Cavallari - True roots: a mindful kitchen with more than 100 recipes free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar

This book is intended as a reference volume only, not as a medical manual. The information given here is designed to help you make informed decisions about your health. It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment that may have been prescribed by your doctor. If you suspect that you have a medical problem, we urge you to seek competent medical help.

Mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities in this book does not imply endorsement by the author or publisher, nor does mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities imply that they endorse this book, its author, or the publisher. Internet addresses and phone numbers given in this book were accurate at the time it went to press.

2017 by Kristin Cavallari

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

Food photography by Tina Rupp

Food styling by Carrie Purcell

Prop styling by Stephanie Hanes

Lifestyle photography by Kelsey Cherry

Food and prop styling by Hannah Messinger

Photograph of Mike Kubiesa on page xi by Kyle Cummins

Book design by Rae Ann Spitzenberger

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the publisher.

ISBN 9781623369163 paperback

ISBN 9781635652796 signed paperback
ISBN 9781623369170 e-book

We inspire health, healing, happiness, and love in the world.
Starting with you.

For Jay, Camden, Jaxon, and Saylor:
My light, my love, and my inspiration.

Why? That was the question I kept asking myself when I sat down to write this introduction. Why am I writing this cookbook? And what do I want my message to be? Well, its simple: I want everyone to be able to enjoy good food and feel well. And more than just enjoy food, I want everyone to have a great relationship with it.

In my twenties, I struggled for years to have a healthy relationship with food. I never looked at food as something to enjoy without having any feelings of guilt or regret. When it came to eating, I never felt free, and I sure as hell didnt think food had an impact on my mood. Boy, was I wrong.

The word diet sabotaged me from the beginning. In my early twenties, I was on a diet every week, and as soon as that word entered my head, I was already craving all the things I wasnt allowing myself. It was a tumultuous mental game that ultimately turned into my diet being all or nothing (abstaining or bingeing). I became obsessed with food, to the point where it consumed most of my thoughts, and I always felt trapped and weighed down by the guilt and shame that came from indulging.

Around age 25, I accepted a new way of eating. It was a new lifestyle rather than a diet, and suddenly everything else fell into place. When I decided that the no list would be a not as much list, I didnt crave anything. When I had a burger with fries dipped in ranch, then went home and ate a healthy dinner of fish and veggies, I all of a sudden had a very free relationship with food. I was no longer obsessing over it and driving myself crazy. Luckily I can thank my first pregnancy for jump-starting my journey to health.

I found that by eating healthy most of the time, when I allowed myself to indulgewhen eating out or just once in a blue moonI actually wanted to get back on track and eat healthy again. Because heres the secret: When you consistently eat clean, you start to feel really good (improved energy; clear, bright skin). I felt the best I ever had, and when I ate like crap, I didnt feel so hot and I didnt like that feeling one bit.

I started to eat healthy when I was home, and for me that was a majority of the time. When I went out to eat about once or twice a week, I ordered whatever I wanted, maybe even had a drink or two, then came home and got back on track. No guilt. No shame. No regrets. I started to notice this way of eating was releasing me of my toxic thoughts surrounding food, and I was a much happier person. Without knowing it at the time, I had developed what I now call my 80/20 lifestyle.

So what does it mean? Simply put, it means that 80 percent of the time, I eat exactly like the recipes youll see in this cookbook, and the other 20 percent, I eat whatever I want. The key for the 80 percent is eating real food: grass-fed meats, wild-caught fish, organic as often as possible, and only minimally processed foods. I want my food as close to its natural state as possible.

With the 80/20 lifestyle, I started to notice that my energy improved, my skin was the best it had ever been, I was sleeping like a baby, and I hardly ever got sick. Plus, I was eating the most food I had in yearsand that was reason enough for me.

Not only do I want you to feel amazing and have a healthy relationship with food, I want the experience to be fun and enjoyable, which ultimately means being realistic. Eating clean doesnt have to be difficult. It doesnt mean you have to be slaving away in the kitchen for hours, and it sure doesnt mean youre locked into only a handful of recipes (because that would be boring). Its very possible to create delicious, healthy meals and snacks in a pinch, under 30 minutes, or when you are in a cooking rut.

I want to erase the stigma that being healthy equals boring and makes you miss out on life. Its quite the opposite! Life is to be enjoyed, and good food is a crucial aspect of that. So even if you dont follow this cookbook as religiously as I do, if you want some easy-to-prep healthy meals or are just beginning your journey to healthy eating, you can have peace of mind knowing youve made the right choice to buy a book thats full of delicious, good-for-you meals.

Take it easy on yourself. Dont waste precious time and energy on negative, unnecessary thoughts surrounding food. Stay true to yourself by being kind. And dont take good health for granted; without it, we have nothing.

Simple and rustic. Whenever I am preparing a dish, thats always at the core of my cooking philosophy. My food style is a balance between traditional French and Mediterranean with a modern American twist. I enjoy cooking with fresh, natural ingredients, often using vegetables grown from my own garden. My love for cooking began with family; some of my fondest childhood memories are of time spent in the kitchen with Mom and Grandma. Ive always known that my love for cooking would lead to a career in the kitchen.