I was just sent a copy of Michelle Dudash’s new book: Clean Eating For Busy Families: Get Meals on the Table in Minutes with Simple and Satisfying Whole-Foods Recipes You and Your Kids Will Love-Most Recipes Take Just 30 Minutes or Less! . First off, the cover art and colors are very pleasing to have on your kitchen counter! Secondly, it’s chock full of great clean eating tips and delicious recipes. Michelle is a chef and a registered dietitian, so she’s able to help you bring both health and taste to the table.

There’s been a lot of chatter of late about “clean eating” – which essentially means eating less processed foods and more whole foods. Some consumers may still be a little bit confused about what “whole food” implies, and this cookbook does a great job at clarifying that for you.

Clean Eating for Busy Families focuses on making it easier to get the dinner meal to the table, but also offers salad, appetizer, and dessert recipes. For most people, the two biggest challenges are grocery shopping and time to cook. Most of the recipes can be prepared in less than a half an hour, and use fresh, whole ingredients. The dessert chapter offers wonderful ideas to sneak healthy ingredients into sweet treats (like the Whole Grain Pumpkin Snack Cake with Chocolate Chips or the Oatmeal and Cherry Breakfast Cookies with Almonds). In addition to the recipes, you’ll find:

  • “Go green” tips that encompass making the most of seasonal produce, or consideration for the environment while grocery shopping.
  • Michelle’s “Five Food Rules” give you the framework you need to establish a clean eating lifestyle. My favorite rule: Enjoy Every Bite.
  • I also appreciate that she uses easy to find ingredients. Lots of folks don’t have the budget for fancy ingredients and they may simply not be available in areas that aren’t metropolitan. Her “Go Clean” tips encourage you to use fresh, local produce but she also offers substitutions for when a product isn’t available.
  • Michelle also offers several one-dish meals, which are always on my go-to list for busy nights. She offers shopping tips and lists as well, to help get your kitchen in order.
  • The book includes many full-color photos to inspire you.

Why buy another cookbook?

I hope that you’ve set a goal this year to improve your eating habits and food choices. Purchasing a few cookbooks is a great way to achieve your goals. You may be thinking, “Well, I’m not a great cook” or “I don’t really like to cook”, but just reading through a great cookbook can often be inspiring. Keep it on the counter, look through it when you sit down to relax in the evening. You may just find yourself enlightened (for instance, once you read through Michelle’s Chicken Parmesan recipe, you’ll see that the steps are very easy, and the outcome looks absolutely delish!)

The new year is a good time to slow down, and decide to take more time for eating better food instead of rushing through your day eating fast food or convenience foods.

New recipes can help improve the weaknesses in your diet. For instance, nutrition experts are always advising you to add more vegetables to your diet, right? I am here to tell you – vegetables are so much more enjoyable when they are cooked properly and creatively! A cookbook can help you quite a bit in that area – and you’ll be surprised how fun and easy it is to do once you take the plunge and try it in your own kitchen!

Get cookin’! Bon Appétit!

You can also check out my cookbooks here.