The Conscious Kitchen

The Conscious Kitchen is a great beginners guide to seasonal plant-based eating and low-waste. The recipes are good and doable. The food preservation techniques are enlightening. I also appreciated the food storage and organization ideas.

The Conscious Kitchen is for everyone who wish to be more conscious about their habits and do their part preserve the Earth. It is an important book, and even you pick it up for upgrading your kitchen game, this is a wonderful resource with great insights.

I received an ARC of this cookbook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This cookbook is filled with interesting, creative recipes that are good for the Earth and good for you!

As someone who has followed Immy Lucas for years, I was thrilled to see that she published a new book. While I’m not vegan and don’t plan to be in the near future, I am interested in adopting a more frugal and mindful approach to food, including incorporating more plant-based recipes into our diet. That being said, I believe this book offers something for everyone, even those who don’t exclusively follow a plant-based lifestyle.

I was especially pleased to find an entire chapter dedicated to fermenting and preserving food, as it’s something I’ve been wanting to try myself—though I feel a bit embarrassed, given that I come from a culture with a long history of food preservation. The book also includes multiple chapters focused on seasonal eating, offering a variety of recipes to suit all tastes. Additionally, I appreciated the chapter on reducing food waste.

Following Immy’s content over the years has shifted how I think about food. Her work inspired me to start small projects like growing my own herbs and to pay more attention to the source and quality of what I eat. I think this book will be a go-to source of inspiration for me for years to come.

This book is a breath of fresh air for anyone looking to create a healthier home and planet through sustainable kitchen practices. Focusing on year-round seasonal eating and plant-based recipes, it offers a comprehensive approach to reducing waste and making the most of every ingredient.

What I love most about this book is its commitment to a no-waste philosophy. Filled with practical tips and creative ideas for utilizing food scraps and leftovers, turning what might normally be discarded into delicious meals. The author’s passion for cooking with what you have shines through, making it easy to see how we can all reduce our food waste without sacrificing flavor or nutrition.

The sections on food preservation techniques, including canning, fermenting, and preserving, are particularly enlightening. It demystifies these methods, making them accessible for home cooks at any skill level. With clear instructions and helpful tips, you’ll feel empowered to experiment with preserving your seasonal bounty. The recipes provided are not only healthy and plant-based but also highlight the importance of eating in sync with nature. You’ll find creative and wholesome ideas for incorporating seasonal produce into your meals, ensuring that you’re always eating at the peak of freshness.

Moreover, the book addresses ethical shopping and food storage practices, encouraging readers to be mindful of their purchasing decisions. It emphasizes the importance of supporting local farmers and producers, which is a crucial step towards building a sustainable food system. The author also provides valuable insights on composting, teaching readers how to turn kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich soil for their gardens, further reducing waste and contributing to a circular economy.

This guide is not just about cooking; it’s about fostering a mindset of sustainability in our daily lives. It inspires readers to rethink their relationship with food and to consider the broader impact of their choices on the environment. With a wealth of information and practical advice, this book is an essential resource for anyone looking to make meaningful changes in their kitchen and beyond.

Whether you’re a seasoned eco-conscious cook or just beginning your journey towards a more sustainable lifestyle, this book is an invaluable companion. It provides the tools and knowledge needed to create a healthier home and planet, one delicious meal at a time.

I've been following Immy Lucas for years and I really like and appreciate all of her content. This book is great for anyone who wants to be more conscious in their kitchen. It's filled with great recipes and practical advice. I really enjoyed it!

~A great guide to being more sustainable in cooking and producing no waste. I enjoyed this and would recommend to anyone looking to move towards a more sustainable household

The Conscious Kitchen is a great how-to for making your home healthier and the planet a better place to live. The book is just as adorable as Immy and her YouTube channel. She is an inspiration to all of us and this book has easy to use recipes, tips from eating and storing food to composting whatever is left over. This book covers it all!

The Conscious Kitchen by Immy Lucas is a thoughtful, well-structured introduction to living sustainably, filled with actionable tips for reducing waste and adopting more eco-friendly habits. As a beginner-friendly guide, this book offers practical advice on making small but impactful changes, from seasonal eating to better storage techniques.
One of my favorite aspects of this book was the focus on seasonal recipes. The author provides detailed information on how to use seasonal foods, the best storage methods, and easy recipes that sound delicious and easy to make, even for people who may not be the greatest cooks. I’m excited to try some of these recipes myself! Although I would have loved to see more photos to help visualize the dishes, the ones included looked amazing, and the recipes are definitely accessible for readers of all skill levels.

The tone of the book is refreshing—it’s informative and helpful without feeling judgmental or superior, which is a common concern I’ve had with some sustainability content. The author explains issues like food waste with empathy and offers solutions that feel realistic and manageable for everyday life. It’s clear she understands the challenges regular people face when trying to live more sustainably, and nothing here feels overly complicated or expensive.

My only small critique is that the book felt a bit text-heavy at times. Personally, I found the charts and tables to be more digestible and would have appreciated more visuals throughout. Adding these could make the content even more engaging and easier to absorb.

Overall, The Conscious Kitchen is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to create a more sustainable lifestyle. It’s a highly practical guide that covers the essentials and leaves readers feeling inspired to make positive changes without overwhelming them. Highly recommended!

I really enjoyed this book! It's always good when small changes towards sustainability are accessible. I found the tone of this to be non-judgemental. As someone newer to sustainability, making baby steps by preparing meals with in-season foods is an easy first step.

There are sections for eating seasonally, reducing food waste, storage, and fermentation. I especially liked the explanation in the intro about what each common certification means. Plus, the foods by season include recipes for each time of year, broken down into sections.

While I'm not brave enough to pickle my own vegetables, I liked the straightforward section about it. The storage suggestions are extremely helpful, as someone who is constantly googling how to best store various vegetables to help them last longer. Each produce item is listed in alphabetical order with a storage suggestion printed next to it.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

I have been following Immy's life and work on Youtube for several years now, and as so many of my favorite vegan content creators have gone down the "vegan to raw milk pipeline" I am so thankful that she has remained firm in her sustainability roots and keeps on eating planet friendly! The first recipe I made from this book was the Apple Blackberry Crumble from the Autumnal eating chapter. The recipe was so easy and delicious! Simple recipes like this can easily become a staple, something you learn to put your own spin on and can whip up on short notice for any occasion. I think this is an excellent kitchen staple for anyone who wants to learn to cook with plants or just how to work with seasonal produce more. Thank you to the publisher, Quarto Publishing Group – Fair Winds, for a copy of the book in exchange for this honest review!