What do you think?
Rate this book
Healing Kitchen: 175+ Quick & Easy Paleo Recipes to Help You Thrive
Armed with more than 175 budget-friendly, quick and easy recipes made with everyday ingredients, you get to minimize time and effort preparing healthful foods without sacrificing flavor! Straightforward explanations and a comprehensive collection of visual guides will teach you which foods are the best choices to mitigate chronic illnesses, including autoimmune disease. Real-life practical tips on everything from cleaning out your pantry and easy ingredient swaps to reinventing leftovers and DIY flavor combinations will help you go from theory to practice effortlessly. Even better, twelve 1-week meal plans with shopping lists take all the guesswork out of your weekly trip to the grocery store!
With half of all Americans taking at least one prescription medication (and 20% of us taking three or more!), there is a clear need for something to change. Combined with growing scientific evidence pointing to the Standard American Diet being at least partly to blame for our declining health, it's time for a dietary shift toward nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory whole foods that promote health, rather than undermine it. In the first part of The Healing Kitchen , you'll learn all about what foods to eat and why, based on an ancestral diet template with contemporary scientific underpinnings. With a collection of practical tips and visual guides to distill this information into simple real-life actions that you can implement easily in your home, this book is the closest thing to a guarantee of success that you can have when embarking on a Paleo diet healing protocol.
The Healing Kitchen features more than 175 mouthwatering recipes that make eating healthful foods easy enough to fit even into the busiest of lives, while being so tasty you'll likely forget you're on a special diet to begin with! Compliant with the Paleo autoimmune protocol, every meal is budget-conscious, requires a minimal time commitment, uses no special equipment, and needs no hard-to-find ingredients—yet, the whole family will love it! There's no need to suffer with bland or boring foods on your journey towards optimal health—and The Healing Kitchen is all about enjoying tasty food while nourishing your body. The recipes span the gamut from easy peasy mains and simple sides to breakfast favorites and timeless treats. Even better, each recipe is labelled by cooking strategy, so you can easily identify meals that are one-pot, use 5 ingredients or less, take 20 minutes or less, can be made ahead, feature a slow cooker, or are on-the-go foods—to make planning your day effortless!
The Healing Kitchen also includes twelve weekly meal plans, each with a shopping list, to help you get completely organized in your kitchen! Even better, the selection of thematic meal plans home in on your individual needs. Can't spend more than 20 minutes cooking at a time? The 20-minute-or-less meal plan makes sure your time spent preparing food is as minimal as possible. Always eating on the run? The on-the-go meal plan will suit your needs perfectly. Have a whole crew you need to satisfy? The family-favorites meal plan will please kids and grown-ups alike. Want to do all of your cooking for the week in one afternoon? Two batch-cook meal plans complete with exclusive web links to companion how-to cooking videos will help you get it done! The Healing Kitchen is your best tool for turning your kitchen into healing central—all while minimizing your time commitment, keeping your food budget reined-in, and enjoying bite after delicious bite of meals to nourish and thrive.
With half of all Americans taking at least one prescription medication (and 20% of us taking three or more!), there is a clear need for something to change. Combined with growing scientific evidence pointing to the Standard American Diet being at least partly to blame for our declining health, it's time for a dietary shift toward nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory whole foods that promote health, rather than undermine it. In the first part of The Healing Kitchen , you'll learn all about what foods to eat and why, based on an ancestral diet template with contemporary scientific underpinnings. With a collection of practical tips and visual guides to distill this information into simple real-life actions that you can implement easily in your home, this book is the closest thing to a guarantee of success that you can have when embarking on a Paleo diet healing protocol.
The Healing Kitchen features more than 175 mouthwatering recipes that make eating healthful foods easy enough to fit even into the busiest of lives, while being so tasty you'll likely forget you're on a special diet to begin with! Compliant with the Paleo autoimmune protocol, every meal is budget-conscious, requires a minimal time commitment, uses no special equipment, and needs no hard-to-find ingredients—yet, the whole family will love it! There's no need to suffer with bland or boring foods on your journey towards optimal health—and The Healing Kitchen is all about enjoying tasty food while nourishing your body. The recipes span the gamut from easy peasy mains and simple sides to breakfast favorites and timeless treats. Even better, each recipe is labelled by cooking strategy, so you can easily identify meals that are one-pot, use 5 ingredients or less, take 20 minutes or less, can be made ahead, feature a slow cooker, or are on-the-go foods—to make planning your day effortless!
The Healing Kitchen also includes twelve weekly meal plans, each with a shopping list, to help you get completely organized in your kitchen! Even better, the selection of thematic meal plans home in on your individual needs. Can't spend more than 20 minutes cooking at a time? The 20-minute-or-less meal plan makes sure your time spent preparing food is as minimal as possible. Always eating on the run? The on-the-go meal plan will suit your needs perfectly. Have a whole crew you need to satisfy? The family-favorites meal plan will please kids and grown-ups alike. Want to do all of your cooking for the week in one afternoon? Two batch-cook meal plans complete with exclusive web links to companion how-to cooking videos will help you get it done! The Healing Kitchen is your best tool for turning your kitchen into healing central—all while minimizing your time commitment, keeping your food budget reined-in, and enjoying bite after delicious bite of meals to nourish and thrive.
352 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2015
187 people are currently reading
313 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
May 21, 2021
I'm done, basically. Now it's time to look at food. This is the best cookbook that I have seen in a long time.
When it promised recipes, that's what you get.
I've read through to page 62 and the rest is :
Meal Plans for 12 weeks
One Pot Meals which I love
20 minutes or less Meals
5 ingredients or less meals
On the go Meals
Batch Cooking
It's packed with information. Well worth the price.
Definitely worth it if you're needing to transition from Paleo to AIP.
I love this book 📚
When it promised recipes, that's what you get.
I've read through to page 62 and the rest is :
Meal Plans for 12 weeks
One Pot Meals which I love
20 minutes or less Meals
5 ingredients or less meals
On the go Meals
Batch Cooking
It's packed with information. Well worth the price.
Definitely worth it if you're needing to transition from Paleo to AIP.
I love this book 📚
January 14, 2016
I started to give this 4 stars,, but that wouldn't be fair. This is the best AIP book out there, so far.
Lots of pluses. Variety of flavors and types of recipes, lots of interesting veggie recipes and coverage of things like condiments and snacks which are tough on AIP. Liked the batch cooking plans a lot, and the scales graphic of food pros and cons is clever and useful. I absolutely recommend the book, and if you have just one AIP book I would say this is it. It could even be the only AIP book you need.
And now that the AIP offerings are filling out and evolving, and the gratitude for the novelty of having an AIP specific book is less intense, I find myself noticing what else I wish was in the book. Thus my initial inclination to give it four stars, not because of failings of the book but my own daring to increase my expectations or desires.
Functionally, the only thing that I notice to be missing is instructions on freezing. I only complain about that because in the batch cooking pages, they tell you to freeze the recipes scheduled for later in the week, but no instructions follow that order, either as a section on freezing procedures and considerations or as a how-to-freeze or make-ahead note in the recipe itself.
My other wishes are nice-to-haves, the main one being introductory commentary to the recipes. It's so nice to read a head note that comments on the flavor of the finished products, or the way the recipe was developed, or that it's particularly company-friendly or kid-friendly or easy to double, or whatever. Those kinds of comments, or notes about how the recipe was inspired or developed, or interesting flavor variations or cooking alternatives, may not change the finished product of the food, but adds a great deal to the pleasure and use of the book.
My other significant wish is for something I haven't seen any major AIP book attempt, but would be so helpful in the AIP context. I'd love to see variations on the individual recipes based on some of the successful food reintroductions someone has achieved. It would be too cumbersome to write every possible variation for every recipe, but many of the recipes could be really added-value if the writers noted that there would be significant gains in terms of flavor, texture, ease of preparation, nutrition, increased acceptability to others in the home who eat Paleo but not AIP, etc if certain changes could be recommended if you had successfully reintroduced seed spices or eggs (yolk vs whole egg) or nuts, and so forth.
I would rather see those recommendations made at each recipe rather than in separate sections for eggs being ok and so forth. I've seen that done on a limited scale and it is useful, but my vision for the most useful approach would be at the recipe level.
All that said, this is a book that's likely to be a beloved workhorse in any AIP kitchen.
Lots of pluses. Variety of flavors and types of recipes, lots of interesting veggie recipes and coverage of things like condiments and snacks which are tough on AIP. Liked the batch cooking plans a lot, and the scales graphic of food pros and cons is clever and useful. I absolutely recommend the book, and if you have just one AIP book I would say this is it. It could even be the only AIP book you need.
And now that the AIP offerings are filling out and evolving, and the gratitude for the novelty of having an AIP specific book is less intense, I find myself noticing what else I wish was in the book. Thus my initial inclination to give it four stars, not because of failings of the book but my own daring to increase my expectations or desires.
Functionally, the only thing that I notice to be missing is instructions on freezing. I only complain about that because in the batch cooking pages, they tell you to freeze the recipes scheduled for later in the week, but no instructions follow that order, either as a section on freezing procedures and considerations or as a how-to-freeze or make-ahead note in the recipe itself.
My other wishes are nice-to-haves, the main one being introductory commentary to the recipes. It's so nice to read a head note that comments on the flavor of the finished products, or the way the recipe was developed, or that it's particularly company-friendly or kid-friendly or easy to double, or whatever. Those kinds of comments, or notes about how the recipe was inspired or developed, or interesting flavor variations or cooking alternatives, may not change the finished product of the food, but adds a great deal to the pleasure and use of the book.
My other significant wish is for something I haven't seen any major AIP book attempt, but would be so helpful in the AIP context. I'd love to see variations on the individual recipes based on some of the successful food reintroductions someone has achieved. It would be too cumbersome to write every possible variation for every recipe, but many of the recipes could be really added-value if the writers noted that there would be significant gains in terms of flavor, texture, ease of preparation, nutrition, increased acceptability to others in the home who eat Paleo but not AIP, etc if certain changes could be recommended if you had successfully reintroduced seed spices or eggs (yolk vs whole egg) or nuts, and so forth.
I would rather see those recommendations made at each recipe rather than in separate sections for eggs being ok and so forth. I've seen that done on a limited scale and it is useful, but my vision for the most useful approach would be at the recipe level.
All that said, this is a book that's likely to be a beloved workhorse in any AIP kitchen.
July 11, 2017
My new food bible! I've gone AP Paleo to address some food issues and I've renewed this book how many times from the library now....?
The Lemon-Ginger Energy Balls have become a staple.
My daughter didn't love many of the "kid-friendly" recipes but I wouldn't dismiss them.
The Lemon-Ginger Energy Balls have become a staple.
My daughter didn't love many of the "kid-friendly" recipes but I wouldn't dismiss them.
May 13, 2017
It's a little cheesy to include a recipe book here, I know, but it's dairy free so it's ok! Well, really I'm including it because I have now read it cover to cover. It is full of helpful, healthy advice. I've made several recipes so far, and I look forward to making most of the remaining ones!
Here's to our health!
Here's to our health!
May 8, 2018
An excellent cookbook for those with allergen issues and/or those following the AIP (Autoimmune Paleo, Autoimmune Protocol) lifestyle. I have to be gluten, dairy and soy free for my health, but my husband does not. He has absolutely loved everything that I have made from this cookbook. He absolutely hates sweet potatoes, but will actually ask me to make the sweet potato "au gratin" potatoes. FYI: For those missing a good alfredo sauce, check out the caulifredo sauce on page 119 (at least I think it was that page, near there) as it is seriously yummy! The recipes are easy to follow, the pictures are divine and realistic, your food actually resembles the pictures when you have finished the recipe! This has become my go to cookbook!
April 3, 2025
Great recipes.
August 21, 2019
I went through this half health book, half cookbook (full color) with a highlighter! Fascinating infographics and more on all the nutrients you need, along with which foods contain the most. Followed by digestible information on which foods cause inflammation and distrupt the body's natural system. Psst... It's probably NOT what you think. Years ago I followed a Paleo diet, felt fantastic and effortlessly stayed thin. Then I strayed away, getting caught up in vegan guilt along the way. Can humans survive without meat? Sure. If "survive" is what you want to do. But even then you need to be incredibly careful how you eat to do so. And if you're like me and 80% of the world and just not cut out for many protein-dense grains or beans, forget it.
The recipes that follow are top-notch, but in a way that doesn't break the bank. If things like salmon bacon chowder, smoked salmon mouse & crackers made from fresh plantains, and other flavorful meat dishes sound good to you, you will love this book. It's layed out very well too. But before you try the recipes, do read the intro because it may forever end your decision between a bowl of oatmeal and an egg or pasta with veggies vs a serving of meat with veggies. Speaking of eggs, the authors talk about autoimmune disorders and why things like eggs, nuts, seeds, and nightshade veggies might not be appropriate for you while you heal. All recipes are free of these foods while you heal your gut.
Please read, friends!!
The recipes that follow are top-notch, but in a way that doesn't break the bank. If things like salmon bacon chowder, smoked salmon mouse & crackers made from fresh plantains, and other flavorful meat dishes sound good to you, you will love this book. It's layed out very well too. But before you try the recipes, do read the intro because it may forever end your decision between a bowl of oatmeal and an egg or pasta with veggies vs a serving of meat with veggies. Speaking of eggs, the authors talk about autoimmune disorders and why things like eggs, nuts, seeds, and nightshade veggies might not be appropriate for you while you heal. All recipes are free of these foods while you heal your gut.
Please read, friends!!
October 29, 2017
Amazing resource for those working through the Auto Immune Paleo diet. Really yummy recipes! Looking forward to trying several more over the next few months.
So far, I've tried:
p. 110 - Honey Balsamic Dressing
p. 113 - Avocado Mayo
p. 120 - Thin Pizza Crust
p. 137 - Cinnamon & Raisin Porridge
p. 138 - Carrot Banana Bread N'orridge (make it continually...5+ times so far! Super easy and cozy breakfast or snack. Freezes well.)
p. 140 - Comforting Breakfast Casserole
p. 191 - Caramelized Onion Meatloaf (including p. 107 Caramelized Onion recipe. Freezes well.)
p. 192 - Sweet & Savoury Shepherd's Pie
p. 240 - Garlic Rubbed Tostones (love these! make them every week now!)
p. 264 - Garlic Roasted Broccoli
p. 252 - Garlic Dill Parsnip Fries
So far, I've tried:
p. 110 - Honey Balsamic Dressing
p. 113 - Avocado Mayo
p. 120 - Thin Pizza Crust
p. 137 - Cinnamon & Raisin Porridge
p. 138 - Carrot Banana Bread N'orridge (make it continually...5+ times so far! Super easy and cozy breakfast or snack. Freezes well.)
p. 140 - Comforting Breakfast Casserole
p. 191 - Caramelized Onion Meatloaf (including p. 107 Caramelized Onion recipe. Freezes well.)
p. 192 - Sweet & Savoury Shepherd's Pie
p. 240 - Garlic Rubbed Tostones (love these! make them every week now!)
p. 264 - Garlic Roasted Broccoli
p. 252 - Garlic Dill Parsnip Fries
September 11, 2018
Love this book!! It talks about autoimmune disease, what can cause it, how to deal with it. It gives some info on the AIP (autoimmune protocol) diet, which is supposed to help with these diseases. There is tons of info in here, and it's very organized. There are also shopping lists and meal plans. I loved the recipes in here! I don't enjoy being in the kitchen, but these recipes were simple enough that I didn't dread making them, and most of the ones I tried I really liked! I ended up purchasing this one, it has been my life saver for helping me hopefully heal my body and get my health back on track.
February 19, 2018
I read the entire book. There are a ton of creative ideas, and solid facts, which appeal especially to those of us with food sensitivities and allergies. The meal plans are an awesome bonus. It couldn't be easier to try the protocol!
My biggest complaint is with the recipe photos; the food is sometimes poorly cooked or presented (ex: unseared meat). It comes off as sloppy home cooking, rather than chef-informed cuisine, which affects how much I want to try a recipe. In other words, gray mushy piles of ground meat are super unappetizing. And while there are many creative ideas for sides and meals and snacks, the mains are made up largely of pulled chicken/pork/beef recipes.
Bottom line: I will be experimenting with these ideas for a long time, and that makes it worth having to overlook amateur cooking.
My biggest complaint is with the recipe photos; the food is sometimes poorly cooked or presented (ex: unseared meat). It comes off as sloppy home cooking, rather than chef-informed cuisine, which affects how much I want to try a recipe. In other words, gray mushy piles of ground meat are super unappetizing. And while there are many creative ideas for sides and meals and snacks, the mains are made up largely of pulled chicken/pork/beef recipes.
Bottom line: I will be experimenting with these ideas for a long time, and that makes it worth having to overlook amateur cooking.
January 6, 2020
I've recently been diagnosed with a chronic illness, and my doctor recommended a diet with a list of don't-eat foods. This cookbook aligns perfectly with those recommendations, and was extremely helpful for me to figure out what to make. I've used several of the recipes. I particularly appreciate the chapter on quicker foods to make, as I don't particularly like to cook. I do tend to take shortcuts not mentioned in the book (like just using organic store-bought broth or purees or frozen veggie noodles, rather than making everything from scratch), but still have seen many improvements in my health. I also really like the tips for making ahead, storing and refrigerator/shelf-life of the foods. I've tried a few different AIP cookbooks, and this is the most accessible one for a busy mom that doesn't really like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.
May 12, 2021
Very good primer on paleo/health diet, and early chapters of diet related health information followed by chapters of recipes.
Biggest issue here is that the recipes are very US-centric in flavour (kind of bland) and focus heavily on ingredients that I simply can't get in my city/country, specifically
- plantains
- white sweet potato / puree
If you can't get plantains/sweet potatoes/pork or prefer not to eat them, then you are going to skip over 30%+ of the recipes.
Also there is not much diversity of seafood , and only ONE organ meat recipe (which happens to be a weird one).
Biggest issue here is that the recipes are very US-centric in flavour (kind of bland) and focus heavily on ingredients that I simply can't get in my city/country, specifically
- plantains
- white sweet potato / puree
If you can't get plantains/sweet potatoes/pork or prefer not to eat them, then you are going to skip over 30%+ of the recipes.
Also there is not much diversity of seafood , and only ONE organ meat recipe (which happens to be a weird one).
May 28, 2017
Fresh, inventive recipes that adhere to the autoimmune paleo protocol. They're easy to make quickly, especially during the busy workweek. The avocado mayo is excellent--I bump up the garlic powder and add onion powder. Plantain wraps are functional for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Chunky tuna salad is tasty, even without the dried apricots. Each recipe can be easily tailored, and they all lend well to healing the autoimmune-challenged body,
July 24, 2017
This is an interesting book to learn about paleo and recipes that are healthy. The first part of the book explains all of the aspects of paleo and the purpose of this way of life. The rest of the book has recipes for achieving that goal. Many of the recipes are not for me. They involve ingredients like avocado that I really do not like.
Read
April 13, 2021This cookbook is even more restrictive than Whole 30 / regular paleo as they also take out eggs, seeds, nuts and all nightshade vegetables. Overall the recipes look pretty easy to put together. I found a few things in here I might want to try, but I mostly recommend this for anyone who has issues with any of those specific foods.
May 8, 2017
Very well laid out. Very informative. If you want to follow Autoimmune Paleo Diet for specific health reasons, then this is a good book to use.
I have tried some of the recipes, love the Cherry & Lime Gummies, and the Lemon Energy Balls especially.
I have tried some of the recipes, love the Cherry & Lime Gummies, and the Lemon Energy Balls especially.
July 1, 2018
Full of practical advice for those wanting to follow the auto-immune protocol. Also contains meal plans and recipes, which is super helpful as you start to adjust to the restrictions!
As an aside- I have never felt healthier than I do while eating this way.
As an aside- I have never felt healthier than I do while eating this way.
July 12, 2018
Very refreshing to find a cookbook that is AIP compliant and the recipes seem simple and not weird. The only downfall is that several of the recipes use plantains which I hate cooking with. Can't wait to try out the recipes!
September 7, 2020
I use this book daily for recipes. My family who does not have dietary restrictions, love the main dishes I make. The only thing I don't eat is a lot of high salt foods, so I have to omit the bacon/pork recipes.
I have thyroid/Hashimoto's, so this is a great book with all types of recipes!
I have thyroid/Hashimoto's, so this is a great book with all types of recipes!
June 12, 2022
This cookbook has been a great help to me. I have two friends with Hashamonto’s disease. The recipes here are delicious and just so helpful to me when I make food for them. Anyone could enjoy these recipes. Highly recommend!
June 1, 2017
Incredibly helpful resource. Lots of great info and I especially love the batch-cooking meal plans.
February 12, 2018
One of my favorite AIP cookbooks with page after page of recipes that have become my current go-to meal ideas!
February 16, 2018
I made some new favorite recipes out of this book, and got a lot of ideas for ways to prepare other foods I like. Nothing totally ground breaking though.
November 1, 2018
A nice overview of the AIP and, well, eating real food in general. Recipes are great... just haven't tried any yet. But I will. I will!
January 12, 2019
Written well, easy to understand the "sciency" stuff. Meal plans are a huge help with ideas and how to piece together. Excited for a lot of these recipes!
February 24, 2019
Healthy inspiring recipes you don't have to be paleo to enjoy. Whole foods based recipes.
January 10, 2020
One of the few AIP-focused books I've been able to find!
April 10, 2020
I’ve been using this cookbook for over a year now, and I’m still finding new favourites. If you are following the Autoimmune Protocol, get this cookbook, it’s the best!
June 2, 2021
Beautiful book with tons of pictures! Each of the recipes are photographed with big and vibrant photos as well.
March 10, 2025
It's great! Love the carob moose. My only complaint would be that too many recipes rely on sweet potato & plantains which I can't have. Lots of fabulous ideas though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews