Eating healthy can be tough to stick with. I try to eat and prepare healthier meals. It doesn’t always go as planned though. It’s not always easy to come up with a recipe that is healthy and that your whole family can enjoy.
From EVERYDAY DETOX author Megan Gilmore, powerhouse blogger behind Detoxinista.com, here are 100 quick-to-prepare, affordable, and delicious whole-food recipes that make it easy to follow a healthy lifestyle for you and your family every day.
In NO EXCUSES DETOX: 100 RECIPES TO HELP YOU EAT HEALTHY EVERY DAY (Penguin Random House / Ten Speed Press; Feb. 21, 2017), Megan Gilmore presents a collection of satisfying, family-friendly recipes developed with speed, convenience, and optimum digestion in mind.
Megan Gilmore sharply identifies many of the reasons people fail to stick to a healthy diet—too busy, budget-conscious, cooking for picky eaters, concerns about taste or fullness, and more—addressing them head on and offering simple solutions. This beautifully packaged and artfully photographed book gives readers no excuse to not eat well year-round.
I was able to ask Megan some questions about her book and herself.
1. Describe your book, what should readers expect?
No Excuses Detox is loaded with solutions to common issues that hold readers back from healthy eating. Whether you don’t have enough time, think healthy eating is too expensive, are always on the go, or have picky family members, there is something in there for everyone– leaving you with no excuse to not eat well on a regular basis. I’ve included 100 recipes that are clearly labeled to help you plan, full of 30-minute meals, freezer-friendly or slow-cooker friendly meals, recipes that require only 15 minutes of prep time, and kid-friendly meals that appeal to everyone.
2. Do you have a favorite recipe from your book?
It’s hard to pick just one! I hope that everyone tries the Cauliflower Baked Ziti, as it tastes like lasagna without using any pasta, and the Cinnamon Spice Muffins which are made without any flour or refined sugar– but you’d never know by tasting them!
3. Do you have a favorite ingredient you like to cook with?
I go through phases, but currently I love working with dates. I love how they are loaded with fiber and iron, but blend seamlessly into healthy dessert recipes.
4. Did you ever run in to any challenges with this book?
Yes, I had just found out I was pregnant when I got this book deal, so I developed all of these recipes in my first trimester, when food was the least appealing to me. I had to make some of the recipes 40 times to get them right, and then I recruited over 35 taste testers to make sure pregnancy hadn’t thrown my taste buds off.
5. Do you have any tips for healthy eating?
Don’t try to do too much at once. I feel like healthy eating can feel overwhelming at first, so make small changes that are easy for you to stick to, like starting your day with a delicious smoothie. If it doesn’t taste good, you won’t stick to it, so make sure you find really flavorful recipes that you love.
6. Did anything/anyone inspire you to write?
My mother was a teacher, so I think her background encouraged me to write. She taught me to write down notes while I was studying in school, so I started doing the same thing when I learned about cooking and nutrition.
7. Have you always had a passion for cooking?
Yes, but it wasn’t always for healthy cooking. Growing up, I would make “cheesecake” using white bread, processed cheese, and sprinkles!
8. Do you have any secret cooking tips?
Don’t wing it when it comes to measuring, particularly in baking recipes. I never knew what a Tollhouse cookie was supposed to taste like until I was an adult, because my mom always eye-balled her measurements. It’s not a secret tip, but it’s important to know how to measure correctly!
9. Your cookbook is a healthier one, so what are some of your favorite healthy foods?
I love healthy food that tastes like my favorite “cheat” foods. I love anything that tastes like pizza or lasagna, so the Cauliflower Baked Ziti and Pizza Stir Fry are two of my favorites in the new book. I also love starting my day with a chocolate milkshake, like the Frosty Chocolate Shake.
10. Do you have any hobbies you enjoy?
I work as a full-time greeting card illustrator, so cooking is actually my hobby!
11. How long did it take you to write your cookbook?
It took four months to develop the recipes and write the book, but then it goes through about 6 months of editing with my publisher.
12. Do you have any advice for anyone wanting to create a cookbook?
I’d make sure you have a special idea that sets you apart from the other books out there. There’s so much competition! Having a strong social media presence and email list is a great start, in addition to making original recipes.
13. Would you like to add/say anything to my readers?
I hope they’ll find that they love healthy eating once they try my easy recipes!
I would like to thank Megan for taking the time to do this interview and answer all of my questions.
Thanks so much for sharing this interview! I loved reading it, and now I need to go get this book! Woot!
You’re welcome! I’m excited about the book too.
I love this interview! I can imagine finding out she was preg and having to write and test recipes she could not tolerate being pregnant! Also I agree – baby steps – it can be overwhelming trying to incorporate it all at once.
Right! That would have been difficult.
Don’t try to do too much at once was the best advice for me. Last week I decided to change things up a bit, I cut out soda and most juices. I have a cup of hot tea in the morning and tea the rest of the day. It doesn’t fix all of my other terrible eating habits but it is a solid start.
That’s great! I have never been much of a soda person myself. Luckily I always stuck with water..but my eating habits are not always the best.
This is such a great interview such a lovely insight into her world and just how amazing she is!
Yes, it sure is. I love getting to know others more.
You had some great questions for her. I would love to get a copy of this book I have been trying to eat healthier and need some new recipes to try.
Me too! I would love to see some of these recipes.
That’s so great that she wrote a cookbook. I try to do healthy meals most of the time, but sometimes my family and I have breakfast for dinner nights that probably ruins the whole concept. LOL! Still nutrition is important.
I try as well, but it doesn’t always work that way. I think this book would be a great help.
What a fun interview. The book is interesting. I will look for it.
It sure does. I can’t wait to get my hands on one!
How lucky of you to be able to do this interview! My one thing about eating is that I ALWAYS have an excuse of why I am eating something. I must change that!
I need to change as well. I really need to see this book so I can get some fresh new recipes.
This is an awesome interview!! I loved reading it and learning more about her.
Great to hear! I loved doing the interview as well.
Awesome! I so gotta read that book!
Me too! I can’t wait to see all the recipes.
so many great ideas for ways to create more healthy recipes! After reading this post I am going out to buy some dates and I also can’t wait to check out NO EXCUSES DETOX: 100 RECIPES TO HELP YOU EAT HEALTHY EVERY DAY
Yes! I want to buy some now too.
This is a kind of books that I need as I am trying to live a healthy lifestyle. I enjoyed reading the interview.
Right! I need this book to help find healthier recipes.
i love this article! i love reading post about interviews!sshes very interesting!
Same here! Interviews are fun to do as well as read.
its good to read interviews like this, never knew that her motherr is a teacger, that sounds interesting!
It sure does!
Great interview. We have been trying to clean up our eating habits. I definitely agree baby steps help you get to your goals.
Yes, me too!
this sounds like a great book for those in need of detox (which we all could use once and a while!) I’ll have to check this out and share it among a few people I know would be interested… great interview : )
It does sound like an amazing book. I love that it has some healthier recipes in it.
I personally struggle with the fact that we’re traveling all the time. It’s so hard to do things like meal prep when you don’t have a kitchen.
Right! I don’t travel, but I still run in to hard times like that too.
How interesting to learn about the author! I will have to look for this book!
It is interesting. It’s always nice getting to know them more.
I used to love putting dates in my salad during college days. It was so tasty and literally takes good with every veggie.
I need to check more in to dates. I don’t think I’ve even tried them before.
What a great interview! I have to grab me a copy of her her cookbook. I love easy and healthy recipes.
Me too! They’re usually the best kind of recipes.
Its cool you got to interview her on the cookbook! Great review and I do need to detox with my food more often!
Me too! I have never actually done a detox before.
What a great interview! I am doing my best to eat healthy these days!
Me too, and it’s not always easy.
Oooo what a great interview!!! I need to get better about my eating habits! Might just have to check out her cookbook
Me too. I need to find more healthy recipes.
A great interview.. I love reading healthy eating/health related books, so useful!
They are very useful. I love them too.