Well Plated

Recipes Tested: 13
Recipe Success: 12/13

Difficulty: Moderate
Ingredient Accessibility: Mostly accessible
Best For: Healthy eaters

I love food. I love cooking it. I love eating it. I love talking about it. I do not love my pants not fitting. So I’m always on the lookout for cookbooks that make good food that is also health conscious.

Fresh, Real Food: Have you ever picked up a “healthy eating cookbook” and just thought the recipes were… weird? Not so here. This book is pretty much the proteins and veggies you are used to, combined in ways that somehow feel both fresh and comfortable.

Helpful Hints: Throughout the book, you’ll find sidebars that really up the value of this book. Sections like Make Ahead and Storage Tips are helpful for planning and prepping meals, but I really love the Leftover Love tips. Anything that shows me how to cook once and eat twice is a win for me.

Organization: The Table of Contents doesn’t list the recipes, and sometimes you have to hunt for them in the Index. It’s a minor complaint, but it is something I notice every time I pull this cookbook out.

Sides: There are a lot of one-and-done recipes in this book. Most of them, in fact. But sometimes I like a little extra vegetable because you know… fiber and all that. The choices feel limited here and I wasn’t excited about any of them.

⭐ YFIF Favorite: Pork Carnitas with Pineapple
I’ll eat just about anything wrapped in an HEB Bakery flour tortilla, but pork carnitas are my favorite. This version has a ton of flavor, and as a bonus, you’ve got plenty of leftovers to get creative with. Crisping the meat in the oven took it up another level.

🧒 Kid-Approved: Every Day Apple-Cinnamon Pancakes
Sometimes healthier alternatives to classic dishes are just sad, especially gluten-free versions.. Not the case with these pancakes! They won’t fool you into thinking you’re eating a traditional pancake, but your mouth will be too happy to care.

✨ Almost Too Pretty To Eat: Caprese Chicken Skillet
Even I managed to make this dish look almost just like it does on the cover, and coming from me, that’s pretty impressive. Oh, and it tasted really good too.

😲 Surprise Hit: Italian Turkey Sausage Skillet with Farro, Greens and Beans
I don’t usually cook with farro, so this was a little outside my comfort zone.

Honorable Mentions: 5-Ingredient Maple Dijon Chicken, Asian Lettuce Wraps, Butternut Squash, Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

Didn’t Make the Cut: Sweet Potato Pizza Bites. (To be fair, I used a jarred pesto sauce and I think that was the problem. I’ll give them another shot with the book’s pesto recipe next time.)

Flip to the back: While I’m not a fan of the overall organization, there are two sections towards the back that you need to check out. Helpful Recipes Lists breaks down recipes by *how* you cook, with categories like “Great for Leftovers” and “One Pan Meals.” Suggested Menus put dishes together by occasion, taking some of the work out of planning.

Don’t wait for a party: Happy hour is my favorite email of the day because I love sharing a lot of little bites. Ain’t nothing wrong with combining 2-3 recipes from the Let’s Party section (definitely don’t sleep on the Honey Roasted Grape Crostini) and calling it dinner.

Buy! 

This is one of those cookbooks that’s good for just about anyone. Unless you are a super picky eater that hates vegetables, in which case you probably aren’t looking for healthy-eating cookbooks anyway.