My FAVORITE cookbook - 100 Days of Real Food

Well, I think it's time I return from my maternity 'break'. {And for those of you who don't know me personally, we welcomed a beautiful baby BOY - Knox Jeffrey! And it's very true what they say - the 2nd baby comes QUICK!}

I don't know about you, but this mama yearns for routine in my life, and I'm SO ready to get back on a regular one! It's certainly been nice being the lazy, cuddly, sleep-in-til-the-baby-wakes and eating breakfast at 10am mama, but I have GOT to get moving, for my own (and my house's) sake! :)

While on my break, I was fortunate to get my hands on this gem... the 100 Days of Real Food Cookbook! For those of you who may not know, this is where it all started for me. I had a very influential conversation with a good friend of mine about processed food and how it's junk, and I started my own research. While googling for healthier recipes, I found Lisa Leake's blog, 100 Days of Real Food. It was love at first sight :)

I'm pretty sure I spent 3 hours skimming her website, absolutely THRILLED that I found someone else who thought the same way I did, and had already began to share recipes and tips. I couldn't wait to begin my own journey with my own family. Her rules about what to eat completely align with what I have learned not only by doing my own research, but also from what I learn at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) where I am studying to become a health coach.

I know I have friends, family, and others that I have not met personally following my journey, so I wanted to share this with you in hopes that your journey is a successful and fun one. It takes a village to raise a child, and I can only hope that one day 'my' village will be non-processed-minded. :)

Obviously, this is a cookbook, so there are fabulous recipes. What is amazing about his book is the beginning, or Part 1. It's so informational, motivating, educational and even a little scary (when you realize you're feeding yourself or family junk). It's my new Non-processed Bible. I think I've read it about 4 times, from beginning to end, and each time I get more excited.

IF YOU ARE OR HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT BEGINNING YOUR OWN NON-PROCESSED JOURNEY, YOU NEED THIS BOOK! It has everything you need to begin your own journey successfully and with all the information you need! You may be thinking, it's another cookbook, how the heck can it be THAT great?! Well, see for youself!

Let me tell you what AMAZING things you'll find in this cookbook:

In Part 1 of the cookbook, The Plan, Lisa explores What is Real Food? If you have been to my First 20 to Non-processed workshop, then you'll know exactly what this is about. If you go to the store, and are ever confused about what something means, or which is the better option, then you NEED to read this!

1. She has a table of Ingredient Labels on popular packaged foods, which includes the ingredient list and real food pros and cons (the cons list is almost always longer than the pros, FYI)

2. There is a chart that explains just about every label that you'll find on the font of packaged food (USDA Organic, Gluten Free, Cage Free, Non-GMO, even what the Heart Check Mark means plus many more.) I don't know about you, but this was super helpful when deciding which to feed my family! I was confused as heck when I started really paying attention.

3. For those of you who haven't started yet, there is a "Cleaning out your own Kitchen" section. I think this explains itself.

4. For those dealing with Food Allergies, she has a chart of each common allergy and alternative "real foods" to eat instead.

5. Part 2 is a whole section on "Shopping for Real Food", for both supermarkets AND Farmer's Markets, loaded with tips on saving money, navigating stores, real food substitutes (again, if you've been to my First 20 to non-processed workshop, this is right up your alley!)

6. Part 3 is all about making the leap. Don't overthink, just start! I started super slow, because I thought I was alone in this process. I did my own research, and found my own recipes by what I deemed 'acceptable', until I found this blog! Using this cookbook will jumpstart you into your own routine.

7. Part 4 is all about getting your family on board. Now, don't think this chapter is just a bulleted list of tips you can find anywhere if you google. This chapter is 23 pages long... trust me, it's worth the read! From your reluctant spouse to your picky kids, school lunches to even your family and friends, she goes into detail how NOT to offend those who eat differently than you. This part was SO enlightening to me. It made me feel much better about standing up for what I choose to eat and feed my family!

6. Part 5 is Food Budget Tips and Meal Plans. I think this is self-explanatory, but nontheless, super informational. The biggest lesson I learned in this section was meal-planning. Last year we began using Plan to Eat, a meal-planning app that lets me import recipes, plan my day/weeks, and what I love the most, is that it syncs to my iPhone app, and while I'm out shopping, I can see my shopping list, and delete things that I 1. already have at home and 2. items I put into my cart. It's great, and it's been a huge help, especially now that we've begun using Green Bean Delivery (I'll have another review of our experience with them very soon!) Lisa's blog gave me the motivation and tools I needed to begin organizing my thoughts and recipes, and say goodbye to the 'dinnertime scramble.' :)

Again, if you have been following my journey, and are the least bit interested, and want some kind of motivation to feed your family better, learn what REAL FOOD really is, and learn what NOT to buy, let this cookbook be your guide. Lisa's blog was my starting point, and I'm so grateful I found it. I'm sharing this today with you, because I know a lot of you are in the same mindset, but don't know where to begin. I can tell you this, I sure wish I had this book when I started!

Most of my recipes have been adapted from the 100 Days of Real Food's blog. I tweak them to fit our taste (well, my hubby's picky taste, I should say). But I now feel confident to google a recipe, and know right away if it's a good one. Made with REAL FOOD.

What's my second favorite part of this cookbook? Besides Part 1 AND the yummy recipes? For sure, the Staple Items to have on hand (or in the freezer).

I'd LOVE to know if you buy the cookbook, and what you think of it! Please share your thoughts on it below!

#cookbook #100daysofrealfood