large recipe book too...something for everyone!

I received a complimentary copy to look at and voluntarily left my opinion!

I am very conflicted about this book. On the one hand, I made several recipes and they all turned out fine in terms of taste. I did not have any major blood sugar spikes. But at the same time, the book feels extremely corporate: all the recipes are made slavishly to American Diabetic Association guidelines, the tone is overly chipper and upbeat, and the theme is making standard American fare match the guidelines. It feels liked this has been marketed to within an inch of its life. And although it is healthier than standard recipes, I question a lot of them in terms of what we know now about carbs and diabetes today. Especially since Better Crocker was used as a marketing device to sell many unhealthy products that got Americans into the diabetic condition they are in today.

The book is beautifully laid out, as expected. Each recipe has a photograph and takes up a full page. The recipes are printed in 3 colors (yellow, blue, and black) and neatly laid out with introduction, titled, prep time, finish time, serving size, ingredients, and fairly small numbered steps. In addition, each recipe has a car severity number (from 1-5) to give you a general idea when browsing of how carb heavy the finished product will be. They are very easy to follow and make, mostly with very common ingredients. You won't be hunting down ghee, for example.

That said, there are also some serious issues that feel like marketing gimmicks: e.g., rather than put the tips in advance, they are interspersed throughout the book. So you will have no idea what the blue "Carb Choice 1" circle on your recipe even means unless you read through every page of the book and found the explanation section hidden in the middle. It's like that for e.g., tips, understanding carbs, how they came to their measurements/nutrition info, etc. None of them are listed in the table of contents, so good luck finding that info again in the future. Individual recipes aren't even listed in the table of contents - so good luck finding those as well. It felt a LOT like a marketing ploy to make the book seem 'friendly' upon first read ("Look, no huge introduction to plod though!") and like it must be hugely packed with recipes ("Look how thick it is and the recipes start from nearly page !"). I found it very misleading and frustrating.

I made the quick skillet chicken korma as an example. It has a 'carb choices 2" circle, 290 calories, 26g carbs, 600 mg sodium, and 1g fiber. The taste was fine - it didn't blow away the family but it was edible. The only unusual ingredient was garam masala (which is easily found in supermarkets). Note that the serving size is 1/2 a cup - so you can see that you need to be careful with portion size so as not to overload with carbs.

So much of this cookbook is corporate glossy - I can almost picture a large lab kitchen where these were made/tested and then passed through the nutrition fact checkers in order to get to the marketing team to pretty-up. In that way, you can guarantee that these will not spike sugar as defined by the American Diabetes Association. But also keep in mind that few people lose weight or lower the severity of their T2 on that diet as well. It does not feel like the ADA is up to date on carbs as we know it now.

This is streamlined for the average American who wants to continue eating as they did before and sacrifice as little as possible along the way. I would not say it is for those who are committed to reducing the severity of their T2 or losing weight. And for this reason, I am very ambivalent - the book lives up to its promise but perhaps we should be asking if the underlying premise is the right choice for diabetics. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

This was a great cookbook and I really enjoyed reading through the recipes. Even though I'm not diabetic, I definitely found some that I will be making.

I am always looking for more recipes to give me variety to help lower my blood sugar. This one not only had a lot of vegetarian recipes, but also tips for meal prep and batch cooking. Some of my favs I can't wait to try are
- Cilantro Lime Barley
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Easy Pineapple slaw
And while the recipes were plentiful, the best part was the dessert section!

To begin, I'd like to emphasize that I am a MODY diabetic, treated much like a type 2 with a very low carb diet and I was not very impressed with the way this cookbook handles food. Overall this book felt more tailored to just simply eating healthy instead of being really made for the low carb diabetic diet. You could say it is more tailored to a type one diet, but really they can eat anything they like with the proper insulin regiment.
The first few pages introduce their version of a "healthy diet", with includes snacks, food variety, and whole grains. While this isnt inherently wrong for someone on my form of diet, it isn't really specific to the knowledge we know about carbs and fats, and how they affect a diabetic's blood sugar. It touches on gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan diets but one again doesn't relate it to diabetes.
As we move on to the recipes itself, "simple" is an understatement. As a beginner chef who learned most of her cooking in her college apartment these recipes are bare minimum, which is great for some but I'm a little more capable than this book offers. The recipes are also simple in seasoning, with only a little bit of thyme, sage, or salt and pepper, which would be great for somebody without an extensive collection of spices. For me, I was just hoping for a little bit more flavor even if this is meant to be simple. Simple does not need to mean flavorless.
I think the thing that frustrated me most was that this cookbook didn't seem to fully think through an entire meal. For instance the "classic marinara sauce" recipe was paired with a giant bowl of pasta. I could absolutely never eat a whole bowl of pasta! This could have easily been paired with a spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles for a nice low carb, well rounded meal! Another substitute they could have considered is the use of low glycemic index grains like almond flour instead of oats or whole wheat flour that are very non-diabetic friendly. The amount of real white flour used in a few of these recipes would be dangerous for my health. Instead of real brown sugar in the pancakes erythritol would have done just as well, with no blood sugar spike.
For a cookbook to say "diabetic diet", I really had higher expectations of the quality and kind of recipes in this book. I just think the author could have done a little more research on lower glycemic ingredients, in order to really make these recipes diabetes friendly. I personally would like to thank Netgalley for letting me have the chance to read this cookbook and decide that it's just not meant for me and my health.

This cookbook has some great ideas on how to change up your diet while still eating healthy. It will also make you realize that there are some things that you are doing wrong and need to change. Diabetes is nothing to fool around with.. I know as I have diabetes too. I do roasted veggies and make my own salsa but never thought about whipping up a low-salt taco seasoning mix. There are quite a few ideas that have given me some incentive to switch up my diet.
I received an advanced reader copy for free from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

I was pleasantly surprised by this cookbook. There are a ton of inventive and easy to prepare low carb and healthy options for diabetics. As a type 2 diabetic myself I know that much of management is eating right, and I would be happy to have and make all of these wonderful recipes. The pictures are beautiful and honestly I can't wait to start trying them out. I feel that most of them make amazing mid week family dishes too. I love that there is nutritional information included and meal prep suggestions. So much of the struggle is having the right things on hand and I know that I will be looking at my next grocery haul differently. This is a cookbook that I would suggest to other diabetics or really anyone wanting to reduce their carb intake while enjoying delicious food. I do consider myself a foodie and am good at scrutinizing recipes. I didn't see any discernable faults in these. Thank you for approving me for this title. I can't wait to get cooking (I am just currently waiting for my brand new one to be installed!!)

This was just the perfect thing. Not only does it have diabetic friendly desserts, but it also caters to those who are need low carb! Delicious recipes, tons of amazing options, and all from Betty Crocker!

Thank you to Netgalley and Mariner Books for the ARC to read and review.

Nothing surprising here in this new Betty Crocker cookbook. The recipes within are basic fare that are not only Diabetic Friendly , but adapted for those who need low salt or low carb or gluten free recipes as well.

Photographs are bright and pleasing.

Excellent cookbook! Lists all the pertinent information for recipes: Carbs/Gluten/Sugar, etc. Simple, easy recipes., and beautiful, mouthwatering recipes. From Breakfast to Dinner/Dessert and everything in between. 10/10!