I’m a HUGE cookbook fan. I adore perusing through them on the couch at night and will often build my meal plan for the week from one but truth be told, I don’t have a huge collection. Having lived in a teeny-tiny unit for too many years and only just recently bought a house, space has always been an issue but there are a few cookbooks that are seriously ace. Being Christmas time and all, I want to share my top 5 healthy cookbooks for Christmas 2015 in hope that Santa reads it or you pick up a copy in the sales:
- Wholefood Baking – Jude Blereau
This book isn’t brand new, in fact it’s a few years old but it will never age. It's brilliant, all of Jude’s books are. Jude is the grandmother of wholefood cooking in Australia (I made it up but I'm sure she'd agree) and we share a very similar philosophy on food – eat real food and enjoy sugar and gluten if it works for you. I love her Wholefood Baking book and 90% of my special occasion cooking comes from this book. It’s the one you want for tasty, healthy kids party cakes and afternoon teas. Plus, it includes a huge amount of theory on how to bake and how to tweak different flours to cater for allergies. - Simplicious – Sarah Wilson
I’m a huge fan of Sarah’s work. I haven’t quit sugar (nor has she entirely but the kind of half way road / nothing processed, doesn’t have as good a marketing ring to it). This book is full of hacks for us mummas to use up leftovers, get more veg into the babes and make fermented food. It’s a beautiful book that is really fun to read. I can’t wait to start cooking from it in the new year. - A Healthy Lunchbox – Stacey Clare
This is my very own eBook and I had to include it because, well, I think it’s awesome. It has a bunch of quick recipes for the lunchboxes of the little (and big) ones that cover a broad range of allergies and use just real food. It’s unique in the lunchbox area because most of the recipes can be frozen in advance (hello easy mornings!). Grab it now and start introducing new lunches over the school holiday period so come Feb, they are family favourites. Or send it on to a friend, it's a lovely small gift that your friends will love. - It’s All Good – Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Turshen
Who knew Gwyneth was such a gun in the kitchen, huh? This is 100% my most favourite cookbook on the planet and one I’ve cooked nearly every recipe from. It’s a low sugar, no gluten and no dairy cookbook that is packed full of really yummy food that my whole family happily gobbles up. Whenever I am feeling a little ‘blah’, I do her detox meal plan for a few weeks and all is reset again. - The Wholesome Cook – Martyna Agnell
I left the best book until last. I only got this book a week ago and already there are a whole heap of post-its on pages that I need to cook from, ASAP. It’s unique because each recipe shows both how to cater for allergies and how to just cook as is. It has a ‘staples’ section where Martyna teaches you how to make buttermilk at home and tomato sauce that the babes are guaranteed to eat. The main meals are balanced and über family friendly. I think I'll love this one more than Gwyneth’s – it really is THAT good.
There are a few other books I really like but haven’t included, like Donna Hay’s new Life in Balance, The Healthy Chefs' Purely Delicious and Pete Evans’ Family Food but I want to hear which one you’re hoping to get your hands on? If you’ve just bought a new one, is it any good? Let me know in the comments section so I can add it to my list too.