Carly Smith
PlantYou delivers a variety of plant-based meal recipes that author Carleigh Bodrug promises are “ridiculously easy” and “amazingly delicious.” With a foreword by Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, a medical doctor passionate about gastrointestinal health, PlantYou encapsulates the benefits of plant-based eating, as well as the detriments of animal and animal by-product consumption. Along with the recipes, Bodrug offers suggestions about appliances and cookware, and presents a shopping list of plant-based staples that will help make this lifestyle more manageable. The recipes are grouped sensibly, making it easy to find recipes and navigate the book.
Now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. There are elements of this book that really appealed to me and will keep me coming back to it time and time again. However, I argue that there are also shortcomings that made me think this book was more about making sales than delivering on Bodrug’s goal, which is to help readers incorporate more plants in their diet. Let’s start with the aspects of the cookbook that I enjoyed.
First, the presentation is crisp. Each recipe follows the same format, is accompanied by a realistic photo, and unlike some cookbooks, the pages are not overwhelming to scan (this is essential when your eyes are constantly moving from page to cutting board and back again). Next, Bodrug is true to her word when she says that the recipes are easy and delicious. Often, authors lure readers in by guaranteeing quick and/or easy recipes, only to leave them frustrated and using more time than anticipated to create the recipe. Bodrug does the opposite, and in a refreshing change of pace, offers accurate and short preparation times for all her recipes. Not only was I left satisfied with being able to trust the time suggestion for each recipe, I was also overjoyed to find that these oil-free recipes were far from bland. Finally, I was really drawn to the substitutions made available for most recipes; cooking with new ingredients or adjusting to a new food lifestyle with intolerances and allergies can be difficult, and Bodrug thoughtfully offers substitutions for many ingredients and makes it clear that quite a few ingredients can be substituted based on availability or preference. This alleviated a lot of pressure in both the grocery store and the kitchen.
Now I will address the parts of the cookbook I found to be disappointing or contradictory. To start, Bodrug labels her recipes as “infographic,” which piqued my interest because who doesn’t love a nice visual amongst a sea of words? The infographics are merely images of the individual ingredients in each recipe with their names below them. Although this was a letdown for me, perhaps it is helpful to readers who are visual learners or who are unfamiliar with the appearance of some of the less common ingredients. Next, I found a discrepancy between Bodrug’s push for concentrating on nutrient density and her breakdown of nutritional information for each recipe. She states, “I encourage you to let go of meticulously calculating macronutrient information and instead focus on increasing the nutrient density of your meals by fueling your body with whole, unprocessed foods as showcased in these recipes.” While she stresses the importance of all nutrients and posits that the focus on macronutrients is too intense in today’s world, the nutritional information for each recipe includes only the caloric, fat, protein, carbohydrate, and fibre contents. This was surprising to come across, especially since readers were previously persuaded about the benefits of other nutrients, like vitamins and minerals, and these amounts were not included in the nutritional breakdowns.
PlantYou is a lovely cookbook to have on hand. Its openness to substitutions, user-friendly layout, and breadth of meal options makes it desirable for cooks of all skill levels. The freshness of the recipes, as well as their simplicity and short prep times, are attractive elements that also add to the book’s utility. Although I was not satisfied with the infographics and nutritional information, I do think this can be overlooked by readers who do not diligently keep track of their nutrient intake and who have experience in the kitchen with alternative ingredients. PlantYou will not be stored in a bin of old books in the storage room in my house; it will be kept in the pantry alongside my other well-referenced cookbooks.