The cookbook promotes Christian vegetarianism and a Bible-based diet, in keeping with teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The title refers to a quote from Ellen White, a founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church: "The one who understands the art of properly preparing food, and who uses this knowledge, is worthy of higher commendation than those engaged in any other line of work.

[1] The 1968 edition consisted of 750[2] plant-based, whole food recipes for adults and infants, along with glossaries of natural ingredients, tables of equivalents, nutritional information charts, natural remedies, and an outline of the Seventh-Day Adventist "prescription for health", or Christian vegetarianism.

[2] Only one chapter includes recipes with animal products—namely, milk and eggs—"for those who are in the transitional period", the authors note.

[10] In 2017 Washington Post Food Editor Joe Yonan listed it as one of three "must-have classic vegetarian cookbooks".

[11] In 1976 Connie I. Dahlke, Chief Therapeutic Dietician at Boulder Memorial Hospital, sent a letter reviewing the book to the bookstore manager at the Colorado Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists in Denver; copies had been forwarded to hospital and university nutrition and home economics department heads and to the authors.

[12] A 1977 article in Canadian Adventist Messenger said that a review by dieticians, pharmacists, and physicians found the dietary and medical advice contained in the book was unsound and advised readers to view it with caution.

[4] At the time of the book's first publication they lived in Chisholm, Minnesota,[8][15] and ran a health-food store and sold a breakfast cereal called "Get Up and Go".