Tucked in a corner at a small New York cookbook shop—Kitchen Arts & Letters, a mere 750-square-foot space with thousands of titles—sits a modest shelf devoted to cookbooks centered on sustainability and climate change. As one staff member remarked, “It’s hard … there aren’t many. But it’s something we’re trying to build out as it becomes more popular.”
This micro-collection hints at a growing but still emergent subgenre: cookbooks designed specifically to help readers align their diets with climate-conscious principles. These titles aim not merely to pile on plant‑based recipes, but to guide readers toward more sustainable food practices.
From “Climatarian” to Cookbooks as Climate Tools
In 2016, “climatarian” entered the Cambridge Dictionary, describing someone whose food choices minimize their environmental impact. Surveys suggest this movement is growing: by 2020, one in five U.S. millennials reported adjusting their diet for climate reasons.
Cookbooks in this emerging category often combine practical cooking instruction with broader context: environmental impact, sourcing guidance, and creative reuse strategies. One shop featured Eating for Pleasure, People, and Planet by Tom Hunt, including recipes like a rutabaga “pretending to be ham” or a grain-based “rotation risotto.” Nearby sat Perfectly Good Food, by sisters Margaret and Irene Li—packed with inventive “riffable” recipes that repurpose wilting produce into dishes like versatile crisps or carrot-top saag paneer.
Why They Matter
These cookbooks are more than kitchen manuals; they reflect a belief that everyday meals can contribute meaningfully to climate goals. They speak to issues around food waste, carbon emissions, and equitable access to nutritious ingredients. According to some climate analysts, reducing meat intake and optimizing food choices can make a tangible difference—even without a wholesale agricultural revolution.
Notable Titles in the Space
Several recent books exemplify this trend:
The Zero‑Waste Chef Cookbook by Anne‑Marie Bonneau offers 75 recipes along with tips to use leftovers creatively and minimize waste.
Low‑Waste Kitchen by Alessandro Vitale delivers 100 step‑by‑step plant‑based recipes and DIY household remedies, promoting household-wide sustainability.
PlantYou: Scrappy Cooking from Carleigh Bodrug focuses on oil‑free, plant‑based, low‑waste meals—trust her viral lemon‑peel pasta for inspiration.
The Climate Future Cookbook, produced by Grist, explores eight sustainable ingredients—from crickets and algae to perennial wheat and pawpaw—that embody resilient, climate‑friendly eating.
Other books in the larger sustainable‑food canon include Vegetable Kingdom by Bryant Terry, which celebrates vegan cooking with African diaspora flavors, and The Everlasting Meal Cookbook by Tamar Adler, offering inventive ideas for reimagining leftovers.
A New Subgenre Takes Shape
Although still small in number, climate‑focused cookbooks are gaining momentum. Kitchen Arts & Letters staff see the section “hard … to build out” but promising as interest grows.
These books differ from standard vegan or vegetarian cookbooks. They emphasize ingredient sourcing, carbon footprint awareness, storage and shopping habits, and strategies for reducing both food and packaging waste. Some offer creative frameworks: mad‑lib style recipes, compost-friendly ideas, or recipes keyed to local, seasonal, and often undervalued ingredients.
Beyond Cooking: Culture and Climate
Cookbooks like these also map broader narratives: reconnecting to Indigenous foodways through crops like camas restored by Native stewards, or highlighting algae and insects as sustainable protein alternatives. The Climate Future Cookbook, for instance, situates food choices within ecological restoration and social justice contexts.
Meanwhile, chefs and writers—such as Caroline Saunders and Katherine Miller—are using food as a way to advocate for climate action, urging us to recognize how everyday meals intersect with political and environmental systems.
Will Climate Cookbooks Change How We Eat?
The influence of this new category is subtle but growing. For many readers, they offer both practical meals and a gentle re-framing of everyday cooking as an act of planetary care. As sustainable eating becomes more mainstream, and the label “climatarian” gains traction, these cookbooks may continue to expand—from niche to shelf star.
In sum, climate‑friendly cookbooks are emerging as tools to shift how we think about food—not only what we eat, but how we shop, store, and reduce waste. They bring cooking into climate conversation, encouraging readers to make their plates part of the solution.
