Plant Over Processed: Cookbook Review

We cooked through Andrea Hannemann's cookbook Plant Over Processed. Keep scrolling to see what we think!

The Book: Plant Over Processed

Author: Andrea Hannemann

Publisher: William Morrow

Category: Vegan/Vegetarian

Choose this for: A plant-based reboot with minimal processed ingredients; Pretending that you too live a beautiful and carefree tropical life

My Favorite Recipe: Bali Earth Bowls with North Shore Fusion Peanut Sauce

Let me just start by saying how much this cookbook has changed the way I have been eating. I’ve considered myself a “healthy” eater for years but did not realize how much I have been leaning on processed foods and meat-substitutes. Cooking through this book was a game changer and made me take a step back and re-evaluate a lot of my eating habits.

If you follow Earthy Andy on instagram you’ll see that she lives in a tropical climate and seems to make smoothies and smoothie bowls like six times a day. I figured since this is her wheelhouse I should make every smoothie and smoothie bowl recipe in her book, and I quickly realized how much I missed having tons of fresh fruit and bright flavors in my life.

I’ve been simplifying meals, keeping tons of veggies stocked, and making a few of her sauces to keep on hand for hodge podge bowl assembly (the North Shore Peanut Sauce- HOLY COW I did not leave one single drop of that behind). I was blind and now I see. But really, I just feel so much better and more satisfied throughout the day. No more need for all of the mindless snacking here and there. My gut inflammation has all but disappeared. And everything is so good! I have not tried some of her hot/cooked recipes yet because it's summer in Georgia and it is a SCORCHER out there, but I can’t wait to give them a try!

Andrea starts the book with some background information on her personal health journey and how diet modifications were the answer to her chronic health issues. She details exactly what helped her heal her gut and autoimmune issues with hopes that it may help other people as well (AKA me, it worked thanks). She takes you through her Plant Over Processed challenge step by step and lets you know what you can expect along the way but also emphasizes that this is a personalized approach, so do what works for you!

She does a great job summarizing the importance of different vitamins and minerals and gives examples of how to increase each one in your diet. She does drop some health claims in the introduction, which I always like to see some resources for (always make sure any health info you are reading is coming from a reliable source!), but she gives a clear shout out to the physician who served as her fact-checker.

All of the recipes are vegan and gluten free because that's her personal dietary vibe. I love all of her personal stories that she shares with each recipe. Reading through everything really makes me feel like I am at home in her kitchen eating a massive acai bowl and living my best Hawaiian life.

The Final Score

I have made 40 recipes from Plant Over Processed and give it a Golden Spoon!

This book delivers a super important message- eat more plants- and makes it SO EASY. Andy literally walks you through the whole process of incorporating more plants in your diet with encouraging words and tidbits from her personal experiences.

All of the recipes in this book are beginner friendly, and many of them can be done with kids as well.

Ingredients are easily accessible and most (if not all) of them can be found at any basic grocery store. An optional trip to a specialty grocery story can get you a couple of the harder-to-find ingredients like activated charcoal and spirulina.

In terms of originality, Andy offers a variety of mostly-raw plant based recipes, many with a tropical vibe to them which is different from a lot of the plant-based cookbooks I have seen.

The book is filled with bright, colorful photos and a clean, organized layout. While there is a lack of technically-challenging recipes here, a lot of the meals have multiple components to them which satisfied my urge to keep busy in the kitchen.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to explore a plant-based diet or just develop some healthy habits. The Plant Over Processed Challenge also serves as a healthy option for all of those who like to “cleanse” or “detox” after the holidays to jump start the year. I will definitely be coming back to this book again and again.

If you have been cooking from this book let me know what your favorite recipe is! And be sure to let me know what cookbook I should review next.