Running on Veggies

January 3, 2022
Adidas nutrition coach Bildirici shows readers how to put their best foot forward in the kitchen and beyond in this vibrant debut collection of plant-forward recipes. When she was diagnosed with cancer at age 14, Bildirici took to running as a way to cope and quickly found, after switching to a nutrient-dense diet, that what she ate directly impacted both her body and endurance. Informed by the author’s health journey and the eponymous blog that grew from it—and supplemented with a number of recipes from world-class athletes—Bildirici’s book focuses less on what’s “healthy” and “unhealthy” and instead emphasizes the importance of using minimally processed ingredients and “lots of vegetables.” Most of the offerings are plant-based, with a handful of pescatarian options—including a protein-packed fish taco bowl recipe from professional mountain bike racer Kate Courtney. A meal guide for endurance athletes offers such snacks as roasted garlic green hummus and an anti-inflammatory beet mango smoothie, while a standout breakfast marinates carrots in a caper brine mixture for a smoky loxlike flavor on toast. Other innovative fare includes a jicama and radicchio chopped salad (jicama’s great for the gut, Bildirici notes) and a pecan-crusted halibut with an antioxidant-rich pomegranate glaze. Way more than just fuel, these recipes are as loaded with nutrients as they are flavor. Agent: Steve Toha, Folio Literary.

February 1, 2022

Bildrici, a triathlete and nutrition coach, includes more than 75 recipes in her debut plant-based cookbook, which is tailored specifically to athletes though it also has general utility. Bildrici provides sample menus for both endurance athletes in peak training and the everyday health-conscious person. Recipes are broken down into useful categories: mornings, smoothies, bowls, plates, "On the Side," "Adventure Snacks," sweets, and condiments/dressings. Bildrici's inventive use of fruit to sweetness is a highlight, in recipes for a tahini-date smoothie and baked pumpkin quinoa. The addition of chickpeas and butternut squash to the "Southwestern Vegetable Slow Cooker Chili" was unexpected but a nice touch, and her "Spanish Potato Omelet" (or tortilla) makes a quick and filling dinner. Plants are at the center of the cookbook, but it does include a number of recipes with fish. There are also recipes formulated by athletes and trainers. VERDICT Bildrici's beautifully photographed book will be a welcome addition to any cookbook collection.--Lacy S. Wolfe

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.