One of the many neat things about the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle is that it shares similar recipes with other diets, such as low-carb, Keto, gluten-free, dairy-free, and Paleo.
Trim Healthy Mama is made up of eating both healthy carbs and fats at different times (super simple explanation of how THM works, here), so only the S (fat-based) meals are compatible with low-carb diets.
With the exception of sprouted and sourdough bread for E (carb-based) meals, most Trim Healthy Mama recipes are naturally gluten-free, too.
You can use dairy on THM, but you don’t have to in order for it to work. Most dairy can be replaced with plant-based alternatives.
Trim Healthy Mama utilizes different sweeteners than Paleo and Whole 30 diets, but many of the savory recipes can be intertwined.
All that to say: there are more than just Trim Healthy Mamas who visit Northern Nester, and I appreciate all of you!
I wanted to address the occasional comment I receive requesting I post nutrition facts for my recipes.
“Why don’t you post Nutrition Facts for your recipes?”
“I’m Keto. Please tell me the net carbs for this dish.”
“I need to know the macros. Please post that info!”
I understand how that would be helpful if you’re goal is ketosis, or if you need to be especially careful with even good fats because of cholesterol or other medical complications.
I’m partial to Trim Healthy Mama, of course, because it’s worked well for me (read my Trim Healthy Mama Testimony) and doesn’t exclude any of the food groups God created, but I also believe diets should not be a reason for contention among friends, and support everyone’s choice to fill their tummies in the way they see fit!
If you’re in need of the nutritional information for my recipes, may I recommend Very Well Fit’s Recipe Calorie and Nutrition Calculator? You can probably find better paid ones, but this one is free and easy to use; just copy and paste my recipes into their analyzer and it will break everything down for you.
Here’s the big reason why I don’t provide nutrition facts myself.
Ready?
It’s not the Trim Healthy Mama way. My recipes are primarily created for the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle. I’m thrilled when others use them, but even though Trim Healthy Mama has created “rules” for people who operate better with perimeters (45 grams of healthy carbs in an E meal with no more than 5 grams of fat, a net of 10 carbs in an S meal, etc.), from the beginning, this plan has always been about FOOD FREEDOM!
Trim Healthy Mama is ingredient focused, rather than number focused. Once you’re familiar with which foods are fat-based, which ones are carb-based, and which ones are neutral, it’s a simple matter of pairing like with like and centering your meal around an appropriate protein source (Here’s an exhaustive list of protein sources and which fuel type they fall into!).
There’s no calculating.
No counting.
No math.
In 6.5 years of THM, I have never counted a single carb or gram of fat.
Self-discipline aside, I think complicated diets are the biggest reason why people start strong in January and peter out by March. If it’s not dead simple, a diet will be impossible to stick with when life gets in the way.
“Food Freedom” is what differentiates Trim Healthy Mama from other diets. Its simplicity makes it sustainable. It’s a lifestyle to love, not a diet to dread.
You can do this without ever having to add or subtract numbers in your head. You can stay on plan eating in or eating out, at home or abroad with ease.
I’d love for others to understand what this Food Freedom feels like… that’s why I don’t include nutrition facts in my recipes.
I hope that answers the question for anyone who has ever asked or wondered!
Do you have a Trim Healthy Mama question you’d like me to address? Please feel free to comment or send an email to northernnester @ gmail . com. We may address it in a future post!
It truly doesn’t get any easier! Sometimes you have to tweak to make it your own… but even in the middle of menopause I STILL don’t care about numbers. And I’m losing again. THM for life! (6+ year vet…)