Member Reviews

Proper Healthy makes plant-based eating simple, delicious, and healthy. Calum Harris teams up with a dietician to create recipes that boost energy, gut health, protein, or calorie control—all while being easy to make and packed with flavor.

From comforting dishes like Gnocchi Shepherd’s Pie to creative desserts like Raspberry Miso Blondies, there’s something for everyone. Each recipe includes tips to meet your health goals, making it easy to customize meals.

Perfect for beginners or experienced plant-based eaters, this cookbook is a great resource for anyone who wants to eat well without sacrificing taste or spending hours in the kitchen.

Was this review helpful?

This is the plant based cookbook I've been looking for. Every recipe is healthy yet appetising, and well set out/easy to follow. I would definitely recommend this and have started following Calum on social media for even more

Was this review helpful?

This cookbook scratched an itch in my brain and was so satisfying to read! From the beginning, I loved the tone so much, it was humorous and so achingly genuine that I immediately felt like Harris cared about putting the best most yummy vegan food in front of us. He debunks the 'healthy' label so effortlessly and this felt like a true passion project for him, It was undeniably refreshing to read a cookbook packed with so much humour as I usually find the wording on cookbooks can be quite formal and serious.

There was an abundance of practical advice for implementing a healthy lifestyle and some tips were even given by external experts which made this cookbook feel so fully rounded. I loved how informal, fun and chatty even the recipes were - it definitely helped chip away at some of the stigma and intimidation that I experience not only around cooking but around vegan cooking especially.

A nice touch was the incorporation of fermented foods and the emphasis on fibre in the diet which was lovely. The only critique I have is that the recipes are heavily reliant on tofu and tempeh as staples, so it would have been nice to incorporate some soy free options/suggestions. However, there was still a wonderful variety of dishes that covered all bases if anything I wish each section had more recipes!) The meal planner at the end was a nice touch and proof of how important making healthy eating a lifestyle is for this book.

Was this review helpful?

Nice book. Would make a great gift. I’m sure I’ll try out a few of the recipes. Beautiful photos of the recipes too.

Was this review helpful?

I have been following Calum for a while on social media as he always gives me some good inspiration on what to cook! I would recommend this book for sure, it's full of easy and tasty-looking recipes you can whip up in little time perfect for someone with a busy schedule or someone who is kinda just starting out to cook honestly, that still wants to make an effort to eat healthy and delicious meals!

Was this review helpful?

The book has great design that shows who the author is and in a way allows us to know who we're taking dietary advice from. It's good to know these recipes were based on a talk with a qualified nutritionist. I think this book is also great if you're a beginner cook, as many basics are explained here in a great way, like what staples you need in your kitchen and what appliances will be most necessary. The photos of the food are styled in a way that makes me want to grab and eat whatever they're showing! Great photography work.
I love how the author explains buzz words like "gut health", "protein", and "healthy" in the beginning and tells the reader how they're used throughout the book and what they mean - I really appreciate that we don't have to guess and do the additional internet searches. These recipes also come with information about kcal, protein, fat, sat fat, carbs, sugar, salt, and fiber.
In the end, there are also some meal plans proposed which I think is a great addition to make more use of the book.
As an additional plus, I like that page numbers and names of the recipes are located on the side of the page, rather than on the bottom, which makes it easier to find a specific page.

Was this review helpful?

Great plant-based recipes with a unique way of organizing them! I loved this cookbook, mainly because of how it was organized, with its "stickers" with gut health, protein-packed, energy crew, etc. The recipes are easy to follow and original, you will not be disappointed if you get this book!

Was this review helpful?

Fun, bright, beautiful photos! Recipes seem fairly easy to follow. Lots of inspiration for vegans and any plant-curious folks.

Was this review helpful?

This is an excellent plant-based cookbook that I'll absolute be buying when it comes out. It's a great mix of healthy, tasty but not too complex. I feel like I could easily whip most of these things up of an evening (and I will)! Glad to have gotten to give it a read.

Was this review helpful?

I actually found this book delightful, though it would never sell well in my store. The voice of the author is pervasive and so Gen Z TikTok Brit that I had to sometimes double check a phrase. The recipes are all vegan and health aware - there's a section on nutrition and gut health before we get to the good stuff, some of which has dubious accuracy, but the recipes are solid vegan fare while being relatively achievable without a prep team or dedicated dishwasher standing by. My favorite parts are in the back, after the desserts (called Puds in a way that I think is British but didn't want to look up. After then comes sections Pick-Me-Ups, full of pickles and dressings, and Snacks, which has smoothies, dips, carrot fries, and things i would consider appetizers alongside some baked goods. Instructions are clear, through, and casual, if in Internet-speak. Metric units.

Was this review helpful?

I was so excited to pick up Proper Healthy by Calum Harris. I am interested in adding even more plant based eats into my diet so this was right up my alley. I love that each recipe has quick little badges to tell if it's protein packed, gut healthy, or low cal! This makes it easy when you are looking for something specific in those categories. I also like how accessible all of the recipes are - most are very few ingredients (minus spices) and they have 35 or less minutes of cooking/prep time. This is a great way to add in more plant based meals even with busy schedules. I can't wait to get cooking! I highly recommend this cookbook! Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this eARC.

Was this review helpful?

Beautifully laid out cookbook. I follow Calum Harris on Instagram, so I was excited to see this book available on NetGalley. Love that his humor and wit shines through in the recipe instructions. There are several recipes in this book that I am excited to try. I am also thankful that most of the breakfast recipes are savory breakfasts, as I’m a savory breakfast girl myself. Looking forward to testing these out!

Was this review helpful?