My 5 Favorite Cooking Blogs for Weeknight Dinner Inspo and Life Update
- Mallory Cooper
- Jul 20, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 28, 2023
Hello world! Phew, it's been a minute since I've had a chance to blog! At the end of 2023, I gave birth to the sweetest and most adorable baby girl. She has been filling my cup with love and keeping me away from blogging! Her name is Eloise, and I can’t tell you how much pride I feel for this little human I created. Her sparkle and spunk are palpable. It has been the most rewarding but exhausting past seven months. She naps like a champ (though it didn’t start out that way… 😉) and is already loving solid food. She has two little bunny teeth and is cooing in her crib right now. I could gush on and on, but suffice to say she’s the most adorable and newest member of the Cooper family and we are so lucky to have her in our family.
I’m excited to return to the virtual nutrition counseling office and I’m coming in hot with a most requested post about 5 of my favorite cooking blogs/cookbooks for weeknight dinner inspiration! Picture this: it's 6:00pm, you just got home from work, your kids are cranky and hungry, you're bored with all your "go-to" weeknight dinners, and need an idea for a quick, tasty, and nutrient-dense dinner. Cue this blog post!
When trying to change your diet, it can be so hard to keep your weeknight cooking fresh and interesting! My clients are always looking for cooking resources or inspiration to keep that good behavior change going. Since I don’t yet dabble in recipe development myself, here are a few of my favorite cooking blogs and cookbooks I recommend to clients. Here are a few things to note about this list:
All the resources I’m suggesting I’ve been cooking from extensively. That being said, I haven’t tested every single recipe!
I’ve obviously taste-tested these resources, and personally enjoy them and they are easy to follow.
Ingredients are easy to find and affordable. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive.
These resources are satisfying and often times veggies are the star. Vegetables are powerhouses for fiber and micronutrients. I love to highlight them and make them delicious.
How do I pick a recipe from a cookbook or cooking blog?
When selecting a recipe there are a few things to consider. We want to choose a recipe that is going to keep us full and increase our satiety. If we're investing all this time in the kitchen, let's get the most bang for our buck. Here are the hallmarks of a satisfying and nutrient-dense recipe:
Double check your protein: Make sure our protein is complete or contains all essential amino acids. “Complete” plant-based protein includes lentils, beans, tofu, or tempeh. A complete protein can also be a combination of foods for example rice and beans or hummus and pita. Animal proteins are typically complete sources of protein.
Don't skimp on the Fat: salad dressing, avocados, nuts or seeds, olive oil, and coconut oil are all examples of fats. Fats are so important for driving satiety and should not be skipped!
Fiber is fabulous: Selecting a whole grain (where possible) or vegetable as a component of our dish is going to also help us feel fuller longer and provide important vitamins and minerals to our diet.
Okay, let us get to my list!
#1 The best vegetarian blog and cookbook: Love Real Food by Kathrine Taylor
My all-time favorite cooking blog and cookbook writer and number one recommendation: Cookie and Kate. Cookie and Kate came up with the most satisfying vegetarian recipes. She often highlights beans and legumes making them delicious and flavorful. She has some of the heartiest salads that will never leave you hungry a few hours later. I personally buy and give her cookbook to my friends and loved ones constantly!
#2 The Most family-friendly Cookbook: Feeding Littles and Beyond by Ali Maffucci, Megan McNamee, and Judy Delaware
The Feeding Littles and Beyond cookbook will save you in a weeknight dinner pinch. All the recipes are baby and toddler friendly, but you wouldn’t know it because grown-ups love the recipes too! The book also includes a crash course about baby-led weaning, a method of introducing solid foods to infants. 10/10 recommend this to all my clients with a young family. What I love most about this cookbook is its ability to integrate fruits and veggies into delicious meals without hiding the vegetables.
#3 The cooking blog with the cutest name: Smitten Kitchen Every Day by Deb Perelman
Smitten Kitchen loves what she does and you truly feel that in her recipes. She has this uncanny ability to unlock flavor in seasonal fruits and veg that I have yet to find anywhere else on the internet. If you’re just starting out with cooking, her blog could be a good start because her recipes tend to be simple, and to borrow her word “unfussy”. I also have one of her cookbooks and find it so easy and fun to cook from. Check out the food stains on the front cover, that's how you know a cookbook is well-loved!
#4 Pinch of Yum
This is the most "cravable" cooking blog of my round-up. Pinch of yum is often simple and satisfying and versatile yummy food, with tons of sweet treats and quick weeknight dinners. If you’re just starting out on your cooking journey this is another great resource because her recipes are often oriented towards a beginner! I often recommend to clients to fall in love with the process of cooking their favorite foods first, then look to add more nutrient-dense options to the party once they find the beauty in cooking.
#5 Meatless from the Kitchen of Martha Stewart
My last recommendation is an oldie but a goodie. Meatless by Martha Stewart has been hanging around my kitchen for years, I think I’ve cooked pretty much every recipe in this book. I’m especially fond of her interpretation of veggie forward pasta which traditionally in America can be a very meat heavy paring.
What do you think about these blogs and cookbooks? Are you hungry yet? Are you looking for some more guidelines or more personalized help in achieving your health goals? Schedule a free 15-minute intro call with me and I can help you learn more about nutrition counseling!
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