Plant-Based Dining
There are vegetarians. There are flexitarians. And now there are reducetarians, who are looking to reduce their consumption of meat, eggs and dairy. In The Reducetarian Cookbook (Center Street, 2018), authors Brian Kateman and Pat Crocker share 125 easy-to-prepare plant-based recipes. According to Kateman, eliminating at least 10 percent of the meat from our diets leads to health benefits, including possible weight loss and a healthier heart. Recipes run the gamut, from dishes like Rainbow Vegetable Soup to Vegan Cheesy Queso and Shakshuka-Style Tempeh.
Get-Fit Eating
In their new book Coconuts & Kettlebells (William Morrow, 2018), “Well-Fed Women” podcasters Noelle Tarr and Stefani Ruper have created a whole-body food and fitness plan that teaches women how to make educated decisions about food and managing health for the long term. Along with 75 recipes—like a Raspberry-Coconut Smoothie Bowl, Cilantro-Lime Turkey Burgers, and Chicken and Sage Meatballs—Tarr and Ruper offer a four-week, 2,000-calories-a-day meal plan catered to your body’s needs, complemented by a fun fitness regimen.
Meals for Less
Former Southern Living editor Julie Grimes learned her first lessons in economics and budgeting while working on her family farm, harvesting and selling homegrown veggies. “Making delicious, healthy, affordable meals for your family doesn’t require expensive ingredients,” she writes in her new cookbook, $10 Dinners (Oxmoor House, 2018). Grimes presents more than 100 meat, poultry, seafood and meatless recipes that serve four to eight, all with ingredients costing less than $10. There’s White Chicken Pizza for $6.05, Korean-Style Beef Tacos for $9.68, and Winter Squash and Chickpea Stew for $6.53.
Recipe Playlist
To country-music icon Martina McBride, cooking and singing aren’t all that different. “When I make something delicious, I want to share it, which is a lot like sharing my music with an audience,” she says. “Cooking is my love language.” In her cookbook Martina’s Kitchen Mix (Oxmoor House, 2018), McBride shares more than 150 of her favorite dishes, passed down from relatives or tested by McBride herself. Recipes include Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette, Grilled Sweet Peppers with Goat Cheese and Herbs, and Fresh Apple Cake with Homemade Caramel Sauce.