5 Cookbooks for Spring Clean Eating

The Clean 20: 20 Foods, 20 Days, Total Transformation, by Ian K. Smith M.D.
It is said that it takes twenty-one days to break a habit—some people prefer to ease into a lifestyle change, making one meal a day clean or one a week. But for those who love to go cold-turkey, look no further than The Clean 20: 20 Foods, 20 Days, Total Transformation. By day twenty-one, new eating habits will be well underway. Dr. Smith explains with delightful simplicity the various philosophies behind clean eating and breaks it down into building meals around twenty basic foods. With shopping lists and menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the book gives the home cook the added break of not having to think of what to plan for three weeks. Recipes include scrumptious dishes like Herb-Encrusted Grilled Tuna Steak, Turkey & Three Amigos Chili, and Lemon Pasta with Chicken.

Clean Soups: Simple, Nourishing Recipes for Health and Vitality, by Rebecca Katz, Mat Edelson
Cold and rainy weather has the belly craving comfort foods, often leading to faster and more filling choices. Soups are a great way to not only fill a warm belly, but to make a simple, nourishing, budget-friendly, clean mean. Culinary Translator, Rebecca Katz, uses her scientific expertise to bring healthful meals to every table. In this book, the author focuses on soups, sharing delicious recipes like Greek Cucumber Yogurt Soup, Hot and Sour Shiitake Mushroom Soup, and Caramelized Onion Soup with Pastured Bean Broth.

Nourished Beginnings Baby Food: Nutrient-Dense Recipes for Infants, Toddlers and Beyond Inspired by Ancient Wisdom and Traditional Foods, by Renee Kohley
Bringing a baby into the world comes with a world of choices—one of the first being, what in the world do you feed the little one? While an infant isn’t expecting Michelin-starred dishes, it’s satisfying to feed them thoughtful recipes. But creating separate lunches for grown ups and kids can be a hassle, which is why Renee Kohley simplifies her meal plan: cook delicious, clean meals for parents that are blender-friendly for babies. This book isn’t a clean eating book per se, but aligns with many of the ideas of clean eating. Little and big humans alike can enjoy Zucchini & Marrow with Bone Broth, Butter Roasted Potatoes with Kale, and Peas with Bone Broth, Butter, and Sea Salt.

Choosing Raw: Making Raw Foods Part of the Way You Eat, by Gena Hamshaw
Gena Hamshaw, nutritionist, author, recipe developer, and the blogger behind the popular vegan food blog, The Full Helping, offers up meal ideas that are plant-based and raw, saving two birds with one bowl. The dishes are tasty and visually appealing, but best of all, the raw focus means less time spent in the kitchen over a hot stove. Hamshaw opens up about her eating disorder, and consequently the book refreshingly steers away from diet and extreme food habits, instead choosing to focus on individualized health choices. Delight the taste buds with Hemp Seed Power Balls, Raw Corn Chowder, and Raw Key Lime Pie.

The Plantpower Way, by Rich Roll and Julie Piatt
If you were going to run five Ironman triathlons, like in a row, you would prep by eating an Olympic-pool-sized serving of fettuccine, right? Wrong, if you’re Rich Roll, renowned ultra-distance athlete, vegan, motivational speaker, father of four, and, now cookbook author. Eight years ago, at age 40, Roll had an epiphany. He completely overhauled his nutrition and life, lost 50 pounds, and became one of the world’s “fittest men.” Now, with his wife, chef Julie Piatt, Roll offers a peek into his family’s lifestyle and reveals the nutritional route to rocking middle age: a clean, vegan diet. With a foreword by CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the book is truly an inspiration and a wake-up call. More than 120 recipes served in the Roll-Piatt home are rounded out with personal insights, sustainability considerations, and tips on techniques like sprouting and fermentation.
 
What clean eating cookbooks have you enjoyed?