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Every ingredient is added together to calculate the exact nutritional value. As a general rule the fat must be at 30% or lower, calories should be under 550 for a meal (under 350 is preferred), 220 for a dessert and 100 for an appetizer. Sodium and sugar must be low on half of the recipes that are approved. Recipes with higher fiber and protein levels are preferred. No product may contain trans fats (other than the ones that are naturally occurring).
When we list a specific brand, it's because it's the most nutritionally balanced or best tasting according to our panel and it's available nationwide. To avoid conflicts of interest, we do not accept payments or endorsements to list specific products, they are only mentioned if they're the best option for the recipe.
[Only 1 out of 5 recipes suggested or submitted pass this step.]
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We only use ingredients that are available from a wide range of supermarkets across the country. In rare cases, when we use a specialized product (like sugar free honey) we include a link on the recipe page so you can buy it online. |
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We then cook the recipe in our test kitchen to make sure the instructions are correct and the recipe actually turns out as expected. When steps are confusing, we add pictures to explain things in more detail. |
| All cooked recipes are then tested by our tasting panel. The panel varies in size from 7-10 persons. 80% of the panel MUST like the recipe or we scrap it and try again.
[Only 1 out of 3 recipes that reach this point are approved.]
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Half the recipes must be able to be frozen and easily re-heated for later. To make sure our "freezer friendly" recipes really are, we freeze a portion and test bringing it back after one week and again after two months. The flavor and consistency must be comparable to the original or it is rejected. |
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A recipe that passes every step is then photographed for the website. We do not "doctor" the food in any way, the picture is exactly what it looked like before we served it to one of our tasters. When you cook it, you can expect yours to turn out the same way. |
