The Trim Healthy Mama program is all rage these days. Honestly, that's usually enough to chase me away. I don't do trends and I avoid diet fads. Well, I try to, anyway. But, the cover caught my eye and I was familiar with some of the fun food names, so when an opportunity to review it came along, I said yes. It is a big, well-organized beautiful cookbook. A lot of recipes have pictures and they are divided into meal type and even sub-types. For example, you can choose crockpot meals or skillet meals. In the mains and sides category, you can choose meat-based meals or oven meals or another type. And each recipe is listed at the beginning of each category. I don't necessarily buy into the THM diet/lifestyle. It's too complicated for my life and I don't want to spend time trying to figure out if I should have an E, S or FP meal. Plus, with our family's diet restrictions, some of the meal types just don't fit us. But, if you're looking for a low-carb, paleo-friendly cookbook, this may be a good choice for you. There's recipes for every meal and snack including beverages. And the ones we tried were pretty tasty. I do think that some of the recipes could use some tweaking. Bring On Da Buttah pancakes, for example, really require additional liquid because they use coconut flour which absorbs liquid at a lightning speed. But other recipes like the Balsamic Chicken could use less liquid because the chicken produces a lot of liquid as it cooks. Other than that, my other criticism is the use of oddball ingredients and THM branded ingredients such as the baking blend or the sweetener. I don't buy brand name clothes, so I'm not likely to buy brand name food, especially if I have to order it online. They do offer a vague -- purposefully, I'm sure -- recipe to make the baking blend. And I used my own liquid stevia instead of theirs. I was happy with the results. As for oddball ingredients, I'm not sure about using collagen in recipes (again, not inclined to order it) nor did I warm up to the idea of using okra in my baked goods. On a side note, I do love okra as a side, just not sure I want it in my cookies, even if they are "healthy" cookies. I'm still making my way through the book and find it a great resource for our sugar-free, low-grain household. I received this book for the purpose of review from Blogging for Books. From the Publisher: About the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook In their debut cookbook, the Trim Healthy Mama’s share hundreds of delicious, healthy recipes to help readers successfully slim down while eating well. This companion cookbook to the bestselling Trim Healthy Mama Plan is just what readers have been waiting for. It features simple, mouthwatering, recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner—including slow cooker and one-pot meals, hearty soups and salads, omelets and waffles, pizzas, breads and more. No Trim Healthy Mama should be deprived, so there are also favorite snacks, delectable desserts, and the smoothies, sippers and teas fans love. With pantry-stocking advice, time-saving tips, and information on how to cook for the entire family, the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook offers a delicious and nutritious way to make trim and healthy meals with less stress—so you have more time with your loved ones. |