Cookbooks are resources of inspiration when you start on a new type of food, or perhaps you are looking to strengthen your database of recipes. Some people prefer to gift healthy eating cookbooks to their family and friends as a show of care for their health. Browsing through rows of titles, selecting a healthy eating cookbook can be an exhausting task.
To help you chose, we have selected the 5 top healthy eating cookbooks and taken the time to review each of them in-depth. Do read our reviews and select the one that best fits your needs.
Best Healthy Eating Cookbooks
| Image | Best Healthy Eating Cookbooks | Rating |
|---|---|---|
 | 1. Ultimate Fit Food by Gordon Ramsay | 99% |
 | 2. Recipes for a Healthy Lifestyle by Bobby Flay | 96% |
 | 3. Light on Calories, Big on Flavor by G. Homolka and H.K. Jones | 92% |
 | 4. The Laura Lea Balanced Cookbook by L.L. Goldberg and A. Randall | 89% |
 | 5. Eat, Drink, & Be Healthy: by W.Willett | 85% |
Want to learn more?
Here is our review of the 5 best healthy eating cookbooks.
1. Ultimate Fit Food by Gordon Ramsay
If you thought that a healthy eating cookbook is all about bland recipes, no cakes, and more, Ramsay’s cookbook puts an end to it all. Encouraging all types of food dishes, the trick is to stay healthy and eat light. This cookbook is organized into three main sections, each offering various options for all three meals and in-between the meals munchies.
The three sections are (a) Being healthy: for those who eat fast food and lose out important nutrients needed by the body to function well (b) Being lean: for those who want to lose weight it offers foods low in calories and fats. (c) Being fit: for the athletic folks who want to load up on carbs and proteins for a hectic day.
This cookbook is organized in a very easy-to-follow style and offers many healthy tips. It walks you through the basic science of food and living a healthy lifestyle. The ingredients used are everyday use ones and are easily available in your next-door store.
This healthy cookbook has a wide variety of recipes that are flavourful and nutritional. One of the rare cookbooks that offer so many side dishes, as a reader puts it. For those who are determined to eat healthily, it forces you to try new food and ways of cooking them.
Why do we like it?
- Thoughtfully designed recipes, with calorie count per serving
- Strong focus on protein food items
- Delicious, simple to cook recipes
2. Recipes for a Healthy Lifestyle by Bobby Flay
Hear Flay talk through his book as he explains the intricacies of cooking. He proves wrong all those who say a healthy diet has to be fat-free and non-flavored. He shares 200 healthy recipes with ingredients that you may not have in your stock.
This cookbook challenges you to break out of your food routine as you grow old and your body needs change. It invites you to try and experiment with food to adapt to these changing needs from food. Don’t you worry, as Flay does not talk about eliminating the music out of your food.
Perhaps Flay has thought through the fact that you will continue to use this cookbook for a long time. This cookbook has a hardcover with pages thicker than most other cookbooks, to last you a lifetime.
Continue to enjoy the smoothies; try the savory oatmeal if you aren’t on it already. Flay has a subtle way of mixing stories and food buying decisions to why and what of cookery. The photographs are illustrative and tempt you to try these recipes throughout the 256 pages.
Why do we like it?
- The nutritional value mentioned for each recipe
- Lots of pictures of food
- Has basic recipes at the end that you could customize with flavorings of your choice
3. Light on Calories, Big on Flavor by G. Homolka and H.K. Jones
This is a series of the Skinnytaste Cookbooks by Homolka & Jones that matches up to picky eaters’ needs with their recipes. Easy-to-find ingredients and simple cooking are what this cookbook is all about. Filled with photographs, this 350 pages hardcover edition is easy to use and a must-have.
Each recipe lists nutritional value and serving portions giving the diet watchers an easy ‘thumbs-up’ to try the recipe. The photographs are professionally shot and with good lighting, tempting you to try the dishes. They have added brand names of ingredients that work best in the recipe at many places. This shows a genuine concern for the reader – to be healthy!
Recipes are color and letter-coded for ease and quick reference. For example, V for vegetarians, GL for gluten-free, and more. This healthy cookbook features 125 new dishes and 25 all-time favorites that are a part of most homes.
Unlike its name, the Skinnytaste is not skinny at all. All the recipes are delicious yet healthy once you look at the nutritional value. The best part is that you don’t even realize that you are consuming fewer calories as you eat the dish.
Why do we like it?
- Easy to make, delicious
- Lots of photographs
- Everyday food ingredients
4. The Laura Lea Balanced Cookbook by L.L. Goldberg and A. Randall
Goldberg & Randall have crafted a masterpiece in this healthy cookbook for a balanced meal. The entire book is filled with colorful pictures that inspire its readers to stay healthy. The ingredients are common across many recipes, so you don’t run out of food ingredients.
The book features everyday recipes with flavorful cooking. Each recipe is simple and easy to cook and has amazing tips featured by the authors. The recipes themselves have a lot of flexibility for picky diners. Goldberg and Randall have tried and tested recipes before suggesting any moderations within limits. This helps retain the nutritional values, food taste, and balance of the meal.
The authors have focused on consistency and balance rather than perfection. This makes the cookbook recipes great to adapt to every taste. The serving suggestions combine many main dishes and side dishes to break the monotony of everyday food. A simple tip on substituting everyday foods with the food on hand or what a family member prefers makes this cookbook interesting to read.
Why do we like it?
- Offers healthier & nutritious adaptations of comfort foods
- Pictures for almost every recipe
- Durable and thick pages
5. Eat, Drink, & Be Healthy: by W.Willett
In this cookbook, Willett challenges USDA’s food pyramid basics that you have possibly learned in elementary school. He suggests that the food pyramid has been defined by people from the agriculture department and not from people or an organization that promotes a healthy life. His suggestion of a food pyramid is based on the foundation of whole-grains, unsaturated fats, and lean meats.
Willett provides more than 100 recipes that fill the 304 pages in this healthy cookbook with this basic premise. Most of the recipes are research-based, easy to cook, and practical. Authored by a doctor, you see the use of medical terminology through the book. This cookbook suggests healthy eating and discusses how food is consumed and then broken down in the body to be digested.
Why do we like it?
- Research-based facts and tips
- Addresses food issues of today
- Focuses more on a lifestyle change than mere recipes
Healthy Eating Cookbooks’ Buyer’s Guide
Now that you have read our reviews and are planning to buy a cookbook, what are the most important considerations before you buy one? Here is our ready reckoner of important points to look out for in a healthy eating cookbook for your ease. Here you go:
Testimonials
When you are passionate about healthy eating, there is perhaps very little that you already don’t know. Credentials and testimonials showcase the value and the experience that the authors bring to you. Do read the author’s testimonials/credentials before your narrow down your choice.
Pictures
A cookbook with pictures inspires readers to try healthy food. A picture of a finished dish helps you visualize what the final food dish will look like.
Experts speak
A valuable healthy eating cookbook could include opinions and views from experts in this field who add valuable tips other than the authors themselves. This gives you a wider perspective than just those of the authors. Opting for a healthy eating cookbook that has these tips/sections should offer you more value for money.
Recipes
Opt for cookbooks with nutritional values, substitute ingredients in odd seasons, tips, and step-by-step instructions for a dish you have never cooked before.
Review the recipe list to ensure that it includes recipes that with your requirements. For example, if you are averse to nuts, the recipes exclude nuts or offer you easy modifications.
It may be helpful to have recipes indexed by the course of the food’s main ingredient, for example, Chicken, Meat, Vegetables, Savouries, Desserts, etc.
Cookbook or Lifestyle book
Many cookbooks are filled with sections on nutrition and lifestyle recommendations. You may opt for a healthy cookbook that has more recipes or generic guidance on lifestyle changes. You will need to be sure of what you want from your healthy cookbook.
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