12 Best Healthy Cookbooks of 2024
Updated: Feb. 01, 2024
These nutritious and delicious recipes will make your taste buds happy while keeping you on track to reach your health goals.
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When’s the last time you prepared a truly healthy meal for yourself or your family? Perhaps it was last night, but now you’re out of ideas for an encore performance. Or maybe it’s been ages and you’re looking for some inspiration to make some changes. No matter where you are in your journey or what the term “healthy” means to you, we’ve found the best healthy cookbooks to match your skill level and interests.
There’s no need to make do with another boring salad when you’re trying to “be good”—just flip through the pages of one of these best healthy cookbooks of 2022 and you’ll be well on your way to fueling your body properly.
What to Look for When Buying Healthy Cookbooks
Some people are comfortable trying new techniques in the kitchen or experimenting with unfamiliar ingredients, while others want to stick to common ingredients they know and love and the least amount of steps possible.
If you’re embarking upon a new way of eating, it’s often wise to begin simply. Once you’ve gained some confidence with a beginner-level cookbook, there are plenty of options for leveling up the complexity and stepping outside the box. If accompanying photos are important to you so you better understand how to chop things or how to plate the final dish, choose the best cookbook with colorful photos.
Evaluation Criteria
Because “healthy” means different things depending on your individual goals, dietary restrictions and medical needs, we chose books in a variety of categories from today’s most popular eating styles—and all of them have been published in the last year.
That means you’ll find everything in this list from paleo and keto offerings to heart-healthy, diabetic-friendly and immune-boosting books. We analyzed reviews from verified buyers who tried the recipes and meal plans contained within each of these best healthy cookbooks, and featured the ones with the most positive feedback.
- Best Overall: The Complete 30-Day Whole Foods Cookbook for Beginners
- Best Paleo: Prep, Cook, Freeze: A Paleo Meal Planning Cookbook
- Best Pre-Diabetes: The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook
- Best Plant-Based: The Plant-Forward Solution
- Best for Gym Goers: Fuel Your Body: How to Cook and Eat for Peak Performance
- Best Immunity-Boosting: Healing Herbal Soups
- Best for Air Fryer: Skinnytaste Air Fryer Dinners
- Best for Salads: The Complete Salad Cookbook
- Best for Quick Meals: Heart-Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook
- Best Mediterranean: Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners 2022
- Best Low-Carb: The Dirty, Lazy, Keto 5-Ingredient Cookbook
- Best for Desserts: Healthy Desserts: Recipes for Everyday Life & Celebrations
Best Overall Healthy Cookbook: ‘The Complete 30-Day Whole Foods Cookbook for Beginners’
You’ll be amazed at how quickly your body reacts to a diet rich in whole foods. Whole foods are either not processed at all, or only minimally so—typically raw ingredients like fruits, veggies, whole grains, eggs and meat or seafood.
The Complete 30-Day Whole Foods Cookbook for Beginners provides a full meal plan for you to follow and 800 recipes to prepare, which means all you’ll need is some willpower to see those desired results.
Pros:
What we liked about this cookbook:
- Easy for beginners
- 800 recipes
- 30-day plan
- Inexpensive cookbook
Cons:
What to consider before buying this cookbook:
- No recipe images
Best Paleo: ‘Prep, Cook, Freeze: A Paleo Meal Planning Cookbook’
Caroline Fausel is a recipe developer and busy mom of two whose Paleo-focused book helps anyone get nutritious dinners on the table faster. If your family hates eating the same thing over and over, they’ll be happy to discover you’ve now got 12 weeks of Paleo recipes to wow them with. Plus, she includes grocery lists and tips for meal planning, batch cooking and freezer meals.
Pros:
What we liked about this cookbook:
- 12 weeks of meals
- Family-approved recipes
- Includes recipe photos
- Smart meal planning format
- Includes grocery lists
Cons:
What to consider before buying this cookbook:
- Only 65 recipes
Best Pre-Diabetes: ‘The Everything Easy Pre-Diabetes Cookbook’
Reversing or managing your pre-diabetes is easier than ever thanks to the Everything Easy cookbook, one of the best healthy cookbooks for keeping your blood-sugar levels low. Inside, you’ll find 200 easy-to-follow pre-diabetes recipes that help scratch your itch for foods you may have thought would be off limits, like doughnuts, pasta and tacos. You can even make most of these dishes in 30 minutes or less, which is faster than most food delivery apps.
Pros:
What we liked about this cookbook:
- 200 recipes
- Recipes take 30 minutes or less
- Includes recipe photos
- 10-week plan
- Includes exercise plan
Cons:
What to consider before buying this cookbook:
- No hardcover option
Best Plant-Based: ‘The Plant-Forward Solution’
There are so many reasons to try a plant-based diet—so if you’re ready to embrace a meat-free lifestyle, this book is for you. In The Plant-Forward Solution, registered dietitian Charlotte Martin explains the science behind plant-forward meal plans and provides a 28-day plan to help you curb your meat consumption. There are 70 recipes included, and many are also gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free to appeal to a wide array of dietary needs.
Pros:
What we liked about this cookbook:
- 28-day plan
- Not just recipes—also includes science-based information about the plant-based diet
- Teaches readers about nutrition
- Includes recipe photos
Cons:
What to consider before buying this cookbook:
- Only 70 recipes
Best for Gym Goers: ‘Fuel Your Body: How to Cook and Eat for Peak Performance’
Ever wonder what athletes eat and how they fuel their bodies? Sports dietitian Angie Asche, MS, RD, CSSD, spills the beans in the Fuel Your Body cookbook. It includes 77 nutritious and anti-inflammatory recipes made from whole foods. She’ll also teach you how to use these meals to fuel your activities, explains how macros work and even dives into meal timing and supplements.
While the recipes aren’t all plant-based—there are some fish and chicken recipes—it’ll definitely encourage you to add more veggies to your plate.
Pros:
What we liked about this cookbook:
- Includes evidence-based nutrition guidance
- 77 recipes
- Written by a sports dietitian
- Includes recipe photos
Cons:
What to consider before buying this cookbook:
- Some reviewers find the recipes a little bland
Best Immunity-Boosting: ‘Healing Herbal Soups’
It seems like every season is cold and flu season these days, so fortify your immune system against icky bugs with the Healing Herbal Soups cookbook. Written by a Chinese-American mother-daughter duo, this book is a complete guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine and is the first of its kind to be written in English.
Chinese people have been eating these healthy soup recipes for centuries, passing them down to each new generation—and now your health can benefit from these recipes, too.
Pros:
What we liked about this cookbook:
- Includes education on traditional ingredients
- Recipes have been vetted by a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor
- Includes recipe photos
- Herbal encyclopedia with photos and names of herbs to make shopping easy
Cons:
What to consider before buying this cookbook:
- Just 50 recipes
Best for Air Fryer: ‘Skinnytaste Air Fryer Dinners’
If your air fryer is your favorite kitchen appliance, then you probably already have a few favorite air fryer recipes—but it’s smart to add a few more healthy recipes to your arsenal, too. Treat yourself to one of the best healthy cookbooks that puts the air fryer front and center.
These 75 Skinnytaste Air Fryer Dinners deliver big flavor without the big calories, and you’ll find icons throughout indicating when dishes are keto, gluten-free or vegetarian.
Pros:
What we liked about this cookbook:
- 75 recipes
- Spiral-bound option
- Accommodates multiple diet preferences
- Includes recipe photos
Cons:
What to consider before buying this cookbook:
- Some reviewers say these recipes feel too similar to the ones in the author’s other cookbooks
Best for Salads: ‘The Complete Salad Cookbook’
Think salads are the most boring way to eat healthy? You’ll change your tune once you discover The Complete Salad Cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen. It has a mind-boggling 230 recipes for healthy salad suppers and lunches created to satisfy your stomach and taste buds.
You’ll find various textures, flavor combinations and unexpected ingredients—there’s even a chapter on dressings and spice blends to help further elevate your dish.
Pros:
What we liked about this cookbook:
- Over 200 recipes
- Many types of salads included—not just leafy greens
- Spiral-bound option
- Includes recipe photos
Cons:
What to consider before buying this cookbook:
- Some reviewers find the recipes too creative for everyday use
Best for Quick Meals: ‘Heart-Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook’
Your quickest path to a nutritious meal without expending too much effort may be with an Instant Pot. That’s why registered dietitian Lauren O’Connor, RDN, created the Heart-Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook.
But these aren’t just any quick Instant Pot recipes—these are heart-healthy meals like banana bread oatmeal and chickpea and lentil ratatouille. Your cardiologist will be impressed with this diet!
Pros:
What we liked about this cookbook:
- 75 recipes
- Includes advice from a registered dietitian nutritionist
- Free with KindleUnlimited
Cons:
What to consider before buying this cookbook:
- No recipe photos
- Some reviewers find the portion sizes aren’t enough to feed a family
Best Mediterranean Diet: ‘Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Beginners 2022′
Consider this healthy cookbook your complete guide to starting the Mediterranean diet, complete with a 15-week meal plan and 1,100 recipes that only take 30 minutes to prepare. You could literally make three new dishes a day and not have to repeat a meal for over a year!
These Mediterranean recipes are centered around vegetables, fruits, fish, whole grains, nuts and seeds so there’s something for everyone within these pages.
Pros:
What we liked about this cookbook:
- Over 1,100 recipes
- 15-week meal plan
- Free with KindleUnlimited
- Recipes take as little as 10 minutes
Cons:
What to consider before buying this cookbook:
- Some reviewers say the cookbook’s print is too small
- Many recipes don’t have photos
Best Low-Carb: ‘The Dirty, Lazy, Keto 5-Ingredient Cookbook’
Whether you’re intimidated by too many ingredients or don’t have the time to fuss with a dish that requires dozens of components, limited ingredient cookbooks allow readers to breathe a big sigh of relief.
Now, pair that simplicity with a keto diet and you’ve got one of the best healthy cookbooks: The Dirty, Lazy Keto 5-Ingredient Cookbook, featuring 100 low-carb recipes that don’t skimp on flavor.
Pros:
What we liked about this cookbook:
- 100 recipes
- Most recipes use five ingredients or less
- Spiral-bound option
- Free on KindleUnlimited
Cons:
What to consider before buying this cookbook:
- Some reviewers complain of the book’s pages coming loose
- Not every recipe includes a photo
Best for Desserts: ‘Healthy Desserts: Recipes for Everyday Life & Celebrations’
Just because you’re eating healthy doesn’t mean you don’t get to end an occasional meal with a little something sweet. In Healthy Desserts: Recipes for Everyday Life and Celebrations, you’ll have access to 35 light desserts that span every diet you can think of, from keto and paleo to vegan and grain-free. Think homemade mango ice cream and gluten-free lemon bars—yum!
Pros:
What we liked about this cookbook:
- Recipes for multiple diet preferences
- Some recipes use as few as three ingredients
- Inexpensive paperback price
- Free on KindleUnlimited
Cons:
What to consider before buying this cookbook:
- Only 35 recipes
Originally Published: February 16, 2022
