help on program

Hi lovelylipgloss,

Happy to help 🙂

There are few ways to incorporate recipes into your weekly menu plans.

The first and easiest option would be to use the Full Menu Planner located under Apps. This will allow you to specifically let you choose the foods you like and get a menu based on those selections and your dietary needs.

The second option, which is a bit more advanced (helps when certain recipes don’t appear in the list of Menu Planner Foods), is to work with exchange mode located in your weekly menu, our exchange list (http://www.trimdownclub.com/exchanges-lists) and recipes from Trim Down Club Cookbook.

Just find a Menu Planner recipe or food that is most similar to what you want—either by comparing exchanges or noting the various types of ingredients—and select it as a place-saver for the system. When it comes time to prepare your meal, make the swap. This can also work with your own personal recipes.

For example, if you are interested in Cheap and Flexible Lentil Stew, one of our newer additions, note that it yields 2 carb + 2 protein exchanges per serving, the same as for Tomato Broccoli Cheesy Potato Bake, which appears in the Menu Planner lists.
In another example, if you have a homemade chicken-vegetable soup you’d like to make, chances are it fits with the combination found in our Chicken Soup for the Gods—even if it isn’t a perfect match, it is more than likely sufficient.

If you wish to incorporate a more unusual recipe, such as our Paleo Nut Stuffing, note that unless you have a specific medical condition, you can swap carbs for proteins (1 carb for 1 protein exchange) or fats (1 carb for 2 fat exchanges).

If you would like more assistance in this area, please do repost, and we would be happy help you!