Hungry Girl cookbook helps satisfy cravings without packing on pounds
Karla Walsh
With swimsuit season still in full swing, many Americans are interested in keeping a trim figure. But barbecues, picnics and ice cream runs threaten to derail lots of dieters’ objectives.
So, Lisa Lillien, widely known as “Hungry Girl,” released a cookbook this spring based on her popular Web site that provides “tips and tricks for hungry chicks.” The cookbook provides revamped recipes of common off-limits dishes that increase nutrition and decrease calories.
“Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Eating in the Real World” apparently has struck a chord with readers. After 11 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list as a trade paperback, the cookbook was at No. 6 as of Monday. Reviews posted on the cookbook’s Amazon page have been overwhelmingly positive.
“We all want onion rings, french fries, carrot cake and nachos, but we want to find a way to enjoy them guilt-free. Extreme dieting and fad diets are a bad idea. If you find foods you love that satisfy you, you’ll eat them, not feel deprived, and you can lose weight,” Lillien said in an e-mail interview from Encino, Calif.
Swaps such as “faux-frying” with Fiber One cereal crumbs, using canned pumpkin for moist baked goods and baking with whole wheat rather than white flour allow dieters to eat previously forbidden foods. Most recipes are fairly simple with few ingredients and simple preparation.
“I’m a bit of a mad scientist in the kitchen, so we are constantly coming up with new ideas and testing new recipes,” Lillien said.
Stacy Mitchell, a registered and licensed dietitian for the Bettendorf Hy-Vee Food Store, finds the Hungry Girl philosophy helpful for those looking to enjoy traditionally caloric foods in a lighter way. She subscribes to the daily Hungry Girl e-mail newsletter along with nearly 500,000 others.
“I think her recipes are all very similar to what I would do myself. She makes healthier options and, for the most part, uses ‘real’ food,” Mitchell said.
Before creating the Hungry Girl empire as a solution to her attempts to find delicious diet food, Lillien worked in the entertainment business, including stints for Nickelodeon and Warner Bros. She is not a dietitian, but simply develops healthy recipes and reviews lower-calorie food options.
“I’ve always had fun jobs: writing, producing content for TV and online,” she said.
Hungry Girl is not just Lillien, though. She now has as many as six others helping with the growing workload. The staff started as two individuals in 2004, when the newsletter had about 200 subscribers. Now, the Hungry Girl cartoon likeness can be found on food packaging, and advice can be found on Yahoo and Weightwatchers.com and in Seventeen magazine. Lillien has appeared on numerous TV shows such as “Extra” and NBC’s “Today.”
“I am thrilled about the popularity of Hungry Girl. I am a little bit too busy and I work all the time, but I love what I do,” Lillien said. “The best part about being known as Hungry Girl is, hands down, knowing that I am helping so many people. I love that and love meeting the subscribers who appreciate all the hard work we put into our content.“
Lillien went on a nationwide tour to promote the cookbook, and she enjoys hearing about the success that subscribers and cookbook users have experienced. She has found one drawback to her diet-focused lifestyle, however.
“People are afraid to order food when I’m around, and they’re always watching what I am eating,” she said.
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