Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health

I expected this book to advocate eating dandelions and "wild" foods picked in the woods. Not so! It's actually about the nutrition in the vegetables and fruits we typically purchase and eat, and more about what you can find in the produce section of your local grocery store. Ms. Robinson discusses the nutrition in lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, apples, potatoes, oranges, broccoli, beans, etc. and tells how to pick the most nutritious varieties, how to store them, and how to cook them for the most nutrition. There's a heavy emphasis on bionutrients, anthocyanins, and antioxidants, which I understand is actually more controversial than the book discusses. I thought that heirloom varieties are always more nutritious, but that's not always the show more case - and yes, dandelions are mentioned, but she doesn't spend much time on it. And for the gardeners, nutritious varieties are listed. I borrowed the kindle version from the library but this is a book I want to own and be able to reference on a regular basis - there's just too much good information here to be able to remember it all. show less

This is a practical book on the nutrition contained in our produce. She describes how our fruit and vegetables began, the changes that have taken place either by accident or by human intervention, and whether those changes improved them nutritionally or not. She also tells us how to pick more the more nutritious food in our stores, farm markets and which to grow. This is a reference I want to keep.

In Eating on the Wild Side, nutrition researcher Jo Robinson turns the produce aisle into a medicine cabinet. She has sorted through massive quantities of food studies to reveal the fruit and vegetable superstars and how to select, store and prepare them to maximize absorption of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.

Each fruit and vegetable is introduced with a description of its wild ancestor and a brief history of its domestication and resulting nutritional changes. Some cultivars have retained more of the wild nutrients than others. Robinson discusses the cultivars most available in U.S. supermarkets or farmer's markets, the relative merits of each, and when canned or frozen versions may serve as well as fresh.

I learned, for show more example, that purple carrots are the richest in bionutrients, and for all carrots, nutrients are more available if the carrot is cooked rather than raw. The best practice is to steam the carrots whole and slice them after. She also recommends eating them with a little oil or fat.

At the end of each chapter, Robinson provides a chart of recommended types and varieties of the fruit or vegetable for shoppers and home gardeners, as well as a good-better-best summary.

This book is highly useful. I have it out from the library but intend to purchase a copy to keep as a reference. show less

I really just skimmed the book to get a feel for it, but I think I've gathered enough to have a good opinion. Robinson gives natural histories and laboratory results of chemical analyses, likelihood of pesticide residues, and shopping tips to get the optimum in taste and food values.
Several surprises. Imported fresh foods will likely have much less pesticide residues. Processed tomatoes represent riper fruit and thus are superior in nutrition and flavor compared to tomatoes sold fresh, because they are picked at vastly different points in ripeness. Sour cherry juice is an active reducer of muscle pain.
I may re-visit the book in the winter when I have more reading time.

It reads like a catalog but has lots of info on especially health cultivar of many fruits and vegetables. Also contains fun facts like some vegetables and fruits improve micro-nutrients and antioxidants (but not all). Great resource on what to buy and how to store to maximize healthful properties.

Who knew that a non-fiction book listing fruits and vegetables would be a good listen on audio CD? It actually was. Some of the information provided was super helpful and interesting. I have been sharing everything I learned about nutrition and how to buy and prepare the best foods. Loved it!

Media Type:Book. SUBJECT: 1. Health & Fitness / Naturopathy 2. Food