The Wellness Mama Cookbook

October 3, 2016
Blogger Wells (WellnessMama), a mother of six young children, models a way to eliminate processed foods from family meals in favor of a healthful eating plan. She marshals current prescriptive-eating hits such as bone broth, maple syrup, cauliflower standing in for starch, and the ubiquitous coconut in myriad forms—aminos, cream of, flour, milk, oil, shredded. Pantry-stocking and meal-planning details include organizational tips that will be useful for any home cook. The recipes range widely, from simple smoothies and one-pan dishes to a seafood bisque calling for two whole lobsters in addition to crab and canned clams. Also surprising: of the 139 savory recipes, fully 77 use garlic powder—perhaps the most common flavoring in commercial processed foods. Fresh garlic appears in a handful, including chicken Caesar salad and carnitas, but reliance on the processed form undermines the thesis. Perhaps it’s intended to aid the transition to the new way of eating. Wells is keen to cite scientific studies to bolster her eating decisions, and she includes a bibliography with articles about the dangers of sugar, grains, and vegetable oils.