So Easy So Good: Delicious Recipes and Expert Tips for Balanced Eating

by Kylie Sakaida

Enjoy easy and accessible everyday recipes and discover no-nonsense nutrition info that debunks food myths from social media sensation Nutrition by Kylie.

Registered dietitian and social media star Kylie Sakaida, a.k.a. @NutritionbyKylie, knows how difficult it can be to keep track of the confusing and often conflicting information about nutrition we are barraged with online. Kylie began posting videos on social media to cut through the noise and offer easy-to-understand and relatable evidence-based advice. Now, millions of people trust and follow her for realistic nutrition tips and delicious recipes. In this beautiful, comprehensive cookbook, Kylie has collected her best nutrition tips along with both fan-favorite and brand-new recipes.

Whether you want to change your eating habits and mindset or are just looking for a healthy dinner recipe, So Easy So Good has you covered. Kylie simplifies complex concepts through simple lists, charts, and sidebars. Her recipes and tips emphasize a healthy, balanced mix of protein, carbs, healthy fats, and fiber so you can feel nourished and satisfied. Many of Kylie’s recipes are inspired by the Asian flavors from her upbringing. Some recipes are designed to minimize prep time by using frozen veggies and nutrient-dense convenience foods, while others can be frozen in advance and reheated within minutes for a quick meal.

So Easy So Good is packed with simple, accessible, and nutritional advice throughout, but it’s recipes like Matcha Chia Parfaits, Sriracha Honey Tofu Bowls, Chicken Ranch Naan Pizzas, Thai Fish Curry, and even sweets like Tahini Chocolate Brownies, that will have you coming back to the book again and again.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Health

272 pages, Hardcover

First published April 8, 2025

About the author

Kylie is a registered dietitian and lover of all foods. She features tips, tricks, and general health and wellness information mixed with her favorite recipes, day-in-the-life vlogs, personal journey, and more. Kylie strongly believes that nutrition and health tips should be easy, realistic, and fun. She strives to help others optimize their health, rebuild their relationship with food, and learn how to nourish their bodies.

Reviews

[R.F. Gammon]

This was so helpful and I love a ton of these recipes. Yes, I read the entire thing.

[Adeline B]

I am a loyal subscriber of Kylie on Youtube. 🫡 Might as well check out her book!

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm writing this just after I finished having the Korean BBQ Beef Bowl with Kimchi for lunch and it was genuinely so easy to make and so deliciously good!

What drew me to this cookbook was Kylie Sakaida being a registered dietitian sharing nutritionally balanced recipes that are easy to make, delicious, and embrace rice! I appreciate the respect for rice! I felt like this would be a good cookbook to help me prepare nutritionally-balanced meals and eat out less and I was right.

The first ~40 pages of the book are dedicated to explaining why Sakaida became a nutritionist, her approach to nutrition, the basics of nutrition, practical tips on topics like how to add more protein and fibre to your diet, various examples of what a balanced plate should look like, portions, etc. I found this really establishes Sakaida as someone with a solid, scientific backing. I felt like I could trust her recipes and that the following recipes were nourishing, not couched in fad diets or weird social media diet hacks.

I find the recipes delicious. So far I've tried the Satisfying Savory Oats (good flavour but my brain was confused LOL), Gochujang Bean & Egg Breakfast Burritos (absolutely scrumptious), Onigiri Rice Balls (approachable onigiri!), and the Korean BBQ Beef Bowls with Kimchi that I'm going to carry to work for lunch this week instead of eating out.

Good stuff!

[Lilelyah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this cookbook, bought it when it just came out and we already have fav recipes at home that we keep making over and over again! ❤️ The ingredients are easy to find, the recipes are very simple and they are all delicious!

[Kimyona Dietter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased this book because I love and follow Sohee Carpenter's YouTube channel, "Soheefit". She was doing a short promoting her friend's book. She made Chili Cilantro Chicken with picked red onions on the side. Sohee made it look so easy. It was a beautiful meal and plated perfectly. I was SOLD!!!! I looked all over the Internet for the recipe and gave up. I popped on Amazon, saw I had enough earned credits to buy a digital copy and now I am 7 recipes deep in this book. Quick. Easy. Delicious meals. The husband is on his weight loss journey and I needed easy, delicious, and nutritious meals to keep him on his path. They are interesting. They allow me to dabble in meals I wouldn't attempt. Look I actually enjoyed tonight's dinner which was the Chicken sausage, broccoli Ranch Naan pizza and I hate ranch! . This book has been my savior.

[Rachel Uemoto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been making Kylie’s recipes for years and was super excited to finally order her cookbook! So far every recipe I’ve tried from the book has been a hit. The meals are easy to make, delicious, nutrient-dense, and I personally find it really helpful to exclude the macros. Also, for readers who want to learn to make healthy food choices in general, Kylie’s included tons of educational information that I recommend reading! Her recommendations are all science-based, and super easy to follow. Highly recommend this book.

[Vivienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much when I got it from the library, I immediately bought it. Kylie’s recipes are fun and easy, I love the Asian and Hawaiian inspirations, and I love her grounded nutrition tips sprinkled throughout the book. Definitely worth having on your shelf!

[Hannah Puhse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been cooking through this cookbook everyday since it's delivery. it's versatile, educational, helpful, and all the ingredients are affordable. our current family favorites are the coleslaw, matcha chia pudding, and shrimp and avo-cuke salad.

[Christy Copeland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cookbook!

[Leigh Kramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I stumbled across Kylie's work thanks to my IG feed and was instantly inspired. Plus, her recipes looked great! Then I saw she'd released this cookbook and knew I needed to track down a copy. I've been looking for easy options for lunch in particular and this really delivered on that front. I flagged so many recipes to try, especially the bowls and sheet pan recipes. She includes substitutions and tips for most recipes, which I found super helpful. I also appreciated her perspective as a dietician and the way she educated about food and nutrition. That said, some of her language strays into diet culture. It's not entirely surprising but still disappointing so I wanted to flag it in case it's a sensitive issue for anyone.


CW: brief discussion of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), discussion of detoxes, diets/diet culture, mentions of weight loss

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the author's YouTube shorts, and her take on eating healthfully, so I was excited for her first cookbook! I think I liked the first sections (about nutrition, how to shop and stock your pantry, etc.) better than the actual recipes, BUT that could be because I got the e-book. (Cookbooks are just better in hardcover. So pretty!)

[Sammi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything in this cookbook feels approachable and manageable for planning and cooking.

Have yet to implement any of the meals, but looking forward to making my meal plans and trying out some new recipes!

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would dispute the “so easy “part but agree with “so good.”It wasn’t that hard, but laborious. And tasty.

[Kelly B · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the person talking about nutrition actually has a background in nutrition: 🙌😮‍💨
Recipes look tasty and easy, affordable and adaptable. Can’t wait to try them out!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed whenever I would see Kylie's videos pop up in my feed and I resonated with her philosphy on food and eating. I read this in one sitting and feel like I can try many more recipes and remixes for things I already know how to do. Would recommend!!

[Carolina Campoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy práctico

El libro contiene recetas y explicaciones muy practicas acerca de comer una variedad de alimentos. Algunas contienen ingredientes coreanos que pudieran ser difíciles de conseguir en algunas zonas pero la mayoría de las recetas contiene nutrientes e ingredientes sencillos de encontrar.

[Katie Hayden · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love that it’s not just a cookbook, it has valuable nutrition information, staples to keep in your pantry, how to balance your plate, etc

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to buy this one for sure! A variety of healthy recipes that my whole family can enjoy sprinkled with good tips and ideas for switching things out a bit. What added to the 5* rating? Ingredients that are pretty much already in my cabinets.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cookbook filled with things I actually want to eat! The author is from Hawai'i, so that makes sense.

[Alyssa Lorina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read and understand. Lots of substitution options given by author for people with food sensitivities/preferences and to help change things up. Many creative recipes I’ve never seen before and simple recipes for meals that might seem ambitious. Lots of snack ideas and the freezer meal prep section is so practical for those of us who are always busy or have low motivation. I already made the chia pudding a few times and plan on trying out others soon.

[Chrisje · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kylie's focus on food is balanced and realistic, which is why I follow her on social media. Lots of new recipes that I hadn't seen before and that I'm sure I'd enjoy. I enjoyed the dietician's viewpoint sections and the recipe remixes too.

[Hannalee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love me a good avo-cuke salad

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome book! So looking forward to trying many of these recipes! Easy and nutritious? Sign me up! I am maybe going to have to buy this one...

[Jane Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

simple recipes that are delicious and amazing information about nutrition and balanced meals!

Edit to add: I've had the book for a while now, and it has quickly become my most used cookbook! I have cookbooks that I've only done five recipes, or none of them! I've literally only had one recipe that I did fairly recently at the time of editing this review, that I literally looked at my SO and went, I feel like it's missing something. I love the chicken Taco recipe and the Shoyu chicken bowl! I honestly recommend this book to everyone! I have not been able to stop raving about this book since I received it!

[Rachna · Rating 5 out of 5]

can’t wait to start eating breakfast again because it won’t take me 30 minutes to make it

[Wadeana Beveridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Nice

Good description of the reasons behind the methodology as well as how to make the recipes tailored to fit most eating habits.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

incredible

Kylie makes cooking seem so much simpler than it does on your head. It’s a fantastic cookbook, and I know those bowl recipes will be a regular staple.

[Nikki DiIenno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Kylie’s social media stuff, and this cookbook did not disappoint! Can’t wait to make some of these recipes

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The saying goes that two things can be true at the same time. I really like and don’t really like So Easy So Good by Kylie Sakaida.

The introduction notes “My main goal is to empower you to make nutrition less overwhelming and more accessible” and I think the first part of the book really accomplishes this. As the author is a registered dietitian (and also has a MS) the Nutrition101 section is packed with a lot of interesting information presented in a non-scientific-y way. Especially helpful as a reference are the charts on vitamins and minerals that I know will be a good go-to reference source.

The part of the book I personally had a hard time loving are the recipes in an overall/inspiring way. To give praise first, I really liked the Red Cabbage Salad with Walnuts, Beta & Balsamic Vinaigrette. It was bright, tasty, and made for a really good lunch. Another recipe I made, the Thai Curry Mason Jar Noodles didn’t hit as well and even though I reduced the amount of red curry paste as suggested in the notes, the finished dish was still too spicy for me yet somehow also tasted watery overall. My take is that as a whole, the recipes are not bad, they just didn’t sing to me as I’d hoped.

I had some editorial nit-pics too. I went through the book several times and can not find a legend for the icons that accompany each recipe, most I figured out, like nut-free, and dairy-free based on the ingredient lists, but a chart in the intro would have been helpful. My other frustration was that a recipe for chicken thighs noted 4 servings, says to put the components into 4 bowls when ready to serve, and yet calls for 6 chicken thighs.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review.

[Jessica Hicks · Rating 3 out of 5]

So Easy So Good is a diet cookbook but it’s got a different feel because Kylie Sakaida has a history of disordered eating. I love that she emphasizes why you need each nutrient because it’s easy to want to cut out entire food groups when quick weight loss is the goal. She breaks it down so you see why each part of the body needs protein/fat/carbs- for example, fat is important for brain function and absorbing vitamins, protein is needed for immune function, and carbs give you physical and cognitive energy! She also shows how people from various cultures can still eat the ancestral foods they love but in a healthier, more balanced way. Thank you for the gifted copy, Simon Element.
🌺
Here’s what I made:
🍙 Onigiri Rice Balls- these are mostly tuna so they’re much easier to make than the traditional onigiri I’ve made in the past. Also lower in calories and higher in protein! Pretty good too!
🍳 Rice Paper Omelets- these are supposed to have spicy in the title but you know I omitted all that. Even with that modification they’re so amazing! I was skeptical but the egg makes the rice paper soft. They’re like extra delicious egg quesadillas AND they’re gluten-free.
🍗 Chicken Satay Bowls with Peanut Sauce- I’m a wimp and thought the chicken was too spiced but I bet you’ll like it. And the sauce was really good. I also made sure to follow her suggestions for carb/protein/veg proportions here.
🧀 Loaded Nachos- this had nice flavor but I did miss the extra fat from non-diet nachos here.
🍫 Tahini Chocolate Brownies- each 3x2 brownie has 8 grams of protein because these are LOADED with tahini (and egg). My kids won’t eat them because they are kinda savory but with a smear of ice cream on top, I find these to be pretty tasty!