This Best Healthy Cookbooks & Self Help Books gift guide will inspire you to stay healthy all year long. Give as gifts, and stock up on a few for yourself!
This post contains affiliate links for products I recommend and personally use. If you purchase a product through these links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!
Growing up, books were one of my all-time favorite gifts to receive for Christmas.
When I was younger, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, Little Women, Brighty of The Grand Canyon, and The Little House on The Prairie series, were just a few of my favorite books.
By late elementary and middle school, I was obsessed with anything by Judy Blume or Agatha Christie, and in high school, I got swept away by Danielle Steele romances {gulp-guilty pleasure!}, plus a few classics ~ A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is still one of my all-time favorites. Have you read it??
Flash forward many, many years, and my love for books remains, although my tastes have changed a little…
Although I am still a sucker for any mystery or suspense novel, a la Gone Girl or The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, and I’ve {mostly} ditched romance novels, for historical fiction {Pope Joan, The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, and The Devil in The White City}.
I also enjoy biographies/autobiographies {recent reads include Wild and A Walk in the Woods}, and, as you might expect from a foodie dietitian, I have an ever so slight obsession with healthy cookbooks and self-help books these days.
(Are you on Goodreads? I’d love to connect with you!–> EA Stewart)
That being said, I had so much fun putting together my holiday gift guide for you with 25 healthy cookbooks & self-help books for you to give AND receive this holiday season!
Note: I have personally read most of these books, but not all of them. I owe a huge thanks to my fellow registered dietitian nutritionist friends and colleagues for their favorite book recommendations!
Best Healthy Cookbooks & Self-Help Books
Best Healthy Cookbooks |General Cooking & Cooking Techniques
1 The Vegetarian Flavor Bible by Karen Page & Andrew Dorenburg ~ My favorite “cookbook” that’s not a “cookbook” of the year.
(Read my Vegetarian Flavor Bible review to learn why I love this book so much!)
2 Yogurt Culture by Cheryl Sternman Rule. Recommended by Katie Sullivan Morford at Mom’s Kitchen Handbook, and a new favorite of mine!
3 & 4 Ancient Grains for Modern Meals & Simply Ancient Grains by Maria Speck ~ You won’t miss the meat with both of these gorgeous cookbooks featuring nourishing whole grains recipes {with many gluten-free options} by ancient grains guru, Maria Speck.
Best Healthy Cookbooks | Kids & Family
5 & 6 No Whine With Dinner & The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers by The Meal Makeover Moms My kids’ have loved everything they’ve cooked from these cookbooks, & I love how easy the recipes are!
(To make from their cookbook–> Meatloaf Muffins )
7 Best Lunch Box Ever by Kate Morford ~ Lots of fun and easy school lunch ideas your kids will love!
8 Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair. Recommended by dietitian, McKenzie Hall Jones.
9 Keepers: Two Home Cooks Share Their Tried-and-True Weeknight Recipes and the Secrets to Happiness in the Kitchen by Kathy Brennan & Caroline Campion. Recommended by Kate Sullivan Morford.
Best Healthy Cookbooks | Special Diet
10 Plant Powered for Life by Sharon Palmer ~ This is a fabulous cookbook & vegetarian reference book for anyone trying to get more plant-based meals in their diet!
(Read my review & get the recipe for the most delicious Black Bean Brownies.)
11 Fast and Simple Gluten-Free by Gretchen Brown ~ Everything I’ve made from this book is absolutely delicious, and, for the most part, easy to make too.
(Read my review & get the recipe for a family favorite recipe-Pear Dutch Baby!)
12 The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen ~ One of my all-time favorite vegetarian cookbooks, given to me by my best friend when I was just getting started in my nutrition career, the Moosewood Cookbook has been inducted into the James Beard Foundation Cookbook Hall of Fame!
13 The Oh She Glows Cookbook: Over 100 Vegan Recipes to Glow from the Inside Out by Angela Lidden. Recommended by Amy.
14 Street Vegan: Recipes & Dispatches from The Cinnamon Snail Food Truck by Adam Sobel. Recommended by Lara Felton, RDN.
15 The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl and Spoon: Simple and Inspired Whole Foods Recipes to Savor and Share by Sprouted Kitchen. Recommended by Lara Felton, RDN.
16 The 21-Day Tummy Diet Cookbook by Liz Vaccariello and Kate Scarlata, RD ~ Delicious low FODMAP recipes that I highly recommend to my IBS clients, and anyone else dealing with bloating and other digestive health symptoms.
(Read my review of The 21-Day Tummy Diet Cookbook.)
17 Natural Pregnancy Cookbook by Sonali Ruder ~ Nutrition tips and delicious recipes for a healthy pregnancy. Also recommended by Dixya Bhattarai at Food, Pleasure, & Health.
(Read my review of The Natural Pregnancy Cookbook.)
Best Healthy Cookbooks | Fun
18 Cocktails for Cougars and Cowgirls: Simple and Delicious Recipes for Every Woman by Jordan Catapano. Recommended by Liz at Shaw’s Simple Swaps.
19 Maple: 100 Sweet and Savory Recipes Featuring Pure Maple Syrup by Katie Webster ~ A “must read” for maple syrup lovers!
20 Near & Far: Recipes Inspired by Home and Travel by Heidi Swanson. Recommended by Katie Sullivan Morford.
Best Self-Help & Healthy Living Books
21 Slim By Design by Brian Wansink ~ Great tips and easy-to-implement changes to make you a more mindful eater.
(Read my review of Slim By Design & get Six Simple Weight Loss Tips~No Dietiting Involved!)
22 The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin ~ I bought this book last January, and, although I was already pretty happy, discovered lots of tidbits of wisdom and advice that I have happily {and successfully} implemented over the last year. Highly recommend!
23 Your 6-Week Guide to LiveBest. Simple Solutions for Fresh Food and Well-Being by Judy Barbe
24 The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo ~ Yes, I have the book. No, I have not read through all of it {yet}, but I did implement some of the tips to clean out my closet with much success! Also, recommended by Katie Morford Sullivan.
25 The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brene Brown