Cover Image: Healthy Vegan, Happy Body

Healthy Vegan, Happy Body

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I am always looking for delicious wfpb recipes as I strive to eat more wfpb and this one has many recipes I am excited to try. One complaint is that there are not photos of each completed recipe which is something that makes a cookbook special for me. I’m excited to try out many of these.

Was this review helpful?

I'm vegan-ish and my husband and 7yo son are hard core vegans. That means I'm always on the quest for easy recipes to add into the 3 or 4 things I can tolerate cooking.

When I purchased a copy of "Healthy Vegan, Happy Body," the non-cook in me was bummed that there weren't photos for every recipe. I make a lot of decisions visually, so that was a drawback. That said, the photography included (albeit not a lot) is still beautiful.

The redeeming factor, for me, is that the first chapter was titled "Falling in Love with Vegan Cooking." As someone who would rather do the dishes than cook, I gave the cookbook a second chance. The benefits of veganism are listed and the author, Tess Challis, goes into the basics of vegan cooking like how to get enough protein and vitamins.

Chapter two is about basics and things you'll need to have as staples. Every wanna-be vegan will need to know the essentials suggested, such as how to press the water out of tofu and know the difference between tofu and tempeh.

One thing I like about every recipe is the labeling. Sure, it lists prep and cook times, but what's super helpful is whether a dish is nut-free, gluten-free and leftover friendly. It also lists if you can make it ahead or in 30 minutes or less. And, there's a label called "WFPB," which means that the recipe adheres to a strict definition of the whole=foods, plant-based diet (meaning, there's no salt, oil or refined sugar). I didn't know this label was a thing, but it makes sense. My husband is definitely a WFPB vegan cook!

I like the tips in the right corner of every page that list ways to vary a recipe, prepare ingredients ahead of time and make it "WFPB." Challis even gives grocery shopping tips, which are always appreciated.

Interestingly, the book has a list of vegan-friendly resources, such as films, book, apps and coaching -- definitely something you don't always see in cookbooks.

The mean I'd like to try first is the enchilada casserole made with polenta.

Was this review helpful?

I am not a vegan but I love vegan alternatives and this cookbook was perfect! Every recipe shows that you don't have to sacrifice flavor just because you're eating plant-based.

There are recipes for every type of food. I do wish there were more photos throughout the book though.

Was this review helpful?

I’m not vegan–yet–but with the recipes from Tess Challis’ Healthy Vegan, Happy Body I could easily see myself moving in that direction.

For those of you who are following a whole food plant-based diet, this cookbook is for you. It is loaded with flavorful, ingenious recipes. And, for any of you who saw my review earlier today and my reference to yardstick measurement, there is no ubiquitous shepherd’s pie recipe here!

There are, however, loads of Mexican, Indian, and even Ethiopian recipes that have authentic ingredients. Be still my beating heart! The chili recipe made me smirk after my earlier comment in the previous review of what a good chili needed. All of those tastes are present in this chili.

While I’m still iffy about vegan “cheese,” I could definitely see myself going vegan with this type of cookbook.

I’m even certain that I’m going to try some of these desserts. Maybe not the “cheesecake,” at least not right away, but the cookie recipes, oh yes. Cobbler, certainly.

And, if you’ve followed my cookbook reviews, you know that I have real bias against smoothies and the like. Again, Healthy Vegan, Happy Body may help me change my mind because I am considering making some of these drinks. Seriously.

I am such a cheerleader for this book. I can’t wait to try its recipes.

For those of you with KindleUnlimited, this book is free for you to look over right now. Just click on my link above.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

An excellent compilation of easy to follow, delicious vegan recipes. Highly recommend this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Really love the title on this one..Happy body. Anything with happy in the name should promote good feelings toward yourself and this book really had a ton of delicious recipes. I received a free copy and the thoughts and opinions are my own.

What did I like? The book offers up no pressure. What does that mean? Some vegan books tell us all about the reasons why we should become vegan but this one offers up only positive benefits. Your body will feel better. I’m not a vegan but I do eat a lot less meat then I used to and I really enjoy some vegan meals. Meatless Monday’s and vegan meat are a regular in my household. Most of the recipes are simple, and the majority sound delicious.

Would I buy or recommend? I love to see pictures and this cookbook has very few...less than five percent. If your in the market for a vegan cookbook this has some delicious sounding recipes but don’t expect a picture for most of your efforts. I found the recipes easy to follow and I loved the tidbit information that accompanied them.

Thoughts for the author? Wonderful cookbook but I expected more pictures. More like a recipe book. Kudos though to helping people want to be healthier. Good luck on helping others.

Was this review helpful?

I am learning to cook vegan for my daughter. This book gives me the start that I needed. The recipes seem easy to follow. I will definitely be trying them. I received a copy through Netgalley. I review was not required.

Was this review helpful?

This cookbook has very similar recipes to most vegan cookbooks so I did not find it as a cookbook I would be drawn to. I also found the lack of photos frustrating since photos have kind of become a requirement in cookbooks. One of the best things about the book is the legend that runs throughout. It includes the standard nut free but there were three unique ones that I really liked, 30 minutes or less, plan ahead, and leftover friendly. So often those are things that are really helpful to people when looking for a meal to make.

Was this review helpful?

Loved it! I enjoyed the beautiful photos, the diverse recipes, and the healthy approach. Its rare to find a cookbook with SO much valuable information. The book offers practical advice on reducing salt, oil, sugar and other processed foods.
I find many cookbooks to be impractical with complicated recipes that call for esoteric ingredients, whic makes meal prep and cooking, boring and tedious. This book is full of mouth watering recipes such as Pad Thai, mint chocolate chip 'nice' cream, clean machine cabbage rolls, stuffed shells and blueberry pancakes!
The recipes provided, include the amount of preparation time, cooking time, ingredients, instructions, cooking and substitution tips. Each recipe included "per serving" information on calories, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, sodium, and iron. I found this information to be especially helpful,, in determining my caloric and nutrient value which each meal.
Thank you NetGalley and Rockridge Press for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book!

Was this review helpful?

Healthy Vegan, Happy Body is a recipe collection and cookbook for whole food plant based meals by Tess Challis. Released 26th May 2020 by Callisto on their Rockridge Press imprint, it's 242 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

The recipes are arranged thematically, an introduction with general directions for prep-work and pantry ingredients is followed by chapters for smoothies juices & shakes, breakfast, snacks and sides, salads, soups & stews, handheld food/wraps, rice & noodles, special occasions, desserts . Each of the recipes includes an introductory description, ingredients listed in a bullet point sidebar (US measurements only, no metric equivalents), and step by step instructions. Nutritional info includes calories, fat, carbs, fiber, protein, sodium and micronutrients . Variations and alternatives are provided at the end of the recipes. There is a resource list, bibliography and related reading links, as well as a metric convesion table at the back of the book.

Most of the ingredients should be available at any well stocked grocery store although some might need to be sourced at specialist (vegan) grocers.

My main quibble with the book is that the recipes are mostly not photographed. There are some photos, and they're clear and attractive, but they only represent about 5% of the recipes included in the book. It is, however, a very well written book full of family friendly plant based foods many of which will also appeal to non-vegans.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Was this review helpful?

Healthy Vegan, Happy Body boasts hundreds of recipes, but very few photos, hence the 4 star rating. One of the major perks of this collection of recipes is the simple ingredients. The majority of the recipes use items that are either common to have at home already or each to get at any local grocery store. Often times vegan recipes are loaded ingredients that are hard to find, but this is not the case here. This would be a great cookbook for any one who is starting to transition to a vegan lifestyle or simply wants to add more vegan options to their collection.

Was this review helpful?

This is a fantastic cookbook. There recipes and photographs are mouthwatering! I can't wait to give them a try. I highly recommend this great vegan resource!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of this cookbook. All opinions are my own.

My husband and I have followed a vegan lifestyle for the last two years. We are always on the lookout for new, healthy recipes and favorites to add to our rotation. I’m happy to say that this book is full of many, easy to follow recipes for us to test out.

The author begins by introducing the reader to the concepts of being vegan. Explaining her personal experience and nutritional aspects that many question about this diet. She goes on to explain favorite staples to stock up on as well as basic cooking info. Even for those familiar with this eating habit, it makes a wonderful quick reference to have on hand.

Each recipe is clearly labeled: 30 Minutes or Less, Gluten-Free, Leftover Friendly, Nut- Free, Plan Ahead and WFPB (whole food, plant based diet). They start with thoughts from the author, include variation tips or fun facts and conclude with a list of nutritional information. The categories include: Smoothies, Juices & Shakes, Breakfast, Snack & Sides, Salads, Soups & Stews, Handhelds, Noodles & Rice, Special Occasion Showstoppers, Desserts and Staples. There are 139 recipes.

Some of the recipes that caught my eye are: Watermelon Lime Cooler, Blueberry Superfood Protein Shake, Blackberry Chia Pudding, Maple Shishitos, Pizza Hummus, Stuffed Shells, Golden Tofu with Coconut-Lime Quinoa, Raw Blueberry Peach Cobbler, Chicky Seasoning, Buckwheat Crisps and Eat-It-Every-Day Gravy. I look forward to testing these out soon.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this cookbook. The recipes were delicious and they featured ingredients that are not only healthy, but also easy to find at the grocery store. I also like that the author explained at the beginning of each recipe a little bit about how/why she made each recipe healthier!

Was this review helpful?

This is a good book for people for are interested in becoming vegan, but it also has great recipes for people who are already vegan. Because I am writing my review during the early days of a hot Florida summer, I will begin by singing the praises of the refreshing Watermelon Lime Cooler found in Chapter 3: "Smoothies Juices, and Shakes." It was super easy to prepare and it was gone in the blink on an eye. I plan to make more soon. (Chapter 1 is titled "Falling in Love with Vegan Cooking" and Chapter 2 is "Stock and Prep.")

Chapter 4 is devoted to breakfast and I loved the breakfast bowls, especially the Pretty Pitaya Bowl, and the Mexican-inspired dishes. Chapter 5 is comprised of side dishes and I loved the ginger-glazed bok choy, the miso-tahini Brussels Sprouts, and the luscious eggplant...Honestly, most of the side dishes are amazing. Next we have the chapter on salads and, again, most of them are delicious and for this reason I don't think I can pick a handful of favorites. Next up is "Soups and Stews" which is not my jam, but I have to say the soothing miso ramen soup, the tempeh corn chili, and both lentil dishes were superb. Chapter 8 is titled "Handhelds" and I can honestly picture myself preparing these for lunch all throughout summer. There are twelve chapters total and this review will be ever more rambling if I continue as I was so I will leave you with 2 desserts from chapter 11: caramelized bananas with creamy cardamon sauce and peach cobbler!

Was this review helpful?

I've been following Tess Challis on Instagram for years, so I was pleased to see that she's released a cookbook of all of her favorite vegan recipes! This is, as the title alludes, a healthy recipe cookbook. So she does preface her recipes by discussing the healthy reasons/ways to go vegan. Many vegans are more focused on other reasons (animals, the environment, etc.), to go vegan and probably wont care as much for her information about healthful vegan eating. The recipes within are all pretty standard (though that pizza hummus sounded delicious and I will definitely be making that one ASAP!) but I'm glad that they all require basic ingredients that should be easy to find at most grocery stores. Excited to put this book to use and get cooking!

Was this review helpful?