20 Best Healthy Cookbooks to Support Creative Living
Do you remember the first thing you learned to cook? Cooking and eating healthy is a great way to support creative well-being. Here are the 20 best healthy cookbooks to support creative living.
Do you remember how you felt making something out of nothing? Cooking is inherently creative. From collecting the ingredients to experimenting and finally serving the food for its final feedback, the entire process isn’t only a metaphor for creativity cooking is also a way to improve the creative process. The art of cooking has a lot to teach creatives. Cooking can be a habit that builds a healthier lifestyle, improve mindfulness, and by trying new dishes from around the world, you can trigger divergent thinking and creative living.
“Having a variety of go-to cookbooks on hand helps to spark creativity and bring fun, delicious meals into your kitchen—that also happen to be healthy,” says Alissa Rumsey, RD, nutrition therapist, and intuitive eating coach.
Another tip to cook for creativity is using foods backed by science and known to boost creativity and brain health.
In this incredible volume, Somali chef Hawa Hassan and food writer Julia Turshen present 75 recipes and stories gathered from bibis (or grandmothers) from eight African nations: South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Comoros, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, and Eritrea. Most notably, these eight countries are at the backbone of the spice trade, many of them exporters of things like pepper and vanilla.
Through Hawa’s writing—and her own personal story—the women, and the stories behind the recipes, come to life. With evocative photography shot on location by Khadija Farah and food photography by Jennifer May, In Bibi’s Kitchen uses food to teach us all about families, war, loss, migration, refuge, and sanctuary.
Recommended Recipes
- Shaah Cadays – A Somali tea with spices and milk.
- Digaag Qumbe – A rich aromatic yogurt-coconut chicken.
- Suugo Suqaar – A pasta sauce with beef with the flavor of a xawaash spice mix.
- Date Bread – A delicious bread perfect for breakfast or brunch.
Named one of the Best Fall Cookbooks 2020 by The New York Times, Eater, Epicurious, Food & Wine, Saveur, CNN Travel, The Kitchn, Chowhound, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, and many more.
In this groundbreaking book, Nik Sharma, scientist, food blogger, and author of the buzz-generating cookbook Season, guides home cooks on an exploration of flavor in more than 100 recipes. The Flavor Equation demonstrates how to convert approachable spices, herbs, and commonplace pantry items into tasty, simple dishes.
Recommended Recipes
- Roasted Tomato and Tamarind Soup
- Honey Turmeric Chicken Kebabs with Pineapple
- Blistered Shishito Peppers with Bonito Flakes
- Coconut Milk Cake
In Sweet Potato Soul, Jenné Claiborne revives the long tradition of using fresh, local ingredients creatively in soul food dishes. Jenné Claiborne grew up in Atlanta eating classic soul food but thought she’d have to give all that up when she went vegan. As a chef, she instead spent years tweaking and experimenting to infuse plant-based, life-giving, glow-worthy foods with the flavor and depth that feeds the soul. With each recipe, Jenné explores the narratives surrounding iconic and beloved soul food recipes, as well as their innate nutritional benefits.
Recommended Recipes
- Peach Date BBQ Jackfruit Sliders
- Sweet Potato-Tahini Cookies
- Georgia Watermelon & Peach Salad
- Bootylicious Gumbo
- Jalapeño Hush Puppies
Ten years ago, this breakthrough cookbook made vegetarian cooking accessible to everyone. Today, the issues surrounding a plant-based diet—health, sustainability, and ethics—continue to resonate with more and more Americans, whether or not they’re fully vegetarian.
This new edition has been completely reviewed and revised to stay relevant to today’s cooks: New recipes include more vegan options and a brand-new chapter on smoothies, teas, and more. Charts, variations, and other key information have been updated. And, new for this edition, the recipes are showcased in bright full-color photos throughout. With these photos and a host of recipes destined to become new favorites, this already classic vegetarian cookbook will continue to be more indispensable than ever.
Recommended Recipes
- Eggplant Salad with Miso
- Paella with Tomatoes and Eggs
- Baked Ziti
- Banana Bread
- Fig Bittmans
Dana Shultz founded the Minimalist Baker blog in 2012 to share her passion for simple cooking and quickly gained a devoted worldwide following. Now, in this long-awaited debut cookbook, Dana shares 101 vibrant, simple recipes that are entirely plant-based, mostly gluten-free, and 100% delicious.
This book has tons of delicious options for hearty entrées, easy sides, nourishing breakfasts, and decadent desserts—all on the table in a snap. It also includes a guide for creating the essential plant-based pantry and equipment tips.
Recommended Recipes
- Banana Chocolate Pecan Muffins
- Parmesan Garlic Green Beans
- Spicy Tofu Vegetable Stir-Fry
- The Best Vegan Enchiladas
- Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl Ice Cream
After suffering for a decade from a range of ailments like Lyme Disease, Hypothyroidism, and Leaky Gut Syndrome, Amie Valpone, creator of TheHealthyApple.com, healed herself through clean eating and detoxing. In Eating Clean, Amie provides guidance on how to fight inflammation and reset your body, including a 21-Day Elimination Diet, instructions for food reintroduction, a 2-week meal plan, and an extensive pantry list.
The book has over 200 recipes that are vegetarian and free of gluten, dairy, soy, corn, eggs, and refined sugar to keep tummies healthy and satisfied. With this book, readers can get the support they need on their path toward wellness.
Recommended Recipes
- Velvety Pear and Fennel Soup
- Carrot “Fettuccine” with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Pumpkin Seeds
- Vanilla Bean Coconut Ice Cream
Your diet plays a dynamic role on mood, emotions, and brain-signaling pathways. Since brain chemistry is complicated, The Anti-Anxiety Diet breaks down exactly what you need to know and how to achieve positive results.
Integrative dietitian and food-as-medicine guru Ali Miller applies science-based functional medicine to create a system that addresses anxiety while also applying a ketogenic low-carb approach. By adopting The Anti-Anxiety Diet, you will reduce inflammation, repair gut integrity, and provide your body with necessary nutrients in abundance. This plan balances your hormones and stress chemicals to help you feel even-keeled and relaxed.
The book provides quizzes as well as advanced lab and supplements recommendations to help you discover and address the root causes of your body’s imbalances. The Anti-Anxiety Diet’s healthy approach supports your brain signaling while satiating cravings. And it features 50 delicious recipes, including:
Recommended Recipes
- Sweet Potato Avocado Toast
- Zesty Creamy Carrot Soup
- Matcha Green Smoothie
- Carnitas Burrito Bowl
- Curry Roasted Cauliflower
Food writer and health blogger Liz Moody once followed trendy diets and ate solely for fuel, not for flavor. That changed when she met her soon-to-be-boyfriend, and they started cooking nutrient and vegetable-rich meals. She not only fell in love with food again, but she also discovered that setting goals and sticking to them is easier and more gratifying when paired with someone else.
These 100+ flavor-packed recipes are designed to be cooked and enjoyed by two people, plus they’re all gluten-free, dairy-free, and plant-centered. They include homemade alternatives for all the foods you love to share, such as brunch, takeout, and sweet treats.
Recommended Recipes
- Cardamom Banana Bread Pancakes with Candied Coffee Walnuts
- Cornflake “Fried” Chicken
- General Tso’s Cauliflower
- Chocolate Tahini Brownie Bites
A vegetarian cookbook from the author of Jerusalem A Cookbook and other Ottolenghi cookbooks. The Plenty cookbook: Plenty is the cookbook that launched Yotam Ottolenghi from a fabulous chef, London restaurant owner and British newspaper columnist to an international food celebrity.
In Plenty, Yotam puts a spotlight on vegetarian restaurant-caliber recipes that every home cook can make. A vibrant photo accompanies every recipe in this visually stunning Ottolenghi cookbook. Essential for meat-eaters and vegetarians alike!
Recommended Recipes
- Soba noodles with eggplant and mango
- Mushroom lasagne
- Egg, spinach and pecorino pizza
- Caramelized Garlic Tart
- Pasta and Zucchini Salad
The Conscious Cook shows readers that avoiding the health risks and ethical dilemmas of eating meat and dairy does not mean sacrificing taste or satisfaction. The starters, soups, sandwiches, entrées, and desserts here offer a culinary adventure that will truly revolutionize the way the world experiences meatless food.
A former steak-lover himself, Chef Tal struggled for years on a vegan diet that left him filled with cravings for meat and dairy. Frustrated by the limited options available and unwilling to sacrifice the delicious flavors he associated with eating meat, Chef Tal decided to create vegan meals that could hold their own at the center of the plate. He found that by applying traditional French culinary techniques to meatless cuisine, he was able to create delicious meals full of rich flavor and healthy fat. The cookbook contains recipes for meals that any food-lover, even devoted meat-eaters, would find completely satisfying. It also includes engaging stories from influential people in the vegan world, a peek into Chef Tal’s pantry and kitchen, a guide to eating seasonally, and a selection of dinner party menus.
Recommended Recipes
- Oysters Rockefeller
- Mushroom Dumplings
- Corn Chowder
- Peppercorn-Encrusted Portobello Fillets
- Lemongrass Consommé with Pea Shoot
In the tradition of The Joy of Cooking and How to Cook Everything comes Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, an ambitious new approach to cooking by a major new culinary voice. Chef and writer Samin Nosrat has taught everyone from professional chefs to middle school kids to author Michael Pollan to cook using her revolutionary, yet simple, philosophy. Master the use of just four elements—Salt, which enhances flavor; Fat, which delivers flavor and generates texture; Acid, which balances flavor; and Heat, which ultimately determines the texture of food—and anything you cook will be delicious. By explaining the hows and whys of good cooking, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will teach and inspire a new generation of cooks how to confidently make better decisions in the kitchen and cook delicious meals with any ingredients, anywhere, at any time.
Salt, Fat Acid, Heat bridges the gap between home and professional kitchens. With a charming narrative, illustrated walkthroughs, and a lighthearted approach to kitchen science, Samin demystifies the four elements of good cooking for everyone. Refer to the canon of 100 essential recipes—and dozens of variations—to put the lessons into practice and make bright, balanced vinaigrettes, perfectly caramelized roast vegetables, tender braised meats, and light, flaky pastry doughs.
Recommended Recipes
- Ligurian focaccia
- Buttermilk-Marinated Roast Chicken
- Cacio e Pepe
- Slow-Roasted Citrus Salmon
- Mango Pie
Food justice activist and author Bryant Terry breaks down the fundamentals of plant-based cooking in the Vegetable Kingdom. He shows how to make delicious meals from popular vegetables, grains, and legumes. The book is organized by ingredient, making it easy to create simple dishes or showstopping meals based on what’s fresh at the market. Bryant also covers the basics of vegan cooking, explaining the fundamentals of assembling flavorful salads, cooking filling soups and stews, and making tasty grains and legumes. With beautiful imagery and classic design, Vegetable Kingdom is an invaluable tool for plant-based cooking today.
Recommended Recipes
- Dirty Cauliflower, Barbecued Carrots with Slow-Cooked White Beans
- Millet Roux Mushroom Gumbo
- Citrus & Garlic-Herb-Braised Fennel
Jean Choi, a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and the founder of What Great Grandma Ate shares “Paleo-fied” versions of authentic meals from her family’s cookbook. These include gluten-, dairy-, and grain-free takes on classic Korean dishes.
Whether you’re on a strict Paleo diet or simply searching for a way to make healthier Korean dishes at home, this book ensures that your Korean cravings will never go unsatisfied again.
Recommended Recipes
- Bibimbap – savory steamed rice and marinated vegetable dish
- Bulgogi – tender barbequed beef
- Quick Kimchi – a traditional spiced-vegetable side
Between careers as a lawyer and an acclaimed novelist, Kim Thúy ran a celebrated restaurant called Ru de Nam in Montreal. Now, in her first cookbook, Kim combines her beautiful storytelling style with simple recipes that are full of flavor. Welcoming us into her close-knit circle, she introduces us to her mother and five aunts, each with their own story and cooking secrets.
They tell the story of Vietnam through the food of the country they had to leave. Starting with the base ingredients of sauces, quick pickled vegetables, and toasted rice flour, we move on to soups, sautés, vegetables, grilled foods, desserts, and more. Kim says that Vietnamese often display their affection more easily with food than with words. This cookbook deliciously demonstrates that every meal is an opportunity to show love and to be grateful for those who sit down to eat with us.
Recommended Recipes
- Stuffed Squash Soup
- Vermicelli Bowls
- Pork and Pineapple Stir-fry
- Fried Lemongrass Fish
- Vietnamese Tapioca and Banana.
The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook offers readers and food lovers a new and in-depth look at foods found in their whole form and how to prepare them. Learn to prepare foods that promote optimal health, decrease inflammation, prevent disease, and energize your body.
There are over 200 delicious, nourishing recipes in this cookbook that will delight your taste buds and satisfy your soul. The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook provides a diverse array of recipes for every taste bud and eating style.
Recommended Recipes
- Minty Green Smoothie
- Root Vegetable Pancakes
- Quinoa Zucchini Bread
- Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
- Spinach and Tofu Enchiladas with Spicy Ancho Chili Sauce
In Everyday Harumi, Harumi Kurihara, Japan’s most popular cookery writer, selects her favorite foods and presents more than 60 new home-style recipes for you to make for family and friends.
Harumi wants everyone to be able to make her recipes, and she demonstrates how easy it is to cook Japanese food for everyday occasions without needing to shop at specialist food stores. Arranged by her favorite ingredients, Harumi presents recipes for soups, starters, snacks, party dishes, main courses, and family feasts that are quick and simple to prepare, all presented in her effortless, down-to-earth and unpretentious approach to stylish living and eating.
Every recipe is photographed and includes beautiful step by steps that show Japanese cooking techniques such as chopping skills or how to serve rice. Texture and flavor are important to Japanese food, and Harumi takes you through the basic sauces you can make at home and the staples you should have in your store cupboard.
Recommended Recipes
- Yakitori
- Chawan Mushi (Steamed Savory Custard)
- Salmon Nanbanzuke
- Karaage Chicken
Kimberly Hasselbrink, photographer and creator of the acclaimed blog The Year in Food, invites you to look at ingredients differently and let their colors inspire you: the shocking fluorescent pink of a chard stem, the deep reds and purples of baby kale leaves, the bright shades of green that emerge in the spring, and even the calm yellows and whites of so many winter vegetables.
Thinking about produce in terms of color can reinvigorate your relationship with food, and in this collection of recipes, Hasselbrink employs aesthetics, flavor, and texture to build gorgeous yet unfussy dishes for every season.
Recommended Recipes
- Spring’s pasta with nettle pesto and blistered snap peas
- Summer’s berry–coconut milk ice pops
- Fall’s turkey burgers with balsamic figs
- Winter’s sparkling pomegranate punch
On her wildly popular recipe blog, Tess Masters—aka, The Blender Girl—shares easy plant-based recipes that anyone can whip up fast in a blender. Tess’s lively, down-to-earth approach has attracted legions of fans looking for quick and fun ways to prepare healthy food. In The Blender Girl, Tess’s much-anticipated debut cookbook, she offers 100 whole-food recipes that are gluten-free, vegan, and rely on natural flavors and sweeteners. Many are also raw and nut-, soy-, corn-, and sugar-free.
Smoothies, soups, and spreads are a given in a blender cookbook, but this surprisingly versatile collection also includes appetizers, salads, and main dishes with a blended component. Best of all, every recipe can be easily adjusted to your taste. Add an extra squeeze of this, another handful of that, or leave something out altogether— these dishes are super forgiving, so you can’t mess them up.
Details on the benefits of soaking, sprouting, and dehydrating; proper food combining; and eating raw, probiotic-rich, and alkaline ingredients round out this nutrient-dense guide. But you don’t have to understand the science of good nutrition to run with The Blender Girl—all you need is a blender and a sense of adventure. So dust off your machine and get ready to find your perfect blend.
Recommended Recipes
- Fresh Spring Rolls with Orange-Almond Sauce
- Twisted Caesar Pleaser
- Spicy Chickpea Burgers with Portobello Buns and Greens
- Apple Pie in a Glass
- Raspberry-Lemon Cheesecake
Get your whole family excited about eating healthy!
Veteran cookbook author Dreena Burton shows whole food, plant-based diet can be easy, delicious, and healthy for your entire family. In Plant-Powered Families, Burton shares over 100 whole-food, vegan recipes—tested and approved by her own three children. Your family will love the variety of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts, and snacks.
Burton shares advice and solutions from her own experience for everything from pleasing picky eaters and stocking a vegan pantry to packing school lunches and dealing with challenging social situations. Plant-Powered Families also includes nutritionist-approved references for dietary concerns that will ensure a smooth and successful transition for your own plant-powered family!
Recommended Recipes
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
- Vanilla Bean Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cinnamon French Toast
- Creamy Fettuccine
- Sneaky Chickpea Burgers
Renowned chef and food justice activist Bryant Terry reworks and remixes the favorite staples, ingredients, and classic dishes of the African Diaspora to present more than 100 wholly new, creative culinary combinations that will amaze vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike.
With more than 100 modern and delicious dishes that draw on Terry’s personal memories as well as the history of food that has traveled from the African continent, Afro-Vegan takes you on an international food journey. Accompanying the recipes are Terry’s insights about building a community around food, along with suggested music tracks from around the world and book recommendations. For anyone interested in improving their well-being, Afro-Vegan’s groundbreaking recipes offer innovative, plant-based global cuisine that is fresh, healthy and forges a new direction in vegan cooking.
Recommended Recipes
- Smashed Potatoes, Peas, and Corn with Chile-Garlic Oil
- Cinnamon-Soaked Wheat Berry Salad with dried apricots, carrots, and almonds
- Creamy Coconut-Cashew Soup with Okra, Corn, and Tomatoes
- Crispy Teff and Grit Cakes with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Peanuts
- Caribbean-inspired Cocoa Spice Cake with Crystallized Ginger and Coconut-Chocolate Ganache
Zach is an international writer, photographer, filmmaker, martial artist, and creator of Creative Enso, the Zen art of creative living. His goal is to empower and inspire creatives to live healthier, happier, and more creative lifestyles.
