The How Not To Die Cookbook PDF Free Download

I eagerly pre-ordered this six months ago, and have been anticipating its arrival since then. It’s a beautiful cookbook — one that is sure to please both those who are new to vegan/plant-based eating and those who are already eating this way.

As a bit of background, I’ve been vegan for almost five years, but only read Dr. Greger’s  How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease  earlier this summer. I loved that book and its focus on integrating research studies with practical tips, but had wished for more actual recipes. Enter this new cookbook . . . .

The book is divided up into the following sections:

* Simple Preparations — includes ten recipes that are used as the basis for other recipes — things like spice blends, almond milk, and vegetable broth
* Breakfast
* Snacks, Dips, and Spreads
* Soups and Chilies
* Salads and Dressings
* Burgers, Wraps, and More
* Very Veggie Mains
* Bean Cuisine
* Great Grains
* Sides
* Sweets
* Sips

Also included at the end is a section that includes sample menus for two weeks of eating, as well as some kitchen prep tips. At the beginning of the book, Dr. Greger summarizes some of the more pertinent research from _How Not to Die_. After that, he also provides his list of the “Daily Dozen” — the twelve foods he suggests we eat every day as a way to prevent heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses.

All of the recipes use a whole-foods, plant-based (WFPB) approach to eating, one that is similar to the Forks over Knives, Engine 2, China Study, and Plant Pure Nation lifestyles. Sweetness comes in through the use of things like the dates in the Date Paste recipe and date sugar, and everything is also refined-sugar-free, oil-free, and salt-free, for those following an SOS-free diet. (Miso paste is used in a few recipes for salty flavor.) The only “unusual” ingredient that the recipes use is nutritional yeast, which you can buy here on . “Nooch,” as it’s nicknamed, imparts a cheese-like flavor to dishes, and is a great source of Vitamin B12 (if you buy the fortified version of it), which plant-based eaters need to supplement with since plant foods don’t contain it.

Many of the recipes also contain a side box that provides cooking/preparation tips or other information that is helpful in preparing the recipe. There are beautiful full-color photos — which is one thing I always look for in cookbooks since they inspire me to cook — for almost every recipe, except for the smaller things like in the “Simple Preparations” chapter. (See the two photos for samples of what the pages look like.) The directions are also clear and easy to follow, and speak to the expertise of Robin Robertson, who developed the recipes. At the bottom of each page, there are also X’s that mark off which of the Daily Dozen foods that recipe incorporates.

The book itself is also wonderfully put together, with hardback binding and a lovey green binding that matches the cover of _How Not to Die_.

It would have been nice if this had included the prep and cooking times for each recipe, but you can eyeball them and get an idea of how long each will take. Also, the voice/style of the writing is a little off to me; the headnotes to each recipe and the supplemental textboxes make it sound as if Dr. Greger created the recipes, but then credit is given to Robin Robertson.

Although I’ve only had this for a day, I’ve made the Chocolate Oatmeal, the Black Bean Soup with Quinoa and Kale, and the Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. All three recipes came together quickly and easily, which is important when you’re looking for fast, healthy meals. I’m looking forward to using this often, and know it will get a lot of use in my kitchen!

Bon appetit!

UPDATE ON 12-7-17: I noticed that a few reviewers have given this cookbook a negative review because it doesn’t include nutrition information, but the philosophy behind whole-foods, plant-based eating is that if you’re eating healthy whole foods, you don’t need to worry about calorie counts. I’ve been following this approach to my eating for a few years, and have been at a stable, healthy weight. While I agree that having this information would be useful, only two of the ten or so WFPB cookbooks that I own have that information, so it’s not that unusual that Dr. Greger chose not to include it.

UPDATE ON 12-9-17: I’ve made a few more recipes this weekend, including the Almond-Chocolate Truffles and Black Bean Burgers pictured, and all have been delicious.

Also, I’ve noticed that some reviewers are worried about getting ahold of miso paste and nutritional yeast. If you can’t find miso locally (it has to be refrigerated, so is harder to buy online), you can substitute tahini mixed with a bit of salt; the taste won’t be quite the same, but it will add the salty flavor. For nutritional yeast, I’ve been buying  Hoosier Hill Farm Nutritional Yeast Flakes, 1 Pound  for the last three years here on , and really like it. It stays fresh for quite awhile in the pantry. Hope that helps!

UPDATE ON 12-24-17: I’ve been using this book non-stop since I got it, and continue to love it! This past week one of the recipes I made from it was the pasta with lentil sauce (see last photo). I used pre-cooked lentils from Trader Joe’s, and it came together so quickly and easily.

UPDATE ON 5-6-18: I’ve been cooking a lot from this book, as well as other SOS-free cookbooks, and have lost seven pounds since January. It’s been hard for me to lose weight, but really focusing on cooking without oil and eating whole foods has made a huge difference.