new member (mom) kind of confused

Hi, ilosmom. Just a quick request before I forward your inquiry to the tech support team – could you go back and confirm that eggs are not checked off anywhere among the lunch foods? The goal of the Menu Planner is to list only the foods you want when you want them in your menus, so we will address this if an anomaly occurred. Please do be sure also to make sure you select as many options that you do want, including some of the recipes, many of which are based on poultry-vegetable combinations.
In the meantime, we would definitely encourage you to take advantage of the swap out function in the menus (the circular arrows above each item).

Hi, Mckelvie. I have forwarded your query to the development team. Note that some of the recipes have both types of measurement systems.

Hi, earms. A note about the menus – they are a list of foods for you to do with as you please, taking into account the healthy food preparation tips included in the Club online guides. What about the menus don’t make sense for you? I would be happy to work with you.

Hi, faeree. The application is quite flexible, though serving to balance the carbs, proteins, and fats. You can swap items using the circular icon next to them on your menu – for example, if you chose the items that appeared on your breakfast menu but do not like the combinations in which they appear, you can modify them. You can also click on “View Menu Exchanges” to the right of your menu, and you will see a table of exchanges (these are very similar to those of the American Diabetes Association, and you can get an idea of them by comparing them to the foods listed). In the example you posted, you will see that sour cream is a fat – so you can just use butter instead; oatmeal is a carb, so you can use bread instead; berries are a fruit, so you can put in any fruit you want.
Another possibility is to try selecting fewer items at breakfast, to increase the chances you will get what you want – for example, choose several different types of bread as a carb placeholder (but just use the bread you want) and the different types of eggs (and just prepare the type you want).
I just want to note that what you stated that you want for breakfast may not include enough protein, depending on the amounts you eat. If you do build your own menu from the exchanges, be sure not to skimp on the protein!
If you have any other questions, please do repost.

Hi, Rashida, and welcome. Many of the foods you can’t find at regular grocery stores can be found at health-oriented shops or online. The attached is a start for finding them: http://www.trimdownclub.com/shopping-links-for-healthy-foods/.
It can be overwhelming at first, but after a few tries, it starts to become second-nature (much less time than it took to build up your current habits!).
Regarding your portions, feel free to post the ages and genders of your children, and I can help you with guidance regarding their portions relative to yours. Definitely do not cook separate meals! This program is healthy for just about everyone, and your children can learn good habits here.
For stories about weight loss on this program, please see here: http://www.trimdownclub.com/forums/topic/success-stories-anyone-care-to-share/

I also thpught it would be quite reasonable inexpensive tp do and not having tpgo to health shops as I know they are expensive . I have a very small budget for food and could not possibly afford health food stores prices.any sugestions would be appreciated thanks

Hi, emaleehamill. Keep in mind that much of the reason that it feels like a lot of food is because the whole form takes up more volume. In time, your body will get used to it, and if that process takes longer than you would like, you can try making changes to your exercise routine to wake up new muscles that will burn energy a little faster.
As for your specific questions, yes, nut butter does include peanut butter, as well as many others on the market, including almond butter (the most popular alternative).
Ordinary eggs are problematic. If they are not omega-3, pasture-raised, or grass-fed, they tend to be too high in omega-6, which has been shown in studies to negatively impact metabolism, which can work against your goals here.
“Raw” dairy is made from milk that has not been pasteurized or homogenized. It can be challenging to find, so again, organic pasture-raised is fine instead. “Raw” vegan cheeses are made from nuts or seeds.