100% Delicious! Amazing food recipes to devour without the worry of eating unhealthily.

Fresh, innovative recipes are something I am always on the hunt to find. Good whole foods recipes with fresh ingredients and no artificial ones that aren't boring or mundane can be difficult to come by. Sam Talbot's book 100% Real contains recipe after recipe of tasty delights! I think that part of the reason I find it appealing is the variety of recipes available with an ethnic flair. I love varied foods so seeing some Asian offerings was exciting. Of particular interest because I have 3 kids and we are on a gluten free diet, is the recipe for gluten free mac n cheese. I absolutely can't wait to try it. It is different than any other gluten free macaroni I have ever made and sounds delicious. I recommend this book to anyone looking to add more variety to their diet or who are looking to make a switch to more whole foods.

The cookbook does exactly as promised by delivering a wide selection of recipes based upon real, fresh ingredients, and no one will be able to dispute the quality of the various meals and snacks that Talbot provides for readers to try themselves. Personally though, I don't feel that there's really anything to set this book very far apart from any of the many, many other similar cookbooks out there that are pushing for tasty meals made from the healthiest and freshest of foods via recipes that quite honestly, are mainly for people who have both the resources to obtain these top fresh ingredients and the necessary time to cook with them (while those of us who lack one or both but still want to make good food have to look elsewhere). To put it another way, "100% Real" unfortunately feels more like white noise among its brothers and sisters in the current foodie cookbook market.

Great pictures and the recipes look delicious! Makes me want to go home and cook!

Delicious! Every recipe in the book calls to me and begs me to cook it! You cannot go wrong with this book at all!

So much YUM! Delicious recipes for all occasions and skill sets. I love that all the recipes are not only beautiful and delicious, but you can actually make it without giving up a whole day to the kitchen. I also love that Sam uses real ingredients that leave you feeling full and satisfied, not heavy and bloated.
Great addition to my cookbook collection!

Easy to use- love the pictures and style of lay out. Recipes are simple and taste fab! Many thanks

Such a fun and informative book. I loved reading it, and learned quite a bit. I haven't ventured fully into going all "real" but are doing it in bits and pieces. The recipes sounds delicious and would be great to make and have for small little dinner parties. The pictures in this book are simply gorgeous. On the other hand, it's a bit overwhelming with so much going on at the same time, but it's certainly doable. Can't wait to make some of these and see how "real" food taste like.

100% Real: 100 Insanely Good Recipes for Clean Food Made Fresh is a delightful cookbook written by Sam Talbot.

As the title indicates, this book features 100 recipes focused on whole-foods and clean eating, and it includes more than 150 brilliant full-color photographs.

According to the Introduction, Talbot shared, "I suppose it's because I'm both a chef and a type 1 diabetic that I'm forever being asked questions about what I eat.... What I eat, simply put, is 100% real food...I have chosen a much simpler philosophy--to eat real food.... What I know for sure is this: there is nothing better for us and nothing that tastes better than 100% real food."

This book is divided into the following seven chapters: Morning Essentials for the Grind, Sandwiches, Salads, and Spreads, Banging Bowls, Food for the Hustle, Proteins on the Ground and Out of the Surf, The Vegetable Fix, Sweet Thang, Maybe I Shouldn't...Yeah, of Course You Should. Also, this book features the Introduction, What's Real and What's Not, Real Food Kitchen, Basic Recipes, Metric Equivalents, Resources, and Index.

Recipes in this book are marked accordingly as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, if applicable.

100% Real is geared towards all ages, from young adults to older generations, and it's ideal for those interested in healthy recipes and clean-eating options.


Note: I received this book from NetGalley, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

While I truly agree with this book's premise that we should be eating natural foods for optimal health, and I try to do so, even making more effort than most, but these recipes seemed a bit too far out there for me, not real enough. But perhaps the assertion is to not be streamlined in your eating, but to reach out and find satisfaction in natural foods that are varied and delicious although perhaps not standard fare. This style of living would take a lot of commitment for most of us.

This is an AMAZING book!! For starters, it is beautiful! The pictures are great: loads of color and beautifully arranged. Everything looks appetizing which for me is a must in a cookbook. All my must have cookbooks have tons of images. I love the fact that the author doesn't subscribe to one dietary restriction set (paleo, vegetarian, vegan etc)... just simply whole foods and nothing else. Great description on what whole foods is and what to stock in your pantry and fridge. The recipes are clearly layed out and easy to understand. Simple instructions that are easy to follow. Recipes are divided into categories:
Morning essentials for the grind
Sandwiches Salads and Spreads
Banging Bowls
Food for the hustle
Proteins on the ground and out of the surf
The vegetable fix
Sweet thang, maybe I shouldn't, yeah of course you should!
Basic recipes
etc

I love that there are shortcuts and ideas like "freeze these for easy breakfast later". I am a mom of 3 kids so I want things that are easy and fast that my kids will love. I received a digital copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I will be purchasing a hard copy of this book because I love it that much. Such great recipes. Can't wait to try more of them.

This book leaves you feeling inspired and motivated to not only be a better cook but also live a healthier life style without giving up the tastes you love! I loved how some of these recipes include things that are already sitting in my fridge and how some other recipes have more uncommon ingredients that would make me want to try new things. The pictures were very enticing and I can't wait to bring some of these recipes to life and share them with my family!

100% real food, 0% pretentious babble (4 stars)


"Find the fun in food; don't be a judgmental jerk". When you pick up a book of recipes and find this wisdom in it, you can bet it's going to be full of nutrition-packed meals without being painfully pretentious. I had honestly never heard of Talbot before but his approach to cooking and eating left me quite impressed. While we all must eat to live, food has many more roles in our lives from celebrating and comforting to healing and communicating. It was so refreshing to find a chef with a similar take on why food should be healthy and as unprocessed as possible but not without the occasional foray into decadence.

As a diabetic, the author has unique insights and I think many who are struggling with the disease will find this an encouraging addition to their cookbook collection. Vegan, gluten-free, or have other dietary restrictions? Definitely worth checking out. Admittedly, a lot of the recipes are too involved for my household to enjoy with any regularity. For those who aren't land-locked and struggle to find much fresh produce that isn't your typical 3 types of lettuce or A-B-O fruits, if you can access more variety without spending your retirement fund I much recommend them.

100% Real recipes which were free of artifical colour and sweetness . The recipes are gluten free , dairy free and vegan....... made with the fresh ingredients. wonderful photography.......

Sweet baby jesus, does the food in this book look amazing. Pretentiously amazing.

I watched Sam Talbot on Top Chef. He didn't make an impression. But I'm pretty sure he won his season? I think? At the least, he got all the way to the end, so his skill is nothing to wave off.

And I will say, the lay out of this book is absolutely perfect. He's not introducing brain bending ideas, get rid of the processed foods in your kitchen, lay off the system-sabotaging dairy and junk, eat better, feel better. We've all heard it before.

But seriously, man, this food looks REALLY GOOD.

A lot of the recipes are chef-y items I wouldn't ever plan on eating, either by cooking it (badly), or ordering it at a restaurant. But the stuff I want, I want immediately.

I probably won't cook anything in here. I will, however, ask the culinary arts-trained bestie to make it for me.

This was a gorgeous little cookbook! It had yummy photos. Eye-catching graphics and typography work. Easy to follow recipes and was packed full with all sorts of great information for cooking and eating healthy.

This cookbook starts off with an introduction by the author. Followed by chapters dedicated to the following...

-- A 5-Step guide to keeping it real.
-- Pantry Must Haves
-- The 100% Real Food Fridge
-- Sam's Game Changing Substitutions
-- Equipment Essentials
-- Juicing 101
-- Basic Recipes (Almond Butter, Walnut Butter, etc.)

We also get an excellent array of different recipes for all occasions. The recipes themselves include little TIPS and are marked as being GLUTEN FREE, VEGETARIAN, VEGAN OR DAIRY FREE.

Here are some of the yummy recipes included in this cookbook...

-- World's Fluffiest Pancakes
-- Spiced French Toast With Roasted Apricots
-- Mango And Maca Smoothie
-- Avocado Toad-In-The-Hole with Baked Ham and Salsa Verde
-- Spring Pea and Mint Spread
-- Spicy End Of Summer Melon Salad
-- White Bean And Cilantro Hummus
-- Mini Falafel Pocket Sandwiches
-- Chicken Meatball Banh Mi
-- Gluten Free Shells And Cheese With Peas
-- White Fish Curry
-- Savory Corn Cake Fritters
-- No-Bake Tropical Almond Butter Bars
-- Plantain Chips
-- Scallop And Chicken Shumai
-- Sweet And Spicy Pork
-- Coconut Rice
-- Crispy Green Tomatoes
-- Rice Pudding With Acorn Squash And Cinnamon
-- Blackberry Shortcakes With Almond Cream

This is one I would recommend adding to your cookbook collection ASAP.

A great book with stunning photos that do their job of enticing you to try the recipes. I was surprised to see some dairy and pork products amongst the ingredients, but perhaps my idea of 'clean/real' and the author's idea is slightly different.

Recipes themselves are original and unusual and would be good to use for entertaining, rather than every day.

I'm fussy about cookbooks that I recommend, but I certainly wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one. Note: the fact that the author is photographed throughout the book and that he is one handsome dude, has nothing to do with it!

I chose to read this NetGalley ARC for which I have given a voluntary and unbiased review.

The selection of recipes in this book leans more towards the gluten-free and high end options than I normally cook for myself, but that's just a personal choice. Objectively speaking, it has plenty of photos, clear directions, and pantry and dietary guides.for quick reference.

I’m not sure why it took Top Chef Season 2 finalist Sam Talbot (who should have totally been asked to leave along with Cliff. I’m just saying! ) to write a cookbook, but here it is and it features 100 recipes that are 100% real.

The book itself is a mix of Talbot’s advocacy for type 1 diabetics and his philosophy of eating whole and natural foods. He covers the spectrum featuring recipes that are vegetarian, vegan, dairy free, and gluten-free.

The inside of this book has a simple layout with bright colors and tons of photos of Talbot in the kitchen or hanging out at the farmer’s market, reflecting his laid back East coast lifestyle. Talbot introduces readers to his five tips for keeping [food] real, advice on setting up a pantry and a few equipment essentials. There are even more tips on sourcing ingredients in the back of the book, which you will need because there are some very specific ingredients that might be intimidating to a rookie cooks.

The recipes have tons of herbs and spices, he re-imagines comfort foods and creates magical looking salads. Because this is a book isn’t about fad dieting you won’t find calorie counts in these pages, you’ll just find real food.