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Today’s Healthy Monday tip: Pick up a good book!

We are in the throes of summertime and what better to do with your free time than dive into a good book. Now is the time to indulge in your own foodie reading fest- a great way to further educate yourself on food and farming issues. Whether it’s a day at the beach, at a farm, or having a picnic, a book is a great companion.

Here are a few of our favorites:

If you are perusing the grocery store shelves and are confused about what you should be eating, pick up What to Eat by Marion Nestle. She explains the definitions behind food labels, nutrition, and how to make good decisions about food. Another great resource for learning about organic food and what to stock in your kitchen (and some great recipes to boot) is Grub by Anna Lappe and Bryant Terry. Michael Pollan’s latest, In Defense of Food seeks to answer the questions raised by his previous book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Pollan encourages us to “Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.” Choosing unprocessed, whole foods, and steering clear of what he calls “edible food-like substances”.

If you are a gardening novice, you may want to pick up Joan Gussow’s This Organic Life which will no doubt encourage you to grow your own food. After seeing first hand Gussow’s magnificent garden, I was inspired, albeit intimidated, to play with the idea of down the line growing my own food (when I have a yard). If nothing else, Gussow will remind us again of the many reasons that eating locally makes sense. Thinking about embarking on your own 100 mile diet? Pick up the inspirational book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver who documented her family’s year long journey to eat only locally grown food.

For those vegetarian or considering, Frances Moore Lappe’s Diet for a Small Planet teaches us how to live lightly on the earth by cutting down our consumption of meat. If you are in the mood to whip up some vegetarian food in the kitchen, you may want to think about cracking open the The New Moosewood cookbook. This revised version of Mollie Katzen’s classic 1977 cookbook provides many wonderful recipe ideas to add to a vegetarian repertoire.

We know there are so many great books out there so let us know what we’re missing!