Must haves – these are the items that I really feel like I need to make the plan easy. They aren't “must haves” in the sense that you can't do the plan without them, they are must-haves for the best experience following the plan!
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The BOOKS!
Honestly, if you can get all of the books below, do it! There are gems and must-haves in every single one!
THM's new 7 Skills book: I had the privilege of reading this over the past summer, before it was released. This is a great one for simplifying the plan, dialing in on basics, and getting a deeper understanding of what will help move you in the right direction!
Trim Healthy Mama Plan (I'm mentioned in this book!) This is the book that breaks down the plan for you. Great for an in-depth understanding!
Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook There are MANY classic recipes in this book!
Trim Healthy Table (My Brownie Batter in a Mug recipe is in this book!) I would pick this one if I could only pick one recipe book!
Trim Healthy Future – SO GOOD but lots of XO's! This is my favorite book for clients who are maintaining weight loss
Trim Healthy Wisdom The GOLD STANDARD for getting healthy and ready to age well in your 40's and beyond! If you have trouble with the size and depth of this one, I break it all down in Bite Club to make it easier!
Trim Healthy Indulgence – there are some amazing recipes here. This isn't on my must-have list, but it's a great one for recipes to impress! I've served many of these to company and gotten rave reviews.
Essential Amino Acids
What I use it for:
I use EAA's (Essential Amino Acids) DAILY. I would not be too concerned with using this product if I were under the age of 30, but once you get to 30+, Trim Healthy teaches that you start losing muscle (if you google this you'll find TONS of information about how this works). To preserve my lean muscle tissue, I use EAA's in the form of Trim Healthy Mama's Essential product after every workout, and I work in a serving on my rest days, too.
Brands:
I only use Trim Healthy Mama's Essential. I've tried many different brands and theirs is superior (especially in taste).
Where to buy it:
I buy it from Trim Healthy Mama directly here.
Unsweetened Almond Milk
What I use it for:
I use unsweetened almond milk every day. My favorite way to use it is blended with one scoop of THM Chocolate or Strawberry Protein Powder for a super easy FP protein-packed chocolate or strawberry milk. If I don't want to get my blender dirty, I just use the frother that come with my coffee maker – it takes just a few seconds and it's a lot easier to clean!
I also use unsweetened almond milk in my coffee each morning to keep it an FP – that way I can drink my coffee whether I have an S breakfast or an E breakfast.
This is a great substitute for milk in just about any recipe, but for a more milk-like flavor I stick with the plain version. I use vanilla flavored unsweetened almond milk in desserts and drinks.
Brands:
My favorite brand is Silk, but Califia Farms is a close second!
Where to buy it:
Unsweetened vanilla almond milk can be found at nearly every grocery store! I've gotten it at Kroger, Sprouts, Whole Foods, Target, and many other places. You can also buy shelf-stable unsweetened almond milk (I keep one of these on hand just in case I run out of the refrigerated stuff). Just be careful to stick to unsweetened almond milk only! The labels and packaging look very similar, so double-check your carton before you purchase.
Low-Carb On-Plan Sweetener
What I use it for:
I use low-carb sweetener every day! It goes in my coffee, in smoothies and shakes, and in all of my slimming desserts. I use it in my now-famous Brownie Batter in a Mug recipe and in so many recipes I can't even keep track!
Brands:
As someone who creates recipes regularly, I have found that Trim Healthy Mama's Gentle Sweet has the cleanest taste, provides enough bulk for baking, and tastes the most like sugar to me.
If you're looking for a 1:1 sugar substitute, Lokanto Monkfruit is a great option.
I also love Swerve for a 1:1 substitute, and the best thing about Serve is their confectioner's sugar!
If nothing else can be found, Truvia is great, too – just make sure you buy the pure Truvia, not the 50/50 blend with added sugar. This is what I used to start THM before all of the other tasty options were available.
Where to buy it:
I buy all of my sweetener online. THM's Gentle Sweet, Super Sweet, and Pure Stevia Extract are the best. I usually find the best prices for Swerve on Amazon, and I've found Monkfruit Sweetener and Truvia at Costco, Target, and Kroger.
Plain On-Plan Protein Powder
What I use it for:
My favorite way to use protein powder is to stir it into coffee or tea for a quick protein boost – but collagen is also excellent for a dairy-free way to boost protein! Protein powder is necessary for some baking recipes, so it's good to have on-hand.
Brands:
I am a protein powder snob! I really only love two brands: Trim Healthy Mama Pristine Whey Protein Powder and Jay Robb Protein Powder.
Where to buy it:
Trim Healthy Mama Pristine Whey Protein Powder can be found online, and Jay Robb Protein Powder can be found in some Kroger and Sprouts locations.
Cocoa Powder
What I use it for:
Every low-carb chocolate dessert, and in my coffee every morning!
Brands:
No need to get fancy – regular Hershey's Cocoa works just fine! I also like Trader Joe's brand. You want to make sure you buy unsweetened cocoa powder and not Dutch-processed cocoa powder. I go through it so fast I started buying Anthony's Cocoa Powder on Amazon – it's organic and I love the quality and flavor.
Where to buy it:
Just about every grocery store and online store that sells food will have cocoa powder!
Collagen
What I use it for:
I use collagen nearly every day as a lean protein source! Because it's an FP, it can go with an E or S meal. My favorite way to use collagen is stirred into hot tea or shaken up in a bottle of Bai. Collagen is also great for many THM recipes. This is a must-have because it's a no-prep protein that you can take with you!
Brands:
I'm pretty picky about my collagen. I want good quality, and most collagen products are good for hair and nails (like Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides), but THM's Optimized Collagen is a complete protein with all of the amino acids you need. Because it has a stronger taste, I put it in a strong-tasting beverage (like coffee with extra sweetener), OR I'll use 1/2 serving of Optimized Collagen + 1/2 serving of another protein source.
Where to buy it:
If I'm buying regular protein I get Vital Proteins online; if I'm using Optimized Collagen it's always Trim Healthy Mama's. As a Coach, I highly recommend THM's over anything else if you're planning to use it as a protein source.
Coconut Oil
What I use it for:
Coconut oil is an “S” staple! This healthy fat is versatile and perfect for so many things! I use it for cooking, salad dressings, greasing pans, in bulletproof coffee, and sooooo much more! I also use it for non-food things – it's a great moisturizer for your skin, and I use mine for oil-pulling to keep my teeth healthy, too.
Brands:
There are too many coconut oil brands to count, but my favorite for the price and quality is Nutiva.
Where to buy it:
Coconut oil is everywhere, but I either get mine at Costco or on Amazon.
Should Haves – these are the items that I enjoy a lot, but I can live without them. If I'm tight on money I skip these:
Gelatin – needed for some THM and low-carb recipes. I haven't found much of a difference in brands, but I like Great Lakes in general so that's what I usually buy.
Multiple Sweeteners – Gentle Sweet, Super Sweet, and Stevia – I keep all of these in stock and use at least the Gentle Sweet and Super Sweet every day! But I know if I didn't have them all I would survive with just one.
MCT Oil – excellent to add to coffee for a healthy fat-burning boost!
Beverages – my all-time favorite drinks are Bai tea and sparkling water. Both are on-plan, but there are other options out there! Having a drink ready to grab on your way is a great way to stay on plan!
Baking Blend, Coconut Flour, or Almond Flour . – if you want to do any healthy baking, you'll want flour to bake with! The Baking Blend is the very best for low-carb baking in my opinion.
Peanut Flour – I recommend this one because so many brands like P2 peanut flours in the grocery store have added sugars. The THM brand is totally low-carb with no added sugar.
Nice to Have – these are good to have in a well-stocked kitchen, but you can live without them!
Lily's Baking Chips – these are my favorite low-carb chocolate chips! They are excellent in every recipe that calls for chocolate chips. You can click the link to see what they look like, but I wouldn't buy those through Amazon – they are regularly on sale at Whole Foods and Sprouts and I've seen them at Kroger recently, too!
THM Hydrates – these are GREAT for people who don't love to drink plain water! I have a full review here if you want to see which flavors I recommend and which ones you can skip.
Glucommanan – I've been able to omit glucomannan in many recipes. It's a thickening agent and seems to help you feel fuller, longer, but xantham gum sometimes performs better in recipes, so I'm OK with skipping gluccie in a lot of recipes. It's still good to have for a lot of the Trim Healthy Mama recipes.
Psyllium Husks – needed for some low-carb and THM recipes.
Sunflower Lecithin – this is a great ingredient to have on hand! I've tried purchasing this on Amazon, but for the best quality you'll want to stick with the THM brand.
Baobab Powder – the health benefits of this one are out of this world! This is a good special ingredient for some THM recipes, but not likely to be something you use outside of the Trim Healthy Mama recipes. This *almost* made it on the must have list because I truly feel that it helps me stay healthy, especially during cold and flu season, but it is possible to do THM without it.
THM's Natural Burst Extracts – you can make some very fun desserts with these! They are also great to add to THM Sippers and better quality than what I've found in stores.
Oat Fiber – I rarely use mine, but it's great for some FP recipes!