Traipse through your local bookstore and you’ll find thousands of titles related to health, weight-loss, short-term diets, and long-term “remove all fun from eating” regimens.
Not to mention, you’ll see several covers featuring perfect bodies, which might be as demotivating as the prescriptions on the inside.
We’re going to suggest some books that return us to whole foods eating, which means you can eat healthy food and enjoy it too. Read one, read all, or just read the first and last page. We’re sure you’ll find something you like in each.
What to Eat by Marion Nestle
There is so much knowledge packed into this book, but don’t be intimidated by the 624 pages. Nestle, a nutrition professor, explains the fundamentals of the food industry in a way that is easy to understand and compelling. Want to know the behind-the-scenes of what you eat? Read this book.
Food Rules by Michael Pollan
You may have heard of Pollan’s other books, The Omnivore’s Dilemma or In Defense of Food.
Well, Food Rules is a concise version of all the good stuff found in those books, a no-nonsense guide to eating well. He lives by the mantra, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Pollan says eating doesn’t have to be complicated.
If you’re not much a reader, but want the meat (if you will) of his argument, read this one.
100 Days of Real Food by Lisa Leake
Leake and her family took on an adventure of eating, “real food in a processed food world.” After 100 days, they decided they felt better than ever.
If you’re looking for the how-to on eating whole foods, with recipes and advice, this is the one!
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
The tagline for this book says it all: “The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats.”
Fallon explains how foods and biology intersect to affect our health. This book has become a staple for natural-minded families.
Plus, Fallon is all about butter, and we all know butter makes everything better, right?
Vegetable Literacy by Deborah Madison
Don’t let the word “vegetable” turn you off. This is a fascinating read for those of us who think vegetables grow at the supermarket.
If you’re feeling a little illiterate in the knowing, growing, and cooking of veggies and herbs, check it out!
There you have it!
Some light reading for those of us that like food and don’t want another celebrity diet book.
And let it be known, the opinions and recommendations in these books are not a replacement for your doctor’s advice. One size doesn’t fit all, and that’s perfectly okay. Happy reading!