10 Healthy Cookbooks for Easy Family Meals

Do you love feeding your family fresh, healthy meals but don’t love the idea of time-consuming meal prep? We’ve rounded up 10 terrific healthy cookbooks for easy family meals. If you have a busy family, one thing is for sure. You need recipes that are easy-to-make, require simple ingredients, and keep the family satisfied day after day.

If you prefer, you can view this entire list of cookbooks and others on our Amazon Shop with detailed descriptions. 

1.

The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook: Simple Family-Friendly Recipes for Everyday Home Cooking by Mary Younkin

This smart cookbook helps you prepare healthy family meals using the time you have available. Recipes include delicious main dishes and sides. Recipes are categorized by cooking time including convenient slow cooker meals. With limited time, you can get fresh, palate-pleasing meals on the table in no time.  Buy it on Amazon.

2.

The Plant Paradox Family Cookbook: 80 One-Pot Recipes to Nourish Your Family Using Your Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or Sheet Pan by Dr. Steven R Gundry MD

Based on the original book by Dr. Gundry (The Plant Paradox), this cookbook details how to help children thrive in a low-lectin diet for a healthier microbiome. This cookbook lays out over 80 recipes that make cooking for a family a breeze using the Instant Pot, pressure cooker, and slow cooker. Concerned about your family’s gut health? This cookbook is a must-read. Buy it on Amazon.

3.

The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook: 500 Vibrant, Kitchen-Tested Recipes for Living and Eating Well Every Day by America’s Test Kitchen

This lovely cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen brings you over 500 delicious recipes from the Mediterranean Diet. The recipes emphasize fruits and vegetables, beans and lentils, whole grains, lean proteins (seafood, chicken & meat) and heart-healthy olive oil. Ingredients are high-quality, fresh, simple, and recipes are easy-to-prepare – even for a quick weeknight dinner for the family. Buy it on Amazon. 

4.

Half Baked Harvest Super Simple: More Than 125 Recipes for Instant, Overnight, Meal-Prepped, and Easy Comfort Foods by Tieghan Gerard

Are you a home cook who is pressed for time or maybe you’re brand new to cooking? The recipes in this cookbook are simple, manageable, and quick. In this book, you’ll discover delicious ideas for one-pot meals, night-before meal prep, slow cooker recipes, and a few Instant Pot® meals. Your whole family will love the Lobster Tacos, Fresh Corn and Zucchini Summer Lasagna, and Slow Roasted Moroccan Salmon to name a few? Use these recipes as a guide for creating stress-free dinners your family will love. Buy it on Amazon. Lobster Tacos to share with your family, or plan stress-free dinner parties with options like Slow Roasted Moroccan Salmon and Fresh Corn and Zucchini Summer Lasagna. Buy it on Amazon.

5.

The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook: A Fresh Guide to Eating Well With 700 Foolproof Recipes by America’s Test Kitchen

You don’t have to be vegetarian or vegan to benefit from this cookbook. Most families are not eating adequate amounts of vegetables every day. This broad collection of flavorful vegetarian recipes is what you need to get more “greens” on your family dining table. Recipes include main vegetable dishes, rice and grains, legumes, as well as snacks soups, appetizers, and creative salads. There are over 300 recipes with beautiful images throughout. If you’ve been wondering how to add more veggies to your family’s diet, this cookbook is for you. Buy it on Amazon.

6.

100 Days of Real Food: How We Did It, What We Learned, and 100 Easy, Wholesome Recipes Your Family Will Love by Lisa Leake

This beautifully illustrated cookbook is not just an eye-pleaser but is also filled with step-by-step instructions to walk you through preparing whole food family-friendly meals. This family cookbook leaves nothing out and includes meal plans and kid-friendly lunch, party, and snack ideas. As a bonus, Lisa shares advice for smart grocery shopping, reading labels, and more. Buy it on Amazon.

7.

The Healthy Family Cookbook: 100 Fast and Easy Recipes for the Whole Family by Brittany Poulson MDA RDN CDE

This cookbook has delicious and easy meals for everyone in the family. Recipes are organized into categories like One-Pot, 15-Minute, and 5-Ingredient to help make cooking faster. And there are recipes for every dietary preference including dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegetarian. Happy cooking! Buy it on Amazon.

8.

Plant Based Diet in 30 Minutes: 100 Fast & Easy Recipes for Busy People by Ally Lazare

Many of us fall into a vicious cycle of takeout because the idea of cooking after a long day of work is overwhelming. This cookbook makes cooking a breeze with balanced, fresh, and whole food plant-based recipes that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. And many recipes require only one pot!

The author also shares information on the health benefits of a plant-based diet, essential kitchen tools, top ingredients and tips for buying in bulk, how to make your own homemade staples, and meal prep advice.

9.

The Fresh and Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook: 75 Easy Recipes for Light Meals to Make in Your Electric Pressure Cooker by Megan Gilmore

This family-friendly cookbook includes recipes that use easy-to-find, whole-food ingredients for simple weeknight meals using the Instant Pot, an electric, programmable multicooker. All recipes include gluten-free options, vegan or vegetarian substitutions, and are free of refined sugar and many of the most common food allergens. Your family will be able to follow a healthy diet while enjoying favorites like Korean Chicken Bowls – Yum! Buy it on Amazon.

10.

The Truly Healthy Family Cookbook: Mega-nutritious Meals that are Inspired, Delicious and Fad-free by Tina Ruggiero

Are you confused about what to feed your family? Written by a Registered Dietitian, this cookbook gives answers adopting the healthiest aspects of the latest nutritional approaches. The book includes 120 unique, nutritious recipes that use fresh, tasty, real food ingredients, and are simple to prepare. You’ll love making Crustless Mini-Quiche with Goat Cheese, Thai Salmon Sliders; Stuffed Chicken with Herbed Ricotta and Kale, Homemade Date and Almond Muffins, and Fruited Yogurt Brulee and Chocolate Chip Angel Food with Ganache – to name a few. Your family will be rushing to family meals! Buy it on Amazon.

How to Choose a Healthy Cookbook

So, there you have it. This is our top 10 list of healthy cookbooks for easy family meals. But how do you decide which one to purchase? Here are a few tips of what to consider when buying a new cookbook to make healthy meals for your family.

Look at the Recipes

Just as you might scan the table of contents before purchasing a self help book, when deciding to invest in a cookbook take a look at the list of recipes (which are usually in the table of contents). Are the recipes family-friendly? Do the steps look like someting you can execute in the amount of time you have for preparing meals, or do the instructions look long and time-consuming? While some of the recipes might includer more steps, the aim for easy family meals is to look for recipes that take the least amount of time while providing your family with nutritous meals.

Look for Lifestyle or Educational Content

Many cookbooks provide more than just recipes. If you’re new to meal planning or cooking, you might benefit from books that include education about ingredients or cooking methods. 

Check out the Required Equipment

There are many cookbooks that focus on using one particular cooking method or appliance such as baking in the oven, using a slow cookers, or cooking with an electric pressure cookers. And look at the other required equipment to ensure you have the comfort level with using these tools and are willing to make the investment to purchase them.

Choose the Right Format

Do you enjoy following a recipe in a digital cookbook on your device or do you enjoy having a hardcover cookbook that you can prop up on your countertop. Cookbooks come in a variety of formats, so choose the one(s) that work best for you.