Jeff Novick's Fast Food: Vol 1 The Basics

I am newly converted to the concept of low fat, plant based eating. After watching Forks Over Knives and after reading The Starch Solution - I had all the WHY information I needed to change the way I eat and the way I feed my family. I even had a bunch of recipes since I bought quite a few useful cookbooks. I found that the problem was my menu planning, shopping, and cooking was just too complex to make the change consistent.I am so glad I found these videos by Jeff Novick. I bought all three of the Fast Food series. This one is the one that made the biggest difference and finally made the low-fat, plant based eating a reality for me and my family.I make the dinners in big enough batches that they are available for lunch the next day. I also start most of my mornings off with his fruity oatmeal and make that in a double batch as well. I like it hot with some light soy milk for breakfast and then I have a little bit later in the evening cold a bit like a dessert crumble. I also keep a bunch of the burgers from the Fast Food 2 video and salad fixings and cut up vegetables in the fridge so that is another option for lunch the next day. I also keep a veggie rich soup in the fridge as well.What felt so different and complex now is so easy. My total meal prep time for the day including cooking is 20 minutes all day long. Breakfast, 5 minutes and my personal dessert is already made now. Dinner is five minutes for prep and to get water boiling and 10 minutes cooking and lunches are already made. The only day I cook more than that is once a week I throw together a pot of soup to keep in the fridge for any meal alternatives. (Although the burgers do add 10 minutes time to meal prep since they sit in the fridge for 10 minutes before cooking.) Also, it only takes me about 2 minutes max to clean up my kitchen when my meals are made.I am convinced that these DVDs are the reason I was able to successfully make the change to eating and cooking healthy 7 days a week. I have recommended them to my sister and to my mother who are also trying to eat plant based.

Yes, I understand that this DVD won't meet everybody's needs, and that some buyers will be disappointed. But for me, it was just what I needed. I didn't mind the lo-fi quality of the video at all. It has a home-made feel which gives a sense of sincerity to the presentation.The pluses of this presentation are the information given in easy-to-understand language, and the directions for preparing and cooking food, which are also easy to understand.

Jeff Novick accomplishes exactly what he describes in the title and on the cover. He teaches viewers how to cook fast, nutritious food. The bonus is that each meal costs WAY less than any fast food restaurant you could name. He uses only foods that can be purchased at a regular grocery store. There is no waste because every item is either stored in a cupboard (cans, grains, pasta, spices) or in the freezer (bags of vegetables, fruits). Older kids, college kids, people who say they "can't cook" and those who are just busy can all do this. Best of all, this is the kind of food preparation information that everyone needs because this is healthy food that fills you up, is good for you, and will help you lose weight. All of this with no compromise in flavor or limiting portions. If you want to keep it simple, this is the one DVD you need. Make your kids and your spouse watch it so they can learn to make dinner when you aren't around. Like the teens in the video say, "This is quicker than driving to the restaurant and picking up fast food." Every meal takes about 10 minutes to cook. Amazingly simple. Love it!

Excellent DVD! Make sure to get the whole series. I bought this because I have zero time to cook due to grad school and internship, but I'm getting extra pounds eating takeouts. Enough! I found my solution. Novick R.D. will teach you how to make a big pot for the week in 10 minutes (no kidding! 12 minutes tops! I timed it!). You can cook a grain while you make the delicious stew or buy ready-made frozen grains and you're set for the week! I also buy my groceries online. I created a fixed list for every week cooking and it's click and go! I'm 12 pounds lighter in 20 days! Crazy good stuff! Buy it might save your health. Thank you, Jeff!

I have been trying to embrace the vegan lifestyle and thought this would be a good start but I was a little disappointed. For those who are already vegetarian/vegan, this may be a great dvd for you, but I tried 4 of the recipes so far and have not cared for any of them. My family (carnivores) really disliked it.The recipes are very simple and you can get a dinner prepared in about 10 minutes so I will say from that aspect it was good. I'm just not a fan of some of the spices used I guess. Additionally, every recipe (for main dinner) uses a tomato sauce base, either whole canned tomatoes or chopped tomatoes or tomato puree so I didn't care for that.

For people with limited time and modest cooking skills, this video provides a simple foundation for healthy meals. Each meal has a balanced compliment of whole grains, legumes and vegetables and provides the main course for a healthy dinner. While there is a need to add berries and other fruits as well as seeds and nuts in limited portions to provide a more balanced nutritional foundation, the speed and ease with which you are able to prepare these meals gives you plenty of time to branch out to include other foods.As for flavor, most of the meals are lightly seasoned and the flavors are mild, but he encourages you to experiment and season them more to your own personal taste. If you are new to salt free eating, it will take a while to get used to and you may want to add a little salt in the beginning until you are able to make the adjustment, but you will learn to appreciate the milder, more natural flavors over time and reap the health benefits.In my opinion this is one of the easiest and quickest ways to provide the core of a healthy diet. The four stars is because it is not a complete foundation. The Global Burden of Disease Study, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation shows proof that increasing the amount of fruit in your diet is the biggest factor in living a longer healthier life.