S, E or FP?…Oh My!
by Meggan Larson
We’ve all been there. We’ve read the Trim Healthy Mama book, we’ve seen the results that others have gotten, and we know it works! We make some recipes out of the book and decide to venture over to Pinterest to try some of the new recipes that people are raving about online. Uh oh, how do we know if the recipe is accurate? How do we know if it’s an S or an E? A Fuel pull, crossover, or off plan? It feels like a guessing game but it really isn’t.
The simplest way to break it down is like this…
on plan carbs = E, on plan fats = S. Mix the two together = crossover. Limit both = fuel pull. Have a big mac = off plan. See, it’s not so hard! 😉 Pinterest can either be a treasure trove of recipes or a mine-field. If you’re brand new to THM then I would caution you to stay far away from Pinterest until you really know your stuff. OR use The Laundry Moms Pinterest page because every recipe has been thoroughly checked to ensure its accuracy. There are several blogs that have 100% accurate recipes as well such as Briana Thomas, Gwen’s Nest, and Mrs. Criddles Kitchen to name a few.
But how do you know if it’s an S or E on your own? If a recipe claiming to be THM friendly has a main carb source such as a sweet potato, brown rice, more than ¼ cup of oats, or quinoa then it is (or should be!) an E. With any E recipes you need to ensure that it has less than 5g of fat (or 1 tsp) per serving. Check to see what fat accompanies the recipe and do a quick google search on its nutritional value. Remember to take into account how many servings the recipe makes and do the math. So for example, if a recipe calls for 2 cups of oats and makes 12 muffins then you know that the whole recipe can have 12 teaspoons of fat or 4TB. If it has any more than that then the recipe is a crossover.
If a recipe claiming to be THM friendly is mostly made up of fats like butter, cream cheese, or sour cream, etc. then it is (or should be!) an S. With any S recipes you need to ensure that it has less than 10g of carbs per serving. The carbs need to come from a plan approved carb source, it can’t come from something like white flour.
I know it can seem confusing; and at first it is! Once you really understand it though then you’ll be creating your own recipes and figuring out the fat/carb content all on your own – or at least you could if you wanted to. Until then, stick to sources that you know are accurate because they’ve gone before you and have done the math so that you don’t have to. And remember, on plan fats = S, and on plan carbs = E. The rest will come!
As always I’d love to hear from you so if you have any questions or comments please comment below or email me at Meggan@thelaundrymoms.com
~Meggan
Meggan Larson is a wife, mom of three, and challenge overcomer! Diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and under going aggressive chemotherapy, when her second born child was only three months old, gave Meggan an expected twist to her life. Dealing with pregnancy weight gain and the debilitating effects of chemotherapy, Meggan’s weight soared to over 228 pounds. Feeling humiliated with no desire to socialize Meggan was desperate for a change. Shortly after loosing 20 pounds with the Trim Healthy Mama program, Meggan found out she was pregnant with baby number three, that ended in an emergency C-section and unexpected hysterectomy. Despite the challenges she faced Meggan has just celebrated her one year “trimiversary”, and her success of releasing just over 60 pounds! Meggan is confident that her success on plan is “doable” for anyone looking to gain back their health and wanting to live a trim and healthy lifestyle!
*Disclaimer:
Meggan Larson is not a Trim Healthy Mama expert, associated with the Trim Healthy Mama website. These tips are based on what she has learned through losing 60lbs (so far) following this lifestyle. We are not affiliated with Trim Healthy Mama nor endorsed by them. As with all resources, you should review them with care. We have done our best to make the recipes and all menu plans THM compliant in an effort to assist you on your journey!
