Customer Reviews

Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting A Healthy Plant-Based Diet

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book's balanced and rational approach to creating a sound Vegan lifestyle proved invaluable to me as I became a Vegan. Unlike some Vegan books, this book was not written by fanatics and doesn't preach. The authors are medical professionals and this volume presents a sound view of the pluses and minuses of Vegan/Vegitarian ways of eating.

It helped me create a diet that not only meets all my nutritional needs, but one that is easy and fun. If you are a new Vegan, considering becoming one, or are looking for ways in increase the non-animal-source areas of your diet then you need this book.

This book is great for anyone considering veganism but especially if you are (or want to become) a vegan athlete. (I do triathlons)

There is a chapter that goes over special considerations for vegan athletes and also gives a great overview of sports nutrition in general.

I was a little nervous giving up all animal products thinking there would be some nutritional nook or cranny I would miss that would make me colapse during a long run. This book told me everything I needed to put me at ease and even improve my performance.

Whether you are beginning a vegan lifestyle, all ready live one, or even if you are just vegetarian, I highly recommend this book. It gives loads of information on every vitamin and mineral necessary, and focuses on those that can be a concern in a vegan diet. It gives a little bit of history, includes a food pyramid, and just had tons more stuff you NEED to know. I use this as a reference over and over and find it very helpful. It is the best book I have on health. This book is a must have to complete any vegan/vegetarian's library.

I'm a vegetarian slowly moving into veganism. If you're interested in becoming vegan, this book is a good start. It provides excellent information on general nutrition, as well as details on vitamins and minerals to which vegans will want to pay close attention. It even includes a one-day meal plan for several different levels of caloric needs.

If you're a vegetarian or an omnivore wondering why anyone would become vegan, this is NOT the book you want. Melina and Davis, both registered dieticians, focus entirely on their specialty. There is no information about animal cruelty in the dairy and meat industries and no discussion of the environmental and social benefits of a vegan diet. There is also little mention of vegan concerns outside of diet, such as animal-derived products in toiletries. Except for the final "Vegan Diplomacy" chapter, the book is largely charts, graphs, and phrases like "docosahexaenoic acid." Despite this, "Becoming Vegan" is pleasantly readable.

Also, curiously, Melina and Davis choose to base their vegan eating pyramid on the USDA food pyramid, which has been heavily influenced by the meat and dairy lobby and is NOT the best guide to follow for optimal health. I suggest obtaining a copy of "Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy," the Harvard Medical School's guide to healthy eating, and using the special nutritional concerns covered in "Becoming Vegan" to adapt the omnivorous advice in that book to a vegan diet.

This is a worthwhile buy for anyone considering veganism. If you're already vegan, it is a great tool for ensuring your diet is nutritionally optimal and for dealing with detractors who doubt a vegan diet is adequate for human health.

I won't rehash what has already been said. My story is that I gained 50 pounds with a pregnancy (due to lackluster eating habits). After delivery, I was determined eat right so I read books by Ornish and McDougall which recommend (mostly) vegan diets. I still wasn't convinced that not eating dairy products was a good idea, so I went ahead and bought this book even though at the time I couldn't even pronouce the word "vegan" correctly.

This book is an awesome find and gives a VERY complete run-down on the pros (many) and cons (few, but important) of the vegan diet and allowed me to adopt a plant-based diet with confidence and without fear. There is so much good nutritional information packed in this book that I hate that the word "vegan" in the title (although accurate) might prevent this book from becoming a mainstream resource on nutrition.

I'm just sooooo glad that I found it. And by the way, not only did I very quickly lose those extra unwanted pounds, but now my daughter is getting a healthy start to boot. Not a bad deal.

I am not a vegan, but am interested in the diet. I may give it a go, at least to see what it is like, after reading this book and seeing how straightforward and non-exotic it really is! I don't think I will ever be interested in the political aspects of Veganism, so the general lack of political tone was welcome in this helpful book, which did a lot ot make it straightforward and non-intimidating! (If you want more history/political background, there are a number of excellent books out there you should read in addition to this one.)

The book is long on the nuts and bolts of veganism -- benefits and pitfalls, how to plan a varied, good tasting, healthy menu, how to get the vitamins and minerals that are more difficult to get on a plant-based diet, etc. It does not get on a soapbox, nor does it try to proselytize -- I suppose the assumption is that the reader is open minded simply by the fact that he or she is reading it. Either way, it gives straightforward, no-nonsense advice on how to do it and be healthy while doing so!

One nice touch is a section towards the back called "Vegan Diplomacy" -- which has tactics of how to deal with non-vegans, especially those whose minds are a bit more closed to this kind of thing, and how to maintain good relations with a meat eating world!

This book is a "must have" if one is contemplating going Vegan or interested in the diet.

I knew giving up animal products was the right thing to do, but after reading "Becoming Vegan," I got the impression that it would have to be a long, gradual process, as (according to page v of the book) one of the co-authors is not yet vegan herself.

If you're looking for the motivation to become vegan, I urge you to listen to Bruce Friedrich's compelling essay "Veganism in a Nutshell" (for free) at http://www.brucefriedrich.org/. I started and completed my transition to veganism during that hour-long reading.

Perhaps "Becoming Vegan" is a good starters guide for already-vegans, but it's not much in the way of inspiration.

Excellent nutrition information for everyone, whether vegan, vegetarian or omnivore. My sister recommended this book because she is attempting to design a healthful diet for herself that is also respectful of all living things. I bought and read the book (and continue to use it as a reference work) because I want to know as much as I can about nutrition. Even though I am not in the process of "becoming vegan," I am not at all disappointed in my purchase. The authors rely upon scientific studies in drawing their conclusions and making recommendations. Their chapter, "Big Fat Lies," provides one of the most enlightening summaries of essential information about fat in the diet currently available to the general public. Truthfully, all eaters should read Becoming Vegan and analyze and modify their diets accordingly. Highly recommended!

Whether you are considering becoming vegan or not, this book will help you understand what your body needs and where to get it best. Emotions aside (we all feel strong about our nutrition choices) , it will present a body of scientific evidence regarding factors contributing to major diseases such as cancer. You need this information to make informed choices for yourself and your children, no matter whether vegan or not.

If you did make a decision to become vegan, it will tell you, nutrient by nutrient, what you will have in abundance and what you will need to pay special attention to. It will tell you sources of nutrients, and it will help you to tailor your diet to changing needs of your body and your situation(pregnant? overweight? underweight? raising a vegan child? getting older? ) It speaks to the topic of vegan diplomacy as well.

I still eat meat, much less now after reading "The China study". In this book, I finally found consize explanations to the following:
- Meat protein vs plant protein - is it true that one is superior to the other (marketing campains of food industry aside)
- Why some vegetarians don't look/feel that healthy
- What vitamins will I not have enough if I go vegan

Read it. It is like getting a second opinion.

I'm a 22 years old vegetarian boy who's trying to get into veganism, but it's quite hard due to my country of residence (Spain.)

In this book it's not only clear why anyone should become vegan but also is very informative and clear for people learning about nutrition.

A++ for the Author and all the contents.