If you are new to Dashing Dish, WELCOME! We have had the privilege of welcoming so many new members to our community and I want to take a moment and say welcome to our newest DD members! Myself and our incredible team are so looking forward to guiding, supporting, and encouraging you in any way we can; but also know that you can join the members community forum (link in the notifications section of your account)where you will find other like minded women who are also very inspiriting as well! This is one incredible community, and we are so glad you are now a part of it!

We are so excited for you to dive in and explore all of the ways Dashing Dish can help you live a healthy lifestyle and enjoy the journey! A great place to start learning about our tools and recipes can be found here:

How I Build My Meal Plan for The Week

Learn how to Organize Your Recipe Tool Box & Favorites Here

Learn How to Build Your Meal Plan for the Week Here

Don't Have Time to Meal Plan? Follow Along with Katie's Weekly Meal Plan (Updated Weekly) Here

Learn All About Clean Eating and Download Your Free Clean Eating Manual Here

Learn About My Favorite Products & See My Grocery Hauls Here

Answers to FAQ's:

I see many of the recipes on Dashing Dish call for alternative sweeteners and flours to traditional white flour or sugar, why is that?

The reason for this is because the "white stuff" is so processed our bodies I highly recommend replacing it all together. Oat flour can be made by blending old fashioned oats (yes the good old fashioned oat meal we know is so good for us) in a blender or food processor, or buying it already ground, (which I prefer because it is so finely ground when purchased, it makes for smoother textures in my baked goods. It is also very inexpensive to buy). Almond flour is simply made of ground almonds, (I don't recommend making your own, as you will most likely end up with nut butter), and coconut flour and peanut flour are less frequently used, but I do have them in some of my recipes as well, because they are just plain awesome nutrition-wise, and taste/texture wise when added to recipes. Also, this video may be helpful: My Favorite Clean Eating Baking Staples

When a recipe calls for peanut flour, is this the same as PB2?

PB2 is the same as peanut flour. It is just a name brand. My current favorite brand is Organic PBFit from Costco, and love it because it has no added sugar. You will see peanut flour used in many recipes here at Dashing Dish. It is wonderful for peanut butter lovers, as it is peanut butter with the oil taken out, so it is less than half the fat and calories, with lots of protein and flavor! It can be used in shakes, smoothies, to make peanut butter (simply add water until it reaches a peanut butter consistency), and in many baked goods!

Where do I find products such as protein powder, oat flour, baking stevia, etc?

You can buy most of these in any grocery store. Look first in the health food section, and if you can't find them there look where other flours, sweeteners, or health food products are kept! If not, you can also buy them online, which I like to do in bulk as it saves me money and time! Here is a list of my favorite clean eating products I buy on Amazon.

What baking stevia is best? Or what do you use when it calls for "measures like sugar".

If you are using a stevia baking sweetener or Swerve (one of my current favorites), I list half the amount of regular sugar in the recipe because it is sweeter than sugar. But if you prefer to use sugar, you certainly can, (or any of your favorite sweeteners). If you do use sugar, I recommend at the very least using a non-processed version, such as coconut sugar or sugar in the raw. In that case you generally need the larger amount, (ie 1 cup sweetener that measures like sugar), but really this is all based on taste, so it may take some experimenting to find what works best for you.

I see protein powder listed as an ingredient in some of the recipes, why do you use it, and do I have to use it?

I use protein powder in many of my baked goods because it adds protein, which is where our diets tend to be lacking. In fact, many of our diets tend to be very heavy in carbohydrates and often times fat, but protein is often missing from many of our diets due to the low fat and low carb craze over the past decade. You can learn about the awesome benefits of protein here if you'd like to learn more about why I supplement many recipes with protein powder. That being said, if you don't want to use protein powder in your recipes, you certainly don't have to! Just leave it out all together, or replace it with additional oat or almond flour! Easy peasy! If you do want to try protein powder, there are so many to choose from. I am currently loving bone broth protein powder, which is what I switched over to when I was pregnant. I like the brands listed on my favorites amazon link above. I also like egg white protein powder, (Trader Joes has a good one), and whey protein if dairy isn't an issue for you! There are many good tasting and "clean" protein powders out there now, you don't have to look far, or even order online! Just be sure to check the ingredients for funky stuff, and added sugars!

I am on a special diet and/or can't have certain food groups due to intolerances, allergies, or food preferences. Can I filter your recipes to meet my specific needs?

Certainly! You can see on the left hand side of the recipe page there are various filters that will help you find the type of meal, and filter out the recipes to meet any specific dietary needs you may have.

There are so many great recipes tips, and tricks where do I start?

75 Breakfast, Lunch, & Snack Ideas Ready in 20 Minutes or Less

My Top 100 Favorite Recipes on Dashing Dish

I am feeling discouraged in my journey to health, any words of encouragement to get started?

I want to encourage you that you have come to the right place! Dashing Dish is a place where you can find so much more than recipes! It is also a place of encouragement, practical tools, and tips for walking out your journey to health! Myself and our team are constantly looking for ways to making living a healthier lifestyle easier, more practical, and enjoyable! If you haven't already, I would encourage you to check out the blog, video, and workout section of Dashing Dish weekly, as they are updated weekly with new content that will help you on your journey, (in addition to the recipes which are updated weekly as well!)

Also, I want you to know that you are not alone! If you have read my story, you know that I can speak from experience when I say I have been there and I can promise there is a way out! The reason I refer to living a healthy lifestyle as a "journey" is because it truly is just that! There are so many different factors that go into our healthy, beyond even just food, and we touch on just about all of them here! In addition, there are so many different seasons and walks of life that we as women go through that affect our journey, and we share them here as well! These topics of conversation are the very the reason behind our "why" and the heart of Dashing Dish!

We also have thousands of members here at Dashing Dish that you can connect with via the Dashing Dish Facebook Page, Instagram, and DD community forum!

Also, be sure to check out the beauty for ashes series on the blog to read inspiriting stores that will motivate and bless you!

Have any other questions? Feel free to ask in the comments below, or email Katie@DashingDish.com! I'd love to help in any way that I can! Have fun exploring, cooking, baking, & meal planning away!

xo Katie