Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook: Eat Up and Slim Down with More Than 350 Healthy Recipes

There are two kinds of people in the healthy food eating world; the kind that think 'cauliflower pizza crust' tastes JUST LIKE OR BETTER than regular, fluffy, flour-y, pizza crust, and the people (like me) who think that is completely bonkers and are super sensitive to 'substitutions'.

That being said...

I bought this book along with the companion plan book after doing extensive research about the diet online. I normally am a highly skeptical person when I read diet reviews online because I feel like people have just deluded themselves into thinking that the food is good when it isn't :)

However, I've been on Trim Healthy Mama for about 4 months now, and honestly, the only reason I have stuck to this way of eating (when I have failed miserably at many other diets ((I'M LOOKING AT YOU, PALEO)) ) is because I LOVE THE FOOD. And my husband loves the food. And my toddler who throws everything I give her on the ground, loves the food!

Is every recipe in this book super awesome? No, I've made several that I immediately threw in the trash because I thought they were pretty gross. But there are plenty of recipes from loads of other cookbooks that I have made I didn't think were fit to eat, either.

So let me tell you about our favorites...

Chicken Parmy........ Ohemgee. Make it. Its so flipping good. We have this at least 3 times a month at our house and never have leftovers!
Trim Zuppa Toscana.........Tastes pretty darn close to what you get at Olive Garden!! This is one of my person favorites from the book!
Cheeseburger Pie.....my husband loves this...I mean, its meat and cheese and you can drown it in mustard and YUM.
Banging Ranch Drums....drum sticks....and ranchiness...what more could you ask for??
Tuscany Egg Bake...I was REALLY skeptical about this one but it turned out to be one of my hands down favorite comfort meals! I could eat the whole pan!

Thin Mint Chocolate Chip Shake...I make this ALL. THE. TIME. Easily 3x a week. I'm obsessed with mint chocolate chip ice cream and this hits the spot marvelously!
Trimtastic Chocolate Cake...its yummy, yummy, rich chocolate cake. And the frosting tastes like fluffy chocolate milk. I could easily eat the whole thing by myself.
Glosted Raspberry Muffins....muffins tops with cream cheese icing. I literally made myself sick one day because I ate 7 of these in one hour (yes 7!)

We have a ton others! I definitely think this cookbook is a must if you are starting THM...it can really help you in the beginning to make sure you are eating what you are supposed to!

I have lost the 15 pounds of baby weight from my second daughter that I have been carrying around and I haven't set foot in the gym once! I love eating this way...I didn't think I would but I was SO WRONG! I highly recommend it 1000000%!! Give it a try! You wont regret it!!

I realize a lot of people don't like the unusual ingredients. But I wanted to share my take on it. I actually appreciate recipes that taste amazing that have incorporated healthy ingredients like cakes with Whole-Husk Psyllium flakes, sweets made with non GMO sugar alcohols and stevia, added non tasting whey for extra protein, collagen and Gelatin for incredible health benefits, sauces made with Glucomannan or "gluccie" for superb cholesterol levels and regularity, and so many more interesting nutritional ingredients. You are baking and cooking with supplements! You are feeding your family with the most amazing tasting food AND most amazing quality ingredients. I have never seen anything like it.
Some say, the sisters are just trying to sell more food products. Well good for them if they are. This is not a charity or not for profit organization. These families deserve the fruit of their labor. But I actually believe they desire to create the best possible products for both taste and health - not only for their own families, but for this new growing family of mamas. I believe they are genuine and sincere in their passion to see families change for the better. I do not believe they are driven by greed.
I am thrilled with this program and have lost 35 pounds on it. My husband and son love the food and none of us feel we are eating diet food, because well... We are not.
This is the best program I have ever been on and I would much rather see my money go to these precious families than to some random market.
Let's think outside the box. These ladies did and look what they have accomplished. Bravo.

This is a lovely cookbook, I love the improvements on the recipes and the inclusion of recipes from bloggers and others who have adopted and made the plan even better than it was originally. However, there were a couple of things that are really frustrating. 1) Baking Blend (BB): I realize that the book contains a note in the beginning about BB and that they don't want to you have to buy their name brand products and you can make your own blend, but there are no directions or recipes for it. I know people will probably hate me for saying that, but it's a cookbook, for goodness sake. If you have a ton of recipes that call for special ingredients, maybe having a substitute recipe for that frequently used ingredient would be helpful. (Yes, I know there are recipes on Pinterest, etc., but what a hassle.) I kept seeing these beautiful pictures and thinking, wow, I'd love to try that! Only to find I had no collagen, no oat fiber, no agar, no baking blend, etc. It was incredibly frustrating. I'd already saved up and purchased special ingredients like (super) Sweet Blend, nutritional yeast, xylitol, raw apple cider vinegar and all that after reading the old book, now I have to stock up again on new special ingredients, especially since I need to do this dairy-free. Oh, and I found a canister of beef gelatin locally but it cost $25! This is not helping convince my husband that I can do this on the cheap.lol.

2) Dairy-free: I found something very strange in the cookbook- recipes that were labelled dairy-free, yet called for whey protein? Umm... whey protein is not dairy free. I thought maybe it was a typo for a second, but then found another recipe with the same problem.

Okay, now I have not had the book for long and have only made two recipes from it- the Cry No More Brownies and the Salted Caramel Gluccie Pudding. Yum!! The brownies were lovely and fudgy and I love the secret ingredient in them but they did take a while to make because it called for special ingredient sweeteners and I didn't have them so I had to track down a conversion chart and figure it out first. I do love the more professional look of the book and am very glad to see Serene and Pearl have become so popular. I have followed their mom's ministry for many years and it's so neat to see these ladies who come from a great family now in the spotlight. :)

This book is nice as a resource for some recipes and ideas. I do use some of their recipes and some of their products, specifically their baking blend which I really enjoy. However, I don't follow their plan as I have a few honest concerns. Their plan is based on so called food freedom but it doesn't feel like that. They have so many rules and things to avoid or make sure you only eat in a certain way, such as fruit only as an 'E meal' that it felt very restrictive while I was trying it out. I often felt hungry and was left wondering what in the world I could eat that was "on plan" or acceptable. There were some recipes I tried that didn't work, tasted bad and had to be thrown out which is pretty frustrating when youve spent a lot of time and $. I also don't care for all the low fat suggestions. The low fat product push is one of the things that drove high obesity rates in our country to begin with. Anyone researching food knows this or should. Any time you see a low fat label, it's usually chock full of chemicals from a lab. Yet they never address that. A side note not related to the book - I'm not thrilled with their customer service and fb group which can be another source of frustration if you're not a die hard follower. Bottom line, I really like the sisters but not crazy about their plan. What works for some doesn't mean it will necessarily work for others. Take away what works for YOU, leave the rest. I STILL enjoy potatoes, ice cream and full fat raw milk, all forbidden on this plan, and yet I've lost 40 lbs after having my 4th child by focusing on eating real food, good fats, and limiting excessive grains, sugars and processed foods NOT by following rules or worrying I wasn't on someone else's plan. Own your own decisions and never feel bad about it.

This post is a result of a sincere desire to investigate and research the THM plan for myself and my family. I challenge the readers of this post to do your homework and research these sweeteners: Hydrogenated sugar alcohols, xylitol, and erythritol, also Stevia before you reply.
I have been researching the Trim Healthy Mama plan for myself and my family. I found that it is assisting families to eat healthy, whole foods, but my one, big, huge, main problem with the THM program is with the supposedly healthy and safe sweeteners that are "on plan" and the blends of sweeteners they sell. While the authors correctly speak out against artificial sweeteners such as Splenda, aspartame, etc.
The authors then go on to allow only two types of sweeteners for the THM plan:
Hydrogenated sugar alcohols, xylitol, and erythritol, also Stevia. These are about as healthy and natural as their names suggest. Their safety (or rather lack thereof) has been covered in articles readily available online.
From my research any product that is not natural eventually the body will reject and there are side effects. Stevia is a natural product, but when used in excess like any other herbs and spices there are also side effects. problems associated with any zero calorie sweetener, no matter how "natural" it claims to be, or even may be. From aspartame to stevia, and everything in between, sweet foods that are not accompanied by actual carbohydrates wreak havoc on human metabolism. Our bodies are programmed to expect carb based fuels when we taste something sweet.
Accordingly, the body prepares for this by releasing insulin, and getting ready to metabolize the incoming fuel, which may never come, if we are really just downing a diet soda, or coffee sweetened with stevia. It is a well known fact that sugar free foods cause weight gain, as evidenced by overweight people everywhere guzzling diet sodas.
From my research I found that Stevia is an herb, so it's natural, which automatically means it's healthy, right? WRONG. Arsenic is a natural substance, too. As are many other poisons, venoms, and toxins. Stevia, like a number of other herbs, has traditionally been known to cause infertility in both men and women. So much so, that women in South America (where this plant grows) were known to drink it as tea as a form of birth control. But unfortunately, it doesn't end there. The reality is, that stevia, like a number of other herbs, can and does act as an abortifacient, or an "implantation preventer."
Another common, negative side effect of stevia stems from the fact that it lowers blood pressure. While this may be great for those suffering from hypertension, for people with naturally low blood pressure, stevia lowers their blood pressure to the point where they can begin to experience headaches, start seeing black spots, have tunnel vision, or even black out.
I challenge you to do the research and decide for yourself the types of sweeteners you should be using. Yes, many of you are having awesome results at losing weight, but at what future consequences for you and your family?
Red flags pop up for me when I watched on YouTube the authors present and share their personal stories at a ladies Christian conference. With their past eating plans they were 100% sure they were correct, but then there were serious consequences to their health and the health of their children on their food plan of eating, so they begin to look in the Bible for the truth of eating healthy and whole foods. Hydrogenated sugar alcohols, xylitol, and erythritol are not whole foods, but artificial chemicals.
This raises for me another Big Red Flag because their choices and decisions about food choices was personally affecting only them and their families, which resulted in serious medical issues for themselves and their children, but now they have a large following of ladies, which maybe some of them are blindly following everything on the plan without researching it for themselves first, as I have done.
Maybe many Christian mothers are drawn to the authors because of their sweet, dynamic, charismatic personalities, and their Christian based-faith and testimony (by the way I am a Christian too), but they are not infallible, incapable of making mistakes or being wrong and doing very sincerely and all in our best interests as they did for their own selves and their families with their food plans in the past.
What if the THM authors are wrong about the artificial sweeteners for the THM plan? What could be the consequences in the future for these THM followers, children, and families? They admit that they were wrong before, but at the time they were totally convinced about their previous healthy food plans. They were 100% convinced they were preparing the best and healthiest food for themselves and their families, but they admit they were wrong.
What scientific research studies and evidence have they conducted, reported, and published to validate the THM plan? What training and medical credentials along with experience do they present that validates the THM plan? Could by chance they be wrong again about some of the THM plan and the sweeteners for the THM plan?
We are mothers who are responsible for the food we prepare and give to our families and we only can accept the responsibility and carefully research all options for the best choices for our family that are REAL, WHOLE FOODS made by God for our use and are unprocessed and not artificially made.
My life motto is TRUST and then MOVE FORWARD only after I have done my homework and researched it for myself. We trusted in the past our doctors and the medical community and we are in a crisis today, but it was when parents started to question and research the decisions of the medical community our eyes were open to what really was happening to our children and our families.
I challenge the readers of this post to do your homework and research these sweeteners: Hydrogenated sugar alcohols, xylitol, and erythritol, also Stevia before you reply.
Hopefully, free speech reigns on this Trim Heathy Mama Facebook page and and my post on their FB page is not deleted.

This cookbook is awesome. I was worried that it was going to be a bit jumbled like the recipes in the original Trim Healthy Mama book, but these are laid out nicely.
MOST of the recipes DO include their sweeteners, baking blend, and other specialty products. There are DIY versions of each of those things floating around the internet if you don't want to purchase those from the THM store. However, I'm happy to buy from the sisters and hope my recipes turn out as delicious as the picture in this cookbook look!
There is still some chit chatting at the beginning of the cookbook to help you understand parts of the plan, the importance of the ingredients, etc.
I love that they included recipes from some of my favorite Trim Healthy Mama recipe/food bloggers. I also like that variations of specific recipes are all located right there with the original recipe, making it easy to flip through them and decide which one to try first!
Another thing I enjoy is that the "family size" on the recipes is 6 to 8 people. I'm SO GLAD to see a cookbook written to families bigger than 4 people! :) I have 5 kids, so I get tired of doubling recipes and them not turning out.
There are also tons of single serving recipes, especially for breakfasts, desserts, and snacks in case your whole family isn't on plan and you need a special something just for you.
I am waiting on my Baking Blend and THM Sweeteners to arrive before digging into the cookbook recipes. I can't wait!

I love this cookbook. It has pretty much replaced all other cookbooks in my kitchen. Our family eats gluten free and we also try to eat low glycemic. This recipe book answers both of those issues beautifully.
I do not like the Trim Healthy Mama "big book." It has way too many words and is just corny, to be honest. However, this recipe book cuts to the chase and gets you some good recipes. There is still plenty of corniness, but it is pretty tamed down.
Keep in mind that each recipe is absolutely gushed about. All the recipes DO NOT live up to the raves!! You have been warned!!
Favorite recipes: Fotatoes and Cottage Cheese Pancakes. Please note that the Cottage Cheese Pancakes call for WAY too much sweetener!

I've lost and kept off 60 pounds on THM using the original book and all the resources out there on the Internet. I downloaded the sample cookbook and I had to have it. The recipes looked great, the photos made it gorgeous as well as showing me what I'd be making, and the index seemed very thorough. New recipes and new information make losing weight easier, fresher and more sustainable. I'm still trying recipes and I love, love, love them!. For those not familiar with THM or not already following the plan please understand that this is not what I call a generic cookbook that you buy to find new recipes to add to your repertoire, though you'd certainly be happy with any recipes you'd make. It is a Trim Healthy Mama cookbook that is intended to be used in conjunction with either of the two books (to date) that lay out the plan itself. Once you understand the plan you can choose the recipes that match your needs and choices.

Although it's possible to be on plan without them, there are some specialty ingredients that I use because those recipes give me enough satisfaction to stick to the plan for life. At first I thought these ingredients were too expensive, but when I stopped to think about it, the sticker shock resulted from adding things to my cart that I'd never bought before as in "Yikes, I'm spending $9 on that?" I hadn't considered all the things I no longer purchase - the snacking items from the grocery store, vending machines, fast food places and the like that can really add up. Just as THM involves counting net carbs (total carb grams minus fiber grams) I decided I should figure food costs in terms of net costs (average I'd spent on groceries plus the new-ingredient items minus no-longer-purchased items). That helps me with the monetary accounting. Of course the health, appearance, endurance and mental benefits are priceless.

Edited to say that I love this cookbook so much I bought the paperback so I have one on my device that's with me wherever I go, and this gorgeous paperback with all those photos. I took mine to a print shop for spiral binding and chose clear plastic covers, which makes using it easier and, I feel, will help keep it in pristine shape. Cost was under $11.00 with a dollar of that being the plastic covers over the book covers.

Book is made of great quality and has a fantastic assortment of recipes.

The pages can be easily wiped off.

Why do I like THM? It works! I have been on plan about 2 years. My husband has been off all medicines for a year and a half! He used to be on cholesterol and blood pressure medicines. We are 50 and 52 years old, and feeling great. We still have 10 and 13 year old daughter's at home. The last 2 of 5 children. We are a busy family with 6 grandchildren and living life to its fullest. The plan is fun! I would advise you to approach it like a hobby. Get into it! You do not have to by their products, but like any hobby, you will want to! It's fun! You will find areas that you can cut out, to make room for speciality products. My family would prefer their pizza over pizza hut! The baking blend may be 8.99 but it only takes a cup plus 2 tablespoons for 2 huge pizza! That bag would make 9 large pizzas! Buy 9 large cheese pizzas at a pizza place and see whats more expensive. Other recipes only call for a couple tablespoons. I say jump in friends! The water is fine! There are message boards for THM support, and tons of people enjoying the fun. Don't buy the books thinking you'll just play around with it now in then. Get serious about your health and have fun getting Trim! You can do the plan with no special ingredients just whole foods, but come on people, step out of your comfort zone, and live a little! It's fun! I try all the recipes! I like all, some re better than others, but all are OK. I now love radishes and okra! I never liked them. My children eat it all, and rarely complain about any of it. They look through the book and ask us t make things. It's a fun lifelong game changer for this family and I hope you find it that way too!