My Favorite Diet Books - Eat Right Around Chicago

I am frequently asked, "what's your favorite diet and nutrition book?". And I have an answer, but I have more than one, and the list continues to change. There have several released in the past year that I think are top-notch and worth your Amazon bucks.

When considering my favorite diet and nutrition books, there are a few things I consider first:

Before I thumb through the pages, I check the author's credentials. A diet book should be written by a nutrition expert - a registered dietitian - just like if you were having a plumbing issue, you wouldn't call an electrician and you don't let your dog groomer highlight your hair.
I also want it to be an easy, but enjoyable read. I'm not looking for a textbook, rather a fun, well-written book that gives consumers new ideas and tools they can use.
That brings me to the last important point - it must provide recommendations that make sense and are easy to achieve. I want tips, solutions and meal-making ideas - something you can take straight to the grocery store and get results!

So here is a brief list of my current favorite diet and nutrition books. I've included some for everyone: overall health, healthy planet/healthy body, men seeking flat bellies, restaurant enthusiasts, weight loss and sports nutrition!

1 of 7 Next image Previous image

In this gallery

More images | left

More images | right

This book is hot off the press and the follow up to his "101 Foods that Could Save your Life". This book provides guidance for anyone looking to improve their overall diet and general well-being. What's nice is that it's about ADDING foods, not eliminating them. It's an easy read and straight forward with simple recipes included.
This book is totally refreshing and a pleasure to read. It's full of great information about how our food choices impact the world, but it doesn't overwhelm the reader with preachy or vague guidance. Geagan gives you tools you can use and simple ways to eat well, be kind to the planet and lose weight!
Yay! A sensible diet book for men! Of course this book includes sound advice for women as well, but it's focus is on men. Specifically, their tummies. The tone of the book is quick and clever and the recommendations are solid and effective. It also has simple recipes that even a man could follow. Ha-ha!
Of course, I love this book. Warshaw provides details about restaurant trends, tips and tools for dining out with an array of restaurant types. She gives helpful ideas for dining out anywhere and eating right.
What's not to love about twin experts in nutrition! But really, this book takes a hard look at our obsession with the salt shaker and shows us how easing up on the sodium will help us get healthy and lose weight. Even if you're not looking to lose weight, the Twins give simple switches to lower the sodium in our diet - and that's good for everyone (and NY may be taking a page or two from this book with their latest crackdown on sodium)!
Even if you don't have a reunion anytime soon, this book is a practical guide to losing weight through diet and exercise with an emphasis on keeping it off. It's a fun twist on solid recommendations.
It would be weird if I didn't include my own nutrition book on my list of favs. I include this in the mix as it is an all-inclusive resource for athletes at all levels. It helps you figure out how to maximize your energy through diet, and find out how to fuel your workouts, achieve your performance weight and learn from the pros (the athletes). It includes general nutrition guidance, meal plans, recipes and tips from actual athletes.

101 Optimal Life Foods by David Grotto, RD, LN

This book is hot off the press and the follow up to his "101 Foods that Could Save your Life". This book provides guidance for anyone looking to improve their overall diet and general well-being. What's nice is that it's about ADDING foods, not eliminating them. It's an easy read and straight forward with simple recipes included.