One Chef’s Take onHealthy Eating

In this gorgeously photographed cookbook, the author shares what he sees as healthy and nutritious recipes. Since he is a chef and has been one for a long time, this book does not fit neatly into any one box. While it has recipes that fit specific diets—like gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, and vegan (and he does mark them as such)—it also has recipes outside those bounds, including ones with meat (even some unusual ones like bison). However, the book is mostly vegetarian friendly with a big nod to vegan preferences, like the amazing-sounding Vegan Soubise. The author grew up with Indian cuisine as a first-generation American with Indian parents, and he has worked in or consulted with a variety of restaurants. All of these experiences influence this eclectic mix of recipes. You'll certainly see Indian flavors and techniques, of course, as well as Italian and Mexican ingredient and spice combinations. As the author is a professional chef, most of the recipes are more complicated than you typically see in cookbooks written by home cooks. But some flavor combinations sound amazing--and therefore worth the work. If you accept the idea that healthy food could include a broad range of fruits, vegetables, grains, and lean meats, you will likely enjoy this diverse set of recipes.

I just briefly scrolled through the ARC of Good For You and saw SO many recipes I want to try! There are some really excellent tips and cooking techniques mentioned too. I’m planning to pick up a copy of this book for my shelves because it seems like one I would use frequently. My husband is gluten and dairy free and I’m always looking for new recipes to try. 4 stars!

Good For You
by Akhtar Nawab

A very nice cookbook for anyone looking for some new healthy recipes. Some are more complex than others. A bit too seafood-forward for me.

Sadly, I was not able to read this book. I didn't realize that I couldn't do a Kindle download when I requested this title. So very sorry.
Because I couldn't read it I will give it 3 stars to try to be fair.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Chronicle Books for providing me with an early e-copy of this cookbook in exchange for an honest review. Good for You is out August 11.

Chronicle consistently puts out beautifully designed cookbooks with fantastic, clearly written recipes, and Akhtar Nawab’s Good for You is no different. These recipes, which range from creating your own pantry staples like tomato sauce, to Mexican-Indian fusion dinner entrees, are friendly for the (fairly experienced) home chef and, from the recipes I’ve tried, are absolutely delicious! I love both Mexican and Indian inspired cuisines, so Nawab’s use of the flavors of those two styles really worked for me. I also appreciate the inclusion of dietary restrictions (many of the recipes are vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, or a mixture of several of those things), and all appear to be relatively healthy while still maintaining their flavor.

The recipes are also organized in a nice way and the instructions are clear as to what to do. I also really appreciate the tips and explanations of terminology throughout the cookbook—I always find those types of things so helpful! Finally, I loved the use of photography and space in the spreads of this cookbook—many two-pages spreads are a single photo of the dish with the recipe overlayed on top, which was nicely done. I can’t wait to see how they look in the print version!

I'm a a beginner cook and an in need of dire help in the kitchen! I flipped through the recipes and thought they seemed manageable and interesting from my POV. Excited to try them out!

I was excited when I read the description for Good For You. It promised 100 recipes for gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan diets. What I found instead was few vegetarian recipes. Most of the mains were meat based and the promise of vegetarian recipes is what drew me to the book. Usually I can doctor the meat dishes to make them veg but these recipes don’t really lend themselves to that very well.
I was also confused by the cuisine. The book doesn’t seem to have one cohesive theme. Overall, there were some nice photos but not many recipes that caught my eye.

Ok...the cover is straight up eye catching... my love for asparagus. Gluten free, dairy free is my thing but this cookbook is certainly not for beginners but still mouth wateringly beautiful. Pictures galore of some exquisite looking recipes.

What did I like? 100 recipes but this book had some amazing pictures. I’m almost scared to make any of these recipes...afraid that I won’t be able to come close to these amazing pictures. The author boasts Mexican, Indian, and Italian dishes .... and a gluten free bread that caught my eye. Not to mention the gorgeous salsa’s.

Would I recommend or buy? These are some amazing recipes.... if you know or love exquisite dining recipes...this would be a go to book. I have several friends who adore cookbooks and this would be a wonderful cook for any aspiring cook or chef.

I received a copy and this is my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this cookbook. There was some great information on eating healthy yet flavourful foods. I also liked the tips that were tacked on to some recipe pages. There was a good variety of recipes and range of ingredients, as well. The photographs were beautiful and made me want to cook everything.

I am so glad to receive this book just before the July 4th holiday. It allowed me time to try out a few of the recipes over the weekend. I tried the cardamom almond milk, black lentils, and gluten-free bread.

Cardamom Milk

While the cardamom almond milk recipe suggests letting it cool and having it over ice, but I made some chocolate cake and flavors of the milk was a beautiful blend with the cake. Make sure to have a sieve though. I didn't have one so I kept my handheld mixer in the pot longer and found a way to strain the liquid. I plan to make this again and try it as a frappe.

Black Lentils
If you want your house to smell like a chef is at work in your kitchen, then make the black lentils. The aroma as I toasted the seasonings filled the apartment and increased my anticipation to try the dish. The book's recipe doesn't tell you how to toast the seasonings, but I simply put all of the seasonings on a small sheet of aluminum foil, heated the oven at 350 Fahrenheit, mixed the seasonings, and let them sit in the oven for 5-7 minutes before adding them to the blender with the other ingredients. While working on the recipe, I did get confused when I wasn't sure whether the canned tomatoes called for 14.5 ounces of whole tomatoes or 28 ounces. It tells you to put 4 cans in but doesn't indicate the volume. I used three 28-ounce cans and based on the picture it appeared to be too much. So I would suggest two 28-ounce cans or four 14.5 ounce cans. Hopefully, the publishers can make an update. While working on the recipe, I didn't use a blender, I just relied on my food processor. Ultimately the lentils were delicious. The extra can reduced the power of the seasonings just a bit and made it more of a soup. Regardless, it had a restaurant style flavor, which makes it great for at-home date nights. This will likely become a staple in our home.

Gluten-free Bread
Last but not least, the gluten-free bread. As soon as I tasted the bread I thought to myself, "uh oh. I ran out of ingredients to make another one." I knew I would have to make another one right away because my husband would devour it. One small slice is sufficient because its rich with flavor. It's the perfect bread to have out just before your main meal. I say all this even after forgetting to include one important ingredient: the cider vinegar. It wasn't really missed, although when I took the bread out of the oven it seemed to deflate a bit. So, don't forget the cider vinegar, but if you do it won' t be too problematic. Also be prepared to make more.
I've learned from reviewing recipe books that the first time you try the recipe you are bound to make a mistake or forget something, but your attempts will help you to eventually master the recipe that meets your perfection.

So, I'm really excited to try these recipes again. and explore more recipes within the book.

I love the premise behind this cookbook- tasty but healthy (mostly) vegetable dishes. I liked that the main focus of the book is flavorful but good for you. I absolutely love that the author takes flavors from all over the world and put them all into one book. That helps to keep things interesting in the kitchen! I am particluarly excited to try some of the more healthy versions of Indian dishes that were included. There were a couple of chicken dishes included but for the most part this was vegetarian heavy with tons of gluten free recipes. I am excited to go through the cookbook and try out many of these recipes!

I have been vegan for a few months now and found Good For You to be an excellent cookbook for meal inspiration. Every recipe is labeled as Gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian or vegan... a majority of them will hit three out of four of those (instead of just one, like many cookbooks do). I found every recipe appealing and excited to try them all... The photography is beautiful and definitely played a role in loving this book. Enjoyed making the Cauliflower Rice Biryani. Making Black Chickpeas with Lentils and Spinach next. Definitely worth purchasing for your healthy cookbook collection!

Good for You by Akhtar Nawab provides recipes that are Either Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, or Vegetarian, or a combination thereof.

It starts with a section of Foundations which includes recipes for tomato paste, homemade mayo, and a Vegan Soubise which will mimic cream in savory sauces.

The breakfast section is a little underwhelming for me as there are a lot of smoothie recipes, granola, and pancakes, but the Poblano Shatsuka Eggs and Egg Tostadas did catch my attention.

Sandwiches, Salads , Soups, Stews, Desserts and Dinner follow in additional chapters. The recipes and ideas are fantastic and use vegetables and spices in creative ways. The Desserts section is a little limited.

Some of the Gluten Free and Dairy Free recipes do have meat in them but the majority of the recipes do not.

The chapter on Aiolis, Dressings, Salsas, and Chutneys includes a Raisin Salsa, Lemony Vinaigrette, Paleo Thousand Island Dressing, and a Caesar dressing that is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Vegan.

If you follow one of the above ways of eating or just want to incorporate some of of it into your diet in delicious and healthy ways, you will enjoy this book.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers and Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

I will need to pick up a copy to read the recipes better because they look delicious and fairly easy to prepare!

This cookbook will be welcomed by those who are gluten and/or dairy free, vegetarian, and/or vegan, or some combination of the above.  Those with no particular dietary commitment may also enjoy the many delicious sounding recipes to be found within this title.


There are 100 recipes in all.  Beside each one is information about the kind of recipe it is, for example GF for gluten free.  The first chapter on foundations includes recipes for mayo, marinades, pastas and more.  Following this are recipes for each meal of the day as well as sides, desserts, and various chutneys, aiolis and more.


So many recipes to choose from but I will take just one from each category.  These recipes include pumpkin protein pancakes, Yuba noodle salad with ginger dressing and raw vegetables, smoked fish chowder,  fish tacos with pistachio mole; roasted sweet potatoes with coconut oil and tandoori masala, rice pudding with fig puree and vanilla,  and mango chutney.


The directions could be followed and the photos made me hungry.  What more couldyou ask for ?


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honestr eview.

The illustrations in this cookbook are beautiful and enticing and the accompanying text was interesting. However, recipes with so many ingredients - and some of the ingredients are hard to find in an everyday grocery store - are just too complicated and time consuming .

Looking through the cookbook these might not be your everyday recipes though even if they sound tasty. Nevertheless, there is more to this cookbook than recipes. You’ll find some other important and interesting cooking details. It will help when creating recipes as well as with preparing. I enjoy some of the cooking advice provided by this cooking expert to help us get the best flavors when cooking. It is also nice to have a variety of international flavors with the recipes included. Some of the interesting recipes include fish tacos, gazpacho with poached shrimp and -chicken tinga. I think you get the idea. This is a well developed cookbook and if you want more divine recipes then this is a cookbook for you. You will find recipes for making some things you might usually purchase to use on a weekly or in some houses a daily basis, such as mayo. If you are looking for such recipes that are healthy too with a variety of diet choices then this is the cookbook for you.

Good For You: Bold Flavors with Benefits by Akhtar Nawab is the perfect cookbook for adventurous eaters and home cooks. The design, layout, and photos in the book are stunning, and the recipes seem just as well-crafted. There's influence from a number of different cultures and cuisines, and tons of vegetarian and gluten-free options as well. There's everything from sauces to smoothies; desserts, entrees and more with innovative flavor profiles and emphasis on eating fresh, whole foods.
I've bookmarked a number of recipes that I'll be making soon!
Many thanks to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the Advance Copy

Good For You by Akhtar Nawab

This book is not as much plant based as the description implies. There are several recipes involving meat. There is a wide variety of recipes however most of the entrees involve lean animal based proteins. Beautiful photographs sprinkled throughout. The text is in a lighter font which might be harder for some to read.

This is a beautiful cookbook. Dairy, Vegan and Gluten free. The photography is fantastic. I found recipes I've never seen before, like Pho bone broth and a beef marinade I can't wait to try.