PrimaFoodie: Summer Book Roundup 2024

Summer is kicking off, and we're thrilled to be prepping for some reading time—on a beach, plane, hammock, blanket, or wherever we can catch some downtime in the sun.  

In that light, welcome to our PrimaFoodie Summer Reading Roundup. We've corralled the books that inspire us to take better care of our bodies and environment and to cook fresh meals in the kitchen. Our list includes a mix of classics—some even a decade-plus old—that we continue to turn to over and over, as well as some compelling just-released titles. You'll find a range from straight-up cookbooks to wellness guides, with every book anchored in the mission to spread good health.  

Let this guide direct you to a season of deeper care and (hopefully!) meaningful downtime. And if you have a suggestion we should add, send us a message!

Cookbooks that (Also) Tell a Brilliant Story

Salt Fat Acid Heat

by Samin Nosrat

Samin Nosrat, a Chez Panisse alum and brilliant cook, authored this guide to understanding the essential elements of cooking. It's a joy to read and includes all the science, chemistry, and components that make a meal mouthwatering.

The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution: A Cookbook

By Alice Waters

There may be no better storyteller of the slow food movement than Alice Waters, one of its founders. The famed farm-to-table chef and restaurateur shares her insight on making seasonal foods, shopping locally, and stocking your pantry.  

Simply Julia

By Julia Turshen

Julia Turshen has a knack for putting people at ease in the kitchen. It may be her intuitive approach to ingredients or her thoughtful, keep-it-simple mindset to cooking. Turshen is a soulful teacher, and she also includes excellent essays here that touch on self-love, body image, and cooking for loved ones.

Compelling Books on Our Food System

Food Rules

By Michael Pollan

You'll likely tear through this tiny but mighty book in one sitting, but you'll leave its pages with life-shifting knowledge on our food system and how to eat mindfully. Pollan is a wonder of a raconteur and journalist.

A Farm on Every Corner

By David A. Lange

Author David A. Lange takes us on a journey around the country, from coastal Alaska to the pavement sidewalks of Los Angeles, to illustrate the state of our food system and how we can encourage our local communities to eat and live better. He highlights the unsustainable practices hurting us and reveals ways to localize food production and support small farmers.

Beyond the Kitchen Table: Black Women and Global Food Systems

Edited by Priscilla McCutcheon, Latrica E. Best, and Theresa Ann Rajack-

Books about our food system have historically overlooked race, gender, equity, and cultural roots. Beyond the Kitchen Table looks at these issues woven into our food, what we all must know, and how we can fight for more equitable nourishment around our country. The editors focus on Black women's social and cultural impact when addressing food access and insecurity.

Beautiful Fiction about Food and the Environment

Prodigal Summer

By Barbara Kingsolver

A dreamy story of love, nature, and searching by one of the greatest novelists today. Barbara Kingsolver sets her characters, one of whom is a nature biologist, in the deep forest and on a small farm in southern Appalachia.

Lessons in Chemistry

By Bonnie Garmus

There's a reason everyone clutched this book last year—it's truly irresistible. The story follows Elizabeth Zott, a woman chemist who finds her voice and fuels her ambitions in both the lab and kitchen.

New and Noteworthy Books on Health and Wellness

Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health

By Dr. Casey Means

Dr. Casey Means, co-founder of Levels, reveals the keys to bolstering metabolic function, which she believes is the most critical (and misunderstood) factor in our overall health. She walks us through how our cells create and use energy, and we can optimally power them to prevent disease and create energy for a longer, healthier life.

The Hunger Habit: Why We Eat When We're Not Hungry and How to Stop

By Dr. Judson Brewer

Armed with decades of experience as a practicing psychiatrist, Dr. Judson Brewer pens the latest in neuroscience to help us better understand what triggers emotional eating. His words are compassionate and offer new light on eating healthily and intuitively.

It’s Summer Reading Time: Here Are the Most Informative and Enjoyable New Wellness Books to Read this Season

Groundbreaking science, food advocacy, wellness at any age: These are some of the critical topics in our summer 2023 book roundup. It’s a tight list but an impactful one. Each of these books we find profoundly compelling and edifying at PrimaFoodie. 

And while you’re reading through our list, we’d love to know yours. What are your go-to books on nutrition, wellness, and health? Please send us a note at empowered@primafoodie.com or a DM at @primafoodie!

Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia, MD

Peter Attia, MD, is a former surgeon and hugely popular podcast host who believes that better health can start this minute. How so? With what we eat, how we move, and our mindset. Of course, there’s a lot more to Dr. Attia’s approach, which he outlines in Outlive, but it’s his honest and accessible take that makes these pages captivating. He believes the word “longevity” evokes extreme views and the idea that we need a magic pill. The truth is quite the opposite. We hold the reins for a longer, healthier, more vibrant life. In his riveting bestseller, Dr. Attia shows us how to have more vital cognitive, physical, and emotional health and all that encompasses. 

Whole Woman Health: A Guide to Creating Wellness for Any Age and Stage by Carrie Levine

Certified midwife, nurse, and functional medical practitioner Carrie Levine offers this thorough guide to functional medicine catered to biological women. The book is dense but readable, looking at how stress, diets, and the environment play a huge role in overall wellness. Weaving in stories from women, many of whom who’ve been roadblocked by the Western healthcare system, Levin’s insights get to the roots of issues, revealing a deeper look at the whys of disease and natural approaches to healing.

Food for Life: The New Science of Eating Well by Tim Spector

As one of the leading food scientists, epidemiologist Tim Spector offers us one of the most profound and insightful looks at how critical nutrition is to our well-being. Spector debunks diet myths to open a new path to understanding why certain foods interfere with our gut microbiome. His writing is witty and quick, making this health book a page-turner (a hard feat!). 

The Healing Plate: Harnessing the Power of Food for Balance and Wellness by Laura Trenaman

Part recipe book, part holistic health guide, The Healing Plate focuses on how food impacts mood, blood sugar, and mental health. We love how author Laura Trenaman tailored the book around accessible health goals. She thoroughly examines why vitamins and minerals matter, the mind-body connection, and how mindful eating is just as important as healthy eating. This book makes eating well attainable and inspiring. 

Well-Rested Every Day: 365 Rituals, Recipes, and Reflections for Radical Peace and Renewal by Jolene Hart

We know how critical rest is, but how do we get enough of it in this hectic world? Integrative health coach and former beauty editor Jolene Hart takes a comprehensive look at rest—not merely sleep, but deep rest—today and how we can start incorporating it into our lives. She weaves in recipes, tips, and restoring rituals that help to ease the nervous system and encourage the body to reset and heal.  

5 New Books on Regeneration and Wellness that Prove a Healthier and More Sustainable World Is Possible

We’re living at a critical time for the health of ourselves and our environment. While climate change proves to be one of—if not the—most crucial issue, we’re also experiencing record-breaking instances of illness and disease. But just when it might feel all too much, we hear from experts in the fields of environmentalism, functional medicine, and science who prove to us that it’s not. We can fight back toward better health and a more regenerative future, and these five new brilliant books show us how. They are some of the most informative hopeful reads we’ve come across this year.  

A Silent Fire: The Story of Inflammation, Diet & Disease.
Most of us are walking around inflamed and it’s a chronic issue that concerns Shilpa Ravella, MD, a gastroenterologist. She believes that low-level inflammation is tied to most of our modern-day ailments, from heart disease, diabetes, and cancer to auto-immune conditions and certain neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Dr. Ravella discusses why inflammation threatens our well-being in her new book, A Silent Fire: The Story of Inflammation, Diet & Disease. Backed by rigorous research, this book is a roadmap to understanding how low-level inflammation happens and the lifestyle and diet changes we can all make to keep inflammation in check. 

Regenesis: Feeding the World without Devouring the Planet
We’ve discussed regenerative farming—an agricultural method that aims to honor the earth and rebuild soil and biodiversity while growing and cultivating foods—at great length. That’s because it is one of the most critical ways to save our planet and health, as conventional farming is one of the most destructive and depleting practices today. British environmental writer Georg Monbiot covers this truth in great depth in his vast book, Regenesis: Feeding the World without Devouring the Planet. By incorporating wisdom from farmers and experts who are revolutionizing our understanding of fertility, Monbiot has written an insightful guide for creating a truly sustainable way to live—and it’s a must for every one of us to read. 

How We Eat: The Brave New World of Food and Drink
Food touches every part of our lives, from our culture to our politics to our health. Paco Underhill, an author and expert in consumer habits, looks at the intersection of how our food defines how we live (and vice versa) in his new book, How We Eat. Underhill explores new food technology, advances in urban farming, the marketing of vast supermarkets, and more. This book offers a new way of thinking about not only the nutrients of food but the business practices that fuel our current food industry and the changes that will make it more inclusive, sustainable, and just. 

Better Broths and Healing Tonics: 75 Bone Broth and Vegetarian Broth-Based Recipes for Everyone
Functional medical practitioner Dr. Kara Fitzgerald and certified nutritionist Jill Sheppard Davenport offer this comprehensive guide and cookbook anchored in the healing properties of bone and vegetarian broths. The two specialists share a similar viewpoint with us: Broths are more than a means to making soups. They provide a nutritious foundational base for flavorful meals. This book reads like a conversational tutorial on how to increase your nutrient density. 

Thriving: The Breakthrough Movement to Regenerate Nature, Society, and the Economy 
“We are navigating extraordinary global crises that could result in either the collapse or the thriving of nature, society, and the economy,” writes Wayne Visser, an author and Cambridge University professor. Visser is choosing the latter, and he’s proving how we can all be a part of this in his new book aptly named, Thriving. He posits that every aspect of life is regenerative. When we focus on this and remain both hopeful and proactive, we can shift our way of living and the state of the planet to one that is truly sustainable and healthy. With actionable and accessible tips for individuals and businesses, this book is a roadmap to a bright future.