The Complete Plate: 120 Recipes · 30 Meals · A Stronger, Healthier, Happier You

by Lauren Klukas, Janine Elenko RD (Contribution by), Ashlee Gillespie (Contribution by)

Overview

Food wellness is a term used to describe the ideal state for adopting healthy eating habits into a busy day-to-day life. When food wellness is achieved, the hope is that the body and mind will be able to perform at peak performance. When one of these areas is missing, it is almost impossible to establish sustainable healthy eating habits.

Featuring meal plans for a caloric diet of 1,500, 2,000, and 2,500 calories, The Complete Plate shows that weight maintenance, and weight loss, can be achieved through the science behind a balanced diet that meets both nutritional and caloric demands. It features 30 daily meal plans with each day perfectly balanced to provide 100 percent of your macro and micro nutrient needs, based on current daily recommended intake (DRI) values. The 90 recipes range from an indulgent 'Coconut and Flax Seed French Toast' to a savory 'Portobello and Prosciutto Pizza' to a nourishing 'Creamy Corn, Ham, and Roast Pepper Chowder,' and include additional snacks so that readers are satiated and energized throughout the day.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781773270159
Publisher:	Figure 1 Publishing
Publication date:	01/13/2018
Pages:	308
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Lauren Klukas was a competitive swimmer and coach for Cascade Swim Club before she became a certified personal trainer. In 2013, Lauren was diagnosed with arrythmyogenic right ventricle cardiomyopathy (ARVC), which inspired The Complete Plate philosophy, website, and the eponymous nutrition and cooking show. With a conviction for scientifically rooted content, she is currently attending Athabasca University for her bachelor of science (B. Sc.) degree. She lives in Calgary, Alberta, with her husband and daughter.

Janine Elenko is a registered dietitian (RD) with a bachelor of science (B. Sc.) degree in Human Nutrition and is currently working towards a master's degree in Public Health. After a dietetic internship in Ontario, Janine went on to work in stroke rehabilitation. Her passion lies in advocating social change within communities.

A red seal chef who specializes in pastry, Ashlee Gillespie adopted a love for raw and fresh ingredients during her work in Australia and New Zealand. Ashlee also developed tremendous insight into gluten-free cooking after she was diagnosed with celiac disease.

Table of Contents

Contents xxx Foreword xxx Introduction xxx The Complete Plate xxx The Basics xxx Nutrition 101 xxx How to Use This Book xxx Pantry and Freezer Staples xxx Essential Equipment xxx The Meal Plans xxx Meal Plan 1 xxx Meal Plan 2 xxx Meal Plan 3 xxx Meal Plan 4 xxx Meal Plan 5 xxx Meal Plan 6 xxx Meal Plan 7 xxx Meal Plan 8 xxx Meal Plan 9 xxx Meal Plan 10 xxx Meal Plan 11 xxx Meal Plan 12 xxx Meal Plan 13 xxx Meal Plan 14 xxx Meal Plan 15 xxx Meal Plan 16 xxx Meal Plan 17 xxx Meal Plan 18 xxx Meal Plan 19 xxx Meal Plan 20 xxx Meal Plan 21 xxx Meal Plan 22 xxx Meal Plan 23 xxx Meal Plan 24 xxx Meal Plan 25 xxx Meal Plan 26 xxx Meal Plan 27 xxx Meal Plan 28 xxx Meal Plan 29 xxx Meal Plan 30 xxx Basic Recipes xxx Nutrient Analyses xxx Metric Conversion Chart xxx Reference xxx Acknowledgments xxx Index

Preface

Introduction What a whirlwind the past few years have been for this redhead! I became a mom. I created a food blog. I developed an effective eating plan to lose and maintain weight. I launched a pilot for a cooking show, and, if you’re reading this, you can see that I also embarked on a journey to write my first cookbook. The irony is that I only recently discovered a passion for cooking. In fact, if anyone had told me two years ago that I would write a cookbook, I would have laughed out loud. I was one of those people who only had a kitchen because it came with the house. Being very physically active, I felt like I never had to worry about calories, eating out, or enjoying yummy pastry treats high in sugar and trans fats. I would just work it off later. Ergo, I had no reason to use a kitchen, or learn how to cook healthy meals at home. When I did venture in to this mystery room in the house, I was clueless, "What is braising?” “Seriously, you can make scalloped potatoes from scratch? I thought they only came in a box!” “You don’t flip your meat a thousand times while cooking?!” My greatest culinary achievement was pouring cereal into a bowl. So how exactly did I find myself in this paradoxical situation? Physical activity has always been a priority in my life. In my youth, I was a competitive swimmer, training up to nine times a week. I achieved many significant milestones during my swim career: set club records, obtained qualifying times, and attended high-level training camps with Olympic coaches. A healthy, active lifestyle was intrinsic to me and is what inspired me to attend university and complete my Personal Fitness Trainer (PFT) diploma. A Life Unrooted In 2012, my husband and I found out the very exciting news that we were expecting our first baby! But by week 15 of my pregnancy, I was having terrible heart palpations. Following a multitude of doctors’ appointments and tests, and almost a month in the hospital, I was diagnosed with a rare heart condition known as Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC). The cells of the heart muscle are bound by proteins, but for those with ARVC, our proteins cannot fully develop so the heart muscle cells detach and do not properly repair themselves. This prevents electrical signals from communicating with the bottom of the heart properly, which results in abnormal heart rhythms and improper pumping—the perfect setting for sudden cardiac arrest. To add to the crazy paradox that is my life, ARVC is genetic, and only develops in the perfect environment. Geneticist see a significant correlation between patients who were high-level athletes during their youth and the development of the disease. If doctors knew that I had the genetic code as a child, they would have advised me not to participate in intense physical activity. The active and athletic lifestyle that I had led up to this point was, ironically, the root of my rare and incurable heart condition. My pregnancy switched from textbook to high risk. At my 36-week checkup, there was concern that my heart might not hold up much longer. I was admitted to the hospital and induced. The delivery was intense, but on May 28, 2013, at 12:15 p.m., our precious baby girl, Charlotte (Charley), was born. In an attempt to decelerate the damage to my heart and prevent a case of sudden cardiac arrest, I was instructed to cease all physical activity indefinitely. Fitness was my whole life, from swimmer to trainer, so this devastating news turned my world upside down. I can no longer exercise. My career as a personal trainer is over. I am not allowed to have any more babies because my heart is not strong enough to handle another pregnancy. To add insult to injury, I am not even allowed to have coffee! Grieving the loss of my old life is a dynamic journey with constant ups and downs. However, as I continue to develop new hobbies and skills outside the scope of fitness, I am learning to not only cope with my new reality, but to thrive in it. I’m completely devoted to my role as mother of the most captivating little girl and wife of a supportive and loving husband, but I still sometimes questioned my purpose. When Life Gives You Lemons… Bake a Lemon Meringue Pie! After my diagnosis, I began looking for ways to control my weight without physical activity. In February 2015 I started a blog to share my journey of both weight loss and weight management through proper nutrition. Each week I developed meal plans using a diet analysis program I used in university, and shared them, along with portion sizes, and lessons learned on my new journey, on the blog. Seeing the transformation of my body over a year, purely through nutrition, was amazing. And it was encouraging to know that, thanks to a conscientious meal plan, I still had control over my body. Exercise and Weight Loss While exercise is necessary for weight maintenance and several important physiological adaptations (like improved cardiovascular and pulmonary health), it is not key for weight loss. Current literature suggests that aerobic training must be frequent and extremely high in intensity for significant weight loss to occur. Nutrition is a fundamental factor in weight loss and one variable in my life that I can control. (See more on Nutrition and Weight Loss on pages xxx.) I would never recommend a sedentary lifestyle or suggest someone give up their exercise routine, but a large portion of the population is not meeting the minimum guidelines of physical activity to receive any health benefits. Studies support that current minimum physical activity guidelines for adults—two and half hours of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity per week—is sufficient for reducing the risk of chronic diseases. However, in the United States, less than 5 percent of adults get 30 minutes of physical activity a day and only one in three adults get the recommended amount of physical activity each week. While campaigns promoting a healthy lifestyle continue to find more efficient and effective ways to encourage the long-term adoption of physical activity, a balanced meal plan—including whole foods with proper micro- and macronutrient composition—can also provide positive health benefits and prevention of chronic diseases. (See more on Micro and Micronutrients, starting on page xxx.) The Beautiful Paradox of Adversity ARVC has redefined my life in a way that many would consider calamitous, but there is a beautiful paradox with adversity. The painful refining process of trials and tribulations can lead to profound personal growth and create opportunities that never would have emerged otherwise. Weight loss is only a small chapter of this story. Weight loss and a particular body image are not, by any means, a reflection of successfully establishing a healthy lifestyle. My journey has simply highlighted the importance of meal planning, nutrition and cooking in the attaining food wellness (page xxx), and has led to the design and implementation of a successful lifestyle for weight management that works with my sedentary life. The Mission My mission is for The Complete Plate is to redefine people’s understanding of nutrition. Life would be easier if food’s only purpose was to nourish our bodies. Food is at the center of our celebrations, times of fellowship, religious ceremonies, and cultural festivities. The relationship between joy and food has been fused together since the beginning of time, and that is why to establish sustainable healthy-eating habits we need to rediscover joy in eating and abandon the mind-set of good foods verses bad foods (the mentality of eat this, not that). For healthy eating to be sustainable, it needs to more than chicken, quinoa, and vegetables for the rest of your life. I don’t want to bully anyone into eating healthily. I want to encourage critical thinking and provide a resource that presents sound nutritional information so anyone can develop healthy and positive associations with food. My hope is that The Complete Plate will be a valuable tool in this transition to a sustainable, healthy new lifestyle. Now let’s get cooking!

Editorial Reviews

05/21/2018
This well-designed debut cookbook highlights the importance of meal planning, nutrition, and cooking for health and weight management. Klukas was an athlete and personal trainer who had to give up exercise due to a heart condition. She blogged about her experience of losing weight while eating nutritiously, leading to this book of meal plans and recipes that she developed for diets of 1,500, 2,000, and 2,500 calories per day. Klukas emphasizes that her plan doesn’t “demonize whole nutrients like fat or sugar” but instead recommends a balanced approach to eating. Readers who try recipes such as sweet potato frittata, banana parfait, and lemon ricotta crepe will not feel deprived. This cookbook is extremely well organized and provides a checklist of ingredients for each meal plan, a guide to meals based on what readers are in the mood to eat, a calorie count for each recipe, and informative side notes on nutritional value, advance preparation, and freezing. Recipes are generally easy to prepare, giving readers a refreshingly moderate and nutritionally sound approach to weight management. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"Lauren teaches confidence in the kitchen and makes food fun again! The Complete Plate is a must-have for anyone who wants to revamp their nutrition!" —Andrea Hardy, RD, co-owner of Ignite Nutrition "The Complete Plate is chock full of impressively balanced recipes put together in very creative yet practical ways.” —Andy De Santis, RD MPH “This cookbook summarizes everything I recommend to clients. In the most organized way, Lauren guides you through a plan that is easy, healthy, and most importantly, won't leave you feeling deprived.” —Sammi Haber, MS RD CDN, owner of Nutrition Works NY

From the Publisher