The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook

You know that common saying “˜You are what you eat?”™ Well, unfortunately this adage holds true, as anyone who has experienced glutton”™s remorse after tucking into a greasy, fattening burger and fries will attest. In other words, when you eat a meal laden with salt, saturated fats and calories, you risk feeling like a fat slob afterwards. All right, perhaps not every time, but we”™re probably all familiar with that sensation.

Alternatively, don”™t you feel fantastic after consuming a healthy meal?

Tosca Reno thinks you will. This fabulous fifty-something fitness model and writer, responsible for a bestselling guide to losing weight, The Eat-Clean Diet, has now brought out a companion cookbook full of fabulous recipes.

In Reno”™s attractive Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook there are over 150 easy and great-tasting recipes that are guaranteed to keep you lean. Couple Reno”™s meal plan with a sensible exercise regimen and soon you”™ll be trim, taut and terrific.

And Tosca Reno should know. During her twenties, Reno weighed over 200 pounds. Over the next decade or so she gave birth to three children and, after adopting a healthier lifestyle, ended up a swimsuit model in her forties. Now 50, Reno recalls how she lost over 75 lbs and got in shape at age 41. She went on to become a top fitness cover model (appearing on over ten magazine covers), a columnist for Oxygen Magazine and the best-selling author of books on health, fitness and nutrition, including The Eat-Clean Diet Series (The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook and The Eat-Clean Diet for Family and Kids)

So, if you are going to listen to anyone”™s advice on how to shed unwanted pounds, Reno has walked the walk. If anyone knows what it takes to lose weight, get in shape and stay that way, it”™s Reno.

You, too, can get inspired by Reno”™s journey towards optimal health by following her advice, starting by bringing some delicious and healthy meals to your table.

The first page I opened up to was a recipe for her Eat-Clean Hummus. If you eat hummus, then you probably just buy it pre-made from the supermarket. But all too often this tasty dip is laden with salt and mysterious chemicals. Reno”™s super-simple recipe calls for a rinsed and drained can of chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), some tahini and a few basic ingredients such as lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and sea salt. Toss the lot into your food processor and you have an almost instant and healthy snack.

Beneath each recipe is a breakdown of the nutritional value of a portion of the dish, as well as a mini chart of how many servings, preparation and also cooking time. All the photos that accompany the easy-to-prepare recipes are truly mouth-watering, too.

Another delectable recipe that caught my eye is the Roast Stuffed Pork Tenderloin. This fantastic dish, which can also be made with turkey breast, is basically meat stuffed with a concoction of cooked broccoli, breadcrumbs, parsley, oat bran, walnuts and dried apricots. Wow!

Many of her recipes take the mystery out of whole grains, such as the high-protein quinoa, which she suggests you prepare in several ways, including as a pilaf. Pair this yummy and versatile cooked grain with low-sodium, low-fat chicken or vegetable stock, lemon zest, scallion, zucchini, some citrus juices and freshly chopped herbs, and you”™ll have a fantastic side dish or luncheon.

One interesting recipe I can”™t wait to try is her Guacamole – A New Way that combines ripe avocado with lightly cooked frozen peas and a few other simple ingredients. Wild! By eliminating the unnecessary and calorie-crammed mayo or sour cream, suddenly this decadent and nutritious dip drops off your “food to avoid” list.

The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook is beautifully presented. It”™s laid-out in various chapters that include the main meals of the day, plus chapters specifically on grains, vegetables, pasta, proteins, One-Dish & Easy Meals, baking and Festive Occasions. Also dotted throughout the cookbook are charts and useful information, such as Stir-Fry 101, What Does 25 grams of Protein look like? and Wine Recommendations that pair the most suitable libation with her recipes. She even lists a chart with the various smoking points of a vast variety of specialty cooking oils to help you understand the alternatives to cooking with butter, margarine or lard. Handy!

Reno”™s fantastic cookbook is packed with simple and tasty recipes and is an essential resource for anyone wanting to clean up their dietary habits or maintain a lean lifestyle.

For more information, go here

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Pauline Adamek is a Sydney-born, Los Angeles-based Critic & Writer.

first posted on JetSetJen.com