August 20, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC
Even though there are literally millions of healthy recipes online—and if I do say so myself, some pretty darn good ones on Well+Good—it can be really easy to fall into a meal rut. There are only so many times a person can make cauliflower rice stir-fry or avocado toast without getting bored, know what I mean?
Thankfully, there is no shortage of new healthy eating cookbooks to add to your library to help shake up your routine. No matter what type of eating plan you follow, there’s a cookbook (or three, or five) full of easy, delicious recipes just waiting for you. But before you start scrolling through the endless options on Amazon, check out our curated list of the best new cookbooks that have recently hit the market or are coming out this fall. You’ll soon find your match made in meal-prep heaven.
1. If you’re new to healthy cooking: Food: What the Heck Should I Cook? by Dr. Mark Hyman
Healthy eating is confusing—trust us, we get it. Enter functional medicine doctor Mark Hyman, MD’s new cookbook, Food: What the Heck Should I Cook? (out October 22). The nutrition expert, who originally coined the term “pegan,” provides easy-to-follow nutrition tips along with tons of original recipes from him and health-conscious celebrities.
2. If you’re vegan: 30-Minute Frugal Vegan Recipes by Melissa Copeland
As the 75 recipes in this cookbook (out now) prove, just because you’re tight on money and time doesn’t mean your dinners have to be basic. A sample of some of the recipes in this book: creamy sesame ramen, coconut-lentil curry, and Vietnamese tofu noodle salad. Whether you’re looking to whip up something for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, or snack time, you’ll find what you need here.
3. If you’re vegetarian: One-Pot Vegetarian by Sabrina Fauda-Role
Besides including healthy takes on everything from banana and blueberry pancakes to gnocchi, what makes One-Pot Vegetarian (out now) a major cooking win is that all 80 recipes center around dirtying only one dish. The book also has very handy overhead shots of the pot for each dish so you can easily see all the ingredients and how they work their culinary magic together.
4. If you’re keto: The Wholesome Yum Keto Cookbook by Maya Krampf
Out October 22, this cookbook from the creator of WholesomeYum.com has over 100 recipes that are all low-carb and have ten ingredients or less (and yes, that includes pantry staples, like salt and pepper). If you’re following the ketogenic diet but looking for keto-approved ways to have muffins, pizza, and other comfort foods, it’s all in here.
5. If you’re Paleo: Paleo Diet Recipes For Beginners by Olivia Sanders
Cooking can be intimidating even without strict guidelines to adhere to, but Paleo Diet Recipes For Beginners (out now) makes following the popular eating plan much more achievable—and legit delicious. In it, you’ll find over 500 (!) recipes including turkey breakfast sandwiches, beef and sweet potato stew, and pumpkin cookies. (Told ya it sounded delish.)
6. If you’re in love with your Instant Pot: The Big Book of Instant Pot Recipes by Kristy Bernardo, Emily Sunwell-Vidaurri, Amy Rains, and Stefanie Bundalo
Whether you just became the proud owner of an Instant Pot or have been raving about the cooking tool for years, there are recipes in this baby (out September 24) for everyone. Some stand-outs: buffalo jackfruit tostadas, Moroccan carrot soup, and turkey meatballs and spaghetti squash. The best part: nothing takes more than 45 minutes from start to finish.
7. If you want more ways to use your air fryer: The Complete Air Fryer Cookbook by Linda Larsen
Sure, you may have mastered sweet potato and kale chips, but if you’re ready to step up your air fryer game, this cookbook (out now) will get you there. While there’s plenty of various fry recipes, there’s also ones for zucchini meatballs and spicy Thai stir-fry. There’s also a full run-down on the types of healthy oils to use and trouble-shooting tips which is immensely valuable for a newbie air fryer owner.
8. If you follow the Mediterranean diet: Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Liam Sandler
There are a lot of Med diet cookbooks out there, but this one (out now) is basically the gold standard. It has 550 recipes—and they’re all easy and, of course, healthy. Besides the usual seafood-centric fare, there’s also unexpected ones like a cinnamon banana and semolina pudding.
9. If you really need to hydrate more: Infused Waters by Georgina Davies
Staying hydrated is healthy living 101, but drinking plain H20 all day, every day can get a little…boring. This pretty book (out now) is full of easy ways to make water a bit more interesting—without using anything artificial. Doesn’t sipping on a glass of grapefruit- and rosemary-infused water sound downright refreshing?
10. If you’re perpetually tired: Fuel Your Day! by Madame Labriski
Everyone’s familiar with the dreaded afternoon slump that leads to cookie cravings. Fuel Your Day! (out now) offers up energizing recipes that will help satisfy that craving without resorting to a sugar rush. These treats are perf for your gym bag, too.
11. If you love snacks: Clean Snacks by Arman Liew
Keto-approved, vegan, Paleo, gluten-free…Clean Snacks (out now) has it all. Full of both sweet (um, no church coffee ice cream? Yes.) and savory recipes (baked curly fries, FTW), it’s a book you can turn to no matter what type of snacking mood you’re in.
One more cookbook to add to your library: the Well+Good Cookbook. And join Well+Good’s Cook With Us Facebook group for more healthy meal inspo.
Author Emily Laurence | Well and Good
Selected by CWC