As the country begins to reopen, it’s time to toss the comfort foods we’ve been clinging to during our daily Netflix binges and instead, consume “whole foods” that are intended to fortify our health and bolster our immunity systems.

While there’s no shortage of excellent food blogs with delicious recipes and stunning photography worthy of recommendation, this particular list is dedicated to purveyors of nutrition who combine culinary skillsets with unparalleled knowledge of the digestive process and food sensitivities.

At a time when maintaining health is more important than ever, here are our top three recommendations for best holistic food bloggers.

Cookie and Kate

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Photo courtesy of Cookie and Cookie

Sitting at number one on our recommendation list is Kate Taylor of Cookie & Kate, a vegetarian blogger and author perfect for the newbie and the seasoned vegetarian/vegan alike.

Featuring 100s of “meatless” recipes on her site, Kate is determined to teach us how to “eat well and feel well”. With whole-food menu selections that challenge the notion that “it’s not complete without the meat”, serving delicious, plant-based meals are now easier than ever. Browsing through the site, we discovered lots of familiar dishes that are sure to fool the “meat and potato” mindset.

Flight test: Italian. We started with an Italian Chopped Salad, added Ricotta & Spinach Stuffed Shells, and finished it off with homemade coffee ice cream. Viola!…a menu to satisfy even the finickiest of eaters! Perhaps you would prefer Thai? No problem, Kate has you covered on a host of ethnic cuisines including Mexican, Asian, Mediterranean and Indian. From breakfast to dinner and snack in between, Kate will make a whole-food believer out of anyone.

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention Cookie, Kate’s canine sidekick that she affectionately labeled her “Chief Crumb Catcher”, or her book Love Real Food, a vegetarian cookbook that even includes a section on cooking natural pet food for our furry family members.

Detoxinista

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Photo courtesy of Megan Gilmore

Next up is Megan Gilmore of Detoxinista, a Certified Nutrition Consultant and author. Like many of us, Megan grew up eating fast food and eventually gained an extra 30 pounds in college. Determined to lose the weight, she battled with yo-yo diets and suffered from binge eating for years. Sounding familiar?

In her quest to stay fit, Megan discovered how to have a “healthier relationship with food”. She shares her expertise through easy to prepare, gluten-free recipes that are made with whole foods and have short ingredient lists. And while the word “detox” is in her blog title, Megan prefers a holistic approach to nutrition. She suggests that we eat whole foods instead of processed and packaged items, practice food combining to optimize digestion, and exercise daily rather than going on a “drastic, quick-fix diet”.

You will find a treasure trove of resources, plans, guides, and shopping tips on Detoxinista that are sure to help you achieve a healthier lifestyle.

The Roasted Root

Photo courtesy of Roasted Root

Last, but certainly not least, is Julia Mueller of The Roasted Root, a recipe developer, photographer, and cookbook author specializing in vegetarian, vegan, paleo, keto and gluten-free recipes in addition to menus based on a low-FODMAP diet. Recipes from this site are nutrient-rich low-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory and primarily centered around vegetables and meat.

For anyone suffering from digestive disorders such as IBS, Candida, or Leaky Gut Syndrome, Julia’s extensive research will come as a welcome relief. Having lived with intestinal problems all her life, she made it her mission to learn how to improve and sustain a healthy gut and athletic performance through diet. She proves it’s possible to enjoy delicious meals while still catering to your dietary needs.

Not for the faint of heart, Julia gets to the “root” of many digestive issues in her post, My Journey With Gut Health, where she discloses her personal journey living with IBS. While rife with colorful expletives, Julia mentions the “unmentionable” with straight forward honesty. Informative and relatable, she explains FODMAPs and how eating a low-FODMAP diet has affected her overall gut health and athletic performance.