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The Doctor’s Kitchen: Supercharge your health with 100 delicious everyday recipes
‘ I'm just a straight-talking NHS doctor lending my unbiased opinion on healthy eating and showing everybody how to get phenomenal ingredients on their plates everyday.’
Dr Rupy Ajula’s first cookbook, The Doctor’s Kitchen, is the go-to book to help you kick unhealthy faddy diets for good. In the book, Rupy, explains the principles of healthy living in a fun and relatable way with over 100 vibrant, tasty recipes steeped in medical science which are easy and inexpensive to make.
The impact of lifestyle on illness has never been higher on the national agenda and Rupy believes that what we choose to put on our plates is the most important health intervention we can make. The Doctor’s Kitchen stands out from the crowd by using medical knowledge to create the recipes. Rupy advocates Plates over Pills every time and he is living proof that what you eat can shift medical outcomes as he overhauled his own heart condition by addressing his diet and creating his own delicious food that he now shares in this book. Infused with flavours from around the world, this tasty selection of everyday meals makes healthy eating an absolute pleasure.
471 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 28, 2017
812 people are currently reading
505 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 11, 2018
The first seventy pages or so give an interesting overview of the value of a range of foods and diets. For once these are all backed up with sound science and over 200 primary and secondary quality references..yippee!
I have tried many recipes, no failures yet. Most are suitable for vegetarians although there are a few fish and meat dishes. My favourites are the Herby mushrooms and greens as a lunch dish; the A&E snacks are too yummy, recommend making small amounts as they are very moreish! Favourite mains are: Mexican mole, Lazy chickpea and Potato Roast, Pea and beetroot risotto ( vibrant pink and green dish, very pretty), Lemongrass Thai Curry, Butternut Massaman curry and Spiced Lime Cauliflower Bake with prawns.
I have enjoyed making my own spice blends and Haldi tea, though this has stained my teapot...
I have tried many recipes, no failures yet. Most are suitable for vegetarians although there are a few fish and meat dishes. My favourites are the Herby mushrooms and greens as a lunch dish; the A&E snacks are too yummy, recommend making small amounts as they are very moreish! Favourite mains are: Mexican mole, Lazy chickpea and Potato Roast, Pea and beetroot risotto ( vibrant pink and green dish, very pretty), Lemongrass Thai Curry, Butternut Massaman curry and Spiced Lime Cauliflower Bake with prawns.
I have enjoyed making my own spice blends and Haldi tea, though this has stained my teapot...
June 24, 2019
My biggest complaint on this book is that the recipes called for so many obscure ingredients that are either way too expensive or super hard to find. The recipes were certainly not doable, and that made me very frustrated. However, I liked the beginning of the book because it had a lot of great advice on what to eat to be healthy.
August 8, 2022
I really enjoyed this but it's not for everyone. In fact even I wouldn't make all of these dishes myself either, but who loves every recipe in every cook book?
What you have here are a range of very healthy meals to cook at home. They are varied and although some of the ingredients might be a little different to your usual they are not really hard to find these days and nothing was very complicated either.
Don't let what sounds rather experimental or the list of ingredients put you off from trying some of this, it's not as out there as it first appears (or at least it appeared that way to me to begin with).
I am looking forward to trying more recipes, they are tasty - most importantly, but also super healthy and they make me feel good.
What you have here are a range of very healthy meals to cook at home. They are varied and although some of the ingredients might be a little different to your usual they are not really hard to find these days and nothing was very complicated either.
Don't let what sounds rather experimental or the list of ingredients put you off from trying some of this, it's not as out there as it first appears (or at least it appeared that way to me to begin with).
I am looking forward to trying more recipes, they are tasty - most importantly, but also super healthy and they make me feel good.
March 8, 2021
Good introduction to healthy eating
LOVE the introduction, so refreshing to read a book talking about adding in nutritious foods rather than extolling the virtues of restricting calories and/ or cutting out whole food groups (both of which are neither healthy nor sustainable). Recipes didn’t appeal as much to me, personally, and I wasn’t so fond of the ‘food cured me’ personal anecdotes at the beginning - bit too reminiscent of some problematic wellness bloggers - still, at least Dr Aujla is an ACTUAL DOCTOR, who has obviously done his research.
LOVE the introduction, so refreshing to read a book talking about adding in nutritious foods rather than extolling the virtues of restricting calories and/ or cutting out whole food groups (both of which are neither healthy nor sustainable). Recipes didn’t appeal as much to me, personally, and I wasn’t so fond of the ‘food cured me’ personal anecdotes at the beginning - bit too reminiscent of some problematic wellness bloggers - still, at least Dr Aujla is an ACTUAL DOCTOR, who has obviously done his research.
January 20, 2018
The author of this book is an NHS doctor in London and someone who is utilising social media (and very ably, too) to get out his message: food is powerful medicine. I really enjoyed reading the Introduction to this book, in which Aujla talks about his mother’s and his own experiences with illness and how they both used food to cure themselves. I think many people are quite aware that there is no medication that is wholly without side effects - and many of those can be very undesirable. Surely it is better to avoid getting sick altogether? This has always been my modus operandi, for sure. And although I think that I eat fairly healthily, there is always room for improvement.
I really like Aujla’s attitude towards food, and the fact that he eats a varied and diverse diet - but focuses on plant-based foods. His recipes look and sound delicious, and he gives very accessible explanations on which foods and spices are best for our body. He also gives easy directions for the best way of cooking foods like greens or pulses, and other foods which we should be incorporating into our diet. He’s also aware of issues like being time and cash poor, and very sensitive to his core belief that healthy eating should be possible for everyone. This is a cookbook that I will be keeping on my counter and cooking from frequently this winter.
I really like Aujla’s attitude towards food, and the fact that he eats a varied and diverse diet - but focuses on plant-based foods. His recipes look and sound delicious, and he gives very accessible explanations on which foods and spices are best for our body. He also gives easy directions for the best way of cooking foods like greens or pulses, and other foods which we should be incorporating into our diet. He’s also aware of issues like being time and cash poor, and very sensitive to his core belief that healthy eating should be possible for everyone. This is a cookbook that I will be keeping on my counter and cooking from frequently this winter.
December 14, 2021
So I wouldn't usually log a cookbook here on goodreads...however after researching this book I knew there were about 70 opening pages I wanted to read that were introducing the importance of eating healthy and information on certain food groups/types that we should be consuming for better health outcomes. I am interested in learning about nutrition and getting more out of my food so I thought this book would be right up my ally and it was! The opening pages are really helpful to learn more about food, and the nutrients and properties in whole foods, vegetables and fruit. I've had this book for about 3 weeks and so far each recipe I have tried has been brilliant, and I'm looking forward to trying more as time goes on. Rupy Aujla also gives information on different health foods throughout the book and why they are beneficial for the human body (things like red cabbage, sweet potato, celeriac, etc). I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about eating healthy, and be able to do it in a digestible way (no pun intended!).
November 8, 2025
I came across Dr. Rupy's YouTube channel and thought I would check out one of his books. The first 70 pages of this book contains tons of information about healthy eating, the benefits of adding certain foods to your diet, etc. There are many acronyms throughout the book that never get defined...so that can be blamed on poor & lazy editing...but overall this portion of the book gets 5 stars.
Then you enter the "everyday recipes" segment. Most recipes have a long list of ingredients with many containing ingredients that are very obscure, hard to source, and/or expensive. I also find that most recipes would be quite time consuming to make, definitely not fitting into my definition of "everyday cooking". I noticed that while the recipes might fit into the "healthy" category...they are very high in calories. I think if you are an adventurous eater with lots of time to spend in the kitchen and shop for ingredients, then you may like these recipes. However, this portion of the book sadly gets 1 star.
Then you enter the "everyday recipes" segment. Most recipes have a long list of ingredients with many containing ingredients that are very obscure, hard to source, and/or expensive. I also find that most recipes would be quite time consuming to make, definitely not fitting into my definition of "everyday cooking". I noticed that while the recipes might fit into the "healthy" category...they are very high in calories. I think if you are an adventurous eater with lots of time to spend in the kitchen and shop for ingredients, then you may like these recipes. However, this portion of the book sadly gets 1 star.
April 7, 2018
Spring always inspires we to look at cleansing and rejuvenation resources and this book is a good one. One caveat is that it will definitely appeal to those who like world cuisine, playing with spices and taking time and care with prepping meals rather than those who look for 20 min weekday dinners. Both are valid approaches and needed to keep us on track. But how much more enjoyment and health impact do we get when we really immerse ourselves into the food prep process and make it an experience? I am definitely looking to try some of the Doctor-approved recipes and learn new techniques of combining spices and flavors.
October 3, 2020
This has become my favourite recipe book. Everything I have tried so far is fantastic. And there are so many recipes I want to try, an unusual thing for me when I get a recipe book.
This is a great book for understanding food and health. Give great balanced scientific and wholistic information about food and how important it is to our overall health. Not just the body but the mind as well.
I recommend it to everyone.
Not something I often do.
This is a great book for understanding food and health. Give great balanced scientific and wholistic information about food and how important it is to our overall health. Not just the body but the mind as well.
I recommend it to everyone.
Not something I often do.
August 16, 2018
This book provides a wealth of information to allow the reader to understand how different foods can be used to positively impact their health. There is information around different foods and diets that are a good resource and provide some insight. There are also recipes with photos to assist the reader on that journey.
January 8, 2019
A staple for a healthy cooking kitchen. Super insightful knowledge about a variety of food. Great to introduce more variation in to your diet.
Some recipes are smaller than average portion sizes and a couple difficult to source ingredients from time to time but an all round good cookbook- often a few recipes added to our weekly shop!
Some recipes are smaller than average portion sizes and a couple difficult to source ingredients from time to time but an all round good cookbook- often a few recipes added to our weekly shop!
October 2, 2018
This has become one of my favourite cookbooks. It is very informative and the recipes are delicious! They are not too difficult though. I'll definitely be tapping back into these recipes often. Healthy and affordable.
November 8, 2019
I love to eat a varied and healthy diet and this book is a winner. Such delicious flavours, with ingenious ways of cooking and great information about how to cook and eat well. Love, love, love Rupy’s style and expertise.
April 12, 2020
I heart Dr Rupy Aujla 😊 This is a great addition to his bbc programmes, his podcast and his ‘Culinary Medicine’ course, which I’m midway through studying. Can’t wait to cook some of the recipes in this book.
September 19, 2021
Good book to get you started on clean eating as such.
Rupy has a show on BBC iplayer of quick meals and this book compliments that too.
It's all very healthy - sometimes a bit too much for me with buddha bowls etc. But I am trying.
Rupy has a show on BBC iplayer of quick meals and this book compliments that too.
It's all very healthy - sometimes a bit too much for me with buddha bowls etc. But I am trying.
November 21, 2022
Made the porridge, it was a disaster! Totally inedible, giant portion and waste of good quality ingredients. I'm remaining open minded but also nervous about wasting ingredients on another dodgy dish that is only fit for the bin.
Enjoyed the intro and reminder for healthy eating.
Enjoyed the intro and reminder for healthy eating.
January 31, 2023
The best cookbook ever. I got this 4 years ago, it's ripped, pages are stuck together and it's covered in food. I still use it regularly. The food is all delicious and satisfying. Also enjoyable to cook. Everyone should own this.
January 22, 2018
The book contains a lot of information how and why to eat properly. The recipes I have tried so far, have been very tasteful.
July 10, 2018
Finished the intro... amazing. The podcast is very informative too if you want to delve deeper. Have made a few of the recipes and loved them.
July 18, 2018
Great healthy food information in the first chapters and the recipes that follow look great but I have yet to try any.
January 25, 2019
Easy and engaging information on health and chronic illness and a great variety of plant and meat based recipes something for everyone
March 3, 2019
Truly inspirational to eating better and introducing healthy and tasty food into your diet. I can't wait to get started! Highly recommended.
April 26, 2020
Very good book with powerful evidence to back up his choice of foods and meals. Also a very engaging and likeable narrator and chef.
October 23, 2020
Will need to try out some of these recipes...
March 20, 2021
Excellent - I’m inspired to a better way of eating
I loved this book bought on kindle and I will buy in paper form and start a whole new way of eating
I loved this book bought on kindle and I will buy in paper form and start a whole new way of eating
June 8, 2022
Very informative and educational. Am going to definitely be trying out some of the recipes and have stocked up on some of the spices too.
September 17, 2023
A useful book which I read online. I liked the way the author referenced his sources. I've not cooked any of the recipes yet but definitely plan to.
May 4, 2020
I was impressed with both the information in this book and the recipes. Perfect for anyone trying to follow a healthy lifestyle.
January 2, 2023
A must for those who want healthier bodies
August 3, 2018
Seriously good and healthy food.
Tried the Mediterranean Cod One-pot last night. Wow, it was good!
Can’t wait to try more recipes from here now. Healthy approach backed up with copious pages of references, as you might expect from an NHS doctor.
Really good and innovative too.
Tried the Mediterranean Cod One-pot last night. Wow, it was good!
Can’t wait to try more recipes from here now. Healthy approach backed up with copious pages of references, as you might expect from an NHS doctor.
Really good and innovative too.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews