Book Review: Nourishing Traditions

by Jennifer Brooks

October 2005

A friend of ours gave my husband this book called Nourishing Traditions. I didn’t pay much attention to it at first. My husband was reading it intently for several days. He asked me to read the Introduction section where it gives the foundation and the facts – the basis of the book. I flipped through the contents and quickly found the desserts section. I have to admit, I have a “sweet tooth” and I usually judge a cookbook by the sweets section. So…I was surprised to see yummy desserts like Apple Cobbler, Baked Custard, Vanilla Ice Cream, Raspberry Tart, and Walnut Torte with Whipped Cream Icing. Yes, I thought, this book will do.

After approving the dessert section, I began reading the Introduction. The very thorough explanation of fats, carbs, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes was very impressive. It was quite obvious a lot of research had been done in preparation of this book. Research yes, but nothing I’d ever read before.

As I think about this cookbook, I remember the times when I heard about some one who lived to be very, very old – over 100 years. Usually, this very old person says they ate a regular diet of plenty of meat and butter and whole milk from the family cow. No low fat, processed, “new fangled” diet. Interesting. Nourishing Traditions is just that – traditional recipes from people all over the world that nourish, strengthen and build up the body. Nourishing Traditions is not the usual cookbook – it is not nutritionally correct (according to the USDA Food Pyramid or the American Heart Association). You won’t find any low fat, low cholesterol recipes. No recipe has loads of white sugar or flour. The American Heart Association would not approve this book. As my husband said, “It’s different; it’s not what you’d think.” Read on.

The “Guide to Food Selection” section was a great summary of the first sections and gave you lists of what is best to eat and what to avoid. Simple. Since I have several children, one nursing baby, I was very interested in the Feeding Babies part. It contains 3 recipes for baby formulas you can either make yourself or fortify the commercial product. I thought this was good to have in case someone found that they couldn’t nurse their baby and needed something else. The best thing I got out of this section was that the key to having good, nourishing milk for my baby was “having high levels of healthy animal fats” (pg. 606) and the fact that “mother’s milk contains over 50% of its calories as fat, much of it saturated fat…” (pg. 601). Wow! After implementing several diet changes recommended in Nourishing Traditions, I noticed an increase in my milk supply. Also, as my baby nears 1 year, I have more milk for her than I did with any other child at that age. I know the better quality food and fat has made the difference. A must read for any woman thinking about having a baby!

The Appendixes are fantastic! Since I’m a busy Mom of 5, schooling at home, gardening and cooking from “scratch” with a caring husband working part-time from home, we definitely fit into the “limited-time, limited budget” category. This section has great tips about what to buy and what you should not waste your money on. There are lots of expensive foods that you can make healthy at home. The section encourages you to make soup, stock, eat brown rice, kombucha, eggs, and butter not margarine, etc. Good suggestions.

The “Sources” appendix is another useful part of the book. As you’re reading along you begin to wonder where am I going to find all these things this book talks about? Well, the Sources Appendix alphabetically lists the items – like “Buttermilk culture” or “Grain Mills”, and then gives you company names, toll-free phone numbers, websites, and more. Super!

Lastly, I like the two indexes. One is a subject index, the other a recipe index. If you want a particular topic or person’s name, the subject index has it. You want to make something with cabbage or lamb, look in the recipe index. Easy to read and thorough. Oh and one more thing – it even has a conversion table when you can’t remember that 3 teaspoons=1/2 ounce. Great book! Highly recommended!

Return to Articles

Comments

Comment on this article.

Customer Feedback view all

Hi Joy,

I received my order of the bulk cinnamon sticks. Great, fast service, great price and packed beautifully. Thank you! I use several of the cinnamon sticks when brewing a large pan of fresh ginger tea which I keep on top of the stove continually...yummy and healthy. I was thrilled to find your website so that I could order them in bulk, also wonderful information! I'll definitely order from you again. God bless you too!

~Wanda