A client completes their food sensitivity testing and now has an endless list of foods they need to avoid. The look in their eyes is one of pure overwhelm.

Sound familiar? If so, you aren't alone. But before you send your client off to figure their new diet out alone, remember: you can empower them with the nutrition guidance, reassurance, and confidence that they need to succeed.

Today we are sharing a story of how That Clean Life member and nutritionist, Lyne Desforges, helped an overwhelmed client follow an elimination diet with a recipe book.

In this article, we will cover:

• Helping clients after food sensitivity testing.
• Meal plans vs. recipe books.
• How to easily create a custom recipe book.
• Introducing your client to their recipe book.
• What to charge for a recipe book.

Helping Clients After Food Sensitivity Testing

Lyne's clinic, C’est La Vie Wellness, often runs food sensitivity testing to get to the root of their clients’ issues and help develop a plan they can adopt moving forward.

“Food sensitivity tests can be great at determining what foods you should avoid for a while to decrease inflammation in the body. However, when clients get their results, they can be in shock as they see all their favorite foods on the red list (the ones to avoid) or the yellow list (the ones to be cautious of). That’s what happened with my client. She was feeling a little lost when she saw that some of her favorites (oats, almonds, flaxseeds, eggs, etc.) were now to be avoided for the next 3 months. She immediately contacted me so I could help with a menu plan.”

Meal Plans Vs. Recipe Books

While her client was asking about a meal plan, Lyne felt there might be a better way. So she took some time to understand what part of her client's test results were causing her to feel overwhelmed. After chatting with her client, she recognized that in this case, a recipe book might be more helpful than a meal plan.

“As I started to chat with her, I realized that what she really wanted was some recipe ideas to replace her favorite breakfasts and snacks. She seemed to be fine with dinner ideas. That’s what got me thinking that supplying a selection of recipes would be more beneficial to her than our usual offer of a 7-Day Customized Menu Plan.”

Creating the Perfect Recipe Book

Lyne was able to easily create a recipe book using That Clean Life. To find the perfect recipes, she used the filters to exclude the ingredients her client couldn’t have.

Once Lyne had filtered out her client's food sensitivities, she was left with a list of delicious recipes that would prove to her client that eliminating these foods didn't need to be so hard. She added her favorites to a collection, then exported the recipes as a PDF e-book with her business branding.

Tip: Use That Clean Life's Bookmarks feature to save filters that you use often.

Introducing a Client to Their Recipe Book

Lyne included instructions at the beginning of the recipe book to help her client better understand how to use it to guide her elimination diet.

• Page 1: General guidelines on how to use the recipe book in the most efficient way.
• Page 2: Substitution ideas focused on replacing the foods the client can't eat.
• Page 3: A table of contents highlighting all the recipes included in the book.

Tip: Use That Clean Life's Brief feature to add pages of instructions to the beginning of any recipe book or meal plan.

Tip: Read: How to Introduce Your Clients to Their Recipe Book

Pricing

For this service, Lyne charged the same as she would have for a 7-day custom meal plan, which is $80 plus tax.

Following Up

After giving her client the recipe book, Lyne followed up to see how it was going.

"I also did a quick follow-up to see how it was working out for her. She was very positive and told me she was slowly trying out the various recipes. She loved the ability to just pick and choose from the book. Who wouldn’t love having a customized recipe book that is easy to use and fits perfectly into their dietary needs?”

Custom Recipe Books as a Service

Lyne knew she had found something that enhanced this client's success and knew it could work for others, so she added personalized recipe books to her list of services.

“We have already added it to our list of services offered here at the C’est La Vie Wellness clinic, under Customized Recipe Book. Since we have a naturopath on staff who does regular food intolerance testing with her patients, this is a service she can promote with them after they get their results.”

Now whether a client needs a meal plan or a recipe book, Lyne can supply them with whatever resource best fits their needs. Both services help empower her clients and reduce overwhelm when it comes to implementing her nutrition guidance.

“I think it is very empowering for a client to have their own personal recipe book. Whereas they may have felt a little lost at first, now they feel excited about trying new recipes and enjoying some delicious and nutritious foods. The 'Customized Recipe Book' allows our clients to recognize that there are great meal options, even though they are on an elimination diet. It also helps them stay on track with their elimination diet goals and gives them some great alternative recipes to try.”

For more inspiration, follow Lyne Desforges on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook.