Do you want to eat better but you aren’t sure how to make the switch to fresh, whole foods? Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to feel and look better, have lots of energy, and feed your body clean fuel instead of processed, additive-filled convenience foods?
I can tell you from my own experience that by eating a diet filled with lean meats, fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains, that not only do you lose weight (as long as you exercise portion control), but you also feel just awesome. If you are like me though, you aren’t a born cook and you need to have some recipes to follow.
In a previous post I gave you a review of The Eat-Clean Diet by Tosca Reno, a book that I overall recommend (you can read the details in that post), especially if you do not have any problems with eating refined sugar or flour. In The Eat Clean Diet book there are some recipes included, however in addition to that book there is a separate Eat Clean Diet Cookbook available from Tosca, which you can easily guess, is full of clean eating recipes! (please note: the publisher asked me if I’d like to review this book (and sent me a copy) since I’ve talked about eating clean myself before, however I am giving you my honest thoughts about it).
The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook contains over 150 clean-eating recipes that are easy to make and easy to understand. Tosca teaches you how to make such tasty dishes as Clean-Eating Muesli, Chinese Chicken and Rice, Pad Thai Clean-Eating Style, Blueberry Crumble, and Greek Salad. Each of these recipes is made without all of the processed chemicals, additives, and preservatives that you will find in pre-made processed foods, and are focused on using whole, fresh foods that you can buy in the grocery store.
While it’s true that you could buy pre-packaged, pre-portioned, pre-made diet foods (I’m thinking of the popular diet plans you see advertised during prime-time TV each night) and actually lose weight, how healthy is that for you? Also, what do you do once you lose the weight; keep buying that diet food forever? To me, it makes a lot more sense to learn how to cook your own clean-eating meals, which gives you a lot more freedom and better health anyway.
Like I mentioned in my review of The Eat-Clean Diet 
Besides recipes containing flour, I noted the following sugar ingredients in different recipes in the cookbook: sugar, maple sugar flakes, sucanat, agave, organic sugar, organic honey, and brown sugar. If you are addicted to sugar or sugar sensitive, you already know that you need to stay away from all forms of sugar, not just the ingredient spelled “sugar”, so you wouldn’t be able to use the previous ingredients (same goes for me – I get my “sugar” in fresh fruit, but always include a protein when I eat it).
Again though, if you do not have any issue with sugar cravings or overeating by eating sugar and flour and you simply want to improve your health by getting off the processed foods, then The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook would be excellent for you. In addition, if you fit that description and have some weight to lose, then if you use portion control along with clean eating then you can do that, too. At the same time, you’ll learn how to cook some wonderful recipes with this book, and even how to make a clean-eating Christmas dinner, turkey and all!
Hi Everyone,
The recipes are great! I bought the cookbook about a month or so ago and I love it, but unfortunately the kids don’t. (That’s another story.) Still, I am never bored with eating the same thing over and over again like so many of my peers who are dieting. Yes, like Jolynn said leave out the sugar and salt for the best results! Happy clean eating…..
Hi Brandi,
That’s awesome, I’m glad you’re enjoying them! Sorry about your kids, but I hope they come around. 🙂
Happy clean eating to you, too! (hey, I like that phrase 🙂 )
I have been dieting for years -unsuccesfully I might add. The eat clean diet is not a diet, it is a way of life. You feel great and lose weight and even better…you are never hungry.
Thanks Tosca
Hi Tiffany,
Thank you so much for sharing your success with clean eating, congratulations on your progress! 🙂
I don’t follow Tosca’s plan but it’s very very similar to the 6-week body makeover program. They’re both a healthy way to go. 😉
Hi Tosca, I just wanted to tell you that your BOOK was the best thing that ever happened to me. I just bought it the other day and I couldn’t put it down. I am going to start eating clean and I know its not going to be easy. Why? Because I’m use to eating what I shouldn’t be eating, but once I start I know it will get easier. I will keep you posted on my loosing weight. I started to go back to the Gym as of Monday. I have yet to buy your cookbook because I have limited resources. I will soon, as soon as I have the money. Sorry, I’m a single mom of 2 w/no child support and with the economy, well, I hope you understand. But I made it a Goal to buy your book, and I accomplished it. I now have to buy your cookbook, which I know I’ll do within the next month (you see that’s next goal).
Once again, Thank you for your research and your hard work putting this Great Book together for everyone that had no clue, just like me.
By the way, just wanted to give you a heads up…
Your a Great Entrepreneur.
A fine example of leadership.
Lizette Saldivar
Tulsa, Ok.
Hi Lizette,
It sounds like Tosca’s clean eating program is working great for you, that’s wonderful!
I’m not sure if Tosca has a blog or not but if you’d like to keep me updated on how you’re doing I’d love to hear about your success, and I hope your first day back in the gym went well.
Stay motivated and you’ll get in that clean eating groove – once you do you’ll feel so much better being off of those processed foods. When I’m only eating whole foods like I am now I not only have lots of energy but I also feel great, and lose weight! 🙂
All the best,
JoLynn Braley
I listen closely to what others have to say about different cookbooks. My work is in helping obese children learn healthy habits. I’ll have to check this one out.
HI, I am loving the clean eating diet, i bought the book which I think is great but thought it had more recipes. How do you manage to go to restaurants and stay on the clean diet. I have been avoiding restaurants but dont know how long it will last. thanks, kim