As a child, Ilana Murstein ate to cope with the emotions surrounding her parents’ divorce and multiple moves. She turned to food for happiness and comfort, and by the time she was 13, the 5-foot-2 teenager weighed 215 pounds.
Despite her family’s support, Murstein knew she had to solve her weight problem on her own. She adopted a new mindset, focused on ways to find happiness outside of food and began to see food as nourishing her body. By the time she started college, she had lost 100 pounds and found her calling: helping others lose weight and get healthy.
Now a wife and mother of three living in Los Angeles, she is a highly successful nutritionist and online personality with millions of followers, and her new book, “Love the Food That Loves You Back,” is her first cookbook and features 100 nutritious, high-protein, low-carb recipes.
“It’s all from my nutrition perspective, which is hearty, good for you, delicious food that’s good for you,” she said. “I never formally went to culinary school, which makes these recipes more achievable and accessible to the average cook.”
“It’s all from my nutritional point of view, which is hearty, tasty and really good food for your health.”
Muhlstein shows readers how to make healthier versions of their favorite foods, like turnip fries instead of french fries, portobello mushroom pizza caps, and spaghetti squash instead of pasta.
“These recipes were born out of my curiosity and love of food,” she said. “I have an insatiable desire to taste the comforting foods of my childhood in a way that meets my health needs.”
The recipes in this cookbook are suitable for both adults and children and will not only help you combat weight problems, but also lower cholesterol.
In all her work, Mulstein, a registered dietitian with a master’s in nutrition, focuses on creating content that her audience can relate to, making it easy to get healthy. When dining out, she recommends a few tips, such as ordering sauces separately, asking for steamed foods instead of fried, and ordering tuna as a side on a salad or pizza since it’s low in protein.
“I’m not trying to eat less,” she says, “I’m trying to figure out what to add to make me feel more satisfied.”
Muhlstein, who uses his own “2B Mindset” program in addition to changing takeout habits and cooking healthier recipes, advises people to start by drinking more water and eating more vegetables, and adds that the more effort you put in at the beginning, the easier it will be later.
“Many fad diets are easy to start but become impossible over time because they focus so much on the negative,” she says. “With my program, you have to put in more effort at the beginning to change your mindset and behavior and understand food groups. The more effort you put in, the easier it becomes.”
In Love the Food that Loves You, Muhlstein isn’t just offering healthy, delicious recipes — she’s offering hope to others who are struggling, just like she did.
“I love food and I’ve struggled with emotional eating, but I was able to overcome it,” she said. “Thankfully, it inspires people to make a change.”
Serves 2
2 bananas
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups 0-2% plain Greek yogurt or dairy-free “Greek-style” yogurt
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey, maple syrup, Monk fruit, or stevia drops, depending on your preference
Pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet or rectangular cooking dish with parchment paper and spray with oil.
Mix the bananas, eggs and vanilla extract in a blender. Pour the batter onto a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk the yogurt in a bowl with the cocoa powder, salt and sweetener of your choice and set aside.
Allow the banana “cake” to cool on the sheet pan. Once cooled, spread the yogurt topping evenly onto the sheet pan. Cut down the center lengthwise and roll up. Serve with berries.
Note: This keeps well sealed in the fridge so you can prepare the recipe ahead of time and enjoy a second meal the next day.
