Thanks to The Healthy Cook Kate Sherwood, the CSPI test kitchen is among the cheeriest places on Earth—and you can give a gift that makes your loved ones’ home kitchens just as bright and nourishing. Here’s our 2023 cookbook gift guide, featuring something for everyone on your list—just in time for holiday shopping season.
 

A cookbook makes a great gift

Whether you’re shopping for a new cook or a seasoned chef, there’s no such thing as too many cookbooks. There is such a thing as too few, though, so grab one or a few for everyone on your list. Here are our favorite books by NutritionAction’s resident chef, The Healthy Cook Kate Sherwood, who creates simple, flavorful, veggie-forward recipes for every day of the year. 

It’s always soup season

Soup is a year-round favorite for a reason: It’s simple to make, easily customized for what’s on hand, and can be a light meal for hotter days or a hearty meal all its own in colder months. Not only are these recipes lick-the-bowl delicious, they are also packed with vegetables, beans, and lentils. And Kate shows you tricks—Creamy Vegetable Soup (shown) without cream, Chicken Tortilla Soup using a store-bought rotisserie chicken—that help boost your (or your gift recipient’s) soup game.

Available in print and digital in the NutritionAction store: The Healthy Cook’s Kitchen: Soup

A bean feast every week

We love the whole array of legumes, and we know you (and your giftees!) will too with nine of Kate’s favorite bean and lentil recipes—from Spicy Black Bean and Avocado Stuffed Tomatoes (shown) to Warm Black Lentils in Tomato-Garlic Sauce. The Italian Bean & Vegetable Soup alone is worth the price of admission.

Available in print and digital in the NutritionAction store: The Healthy Cook’s Kitchen: Beans & Lentils

Salad for supper? You bet

You may think you already know how to make a top-notch salad—and maybe you do!—but these main dish salads really can’t be beat. Bonus: Master the collection’s nine dressings, and you (and the lucky recipient of your gift) will never suffer through a boring salad again.

Available in print and digital in the NutritionAction store: The Healthy Cook’s Kitchen: Main Dish Salads

Tour the world

Maybe chicken isn’t always the most exciting protein, but maybe that’s because you don’t have Kate’s poultry tour de force—a trip around the world with chicken recipes that evoke the flavors of Morocco (Chicken Tagine), India (Indian Chicken Stir-Fry, shown), Lebanon (Chicken Kebabs with Tahini Sauce), Mexico (Chicken Mole), and more. The perfect gift for an adventurous eater and traveler: Easy to prepare. Full of vegetables. Delicious. No passport necessary.

Available in print and digital in the NutritionAction store: The Healthy Cook’s Kitchen: Chicken

No more run-of-the-mill grains

Rice, barley, quinoa—the Healthy Cook knows how to make them all shine. Kate stretches grains with the good stuff. Think veggie fried rice, mushroom pilaf, fruity tabouli, sesame noodles tossed with carrots. Mmm. You get a more nutritious, colorful, flavorful dish...along with a satisfying portion. Win-win. Happy gifting!

Available in print and digital in the NutritionAction store: The Healthy Cook’s Kitchen: Whole Grains

Plant-based for the planet

Whether you’re making the move to plant-based proteins or someone on your gift list wants to shake up their vegetarian dinner rotation, this is where to begin. From Ginger Sesame Tofu & Snow Peas (shown) to Butternut & Tempeh Salad to Palak Tofu, chef Kate Sherwood shows you how to turn two soy-based superstars into scrumptious dishes that are better for you…and for the planet. (You won’t believe the Miso Tempeh Fried Rice!)

Available in print and digital in the NutritionAction store: The Healthy Cook’s Kitchen: Tofu & Tempeh

Veggies all year ‘round

Spring and summer’s vegetables dazzle. Think asparagus, snap peas, baby bok choy. In Spring & Summer Vegetables, Kate works her veggie magic in dishes like Rainbow Carrot Salad (shown), Roasted Ratatouille, and Zucchini “Butter”! Mmm. But Fall & Winter Vegetables are no less spectacular…at least not when they’re in the hands of chef Kate Sherwood. Beet Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette. Cauliflower & Butternut Curry. Orange-Maple Brussels Sprouts. Broccolini with Garlic Sauce. Eat seasonally and well with this dynamic duo. Gift the pair for a full year of timely, fresh vegetable delights. 

Available in print and digital in the NutritionAction store: The Healthy Cook’s Kitchen: Spring & Summer Vegetables and The Healthy Cook’s Kitchen: Fall & Winter Vegetables

Get hooked on seafood

Experts recommend eating fish or seafood once or twice a week, so wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a collection of simple, scrumptious, and healthy recipes in the tank? That’s where we come in! The Healthy Cook shares some of her favorite recipes. How does Poached Provencal White Fish Sound? Or Snapper Tacos with Avocado Salsa? Or Orange-Ginger Salmon (shown)? We thought so.

Available in print and digital in the NutritionAction store: The Healthy Cook’s Kitchen: Seafood

More meatless mains 

Trying to eat more plant-based meals? Never know what to make for vegetarian dinner guests? Veggie Nice gives you a month’s worth of meatless main-dish recipes. Try the Yellow Split Pea & Spinach Stew. Or the Pepper, Onion, & Sweet Potato Frittata. They’re good for you… and their flavor will knock your giftee’s socks off.

Available in print and digital in the NutritionAction store: Veggie Nice! Plant-based main dishes from The Healthy Cook

Inspired ideas every month

Say hello to your new favorite stocking stuffer. Every gorgeous photo in Good Foods 2024 will whet your appetite for delicious, healthy food. And the simple mini-recipe below each photo, from The Healthy Cook, will help you turn that month’s star into the star of your dinner table. At 16˝ x 11˝ when hanging, Good Foods 2024 is perfect for home or office. It also makes a delightful gift that inspires healthy eating all year long. Bonus: The 2024 Good Foods Calendar is priced right for gifting to everyone, with discounts on orders of two or more. 

Order now from the NutritionAction store: 2024 Good Foods Calendar