Wheat Belly Cookbook: 150 Recipes to Help You Lose the … (2024)

Excellent follow up to the Wheat Belly book itself which I read in December...already lost about 8 lbs and lots of "bulk" around my middle--pretty sure I had wheat belly! For this cookbook, I managed to catch an ebook sale for only $2.99 and I literally read the entire thing, including every recipe so I would know exactly what yummy treats I would try first!

The opening chapters include a lot of great key information from the original Wheat Belly book itself but do not serve as a complete substitute, so I would still recommend reading the original book for a more complete understanding of Dr. Davis' philosophy & research. He also spends much more time on the science of his recommendations and on celiac disease, which I found particularly helpful.

Take some time to review the pantry suggestions so you can stock up and cook right away!

I've now been wheat-free and sugar-free for about one month and I love the changes I've experienced.

I didn't pick this up because it's a diet book, but because it's about what the food industry has done to wheat and wheat products. If true, it's pretty scary and it might also be the reason for so many allergies and other types of illnesses. An interesting read.

Wheat Belly Cookbook: 150 Recipes to Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health by William Davis, MD.

Well, you know what they say, “If it sounds to good to be true, then…” However, my physician suggested I get this book to help me permanently change my eating habits in a way that will effectively reduce many of my issues about weight, glycemic index, aching joints, and energy (or lack thereof). He gave it a pretty strong thumbs-up.

I’ve been trying to be gluten free on my own, but haven’t had much weight loss success. Dr. Davis explains that many of the gluten free products you buy have starches from rice, tapioca, potatoes or other non-wheat ingredients that actually have a much higher glycemic index that contributes to greater risk for obesity and diabetes.

The author’s one great crusade in this and his earlier work, Wheat Belly, is to convince you that the wheat produced in this country is not what it was as recently as the 1960’s. He says this is due to its genetic makeup resulting from modifications to make the grain easier to grow and produce. According to the author, the sharp increase in obesity and diabetes is not just parallel to the growth of the new wheat in our diets, but is directly due to the genetic changes in the wheat seed stocks. He goes on further to imply that the Monsantos of this world are out to get us addicted to wheat because it makes us even more hungry for more wheat-based foods, as well as for other foods in general.

His argument even goes so far as to compare this conspiracy to the tobacco companies of the 50s and 60’s that concealed the studies they conducted on the effects of artificially increasing nicotine content in cigarettes. Dr. Davis likens wheat to an opiate that can be kicked with almost immediate results. I have to admit, it takes a lot of will power to walk by a Cinnabon store without stopping.

More than half the book is devoted to going into the science of the seed, but once you get to the recipes it is well worth the read. The overall organization of the recipes is like a menu with chapter headings like: “Breakfasts, Sandwiches and Salads, Appetizers, Soups and Stews, Main Dishes,” etc. There you find tasty looking recipes with unusual ingredients like lemon seed poppy cakes, coconut flake crusts for Key Lime Pie, Shirataki noodles (yam fiber) for pasta that has almost no calories, and a long list of non-wheat breads that use baking soda instead of yeast to put loft in the loaf.

I tried the “Basic Bread” recipe without the suggested hard to find sweeteners, xylitol or stevia, and it while it could use some honey or sugar in the recipe, adding honey or butter after the fact does just as well.

Finally, the author intersperses his recipes with testimonials, but who can trust those? Even if you don’t perform miracles of weight loss with this book, the recipes I tried tasted great. I especially like the soda bread recipes for their ease of preparation as well as their satisfying flavor and texture, as well as the way it makes the house smell while it is baking.

Abominable. If I could give it zero stars, I would. Completely untested recipes, using expensive ingredients that ultimately go to waste. Crusts and breads fall apart and taste really bad. There's no consideration of the most basic chemistry of cooking--i.e., why certain materials/ingredients behave as they do with various preparations and when subjected to Heat+Time. It's possible to find reasonable substitutes for the elastic properties of gluten, but the author didn't bother. I'm an excellent cook, and even I couldn't save the recipes in this book. It's as if they got very excited about the success of the original book, and decided they'd better get a cookbook out fast to make even more money. It's too bad--the original book "Wheat Belly" was well-researched and informative, and after only two months following its principles, I've seen the near-elimination of what was previously very severe joint pain and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (on the verge of surgical intervention). The cookbook, sadly, is not up to the standard of its predecessor, and is a complete rip-off. If you're looking for wheat-free recipes, there are much better sources out there.

Our family has slowly been cutting down on wheat/ gluten for the past year. I read both of Sarah Fragoso's Paleo cookbooks, but I haven't been able to completely cut out all grains, dairy, and legumes. The Wheat Belly plan seems much more do-able. I'm not interested in changing our diet due to weight loss, but rather to increase my family's overall health.

After reading Dr. Davis' argument explaining the problems caused by modern wheat, I'm left with little desire to even touch the stuff. He challenges the "Healthy Whole Grains" belief, calling it a myth and explaining the fact that large pharmaceutical companies are aware of the dangers of wheat, but are the ones behind the lobbyists demanding we eat more healthy whole grains. I didn't read the entire "Wheat Belly" book, but he summarizes quite a bit of that book in the introduction of this cookbook. He goes into detail about the changes wheat has undergone in the past 30 years, and shows that it has been linked it to asthma, digestive problems, neurological problems, cancer, diabetes, inflammation, arthritis, and so many others. He also talks about sugar and points out several startling stats like this one: A Snickers Bar raises your blood sugar/ insulin levels less than two pieces of whole wheat bread.

Although my family is not 100% wheat-free, we're steering in that direction. We haven't eaten sandwiches forever, gave up cereals with gluten, and found some great alternatives for pizza and spaghetti. The recipes in this book seem easy to read and follow, and very likely to be referred to. That being said, we've already changed most of our pantry over the course of the last year, so it might be hard to start this type of cooking/ baking "cold turkey". I will admit that both my husband and I have higher energy, feel better, and experience fewer digestive issues since cutting back on wheat. Overall, this is a great read that really makes you stop and think about all the wheat we're consuming and what it may be doing to our bodies.

Having first read the book "Wheat Belly", then purchasing the "WB Cookbook"...I'd suggest to others that, if they are interested in this subject, to skip the original book as the author included several chapters reiterating the original thesis; about how modern engineering of wheat has had the unintended consequence of causing the obesity problem....so save yourself the money; you might need it if you decide to pursue the WB Plan. One will need to do a major overhaul of one's pantry; replacing conventional flours with non-wheat based ones. As to a general rating on the recipes included, (as I noted in my review of the original book), I have a hard time getting past the seemingly high, high fat content in many (actually most) of the recipes. For a cardiologist to be acclaiming the "healthy choice" of such foods is difficult for me to accept. For me, despite the myriad claims of better health and/or weight loss, I'd have preferred that cholesterol levels, before & after employing the diet, to have been included as well. A positive review point...the inclusion of the total nutritional break-down of each recipe is a big plus; not all cookbooks have this.

Whereas I found his other book, "Wheat Belly," very compelling, I didn't like this cookbook. Some of the recipes were LUDICROUS. Like using 4 different kinds of non-wheat flour with 12 other ingredients to make 4" pancakes that are 175 calories PER SERVING! I'd rather SKIP the carbs than go all that trouble for something that tastes gross AND has so many calories.

The recipes take longer than described because there is prep time for the mixes used with several of the recipes. Also, he recommends a lot of almond flour. For people with nut allergies they can't really get much out of this book.

Trying to get rid of gluten/Wheat is not an easy task to under take. Recipes in this are time consuming especially for people like me with little cooking experience or patience for the Kitchen. The information aspects though were informative.

This was a good book. There was a very good discussion on the modified wheat that is not designed for humans. There seemed to be an effort to really limit carbs which I think is not necessary, but simply know what you are eating.

The Wheat Belly Cookbook encourages its reader to give up wheat to help the reader lose weight and improve their health. It offers recipes for breakfasts, main courses, breads, snacks, etc.

Recently I received allergy test results that indicate I am moderately allergic to wheat, which was a surprise to me. I looked at symptoms of a wheat allergy and I don't think I have any of them, except possibly eczema and congestion. I've been toying around with what to do about this news, so I picked up this cookbook to see if it would help me get rid of wheat. I read the introductory pages where the author makes his case against wheat. Now it may be that wheat is not great, but I really had a hard time believing what he was writing for many reasons. First of all, I didn't care for his writing, calling wheat a " frankengrain" or whatever. He has a few nicknames for wheat that to me trivialize his point. Second, in his writing he proclaims that he, as a cardiologist, has been able to diagnose rashes that are caused by wheat that "most" dermatologists are unable to diagnose, throwing prescriptions at them to help them go away. Please. That point really frustrated me, to imply that doctors in their own specialty know less than this particular doctor outside of his specialty. Third, the author proclaims quite often that if you just give up wheat, you'll lose a bunch of weight. However if you read his writing carefully, he actually suggests you give up wheat, sugar, corn products, soda, etc. Therefore it is no wonder you'd lose weight on this "groundbreaking" diet plan. Fourth, whether or not his nutrition advice is sound, this book might as well be written for the 1%. The author wants you to get rid of practically everything you already have in your house (because it is contaminated with wheat) and then stock up on expensive alternative flours, oils, sweeteners and organic, pasture-fed meats. Additionally, the author doesn't want you to purchase any gluten-free breads/products because those may be filled with other ingredients that may compromise your carbs or whatever...instead, the author would have you make your own bread, etc. from scratch. I think that's a fair recommendation, but unattainable for many in these days when many full-time working families have a hard time making their own meals a home, let alone breads from scratch. I certainly rolled my eyes many times in those introductory pages for all of these reasons and more.

All that being said, I debated back and forth about sourcing some of these items to try some of his recipes. In the end, I just didn't have the heart to do it. I guess at this point since my symptoms are minor, I'd rather try to eat less wheat than try to recreate all of my wheat favorites without using wheat. I feel a little badly rating this cookbook so low without having tried even one recipe, but I think it's just not for me.

I bought this book years ago, noting it summarized the Wheat Belly book concept that first came out and then included wheat free recipes in the last half of the book.

As I got past the first couple of chapters, I felt the author was repeating the same thing over and over again and it started to bug me. So I started to read the recipes and noting all the "weird" ingredients like almond, chick pea, coconut, etc flours, I just gave up, put it aside and never bothered with it again.

I had no problem agreeing with the "Frankenwheat" concept and the fact that what we call wheat today is not the wheat we ate as a child. But I couldn't fathom the idea of giving up wheat altogether, so I stuck to my "healthy" diet of "multi grain" wheat products, having given up "the bad stuff " like white bread, etc years ago.

Then, earlier this year, two people I know who had given up wheat and dairy for health reasons and managed to loose a lot of weight as a result inspired me and I decided once and for all to give up wheat altogether. Although I am one who has always been conscientious of carbs, eats whole grain, stays away from "white" and sugar and tries to eat healthy, I did like to eat pasta and pizza every once in a while and I would sometimes eat "healthy" bran cookies with my tea after lunch at work; things like that.

I found after a couple of months of giving up wheat completely, I'd lost a complete size. My fatty tummy, thighs, hips, waist and even lower legs seemed to be melting away. And all I did was give up wheat!!!

Thinking back to the book, I pulled it out about month 3 where I was now down at least 15 pounds. I love it and can't wait to try the recipes, which include bready things rolls, scones/biscuits, flatbreads, basic bread and many others. I've bought my almond, chick pea and coconut flour and can't wait to give it a go!

I haven't missed the wheat for the most part and what I love the most is that I am not "on a diet", but the weight/fat seems to have come off and stayed off. I have more energy than ever and my knee doesn't seem to bother me like it used to, I believe because of getting rid of wheat which reportedly causes inflammation.

I am so excited about this new way of life that I can't help but share it with others.

A great book, but I believe only "when you're ready for it"!!

I went Gluten Free In 2012. I would never go back.
I’m not Celiac. I have found the issue is Wheat. The “new wheat” of today.
I have Rheumatoid arthritis flares. They were coming more, lasting longer & more painful.
Being GF has reversed all that.
Thus book of recipes has been a tremendous help giving me eating options that are hard to find. I have enjoyed this book.

The ideas here are delicious and I am so happy to have this in my cookbook collection.

It badly needs some proper editing!
The recipes are often missing ingredients or directions.

So, go in with the idea that you might have to do some tweaking, but know that it's a worthwhile set of recipes.

To Die For Muffins

Lots of great recipes in this book. The Carrot Muffins with the orange peel are to die for. Such a blend of delicious flavors and so moist and perfect.

Some very good recipes if you're eating gluten free

Good cookbook

This has some really interesting recipes. It's based on a wheat free diet. I will definitely be trying some of these recipes.

A wise read, it works, but is soooo hard.

After looking over the Wheat Belly 30-Minute or less Cookbook, and trying a few recipes, I wanted to see this one. I'm finding the two books similar in that they have some solid, useful, and tasty recipes, but the science and theory are full of holes.
I would have been better off to read the recipes and forget the written chapters!

I would recommend the recipes to anyone in search of good food, especially if you have a sensitivity to wheat. The breads hold up very well for sandwiches; the ingredient lists are short and easily available (in my area); there are some terrific ideas for vegetables.

As I read in a review on Amazon, the author makes a good case for going wheat free, but does not support his other assertions. I'm not planning on reading more about them so I'm unable to say what they are beyond giving up grains entirely.

I have learned a lot about eating disorders in the past five years, and view with extreme suspicion any regime that bans a food. Whether you forbid yourself a single food (such as white bread), or a whole food group (such as starches), this is NOT a good thing, and can be a dangerous mind-set.

It's also hard to believe the personal stories where someone says they went immediately wheat-free, but says nothing about the discomfort of the transition.

edited April 20, 2021 So things have changed.
I have been eating a ketogenic diet for the past five years to control my diabetes. It works. I take no medications but my A1c stays in the normal range, not pre-diabetic, or diabetic, but normal. All I have to do is avoid starches. I try to remember to say, "I have given them up," rather than, "I don't eat those." It's less confrontational.

There are several recipes in this book that I use frequently.

This is what I learned from reading this book:
1) The wheat that is used today is not the wheat of old times or even when we were young. It's been modified to resist insects and/ or be more drought tolerant or produce more yield or I can't remember all the reasons why it was modified. Mostly for good economic reasons and to help the farmers, but these changes in the genetic make up of wheat are probably the reasons why so many people today have become gluten-intolerant or gluten-sensitive. Nobody bothered to test whether these changes were good for people.

2) products made from today's "wheat" are addictive, causing you to want to eat more. And Keep eating and snacking. The kind of weight gained is the worst kind--the kind around the belly, surrounding your organs.

3) reducing or eliminating products made from wheat (regardless of whether it is whole grain or not) is better for you. You will not eat as much. Your body handles it properly instead of storing it away as fat. You will feel better.

4) there are other things you can use instead of wheat to make breads, such as almond seeds or other items available in specialty stores. Lots or recipes included for those inclined to bake.

5) Be wary of gluten free products that might substitute one bad ingredient for another (sugar). Best to make your own or avoid breads altogether.

The advice appeals to me as reasonable. It does take a lot of prep to follow a regiment like this and unless you happen to be seriously gluten sensitive it's too easy to fall back on old habits and cravings. Still, it's a good book to have around if you want to try to feel better and lose some of that belly fat!

As far as cookbooks go, this one deserves a solid 4 stars. In a day and age where recipes are just as easily obtained on Pinterest or anywhere else on the Internet, it means something to have a good variety in one place. Before trying a lot of the recipes, I stocked my shelves with the ingredients commonly used in this collection and so did not feel the frustration of not having certain ingredients at my disposal.
I like the Wheat Belly book and I appreciated the synopsis found at the beginning of the cookbook. Someone unfamiliar with the postulations of the Wheat Belly diet need not read the first book in order to put these recipes to use and understand the HOWs and WHYs of the featured ingredients; the summary offers all the necessary points, just in a condensed format.
I would recommend this recipe collection to anyone. It's a great set of tasty alternatives to everyday favorites as well as many delicious 'new' options.

While this book contains a lot of interesting insight and recipes, I find myself highly suspect of just how nutritious and balanced this diet really is. I was very disappointed to find that most of the recipes (almost all but the breads and deserts) are highly meat and dairy based. while dairy is good for you, cheese in large quantities is not. I find this book to be of the Atkins style, and I never truly bought into the Atkins diet. Unlike Atkins though, the wheat belly diet does not shame fruit. I am vegetarian so that also limits just how much of this diet I can follow. I will be taking from this book what I can use and throwing out the rest.

A side note: The first hundred pages or so are information based and not recipes. While there is some good information, the majority of it is science and technical stuff. I found myself skipping over most of it and just jumping to the parts that actually had to do with cooking.

Same review as the 30-minute cookbook. One of the best cookbooks I've tried and I've tried many over the years. Especially helpful if you are gluten-intolerant, thyroid issues or autoimmune issues but great cookbook even if you just want to be at your optimal health or need to lose weight. The beginning has a good introduction on why we as a society should cut out wheat, sugar and processed foods but the book Wheat Belly should be read first for more in-depth research and discussion on the issues of our food and diet today. Every recipe I have tried is delicious for our entire family including our toddler. I do prefer the recipes in the regular Wheat Belly cookbook over the 30 minute cookbook but the other one is better for those days you don't want to spend much time in the kitchen. This is a must-have so I'm returning the library book and buying it as soon as I can.

Interesting facts.

I'm finding gluten free cookbook authors always have a preferred 2-3 flours/meals with which they do all their baking with.

William Davis likes almond meal and coconut flour. I made a few things and while nothing was awful, I'm not as big a fan of almond meal as he is (taste aside, the price is a bit out of my league for every day use).

I'm also not into high fat diets (I'm not into low fat diets either) and I don't care for artificial sweeteners. Plus, he hates on potatoes and I'm a bit suspicious of his reliance/interpretation of the GI Index.

I'm not an educated anyone though... just do a lot of research...

I got this book because I heard about the discussion related to today's wheat and how it affects our bodies. I found the information interesting and feel that it could be of some help to many people. But more than that, I loved discovering new ways to make old foods - using a variety of new flours. I've made the most delicious lemon almond cake using almond flour. Chickpea flour and flax flour provide a big nutritional impact when compared to traditional white or wheat flours. This book provides an easy way for people who want or need to 'lose the wheat' in their diet. For the rest of us, it provides a basis for exploring the wide world of food.

The introduction was very informative about why wheat is so bad! They emphasized how wheat can be worse than sugar in its negative effect on the body, but wheat is not the only problem. This book focused only on that issue instead of other bad foods like sugar (especially high fructose corn syrup), fast foods, meat, and dairy. The recipes were okay. I would have liked it if there were more vegetarian or vegan options. But most people are unaware of how bad wheat is (not just the fattening aspect) on the digestive system and how this grain is genetically modified (just like corn and many other foods) and it is not the same ancient grain that is in the Bible.

I've had this book for some time now and read it this past weekend. The introduction talks you through cleaning out your pantry, getting your family on board and the hidden sources of wheat in everyday products where you wouldn't think it was hiding. Since I have just started a low carb program, this cookbook provides great recipes. Some do sound a bit complicated, and start with making your own version of baking mixes if you want to bake any sweet or savory treats, but others seem easily undertaken. I'll definitely be adding some of these recipes into my rotation. And after a few weeks, maybe some of the dessert recipes will even make their way back into my mouth.

I bought into the theory and bought the book too. It's been ten days and I feel pretty good, especially in the morning. Don't have the craving I was expecting for the box of Cheez-Its. I spend a lot more time baking with the new ground meals of almonds, garbanzo beans and flax seed. Will be easy to make adjustments to favorite recipes and have been reading labels a lot more closely. I even found wheat in my ice cream! The initial start up seemed expensive however in the long run I will spend less money on groceries and be considerably healthier.

A coworker loaned this book to me. It's a cookbook so I'm instantly annoyed when the recipes don't start until page 95.

I am one of those Freaks at the Table who is allergic to several foods so I am NOT the best person to take cookbook recommendations from if you don't have to. Having said that, there are less than 30 recipes in this book that I can easily use, and even those recipes are similar to recipes I already have so I don't find it all that useful. I would not buy it. Well, I wouldn't have bought it anyway--I don't eat healthy to lose weight but to be healthy!

A good averview of the wheat free way of life and wheat belly diet with lots of great recipes to try. It helps you realize you can still eat may of the same things you are used to and not feel deprived. You just need to stock your pantry with new alternatives and alot some time to preparation instead of turning to convenience foods. Working my way through the many recipes, some are great like mashed cauliflour and lemon cheescake while some are not so great like the pizza crust (I did find an alternate recipe that is great though).