Cookbooks offer cheap, nutritious recipes

Here are some cookbooks that have recently crossed our desks:

"EATING WELL ON A BUDGET: Amazing Meals for Less Than $3 a Serving," by Jessie Price and the EatingWell Test Kitchen, The Countryman Press, $18.95 (paperback)

To help people through financial strain and keep foods healthful and good-tasting, EatingWell challenged themselves to create recipes that would cost less than $3 per serving. It isn't just about the 140 recipes, though. Also included are guides to saving money in the whole process, from shipping to storing to making do with what you have in the pantry.

"MARY MAC'S TEA ROOM: 65 Years of Recipes from Atlanta's Favorite Dining Room," by John Ferrell, Andrews McMeel Publishing, $27.99 (hardback)

In addition to 125 classic recipes from this Atlanta landmark are employee biographies (several who have been there for 30 years), historic photographs, old menus and artwork from the restaurant's colorful history.

"YUM-YUM BENTO BOX: Fresh Recipes for Adorable Lunches," by Crystal Watanabe and Maki Ogawa, Quirk, $16.95 (paperback)

Boxed lunches in Japan are called bento, and they are all the rage. These small, arranged dishes encourage portion control and feature fruits, vegetables, fish, meats, rice, tofu and cheeses central to the Japanese diet. In addition, the appearance of these meals encourages children to eat their veggies. The book is divided into "Cuties & Critters," "Fairy-Tale Friends" and "Special Day Treats," as well as where to find the tools to craft these lunches.

"$5 A MEAL COLLEGE COOKBOOK: Good Cheap Food for When You Need to Eat," By Rhonda Lauret Parkinson with B.E. Horton, MS, RD, Adams Media, $9.95 (paperback)

This book features more than 300 cheap, easy breakfasts, lunches, dinners, as well as smoothies, snacks and desserts to help college kids ditch the dining hall, eat nutritiously and save money.

"MIRACLE PILL: 10 Truths to Healthy, Thin, & Sexy," by Tres Prier Hatch, TresBon Publishing, $23.97 (paperback)

Tres Hatch, television chef, lost 110 pounds without dieting by implementing the 10 truths to be found in her book. The book aims to change the way readers think and to mirror the impulses of a healthy, thin person.

— Compiled by Kari Morandi