14 Best Healthy Cookbooks, According to Cooking and Nutrition Experts

Vegetables are usually the first thing we think about when it comes to eating healthy, and veggies are the freshest and most delicious when they're in season. Author Joshua McFadden takes you through the seasons focusing on one vegetable at a time to highlight when and how to cook the most delicious vegetable dishes. Soon, you’ll have a reason to reach for fava beans at the farmer’s market while also being able to build on the produce you have at home.

The Mediterranean diet is often hailed as one of the best diets by nutritionists and registered dietitians, so it’s a good place to start if you want to eat healthier. Our 28-day guide can help kick off your journey to this way of eating. The book emphasizes the inclusion of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, seafood and heart-healthy fats. You’ll find four weeks' worth of meal plans and grocery lists to take the guesswork out of the diet, and with more than 60 recipes, you’re bound to find a few favorites you’ll keep coming back to.

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated. Skinnytaste’s latest cookbook is packed with healthy recipes that all require just seven ingredients or fewer. Talk about simple! You’ll find easy takes on comforting favorites, like Sheet Pan Eggplant Lasagna, and dishes that require minimal cleanup, like One Pan Shrimp and Saffron Orzo. Each recipe includes nutritional information for no-fuss meal planning.

Cooking with confidence is easier if you know the components of a complete meal — and what makes food taste good. Chef and writer Samin Nosrat helps the home cook master the four basic elements of food: salt, fat, acid and heat. As you cook your way through the book's 100-plus recipes, you’ll learn this simple philosophy and the science behind it.

Though vegan food isn't always healthy, Nisha Vora of Rainbow Plantlife filled this cookbook with wholesome recipes that are super simple to make thanks to the pressure cooking setting on your Instant Pot. You’ll find everything from Miso Mushroom Risotto to desserts like a Double Fudge Chocolate Cake (which, yes, is dairy-free and can be made in an Instant Pot). If you already love your Instant Pot, you will love having this book on hand.

Salads are one of the best ways to add greens into your diet — and they don’t have to be boring. You’ll find more than 200 salad recipes from Sweet Peach and Burrata Salad to a hearty Southwest Beef Salad with Cornbread Croutons. There are also fun takes on the classics like the good old Caesar, and you’ll feel empowered to make a salad from scratch with guidance on what to include to keep you satisfied and how to create a perfect vinaigrette every time. Just flip to any page, and you’ll have a new salad to try.

If you’re interested in vegetarian cooking, Yotam Ottolenghi is a name you need to know. Drawing from Middle Eastern influences, he develops restaurant-quality recipes that may completely change the way you picture what an eggplant can become. Some of the recipes in this book are a bit complex, so it's best if you have some cooking experience under your belt. You’ll find excellent sides that can be served with meat dishes, or you can try your hand at exploring some new meals for Meatless Mondays. For more straightforward recipes, check out one of Ottolenghi's other book, Simple, which focuses on recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less.

Two of the hardest parts of cooking and eating healthy are prepping in advance and knowing what to do with leftovers. This plant-forward cookbook by Jeanine Donofrio of the Love and Lemons blog takes care of both, with 125 recipes that cover meal prepping and sprucing up leftovers into a new meal. You’ll find quick and easy recipes that can be whipped up fast and meals that can easily be made ahead of time that you can toss together at the end of a busy day. You’ll find a cooking style for every kind of chef.

This James-Beard-award-winning cookbook is written by Gregory Gourdet, a chef of Haitian descent who appeared on two seasons of Top Chef. The book goes hand in hand with Gourdet's own journey of getting sober and eating foods that make him feel better. It’s filled with inspiration from global cuisines and recipes that are free of gluten, dairy, soy, legumes and refined sugar. Each recipe is filled with nutrient-dense foods to inspire healthy eating and feeling good.

Reversing or managing your pre-diabetes can be overwhelming, but simple dietary changes can help. This cookbook is focused on keeping blood sugar levels low with 200 easy-to-follow recipes that prove you don’t have to deprive yourself to get your health on track. There are variations of doughnuts, pasta and tacos for satisfying meals and snacks. Recipes only take 30 minutes to prepare for an easier way to feel more in control.

If you’re trying to be more mindful about your calorie consumption, you’ll be happy to hear that every recipe in this book is under 500 calories — and they don’t skimp on flavor. The experts at Good Housekeeping also share simple ingredient swaps to make meals a little less heavy plus how to stock your kitchen with healthy staples to reach for when cooking. There are recipes for many dietary needs, including gluten-free, dairy-free, high-fiber and more.

Filled with 100 nutrient-dense, tasty meals, this cookbook, written by Dr. Drew Ramsey, M.D., who has a focus on Nutritional Psychiatry, aims to improve both physical and brain health through food. It focuses on making healthy cooking achievable using common ingredients you may already have sitting in your pantry. Each recipe is gluten-free, and Dr. Ramsey also aims to educate by discussing the 21 nutrients that are most important for brain health and well-being alongside the delicious recipes.

After logging double-digit miles, you might find it hard to get motivated to cook yourself a meal to fuel yourself properly. Instead of settling on power bars, Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow. is filled with pre-run snacks, post-run recovery breakfasts, packable lunches and dinner recipes that all take 30 minutes or less to make. Written by Olympian Shalane Flanagan and chef Elyse Kopecky, these quick recipes will help you and your fitness goals go the distance.

This hilarious (and a little vulgar) cookbook is a no-nonsense approach to eating healthier. All its recipes are completely vegan, using only whole-food ingredients, but you’ll healthier versions of fan favorites like Roasted Beer and Lime Cauliflower Tacos and Silky Roasted Bell Pepper Lasagna. Some of the recipes are a bit time-intensive, but if you’re looking for a comfort cookbook that will give you a chuckle or two, this book is for you.