I want to share 9 plant-based nutrition books and cookbooks which I love. Transitioning to a new, healthier way of eating is exciting. But it can also feel like a challenge to forego ingredients and products which we are used to cooking with and eating. The books I share here will give you ideas and inspiration for including more plant-based meals in your diet, and reaping rewards in energy, health and general fitness.
Changing old habits
Food habits and eating patterns can be some of the hardest to change. Food is a physical need, but it is also closely connected to emotions and personal history. More and more people are becoming interested in eating a plant-based diet. Research proves that this way of eating is ideal for personal health and our environment.
When thinking about eating in a new way, or even just slightly adapting our current menu, cookbooks and nutrition guides are a rich source of information. This is especially true in a social climate where there is a lot of noise and negative talk about animal-free diets as nutritionally deficient. In reality, with the sole exception of B12, human beings can get everything we need to thrive from eating exclusively plant-based food.
Kosher and plant-based
Many Jewish people are expanding the definition of Kosher to include consideration of ethical factors. Ethical Kosher considers whether the process of production and slaughter of an animal truly satisfies the definition of Kashrut. Plant-based food is ideal for anyone wanting to have clarity about the kosher status of the food they eat: plant-based food is always kosher!
Doesn’t plant-based just mean vegan?
Plant-based refers to food which, you guessed it, comes from plants. This means not eating things which come from animals, nor any processed or artificial foods. Plant-based diets revolve around whole foods, as close to their natural form as possible. A vegan diet means not eating products which come from animals, but can include processed foods such as Oreos or manufactured substitutes for meat, dairy and eggs. In reality, many people will flit between the two.
The Healthiest Diet on the Planet: Why the Foods You Love-Pizza, Pancakes, Potatoes, Pasta, and More-Are the Solution to Preventing Disease and Looking and Feeling Your Best
You have probably become used to the idea that carbs are bad for us. A series of popular fad-diets have made us believe that plates full of animal protein and steamed vegetables are best for our bodies. But human beings need carbohydrates to feel full and sustain energy. Not to mention that carbohydrates are delicious, and as this book shows, extremely good for us. For anyone sceptical about the health benefits of a high starch diet, rest assured that you can trust the science in this book. It is written by physician Dr John McDougall MD.
Eat for Life
How often do we try to achieve good health by taking medicines to treat issues? This book shows that eating well is the best route to living life without sickness. Dr Joel Furhman, a bestselling author and family physician with over 30 years experience, offers a natural eating plan which combats diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and cholesterol.
Your Body in Balance: The New Science of Food, Hormones, and Health
Our bodies’ delicate balance of hormones carefully controls our physical well-being throughout our lives, also affecting the way we feel emotionally. But did you know that what you eat may disrupt hormones and cause health problems? Foods can contain hidden hormones, and some foods affect the levels our body produces. The author, Neal D Barnard MD, is an authority on nutrition, guides us through essential knowledge and offers delicious recipes to eat ourselves to healthy hormonal balance.
How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease
Everyone benefits from eating a natural, plant-based diet. However, everybody is different and factors like family health history affect what nutrition is best for us. Dr Michael Greger offers practical guidance on how to eat to prevent or reduce the effects of common health conditions. He believes that following his plan leads to longer, healthier lives.
Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition
“What happens when you eat an apple? The answer is vastly more complex than you imagine.” This book provides insight and analysis into how conventional scientific research fails to tackle the complexity of bodily nutrition. This book is not an eating plan, but is more a critique of approaches which look at nutritional elements in isolation.
The China Study: Revised and Expanded Edition: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, and Long-Term Health
This book is based on extensive research into the impact of diet on health. Comparing diets high in animal protein with those based on plant-based foods, shocking health insights are revealed. The China Study is based on a large scale, international scientific research project into the effect of nutrition on cancer, heart health and metabolic diseases.
The Plant-Based Solution: America’s Healthy Heart Doc’s Plan to Power Your Health
Written by a leading cardiologist, this book gives practical guidance on how to feel better and help the environment at the same time. Advocating a whole-food, plant-based diet, Dr. Kahn presents a practical guide for plant-based nutrition. In his experience, people who follow his advice prevent and reverse heart disease. On top of that, they find relief from many other chronic conditions as diverse as obesity, poor gut health, osteoporosis, autoimmune disease, and even issues with libido.
The Starch Solution
This book is essential for anyone living their life in a state of hunger. Jeff Novick shows us scientific research to prove the importance of a starch-rich diet. After reading it, you will wonder why you ever believed there was anything wrong with eating potatoes! Discover a satisfying, healthy and natural way of eating which regulates health and weight, and energises life.
Beyond Chopped Liver: 59 Jewish Recipes Get a Vegan Health Makeover
After all those science-heavy plant-based nutrition books, now it’s time for some straightforward and simple recipes to make. This recipe book from Jewish Food Hero remakes Jewish favorite foods using only plant-based and vegan ingredients. The Jewish recipes in this cookbook are inspired by recipes from Jewish pre-modern Diaspora communities: Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi, Beta Israel/Ethiopian and Indian Jewish communities, and from the modern Israel and American Jewish food cultures.
Share your favorite plant-based nutrition books and recipes with us!
Did you read this list and feel frustrated, asking yourself “Why didn’t they mention X?!” If so, please tell us! Share your favorite plant-based nutrition books and cookbooks in the comments below.
Jewish Food Hero’s community members share their favorite vegan and plant-based dishes on our blog. Do you have a recipe you’d love to share? If so, please get in touch here.
Dive in and see what excites your taste buds here:
Sonya’s Blood Orange and Black Sesame Polenta Cake
Rithy’s Umami Miso Ginger Eggplant
Rabbi Dan’s Summer Gazpacho
Readers Share their favorite plant-based nutrition books and recipes with us!
Did you read this list and feel frustrated, asking yourself “Why didn’t they mention X?!” If so, please tell us! Since publications, readers have shared their your favorite plant-based nutrition books with us. Here is their list below.
Becoming Vegan, Express Edition: The Everyday Guide to Plant-based Nutrition
This seminal classic offers fresh insights on the treatment of animals in food production and other industries, the latest findings on the health benefits of a vegan diet, expanded information on phytochemicals, and a thoroughly updated food guide.
Vegan Brunch: Homestyle Recipes Worth Waking Up For
With 75+ recipes Vegan Brunchis the ultimate cookbook breakfast and brunch food.
The Vegetarian Shabbat Cookbook
This cookbook combines the great tradition of the Sabbath with vegan cooking.
If you have a favorite plant-based nutrition book or recipe book you think should be on this list, put your ideas in the comment section below!
