With the seemingly countless number of cookbooks available today, it’s a tough task to choose the right one for you. To make things even more complex, there seems to be a new health/fitness cookbook available each and every day.
To keep things simple, check out this list of the 12 best nutrition cookbooks. Now you can take the guesswork out of prepping and cooking and focus on building a lean and muscular physique.
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1. Thug Kitchen: Eat Like You Give a F*ck
Thug Kitchen
Don’t let the title fool you. This isn’t some machismo cookbook only reserved for those who eat flesh and beat their chest. It’s actually a comprehensive guide on prepping and cooking vegetarian dishes. The author makes no excuses when it comes to eating healthier and this isn’t some dainty celebrity-driven vegan push. It’s a real-world, practical guide to eating your veggies.
2. Feed Zone Portables: A Cookbook of On-the-Go Food for Athletes
Biju Thomas and Allen Lim
Dr. Allen Lim and Chef Biju feel there's no need to rely on protein bars and shakes. Instead, they present real, nutritious snacks on the go. Half prep book and half cookbook, this guide is perfect for those of you who are on the go, need convenience, and have little time to think about your next meal. If you’re a serious athlete and want to finally take control of what goes down your gullet, then this book is for you.
3. The Working Class Foodies Cookbook: 100 Delicious Seasonal and Organic Recipes for Under $8 per Person
Rebecca Lando
Strapped for cash? This cookbook is for you. Perfect for college students or young professionals who are just starting out, this book teaches you how to create dishes with local ingredients. Not only will it show you how to do all this on the cheap, but it also does it in such a way that even foodies will enjoy the recipes.
4. Anabolic Cooking
Dave Ruel
Born from the world of building maximum amounts of muscle while staying on the lean side of the spectrum, Anabolic Cooking also boasts easy ways to make said muscle meals. Dave Ruel offers meals that will not only pack on muscle, but will also turn your body into one anabolic, fat-burning machine replete with a revved-up metabolism. It's the ultimate book for bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts.
5. The 21-Day Shred Cookbook
Men's Fitness
The editors of Men’s Fitness had one thing in mind when it comes to this cookbook – to get you as shredded as possible while keeping and possibly building more muscle. Getting shredded takes a strategic, well thought-out plan and this book delivers.
6. Guy Gourmet: Great Chefs' Best Meals for a Lean & Healthy Body
Men's Health
Guys need guy food and it needs to taste good too. Guy Gourmet delivers ways to make real guy healthy dishes utilizing meat, vegetables, and other ingredients while staying healthy and helping you trim the fat and facilitate your workouts.
7. The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
Michael Matthews
Another great addition for fitness enthusiasts who want to burn fat and build muscle. The Shredded Chef also boasts easy and convenient ways to prep and cook meals for the busy individual. Most meals in this book are also very affordable.
8. Men's Health Muscle Chow: More Than 150 Easy-to-Follow Recipes to Burn Fat and Feed Your Muscles
Gregg Avedon
Full of numerous nutrition tools such as shopping lists, dietary strategies, a troubleshooting guide, and meal timing tactics, Muscle Chow’s aim is to help you support that hard training with nutritious, satisfying food.
9. The Bodybuilding Cookbook: 100 Delicious Recipes To Build Muscle, Burn Fat And Save Time
Jason Farley
Don’t be fooled, The Bodybuilding Cookbook isn’t your typical book full of traditional bodybuilding fare such as dry chicken breasts, rice, and plain broccoli. It takes the foods you dread to eat over and over again and makes them delicious. This one is perfect for those who want to build maximum amounts of muscle.
10. Two Dudes, One Pan: Maximum Flavor from a Minimalist Kitchen
Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo
Do you consider yourself a minimalist when it comes to cooking? With only a single pan required, Two Dudes, One Pan shows you how to whip up virtually any dish with completely minimal kitchen gadgets. From appetizers to entrées and everything in between, this book is the ultimate guys' guide with little effort.
11. The High-Protein Cookbook: More than 150 healthy and irresistibly good low-carb dishes that can be on the table in thirty minutes or less
Linda West Eckhardt and Katherine West Defoyd
This book delivers exactly what is promised – low-carb, high protein meals that are convenient, quick, and delicious. Each recipe promises to offer at least 30 grams of protein with little fat and avoids artificial ingredients. It also excludes the use of any advanced or technical practices in the kitchen.
12. How to Cook Everything The Basics: All You Need to Make Great Food
Mark Bittman
This comprehensive guide covers everything you will ever need to know regarding food preparation and cooking. It is the ultimate A to Z guide on everything from buying, storing, cutting, and cooking. It's the only book you’ll ever need when it comes to learning to be a great cook.
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