9 cookbooks that’ll help you to eat more plants in 2023

This January, we’re on the search for quick, accessible hacks to kickstart 2023 in the strongest way possible. Today’s nutrition kickstarter: 9 recipe books for eating more plants in 2023.

2022 was the undisputed Year of the Gut. We learned that coffee is one of the best drinks you can consume for keeping the microbiome happy, more evidence emerged on the gut/brain axis, and as everyone started to fall ill again, some suggested that poor gut health might have an impact on everyday immunity. But there was one piece of advice that experts kept trying to hammer home: eat more plants. 

30 plants a week is now the gold standard of gut-friendly diets, with good practice circling around fibre diversity. It’s an easier goal than you think, once you realise that foods like spices and herbs all count towards it. 

But if you need a little more inspo, then this collection of plant-focused books should help. Whether you’re a vegan, veggie, flexitarian or simply looking to get a little more colour onto your plate, we’ve got you covered. Plant-based living is so much more than avocado on toast and smoothie bowls; look away from Instagram and you’ll find nutritionists and recipe developers from all over the world busy decolonising what veganism has become in recent years. 

So, grab your apron and your lunchbox and get ready to taste the rainbow.

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This protein-rich ma po tofu recipe makes for a light yet satisfying lunch

• Plantbased

  

  By Alexander Gershberg

  This book is one for plant-eaters looking to diversify what they do with veg. Inspired by Japanese and Israeli cooking techniques, these recipes aren’t complicated – they’re about making the most of simple, healthy ingredients. 

  Eight chapters are split into whole grains, legumes, root veg, sweet veg, sea veg, greens, preserving and fermenting, fruit and desserts.

  Buy Plantbased: 80 nourishing, umami-rich recipes from the kitchen of a passionate chef, Bookshop.com, £24.70

  Buy now

• Eating From Our Roots

  

  By Maya Feller

  Feller is a registered dietitian and nutritionist who focuses on real food-based solutions, homemade dishes and recipes from different cultures. 

  This book includes ideas from all over the place, including West African sweet potato and leek soup, Trinidadian salted cod, and Cajun gumbo. The aim of the game is to discover bright, flavourful, nourishing food that’s a far cry from the beige gunk many of us turn to.

  Buy Eating from Our Roots: 80+ Healthy Home-Cooked Favorites from Cultures Around the World: A Cookbook, £25

  Buy now

• Happy Skin Kitchen

  

  By Elisa Rossi

  We’re only just starting to understand the skin/gut axis, but what’s clear is that what we eat can have an impact on our skin health. 

  This book is based on Rossi’s own journey of fighting hormonal cystic acne, alongside the latest science-based research and input from nutritional experts. 

  Cheaper and probably better for you than swallowing a load of collagen.

  Buy Happy Skin Kitchen: A new plant-based cookbook with over 100 healthy recipes for better skin and a radiant complexion, £22.09

  Buy now

• Nourishing Vegan Every Day

  

  By Amy Lanza

  Looking for simple, healthy, whole-food grub that tastes decadent? These meal ideas range from upgraded overnight oats and cinnamon bun breakfasts to restaurant-ready sweet potato gnocchi.

  For anyone chasing fitness goals this year, the snack section is particularly good for fuelling post-office workouts. We recommend having a go at the no-bake chocolate muesli bars.

  Buy Nourishing Vegan Every Day: Simple, Plant-Based Recipes Filled with Color and Flavor, £19.99

  Buy now

• Broke Vegan: One Pot

  

  By Sam Dixon

  Eating vegan doesn’t have to mean spending a fortune down Planet Organic. These recipes all use supermarket staples while offering hints and tips for simplifying vegan cooking. 

  Bulk cook ‘midweek marvels’ like cauliflower, carrot and spinach dhal so you can reserve your energy for making a peanut butter and banana peel curry at the weekend.

  Buy Broke Vegan: One Pot, £12.99

  Buy now

• Dr Rupy Cooks: Healthy. Easy. Flavour

  

  By Dr Rupy Aujla
  

  When it comes to healthy eating, no one understands how complicated it can be like Dr Rupy. He previously told Stylist: “When people argue about diets online, it’s not really because they are wedded to the ideal body composition, it’s because they’re doing something that makes us deeply human.” He went on to talk about how easy it is to interpret nutritional studies in different ways to fit our own narrative. 

  So it’s just as well that the GP and food expert behind Doctor’s Kitchen has brought out his own recipe book that focuses on getting the maximum health benefits from food. 

  You’ll find vegan, veggie, gluten-free and nut-free recipes which have all been tried and tested by over 1,000 members of the public. 

  Buy Dr Rupy Cooks: Healthy. Easy. Flavour, £20

  Pre-order now

• Vegan Africa

  

  By Marie Kacouchia

  Plant milks, fake meat and avocado bars might still be new here, but veganism has a long, rich history in the global South. 

  Kacouchia’s book takes us on a journey through 13 different African countries, from Ghana to Ethiopia, looking at naturally plant-based dishes. If (West) African cuisine only means jollof rice to you, this book is going to be a must-read. 

  Buy Vegan Africa: Plant-Based Recipes from Ethiopia to Senegal, £19.77

  Buy now

• Japan: The Vegetarian Cookbook

  

  By Nancy Singleton Hachisu

  If you think Japanese cuisine revolves around fish, you might need to think again. The country is home to one of the healthiest and longest-living communities in the world – where plants such as sweet potatoes feature heavily. 

  This tome contains over 250 vegetarian recipes which are divided by cooking style: dressed, pickled, grilled, stir-fried, sweet, simmered, steamed and more. Plant-based cooking has never had so many options. 

  Buy Japan, The Vegetarian Cookbook, £39.95

  Buy now

Images: courtesy of publishers

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