Healthy Cookbooks by Registered Dietitians

I hope you are enjoying this “Books by Registered Dietitians” series, and I hope you find this series to be an invaluable resource of nutrition information.

The next post in this series IS…

Best Healthy Cookbooks Written by Registered Dietitians

(Note: At the top of each post in this series, I have provided a description of what a dietitian is; therefore, if you have read any of the other posts in the series, you may want to skip down to the list portion.)

But First, You may be asking…

So what Exactly IS a Registered Dietitian, and why do I want to take note when a health and wellness book is written by a Registered Dietitian?

A registered dietitian, by definition, is considered the expert in the field of nutrition science. The term Registered Dietitian is actually different than a nutritionist. In fact, the term nutritionist is not a regulated term and has a more general meaning. The term registered dietitian, however, is regulated much like the terms doctor or lawyer. In other words, you are not allowed to call yourself a doctor unless you are a doctor, and you cannot call yourself a registered dietitian unless you have completed all the academic and professional requirements.

Requirements for Registered Dietitians

So what are the requirements? Is there some kind of certification you need to be a registered dietitians?

Actually, you cannot just get a certification to become a registered dietitian. Whereas there might be certifications available for nutritionists.

To become an RD you must:

  1. Complte a Bachelors Degree at a college accredited by the Commission of Accreditationof Dietetic Education.

Some of the required courses generally included are:

  • Microbiology
  • Medical Nutrition Therapy
  • Biology
  • Chemestiry
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Anatomy adn Physiology
  • Evidence Base Nutrition
  • Human Nutrition nand Metabolism
  • Nutrition Counseling
  • and much more

2. Complete 1200 hours of a competitive internship (The internship is usually completed in hospitals, community service agencies, medical clinics, etc)

3. Pass the CDR Exam

Just like a lawyer can’t practice law without passing an exam, an RD cannot become a registered dietitian without pasing the CDR.

4. By 2024, all registered dietitian will be required to have a Master’s degree as well. Many RD’s already do.

5. Must complete Continuing Education Units throughout their career to keep their registered dietitian credintials.

What to Look for in Health and Wellness Books

So you can see why it is a plus when a health and nutrition book is written by a registered dietitian. I want to preface here that just because a RD is considered the expert, doesn’t mean you can’t get great nutrition information and advice from non-dietitians. People who have a passion for nutrition or people who have discovered something that works for them can write insightful nutrition books. Many health and wellness enthusiasts have done extensive research on their own and have valuable information, ย but if you are getting advice from non-dietitians, I would recommend looking for the following:

  1. Are they getting their information from a Registered Dietitian? Are they seeing what multiple registered dietitians have to say about the topic before giving advice?
  2. Do they know when it is time to refer their clients to a registered dietitian? Many informed people have general nutrition knowledge, but when a client or customer needs medical nutrition therapy; then, a dietitian may be needed. Dietitians are trained in nutriton as it relates to diseases, drug-food interactions, tube feeding, enteral nutrition (nutrients through the veins), and various other medical conditions. These topics can get complicated and even be dangerous.

For example, someone may tell a client to eat more bananas because bananas are healthy, after all, BUT if a person has kidney failure and is on dialysis, too many bananas could put someone in the hosptial or worse!

So one final thought before we move on to the book lists. If a book is written by a non-RD, you may want to see if a registered dietitian has written a review about the book, recommended the book, or even written a forward for the book.

Nutrition books written by non-dietitians are not a deal breaker, by any means, but you can see why seeing that RD beside an author’s name in a nutrition book is a plus.

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Okay now for the good stuff…

The second list in this series is…

Healthy Cookbooks by Registered Dietitians

healthy cookbooks written by registered dietitians; healthy recipes for healthy eating and meal planning
Healthy Cookbooks written by registered dietitians

The Mindful Glow Cookbook: Radiant Recipes for Being the Healthiest, Happiest You

Abby Sharp makes nutrition so fun with her humorous, but informative nutrition videos and posts. Abby now has a new book out called “The Mindful Glow.” This beautiffuly done book includes so many delicious and healthy recipes, and the pictures are stunning!

The Nourishing Meal Builder

The Nourishing Meal Builder
Create anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, mood boosting, immune supportive meals that reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote cognitive function, focus, attention, and memory.

The Nourishing Meal Builder is a VERY different kind of cookbook, because it shows you how to create meals on the fly without using recipes or cookbooks at all. This ebook is provides a simple strategy to help you get nourishing, healing meals on the table without meal planning!

What’s included in The Nourishing Meal Builder?
-Lists of nutrients and foods that boost mood; promote cognitive function, focus, attention, alertness, and memory; support the immune system; aid in weight loss; and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, joint pain, and even seasonal allergy symptoms
-A simple Meal Plan Checklist
-A faith-based mindfulness and mindful eating guide
-Printable Meal Builder cards

Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals

Meal planning, weight loss, freezer meals ebook

This is actually my cookbook so of course I had to include it! This ebook is for busy parents who just can’t find the time to cook everyday, but still desperately want to eat healthy meals at home as a family. With this book, you learn how to efficiently cook once a month so that you can quickly and easily eat healthy every day. This ebook provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner freezer meal recipes as well as a complete grocery list.

The 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook: 101 Easy, Flavorful Recipes for Lifelong Health

The Mediterranean Diet is one of the healthiest ways to eat, and this book provides fantastic Mediterranean recipes that you can make in just 30 minutes!

Mediterranean Diet Cookbook For Dummies

Did I mention how healthy the Mediterranean Diet is? Here is another great Mediterranean Diet cookbooks written by a dietitian. And yes, it is one of the books in the popular “for Dummies” series.

Prevention Mediterranean Table: 100 Vibrant Recipes to Savor and Share for Lifelong Health

I think everyone should have at least one Mediterranean cookbook in their kitchen so I wanted to include yet another great option for you. This book has over 100 recipes!!! So you will have plenty of tasty recipes to try!

The Pescatarian Cookbook: The Essential Kitchen Companion

A Pescatarian is someone who eats fish and seafood, but not other meat. So if you are looking for delicious recipes that include ingredients like fish, whole grains, and healthy vegetables, then this book is perfect for you!


Rise and Shine: Better Breakfasts for Busy Mornings

Katie Sullivan had me at “busy mornings!” Figuring out what to cook for breakfast is no longer a challenge when you have this book in your kitchen! This book is another beauty. It is one of those that you actually want to leave out on your counter because it’s so pretty, and of course, the recipes are tasty as well!

The Essential Thyroid Cookbook: Over 100 Nourishing Recipes for Thriving with Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s

Thyroid issues can be a problem for many so I am so glad this very specific cookbook is available. Did you notice that this book has over 100 recipes!!!! Wow, that is a lot of ย awesome recipes!

The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club: Easy High Protein Recipes with 300 Calories or Less to Help You Lose Weight and Boost Metabolism

Here is another great breakfast cookbook. The recipes in this book have only 300 calories or less and are high in protein and delicious!

Nourish: Whole Food Recipes Featuring Seeds, Nuts and Beans

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to eat more seeds, nuts, and beans so this book is perfect! I cannot wait to try these amazing whole food recipes!

175 Best Superfood Blender Recipes: Using Your NutriBullet

I actually just purchased this one today! This book is half yummy recipes and half health information. The book includes 175 recipes for satisfying smoothies, dips, sauces, dressings, soups, and desserts. I cannot wait to try these recipes out!

Simply Fresh

This is another book I just love and use often!ย This is a great book for vegetarians or anyone looking for more delicious healthy plant-based meals.

The Essential Cancer Treatment Nutrition Guide and Cookbook: Includes 150 Healthy and Delicious Recipes

I love this cookbook because it is specifically written for cancer treatment. The book not only includes 150 recipes but also provides a nutritional guide as well.

Hypertension Cookbook For Dummies

The next two books are part of the well-known “For Dummies” series of books. Both the “Hypertention Cookbook for Dummies” and “The Glycemic Index Cookbook for Dummies” are written by dietitians and are full of great information and recipes!

Glycemic Index Cookbook For Dummies

Winter Whole Food Recipes

This unique ebook is a fun book to add to your collection. This inexpensive ebook includes 9 whole-food breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes perfect for those winter months! A grocery checklist is included!

Related Posts

Top Healthy Living Books Written by Registered Dietitians

Nutrition Books for Specific Conditions Written by Registered Dietitians

Childhood Nutrition Books Written by Registered Dietitians

Faith-Based Weight Loss Books and Courses (Dietitian approved)

ย Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals

Meal Prep & Meal Planning Books Written by Registered Dietitians

Holistic Health: Mind, Body, Spirit Books by Registered Dietitians

Books for Registered Dietitians by Registered Dietitians

Sports Nutrition Books written by Registered Dietitians

Weight Loss Books Written by Registered Dietitians

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Lacy Ngo

Lacy Ngo is a Registered Dietitian with a Masters in Human Nutrition. Lacy focuses on mindful eaitng and living and her blog provides over 400 nutrition and weight loss tips as well as inspiring faith stories

38 thoughts on “Healthy Cookbooks by Registered Dietitians”

  1. Such a great roundup! My husband has hypothyroidism and I had no idea there were cookbooks for that out there. Might have to pick one of those up.

  2. Wow, these look great! It somehow never occurred to me to look for cookbooks with an RD as the author, but it sure does make sense! We eat a lot of seafood, so I might need that Pescatarian one–thanks for the recommendations! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Awesome to see all the requirements for someone to become a registered dietitian. There are too many people out there that pawn themselves off as experts with no credentials to back it up

  4. Wow! This is a fabulous collection of healthy-food cookbooks! I already see 3 or 4 in there that I would love to have. It’s always great to discover new recipes and ideas to help keep our bodies feeling their best.

  5. The 30 minute Mediterranean diet cookbook is in my cart in Amazon! I DEFINITELY want that one. I mean any lifestyle change that is ok with wine in moderation is fine by me!

  6. Thank you for sharing! I am in the process of working on changing my diet for health reasons and these cookbooks will be really helpful!

  7. Thanks for sharing these recs! I’m really wanting to eat healthier this year so I’ve been on the hunt for some good recipe resources!

  8. I definitely need to look into some of these books as I need a lot of help when it comes to eating right! As I’ve recently had to cut out gluten, I am now lacking in even more nutrients than before, and my doctor has even referred me to see a dietician to help me out, which I’m really hoping it does. I really like the sound of your cookbook as I LIVE for freezer meals as I am quite lazy and love being able to grab a meal and just heat it up and eat it ๐Ÿ˜‚

    1. “Gluten-free Hassle Free” is a great gluletn free cookbook written by a registered dietitian. I feel you! Freezer meals have changed my life!

  9. My mom is a RD and I love that you discuss what it means and why the information they share holds weight – because they do know what they are talking about! It’s always good to go back to the source and carefully consider the advice we take for our health.

  10. This is so useful!
    I wanted to learn a little bit more about nutrition and how to cook the best meal possible. Thank for the cookbooks recommendations!

  11. I love flipping through cookbooks, no matter why they were written or who their audience is.

  12. I think more people with specific conditions need to follow the recommendations of diet from their Physicians and Registered Dieticians. The credibility definitely matters here.

  13. Holy smokes! I had no idea there was so much involved with being a RD! That being said, I really want to check some of these cookbooks out.

  14. This is an excellent resource! and not just for me, but one I’ll be happy to share with friends and family too. I love that you included what sets an RD apart from other nutrition coaches. Kudos!

  15. These are some awesome cookbooks listed here. You did an excellent job of rounding these up.I love the Mediterranean diet because of everything you get to eat. And I actually never knew how much went into being a dietitian. It’s very interesting to have all of this information now. Thank you for sharing! ๐Ÿ˜Š

  16. This post was right on time. I was just thinking about getting a nutritionist. Now I’m thinking an RD would be better. Also, I’m a pescatarian and loving the cookbook recommendation.

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