Food Prep: Clean Slate – A Cookbook and Guide

Today I’m reviewing a book from the editors of Martha Stewart Living, Clean Slate: A Cookbook and Guide – Reset Your Health, Detox Your Body, and Feel Your Best. There are quite a lot of promises in that title.

The first 70 pages of this book are all about the principles of clean eating, which are this book’s “Golden Rules” (1).

• Choose whole foods over processed.
• Embrace a plant-based diet.
• Engage in an active lifestyle.
• Make sure to get enough fiber.
• Boost energy with lean protein.
• Pay attention to how you feel.
• Establish smart meal planning habits.
• Maintain a healthy perspective.

In general, these rules can be a part of your maintenance plan. They are spelled out in the book, along with information on how to restock your kitchen with healthy foods which you’ll need for the recipes that follow.

In addition to this, 3 and 21 day action-plans are included along with menus. I’m not a fan of the suggested menus as they are all rather low in calories and protein. I don’t think they would optimally support your health, particularly if you are exercising.

For example, for the 3-Day Action Plan, you would only be eating:

• Strawberry, Grapefruit, and Ginger Smoothie – 100 calories per serving, 1.4 grams protein per serving (recipe makes 3 servings)
• Beet, Avocado, and Arugula Salad with Sunflower Seeds – 238 calories per serving, 5 grams protein per serving (recipe makes 3 servings)
• Carrot, Spinach, and Green Bean Soup with Dill – 254 calories per serving, 5 grams protein per serving (recipe makes 3 servings)

The 3-Day Action Plan is the most restrictive part of the book, but the calories and protein are so low as to be considered a crash diet. If you only consumed a single serving at each meal as directed, you would be eating a total of 592 calories and 11.4 grams of protein per day! This is far below any reputable recommendation. Even the 21-Day Action Plan has inadequate calories and protein, though not nearly to this extent.

The recipes, however, look amazing. They are creative and fresh. Each includes a great photo and most show the following nutrition facts: calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, carbohydrates, protein, and fiber. Unfortunately sodium is omitted. Sugars would also be a useful addition, especially since there are dessert recipes with significant sweeteners and dried fruits.

Although this book suggests eating a plant-based diet, there are quite a few recipes which use seafood, chicken, eggs, and dairy products. So this is not a vegan or vegetarian cookbook but is very plant friendly. I’d put it in the Mediterranean type of category although the recipes don’t necessarily originate in the Mediterranean region.

The recipe instructions are very clear and easy to follow. However, you may find that the recipes require ingredients that aren’t easy to come by. Some ideas for substitutions are given, and I used the suggestions for the meal I made, the Mushroom and Microgreen Omelet (baby spinach substituted for microgreens).

This could be a good addition to your cookbook library if you are looking for new recipes. Many times, we need to change things up from our worn out diet recipes. However, I cannot recommend Clean Slate: A Cookbook and Guide for its diet plans which are far too extreme.

Please seek professional medical advice before changing your diet. Reading the plan outlined in this book was a good reminder that we should not blindly follow the instructions given in a book, even those from a popular author.

(1). Clean Slate: A Cookbook and Guide. Editors of Martha Stewart Living. 2014.