Run Fast. Eat Slow. Cookbook: NOT Just for Athletes
"Run Fast. Eat Slow." by Olympic marathoner Shalane Flanagan and whole-foods chef Elyse Kopecky is my favorite cookbook. And I am NOT an athlete!
I wrote and published the following book review on my old WordPress blog on 3/7/2019. But it’s STILL my favorite cookbook, and that website is no longer available. So here is the article with a few minor updates. Also, if you want more context, check out my About Me Story on Medium, where I share about David, cooking, health, our apartment business, etc.
A few months after we sold our apartment business in 2016, David went to work at Amazon as a picker. His job was to pick items out of bins and sort them in preparation for shipping. Physically, it was one of the most demanding jobs he had ever done.
David is a little guy — 5′ 6″ and roughly 130 pounds. So when he started losing weight, we knew we had to do something, and started praying.
Soon after, although he always had to work quickly and hardly ever paid any attention to the items he was sorting, THIS cookbook caught his eye. So when he got home, he put it on his Amazon wish list. Less than a month later, his daughter Clare and son-in-law, Gareth, bought it for him for Christmas!
Why I Love This Cookbook
1 – The recipes fit perfectly with our whole-foods way of eating.
The cookbook includes over 100 recipes and excellent information on the whole-food approach to healthy eating — something we are passionate about. While athletes wrote the book FOR athletes, the recipes are NOT just for athletes. On the contrary, they are perfectly suitable for anyone who wants to eat REAL food (as opposed to packaged and processed stuff).
2 – Many of the recipes are quick and easy to make.
I am not a novice in the kitchen, but I’m no gourmet cook, either. Of the 24 recipes I’ve tried (so far!), most are relatively simple to make, and the prep work usually takes 30 minutes or less. God bless you if you have LOTS of time (and patience) to spend in the kitchen. I don’t!
3 – They are delicious!
I’ve bought several cookbooks over the years, but never have I found such a treasure trove of fantastic recipes in one book. Almost EVERY recipe I’ve made has turned out good, and in most cases, unbelievably delicious!
4 – It’s more than just a cookbook.
If you buy the cookbook and then head straight to the recipes, you’ll miss out on some great information. Here’s a taste (pun intended) of what you get in the first two chapters:
Sub-sections of Chapter One — Eat Slow to Run Fast include:
Running on Empty — “…the majority of Americans are overfed, undernourished, and running on empty.” (Pg 3)
Indulgent Nourishment — “Indulgent nourishment” is how they define their way of eating. It’s not about counting calories, carbs, or fats; it’s about eating whole, nutrient-dense, wonderfully satisfying foods. (Pg 4)
Eating Real Food — What is real food? “…meat, veggies, fruit, cultured dairy, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and more.” (Pg 5)
Fat for Flavor and Fuel — “Fat is a carrier for flavor and nutrients” (Pg 6). They make no apologies for the amount of olive oil, butter, coconut oil, whole milk yogurt, and coconut milk that are included in the recipes.1
Chapter Two — Our Pantry is one of the best chapters in the book! It lists all the foods they stock up on in their kitchens plus culinary tips, nutrition fun facts, storage tips, and more. The chapter is subdivided into the following sections:
Pantry Staples — coconut, dried fruit, flours (mostly gluten-free), grains (e.g. quinoa, brown rice, oats), legumes, nuts and seeds, olive oil, pasta, sweeteners (mostly honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar), etc.
Fridge Staples — butter, carrots, cheese (parmesan, goat cheese, feta), eggs, garlic, ginger, whole milk yogurt, etc.
Fresh Favorites — apples and pears, asparagus, avocados, beef, berries, bread (whole grain), fish, greens, tomatoes, etc.
In the United States, we spend less on food than any other developed country, a mere 6.4 percent of our total spending, and we spend more than any other country on health care. Spending at the grocery store or farmers’ market is an investment in your future.2
The Recipes I’ve Tried
Can’t Beet Me Smoothie
Superhero Muffins (Maybe THE best recipe in the book! David loves them!)
Teff Pumpkin Pancakes with Currants
Sweet Potato Breakfast Cookies
Banana Chews
Pita Chips with Oregano and Sea Salt
Omega Sardine Salad (I only use StarKist Gourmet Sardines. Very tasty!)
Recovery Quinoa Salad (The video below is of me making a modified version which David used to eat every day for lunch.)
Broccoli Chèvre Soup
Fartlek Chili (My Dad’s favorite chili!)
Hearty Minestrone with Spicy Sausage and Beans
Flu-Fighter Chicken and Rice Stew
Long Run Mineral Broth
Greek Bison Burgers (I use grass-fed beef; unbelievably juicy!)
Wild Salmon Sweet Potato Cakes
Roasted Brussels Sprouts (See below for my version of this.)
Sweet Potato Fries (You won’t believe the secret ingredient that makes them crusty.)
Simple Marinara Sauce
Maple-Dijon Apple Cider Vinaigrette (This recipe ended our multi-year search for the perfect dressing; it’s all we use now!)
Mighty Marinade
Avocado Cream
Double Chocolate Teff Cookies (David loves these!)
Oregon Berry Crumble (Made with fresh strawberries and blueberries; delicious!)
Cocoa-Coconut Macaroons
Here are my Roasted Brussels Sprouts. Just roast them at 425°. You can also throw in carrots and onions! So easy! I used to loathe Brussels sprouts. But cooked like this, I love them!
Finally…
I encourage you to visit their website, RunFastEatSlow, where you will find their blog and additional recipes not included in the book.
Get your copy of Run Fast. Eat Slow.: Nourishing Recipes for Athletes at Amazon or wherever you buy books. In addition, they have a new cookbook out called Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow: Quick-Fix Recipes for Hangry Athletes. [Update: I bought it a few months after writing this. It’s good, too, but I think Run Fast. Eat Slow. is better overall.]
So there you go, folks! If you have any questions, or perhaps buy the book and try the recipes, then leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
Cheers…and Happy, Healthy Eating!
Notice: We do not use affiliate links. Links to Amazon and other retailers are for your reference and convenience only.If you’re concerned about dietary fat, then here’s another book I highly recommend: Eat Fat, Get Thin by Dr. Mark Hyman.
Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky, Run Fast. Eat Slow.: Nourishing Recipes for Athletes (Emmaus, Pennsylvania: Rodale, 2016), 5–6. For more, see How does health spending in the U.S. compare to other countries? and Which countries spend the most on food?