Jared Koch, author.

Like any good narcissist, I’m a sucker for a self help book. Particularly those sweet tongue-in-cheek manuals sitting near the counter at B&N. Those slim volumes seem to promise a schematic for your life: how to dress, date, survive a bear attack, and of course, eat. Clean Plates N.Y.C. fits the bill neatly. But unlike those “Survival Guides,” this is a self help book with a mission: to help its readers eat healthy and yummy meals in NYC.

Jared Koch, the book’s principal author, is a nutritional consultant and wellness counselor. His overall philosophy hinges on a concept called “bio individuality” which holds that no single diet fits all. Koch devotes the first half of the book to telling you how to eat to optimize your health, regardless of your disposition (omni/vegan/pesco-ovo, etc.). At times I felt that he was being inclusive to a fault, not wanting to alienate potential readers with militant health-foodophilia. But at the end of the day, I walked away with the clear instructions to: eat as many leafy greens as possible, limit intake of soy/fake meat products, and, if eating meat, eat local/free range, etc. (the usual set of instructions for people who insist their animal protein). While I was first tempted to skim this section (“I know most of this stuff…”) I was surprised to find that I did, indeed, need a refresher. It’s easy to slip into lazy vegetarianism; sometimes I think I’m a walking bowl of chocolate granola and soy derivatives. And though he doesn’t preach it outright, Koch sneaks an argument for (partial) vegetarianism in between the lines. He also doubles back several times, giving tidy tips and summarizing various points for a quick re-read.

Alex Van Buren contributes to the second half of the book, telling you where to eat in Manhattan. A former food writer for Time Out New York, she knows her way around the scene. The reviews are playful and adventurous. Though I wondered at some of her inclusions, in what purports to be a healthy eating guide. Babbo may use locally sourced products, but it’s a restaurant known for its generous use of butter and lardo. On the other hand, a raw vegan venue like Bonobo’s Vegetarian is a tough sell for omnivores. I don’t care how chipper you act about, ahem, “nutmeat.” That aside, the restaurants reviewed cover a wide variety of price points, cuisines, and accessibility levels. The critiques are level headed and more thorough than Zagat’s. And I appreciated the democratic gesture of including a number of chain restaurants (Chipotle, Pret A Manger…). Finally, from an entertainment standpoint, the research is there, the authors offer quirky anecdotes and insider tidbits to delight even seasoned New Yorkers.

The two sections of the book are well integrated, the second half clearly referencing the first. Koch and Van Buren have put thought and effort into pleasing a wide audience, and making a useable reference guide. The whole thing may not be a cover to cover read, but I’m glad to have it on hand. As Koch points out, they made the book portable for a reason. It may not be my food bible, but I may just have to carry it around for while and see where it takes me.

See www.cleanplatesnyc.com for more!