Robin Robertson faced the same situation as many vegetarians. She followed a healthy plant-based diet, ate a variety of fruit and vegetables, and cooked vegetarian versions of pasta and rice dishes, making sure she got plenty of protein and whole grains. To her surprise, the numbers on the scale kept going up and up, no matter what she did.

Her own experience with vegetarianism and weight gain inspired Robertson to write "Carb Conscious Vegetarian," with 150 recipes designed to make the most of fresh natural ingredients without the unwelcome presence of a lot of refined carbohydrates. This is sure to be a wonderful resource for cooks vegetarian or not who want to serve vegetable dishes without taking a chance on obesity or diabetes, two of the conditions now being linked to a diet high in refined carbohydrates.