The new year brings pressure around making big lifestyle changes that can sometimes be completely unachievable, such as working out every day even though you haven't moved from the sofa in a month. If you’re trying to ditch the chocolate for kettlebells, then listen up. Have you thought about making a smaller change before diving right in? No? Well, healthy cookbooks are the best place to start.
Related: The best meal planners to become the healthiest you
Exercising is certainly an incredible way to start living a healthier lifestyle, but you don’t want to bite more off than you can chew and end up giving up altogether. As most people abandon their New Year's resolutions by the 15 January, we want to give you all the tools you need to stick to your goals, and that’s where the best healthy cookbooks come in.
Quick glance at the best healthy cookbooks:
Know exactly what you're looking for? Here are quick links to the best cookbooks, so that you can start shopping straight away:
• Nadiya’s Family Favourites: Easy, beautiful and show-stopping recipes for every day
• BOSH! Healthy Vegan: Over 80 brand-new recipes with less fat, less sugar and more taste
• Lose Weight for Good: Full-flavour cooking for a low-calorie diet
• Gordon Ramsay Ultimate Fit Food: Mouth-watering recipes to fuel you for life
• The Doctor’s Kitchen: Supercharge your health with 100 delicious everyday recipes
• The Shredded Chef: 125 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• Keto Meal Prep by FlavCity: 125+ Low Carb Recipes That Actually Taste Good
Before we go into more detail about why we've chosen these healthy eating cookbooks to feature in our top list, we wanted to run down why it's so important to make a lifestyle change.
Did you know that according to new YouGov research, one in ten Brits get takeaway or eat out at least once a week? Whether or not this is something you do, swapping comfort treats for something more healthy will contribute to your wellbeing and save your bank balance - big time.
Little goals are more achievable, so we'd recommend building up the amount of recipes you take to the kitchen every week. Do you have kids? Get them involved by letting them help wash the veggies or even chop vegetables, if they're older.
All that's left to do is find out what healthy cookbooks you should buy to inspire you in the kitchen.
The best healthy cookbooks
1 of 13Pinch of Nom: 100 Slimming, Home-style Recipes
Are you looking for a cookbook that you can show off in the kitchen? Not only is this book aesthetically pleasing, but it'll help you create mouth-watering food that's kind to your body. From vegetarian options to hearty fakeaways, these recipes are good for even the fussiest of eaters. Plus, you'll discover heavenly dessert options; our favourite is the cheesecake-stuffed strawberries.
£11.50
- Rrp: £20.00
2 of 13What Mummy Makes: Cook just once for you and your baby
Yummy mummies and daddies can embrace healthy eating with their children thanks to this Sunday Times' bestseller. Suitable for little ones over six months old, you can finally cook one meal that's nutritional and feeds everyone in your family. Plus, it includes useful information around portion sizes, freezing guidelines and more.
£10.99
- Rrp: £16.99
3 of 13Nadiya’s Family Favourites: Easy, beautiful and show-stopping recipes for every day
The former winner of The Great British Bake Off, Nadiya Hussian, has the answer to the best cookbook for families with this showstopper. You'll find dishes like samosa pie, ham and cheese crown and more inside. We love that this kitchen handbook is broken down into recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and shares as well as sweet treats.
£14.75
- Rrp: £22.00
4 of 13BOSH! Healthy Vegan: Over 80 brand-new recipes with less fat, less sugar and more taste
The search for a healthy vegan cookbook is over! Make a positive lifestyle change today by trying a vegan diet (even if it's just a couple of days a week). If you're new to vegan cooking, follow these simple plant-based recipes that are packed full of great ideas. Choose from meals like the ultimate veg tacos, meaty mushroom pie and hoisin jackfruit pizza.
5 of 13Joe's 30 Minute Meals: 100 Quick and Healthy Recipes
OK, we've all tried Joe Wicks aka The Body Coach's workout, right? Well, now's the time to take it up a level by cooking great food recommended by Joe. The easy-to-make and nutritional food inside will change your relationship with your kitchen forever as you create meals that are designed to reduced-carb or refuel carbs. Make sure you align the carb-refuel options on days that you work out.
£16.83
- Rrp: £20.00
6 of 13Lose Weight for Good: Full-flavour cooking for a low-calorie diet
Want to eat your favourite foods and lose weight? According to this cookbook by Tom Kerridge, you can. Expect step-by-step guides on how to create everything from lamb donner kebab to doughnuts. Although you shouldn't spend all your time counting calories, this book does break them down so that you can keep track of your daily intake.
7 of 13Gordon Ramsay Ultimate Fit Food: Mouth-watering recipes to fuel you for life
TV chef, Twitter legend and TikTok icon, Gordon Ramsay, has taken a break from rating food disasters to bring you the only cookbook you need for eating well at home. The Michelin-starred chef has combined his knowledge of food and fitness to create your new go-to breakfast, lunch and dinner plan.
8 of 13BOSH!: Simple recipes. Unbelievable results. All plants.
Another best-selling vegan cookbook that you need to add to your arsenal is the BOSH!: Simple Recipes. Unbelievable results. All plants. If you're looking for something that will blow you away, try out the easy peasy pasta or sweet pepper fajitas. We love that this cookbook even includes a recipe for watermelon Jägerbomb punch - yum.
£10.95
- Rrp: £20.00
9 of 13Good Food Eat Well: Cheap and Healthy
Cheap? Tick. Healthy? Tick. Easy to follow? Tick. If you're looking for a cookbook that is great value for money, provides step-by-step cooking instructions and includes pictures of what your meals should look like, this is the answer. It's what we'd call a triple threat, as it really does it all.
10 of 13The Doctor’s Kitchen: Supercharge your health with 100 delicious everyday recipes
Are you looking for professional cooking advice? You can't get more expertise than advice from a doctor. Dr. Rupy Aujla's first cookbook includes information on living a healthier lifestyle as well as 100 tasty recipes, plus a dash of medical science.
11 of 13Feed Your Family For £20 a Week: 100 Budget-Friendly, Batch-Cooking Recipes You’ll All Enjoy
This easy healthy cookbook does what it says on the tin; it will teach you how to feed your family for £20 a week. If you're cutting back for the new year, this book will help guide you around how to make the most out of your ingredients and leftovers. Sustainable and practical, we love it!
12 of 13The Shredded Chef: 125 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
How can we say no to a cookbook like this when the author has abs of steel? The answer is, you can't. Whether you're looking to build muscles, get lean or eat healthily, these low-calorie snacks and dish ideas, are meals you'll be excited to prepare for.
13 of 13Keto Meal Prep by FlavCity: 125+ Low Carb Recipes That Actually Taste Good
If you've heard about the keto diet, but not sure what it really entails, then this meal prep cookbook is a fantastic place to start. Not only can you enjoy 125 low carb recipes that are full of flavour, but this book also includes an allergen index, fan reviews and more.
The best healthy cookbooks verdict:
Still undecided on which healthy eating cookbook you should opt for? Don't worry, because we're here to tell you our verdict of the best healthy cookbook. Get your pots and pans at the ready, as Pinch of Nom: 100 Slimming, Home-style Recipes has made it to the top of our recommended list.
From having almost 36,000 reviews on Amazon to the fact that this low-calorie cookbook includes 100 slimming, home-style recipes, all contribute towards why you should bag this kitchen staple. Our favourite part about this book is that it is beautifully illustrated and easy to follow.
Alternative cookbook options:
Lily Anderson is a writer at Bauer Media, where she tests products for titles such as Heat, Closer, What’s the Best and Mother&Baby.
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