Developing a healthier relationship with food and cooking is now easier with a new cookbook that helps readers make well-balanced, healthy meal choices.

Penned by Comox Valley residents Josie Boulding, in collaboration with her husband Ryan Stuart, HABIT: 6 Bases, 29 Recipes and A New Way of Eating, brims with elegant prose, stunning photos, and delicious yet simple recipes, according to a media release. The couple used to call Campbell River their home, and Boulding's brother, Jamie, owns the rustic wilderness resort, Strathcona Park Lodge, which was founded in 1959 by Jim and Myrna Boulding.

鈥淚t鈥檚 unlike most cookbooks," Boulding said in the release. "(It's) more than a collection of recipes, it鈥檚 a recipe to make eating healthy.鈥�

The cookbook's foundation consists of six core sauces: lemon preserve, miso, teriyaki, caesar, salsa verde, and cashew cream, Boulding said. While these sauces are versatile individually, their true strength lies in serving as a cornerstone for the other 29 recipes. These recipes span appetizers, salads, sides, main courses, desserts, and even a delightful summer cocktail. 

鈥淲e designed HABIT to make cooking at home more fun," Boulding said. "I find I have one of our six base sauces in the fridge, making a nutritious dinner doesn鈥檛 seem like such a big deal. It helps me get over the hurdle of getting started because I already have.鈥�

With rates of obesity and diabetes skyrocketing, the couple wanted to contribute positively to the world of cooking. The foods people eat are often linked to physical and mental health issues, Boulding said. Too much takeout, restaurant food and prepared sauces and meals are a big part of the problem. 

HABIT aims to make it faster and easier to cook from scratch using whole ingredients. All the recipes are gluten-free, low in sugar and light on dairy. Ingredient lists are short, the instructions are easy to follow and throughout the couple offers up hard-earned tips and tricks, she said. 

鈥淲e made the cookbook we wished we had,鈥� said Stuart, who is a freelance writer and magazine contributor. 鈥淲e manage a lot of food allergies in our house, and we love to eat delicious food. With HABIT we鈥檝e proven the two are not mutually exclusive, hard work or time consuming.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 about creating a habit that makes it easier to make healthy, nutritious meals," added Boulding, who is a former TV host and content creator under the handle @restlessjosie. "Eating that way, makes you feel good, which will encourage you to keep it up. HABIT has changed our relationship with food. More than anything we hope it does the same for someone else.鈥�