Gardencuisine: Heal Yourself Through Low-Fat Meatless Eating [Paperback]

Paul Wenner created the Gardenburger, a mushroom-based veggie burger sold in food stores and restaurants all over the U.S. He is also a messianic advocate for eating a vegetarian diet and a businessman who believes "a dream too big is just the right size."

Wenner recounts that adopting a whole-food, meatless diet cured him of acute chronic illness. He then tells the story of his business, from founding a restaurant in Portland, Oregon, to starting the company that has sold over 100 million Gardenburgers and whose stock is traded publicly. He also devotes a chapter to why people must stop eating meat and presents his "GardenPlan for Optimal Health"--which is based on whole, unrefined foods which he believes purify the body--plus exercise, breathing techniques, and meditation. In addition, Wenner provides a 21-day weight-loss plan, complete with daily menus. One of the best sections in this book advises how to handle eating when you travel.

The key to Wenner's diet is his VeggiePack, a mixture of cut-up fresh vegetables you make up in large quantity and store to use every day. The food has its roots in the earnest, "brown" food of the 1960s. Recipes include basics like almond milk, Hot and Hearty Five-Grain Cereal, a baked Spinach Omelette made from tofu, and Fat-Free Oven Fries. A few recipes call for products Wenner's company makes. If you agree with Wenner's thinking, you may just love this fresh-looking, well-presented book. --Dana Jacobi

Neal Barnard, M.D. author of Food for Life and Eat Well, Live Longer Paul Wenner's creations are healthful and delicious, and yet so simple and practical that anyone can easily make them at home. These recipes will revolutionize our health and will let the Earth breathe a little easier, too. If everyone followed Paul Wenner's healthy example, we doctors would have a lot more time on our hands.

Dean Ornish, M.D., author of Eat More, Weigh Less and Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease I highly recommend this eloquently written and inspiring book to anyone interested in...getting and keeping good health, the real source of wealth and wisdom.

John A. McDougal, M.D. author of The McDougall Program for a Healthy Heart Paul Wenner's work has helped millions by making healthy food convenient, familiar, and tasty.

The inventor of the Gardenburger® veggie patty, Paul Wenner knows about delicious, low-fat food, and in GardenCuisine he offers more than 150 sensational recipes for everything from tempting appetizers to sumptuous desserts, all of them as satisfying and high in flavor as they are low in fat and nutritionally sound.

Tired of the same old breakfast? Try a Savory Breakfast Sandwich with Fresh Fruit Toss and jump-start your day. Suffering from lunchtime letdown? Pair a Middle Eastern Pita Sandwich with a cup of Carrot Ginger Soup and treat yourself to a square of Spice Cake. Enjoy a glass of Fruity Sangria before dinner, then savor Pan-Roasted Portobello Mushrooms over Broiled Polenta and Healthy Caesar Salad; finish with Mango-Apricot Bread Pudding. Who said good health had to be boring?

With complete nutritional information for each recipe, a chapter on nutrition for optimal health, and a 21-day weight-loss program, GardenCuisine will delight everyone from already committed vegetarians to those trying to cut down on animal protein in their diet.

Paul Wenner is the inventor of the famous Gardenburger® veggie patty and the founder of Gardenburger, Inc., which produces the world's most popular low-fat and no-fat meatless patties. He lives in Portland, Oregon.