The Real Food movement is in full swing and I’m excited to be a part of it, both as a blogger and an ‘all in’ participant. Along my journey, I’ve found several resources, authors, bloggers and organizations that I love and respect and trust. One of those is Lisa Leake’s 100 Days of Real Food blog.

I am honored to have been selected as a cookbook ambassador for Lisa’s newly released cookbook: “100 Days of Real Food: How We did it, What We Learned and 100 Easy, Wholesome Recipes Your Family Will Love”. Below is my review and a free recipe from the new cookbook to share with you.

Lisa Leake is a mom who, along with her family, made a pledge to go 100 days without eating processed foods after an “ah-ha” moment when she realized that the foods she was feeding her family were not truly healthy or nutritious. She started a blog, 100 Days of Real Food (see above link), about their journey and along the way she shared experiences, planning strategies, helpful hints, and recipes. And she shared how her family's health improved (more details in the book pg. 13)! The success of her blog, especially the recipes, led to the release of this cookbook…. which is more than just a compilation of recipes.

This cookbook is fantastic resource beyond needing to find a new recipe for tomorrow night’s dinner. Need new ideas for packing healthy lunches? Want to serve a cleaned-up and healthy version of macaroni and cheese? Need some help on planning or shopping for these Real Food meals? There are all of those and more in this book. Here are my top 5 favorite things I like about this cookbook:

1. School lunch ideas that have passed the taste test by her kids, including a Lunch-Box Packing chart to make packing lunches a breeze.

2. A snack and appetizer section that includes a healthy version of the ever-so-popular onion dip.

3. All the recipes in her new cookbook Do Not call for any white flour (or refined grains), sugar (or refined sweeteners), anything from a package with more than 5 ingredients, or odd or hard-to-find ingredients. That supports my platform of Clean Eating!

4. Over 25 simple dinner ideas – ‘simple’ being the key word here and simple without being processed. Who doesn’t like simple? That means less stress and more time to spend with your family. Plus the recipes are listed by dietary needs: gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, freezer friendly.

5. A resource section defining real food, how to shop for it and how to get your family on board. Includes budget tips and meal plans.

Here are a few photos of what’s inside.

Veggie Corn Chowder

Cinnamon Raisin Quick Bread packed for lunch

Don’t you wish you already had a copy? It’s easy to do… just order yours here.

And while you’re waiting for your copy to arrive, here is a recipe to get you started:

Maybe this cookbook will motivate you and your family to take the 100 Days of Real Food pledge, too. Eating clean and healthy doesn’t mean you have to give up flavor or favorites. Lisa has found a way to incorporate all of those things. Make 100 Days of Real Food Cookbook a regular part of your family’s meals and know you’ve taken another step to help your family “grow in wellness”.

Happy Cooking!