Learn to eat healthy with vegan cookbook author

By Nicola Ceccato

Mar 29, 2022

Ready for purchase: Betty Chetcuti is shaking up vegan stereotypes with her new cookbook. Photo by Betty Chetcuti

If you’re looking to make your everyday meals healthier, head along to Tatura library this week to hear from vegan cookbook author Betty Chetcuti.

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Ms Chetcuti, a psychologist and now published cookbook author, from Melbourne who has been vegan for three years now.

She has learnt a lot along the way about the body and using food to nourish it and was keen to share her knowledge through her recently-published book My Vegan Cookbook.

During the talk, Ms Chetcuti will share insight into her recipes and her research and encourages people to bring along any recipes they want to change.

Her cookbook has been two years in the making, filled with weekends of researching and trialling various recipes and taking photos.

“My goal wasn’t to write a book it was to write a shopping list and the more I wrote and the more I talked to people it just evolved naturally.”

One of the easiest things to do was watch Netflix documentary What the Health and listen to The New Normal podcast by Dr Andrew Davis.

A big believer in science, Ms Chetcuti has used research throughout her cookbook to help people understand why and what their body did when fed the right foods.

“I talk to people about doing their own research and to be informed which becomes more compelling for them to make a change,’’ she said.

“I talk about taking small steps (in psychology) which is more achievable and is consistent with changing behaviour.

“If you change one small behaviour at a time when you do the research, you have the research that makes sense to you and when it makes sense to you, you’re more likely to do it.’’

Ms Chetcuti’s cookbook is full of recipes and research, as well as stories of those that have tried her recipes and made the switch to the wholefood vegan lifestyle.

“People love it. They love the coloured photos, the print, the taste of the meals, how easy it is to make, they love the effect it has on them and that their family also loves it and they want more of this eating and less of how they used to eat,” she said.

Ms Chetcuti is speaking at Tatura library on Thursday, March 31, at 7pm.

To reserve a spot at this free event, contact the library on 1300 374 765 or email tatura@gvrlc.vic.gov.au

Her book is available to buy on her website www.bettychetcuti.com.au and, if ordered before Thursday, March 31, could be picked up at Tatura library (if indicated in the note section of purchase) or alternatively purchased on the night for $45.