Vegetarianism Books

Lisa Tracy provides a very non-threatening approach to becoming a vegetarian. Set up in stages: ranging from "thinking about it" to "veganism", and how to eat out in not necessarily vegetarian friendly restaurants (an essential thing when I lived in Nebraska) to how, and where, to shop for groceries. An excellent book.

Joseph Campbell realizes that one has to eat to stay alive this means something has to die. He says it is monstrous. However we need to get over it and realize that is the nature of things.

For the rest of us there are other reasons for going vegetarian and cornering the poor carrot that can not run from us. This book is dedicated to the attitude that "you are what you eat."

It is not easy or wise to go cold turkey per-say. And this book helps both physically and psychologically to become the svelte vegetarian that we all long to be.

The process is divided into three stages including 15 steps. The book includes over 200 recipes.

So you do become a social outcast there are strategies for feeding the archaic meat eaters at the same time.

All in all it is a very useful book at treating vegetarian (much more just healthy eating) in a practical and less radical manner.

There are no pictures to this 297 page book. However there is a list of recipes and organizations that can help beyond the book.

This book was a great investment for me - my family has never made it to total vegetarianism, but we are eating less red meat and enjoying the options more.

My biggest concern was that in going away from meat, my family would have no protein - what DO you need to look out for, where do you find enough protein for growing kids? Reading this book gave friendly, easy to understand information along with shopping help and recipes that can lead the reluctant a little closer to healthy eating.

I keep this book in my cookbook library, and periodically pull it out and for awhile, cook meals that are tasteful and a little better for our bodies than the usual typical American meals.

More than half of this book is filled with information on how to step towards vegetarianism in a non-judgmental way. She gives information, recipes and shopping hints for each stage without pushing the reader on to the next. She also realizes that there may be serveral stages all within the same family.

1) Stage One is where many of us are - less red meat, coffee, refined sugar, more vegetables, fruits and cereals. Eating poultry and fish, milk products, egs, beans, and other grain products. She lists the pluses of this stage, and doesn't urge anyone to move on to the next stage unless they want to.

2) Stage Two is the next step - still eating fish, but almost no poultry, more dairy, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds.

3) Stage Three goes beyond the more traditional lacto-ovo-vegetarianism into macrobiotics, natural hygiene.

She says here, "The Stage Three diets represent a much larger step away from what we grew up with, but...remember: You don't have to do it all at once. Or forever. As the teacher said, every little bit helps."

The last part of the book has recipes, divided by the stages, which makes it really helpful for people like me who are vegetarian wannabes, living with meat-lovers.

Soups, Casseroles, Indian Side Dishes, Vegetable Side Dishes, Breads, and more - some have become staples, even in the months when we are eating less healthy foods. Her chicken recipes are fast, easy and absolutely delicious!

A treasure of information AND recipes!

I've had this for a long long time and enjoyed it thoroughly. In addition to feeling better, I lost weight as well. It's a wonderful guide if you follow it. Informative and educational. I recommend it!

Does anyone know of other books she has written?

What, No Meat?!: What to Do When Your Kid Becomes a Vegetarian
I love this book b/c it's easy to read and understand. THe menus and recipes are simple as well - although I wish there were more! It's a great book for new vegetarians and their meat-eating parents. It's also good for vegetarian parents who are not exactly sure about nutritional values.

About a year ago, I checked out this book from the school's library (I was very suprised they had a book on vegetarianism). It has alot of information on becoming a vegetarian, has Q & A sections and tells you about different kinds of non-meat diets, such as "fruititarian", when you only eat fruit. I think all children and teen vegetarians should read this book.

The cover of I'm A Vegetarian features three kids who appear to be about 11 to 20 years old, a clue that this book is written for "tweens" and teens. The writing style is simple, easy-to-understand, and fun-to-read, making it a sure winner for this age group. However, the book would appeal just as much to parents and younger children. The author and her husband have raised two vegetarian daughters, and her connection with what veg kids want and need to know is clear and strong. She has a knack for presenting facts and information that keeps your attention, and most importantly, will appeal to young minds.

The book starts by defining "vegetarianism," and includes quotes from kids of all ages explaining why they decided to become vegetarians. Interspersed throughout the chapters are quotes from famous people and interesting facts about animals, animal agriculture, the environment, and nutrition. Short activities help to illustrate the topic of each section. For example, to help children understand how much space a chicken is allotted in a typical egg-laying factory cage, the author suggests taking a ruler and a sheet of paper and tracing a six-inch square. This is a quick, easy lesson that really brings the point home.

Schwartz goes on to discuss how to deal with parents who aren't happy about having a child convert to vegetarianism and "other sticky situations," like talking to one's peers, handling holiday dinners, and getting decent veg food in the school cafeteria. She covers these topics by offering simple advice without sounding preachy. She keeps it upbeat and positive, which kids will appreciate, but which some may find unrealistic. Still, her saucy comebacks are priceless, and will allow veg kids to arm themselves with funny comments whenever they are put on the spot.

In the chapter "Food, Glorious Food!" Schwartz presents a history of vegetarianism and a primer on "new" foods, many of which are not eaten regularly within the standard American diet. She introduces soy foods including soymilk, tofu, TVP, tempeh, and miso, and includes information on lentils and quinoa, plus peanuts, chickpeas, and potatoes, all of which have interesting stories behind them. She even briefly discusses genetically modified foods.

Finally, after providing a general discussion of eating a balanced diet in the chapter entitled "Be Smart - Stay Healthy," Schwartz goes on to discuss nutrition in more detail. This section is so easy to comprehend that my 5-year-old enjoyed reading it with me. Provided are sample lacto-ovo and vegan diet menus, lots of meal ideas, and a handful of recipes to get you started. This title is highly recommended for new vegetarian kids as well as their meat-eating or vegetarian parents. It would also work well for vegetarian parents who want to teach their children aged 5 to teen about nutrition.

This book is written in a very fun, age-appropriate style. It highlights many of the concerns and interests of the young vegetarian. It includes jokes, recipes, information, comebacks, and even famous vegetarians. A great read for the young vegetarian, especially one you may be afraid of losing to peer pressure. NOTE: Although veganism is mentioned, the book focuses on vegetarianism, not veganism.

I wish I had this book when I first eliminated meat from my diet - it would have saved me a LOT of grief and prevented some pretty bad dietary habits. It gives a unique and well-grounded approach to becoming a vegetarian or shaping up your diet if you're already vegetarian. It does say that eating dairy can be helpful, which there is some controversy on, but even many experts who are anti-dairy object to milk products mainly because they are packed with hormones, pasteurized, and homogenized. When dairy is pure, organic, and fresh it's a good source of nutrition when used properly and in moderation. Also, the book says you should eat dairy OR fish as a supplement to a vegan diet, which makes sense when you look at the traditional diets of native cultures around the world - I don't know of any that are purely vegan. Rudolph Ballentine seems to be a very wise author with a lot of grounded perspective on holistic nutrition.

In Transition To Vegetarianism: An Evolutionary Step, Doctor Rudolpf Ballentine presents an informed and persuasive survey of the value and reasoning to a vegetarian diet. Dr. Ballentine's informative text is laced with health relevant information such as meat-eaters having three times as many heart attacks as vegetarians, that a vegetarian diet decreases osteoporosis dramatically, that in endurance tests vegetarians had more than twice the stamina and strength of meat-eaters, and that the vegetarian diet is a time-honored technique for promoting alertness and clarity of consciousness. Ideal for the non-specialist general reader, Transition To Vegetarianism covers red meat, poultry, fish, and the question of milk and eggs in a vegetarian diet. If you are considering the pros and cons of a vegetarian diet for yourself, begin with reading Dr. Rudolf Ballentine's Transition To Vegetarianism.

Most people can't stop eating meat one day and put a red "X" on the plate instead. Unless you live in a culture like India, or eat lots of beans and rice, it takes a bit of adjustment to move to a plant-based diet.

When newly minted militant vegetarian friends reject the idea of starting out by simply eating less meat, this book is the place to turn for support. After twenty years of shepherding people toward a more vegetarian diet, I've seen definite trends that emerge when giving up meat: persistent cheese-eating, a plethora of omelet dishes, a sudden craving for peanut butter, etc. This guide gives sound practical explanations about why these cravings happen; it also gives suggestions for maintaining nutrition without going overboard on fat. Vegans will be unhappy with the assertion that a plant-based diet with some milk products is a typical solution for Americans, but realistically, how many of us are willing to do what it takes to maintain a strictly vegan diet the rest of our lives? And as additional research emerges on fatty acids (such as Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils) there seems to be an increasing number of reasons to consider fish as a practical substitute for supplements like hempseed or flaxseed oil.

Over the years, I've heard countless people wake up to nutrition and tell me they've discovered the "only healthy diet there is." Every one of those diets has been different! Rather than rushing out to try someone else's diet, I'd recommend looking at Dr. Ballentine's set of guidelines first. This is one of the only books on vegetarianism I know that doesn't tell you "here's the best diet." Instead, the author presents the pros and cons of various food options, and gives you a reasonable way to work towards a diet which suits both your body and your life situation.

I bought this book on the recommendation of my homeopath, who had worked under Rudolph Ballentine. I was disappointed. While the nutrition in terms of meat's value and replacement in the diet may be of great help to my sister, who *is* vegetarian, I found the "dairy is good for you" message questionable in terms of my personal experience and in terms of different articles I've read. I'll take a sensible vegan cookbook any day.

I also bought this book shortly before becoming a vegetarian and found it to be a wonderful resource. It goes into a great amount of detail regarding nutrition, dispelling many commonly held beliefs about protein requirements and what is healthy. (No, vegatarians are not starving to death from lack of protein and just too stupid to know it, but they do have a 47% lower risk of heart attack!)

This book is very well research and has a huge bibligraphy section for those wanting to learn more. It details the scientific, social, political, and relgiious reasons that different vegetarians have for their lifestyle. My only complaint with this book is that the recipes inside are vegan, not vegetarian (no milk, cheese, eggs, etc.) But, vegan or not, they are delicious!

I purchased this book about 3 months after becoming a vegetarian, and from my perspective it reiterates a lot of points I already knew, and also brought up many things I was unaware of. Mr. Null's writing style is very clear and thorough; the reader will not be left guessing what the point was nor looking through a dictionary for the meanings to technical terms. If you're considering becoming vegetarian, I'd recommend picking this one up. What you learn will surprise you. And if you're unsure how to eat once you've decided to go vegetarian, Mr. Null has a considerable number of recipes in the back of the book.

Most of the information was in his other books. I was looking for recipes not a rehash of his other factual writing. The few receipes included were not very exciting.

Although some of the statistics in this book may be out of date, the information is still quite accurate (you just have to use the ratios given and apply to todays costs).

This book will provide you an education on why a vegetarian diet is good for you and how you can actually provide all the nutrition you need from various fruit, veg & legumes. Even if you are not intending to become a total vegetarian it will provide you with a newer healthy perspective of what to eat and how to find the various products.

One aspect of the book that I find interesting is the wide amount of research done about socio-economic impacts of a general meat-eating populus. It actually points out that a lot of essential foods (vegetables etc) are used in producing cattle/meats, where this could quite sensibly be used for human consumption instead (why feed animals when you can feed humans ?). The ratio of vegetable protein used to produce meat is 16:1. That means that you are wasting 15 of the 16 pounds of grain to provide the same amount of useful consumable meat protein. A simple but a very poignant observation.

All in all, the book provides a lot of information and clarifies mis-information about a vegetarian (or vegan) lifestyle. I would strongly recommend you read it even if it's just for your education. You will absolutely learn something.

This is the best vegetarian recipe book I have - I buy them and share them with all my vegetarian friends. The recipes are easy and delicious and have recipes for Asian, Italian, Indian and traditional American. There is also a calorie count for each so it helps you adapt to special diets.

I am vegetarian, but I often like to cook more traditional recipes (minus the meat) and time usually of the essence. This is a great, easy-to-follow guide to making some quick meals and most dishes use ingredients that are already around the house (rather than requiring a special trip to a specialty store). You don't have to be a vegetarian or an expert chef to enjoy/prepare these high-protein meals!

My wife & I are not vegetarian (and never will be), but we want to eat better so we have been looking for a good vegetarian cookbook to get some fresh ideas for using the produce we harvest from our garden. We originally bought a highly rated vegan cookbook online and hated it. So, we returned it and spent an hour at Barnes & Noble looking through vegetarian cookbooks. This one has a lot of easy recipes that can be prepared with ingredients most people are familiar with. If you're a die-hard vegan this cookbook is not for you. If you're just looking to eat more vegetables I would definitely recommend it.

This book presents itself in the introduction not as a cookbook for a vegetarian diet, but a guide for people who are trying to eat more meatless dishes. That seems about right.

There are some good recipes to be found - mainly in the Soups/Stews and Quick Dinners sections. There are lots of pastas and frittatas (plenty of eggs and milk make this book very ovo-lactovegetarian) and a whole section for Main Dish Salads.

I am a vegetarian and I wanted to like this book, but it is lacking in many ways. The family in the story lives on a farm, yet the mother is always dressed better than June Clever. The family seems disfunctional in the 50's way...the illistrations are terrible. I wanted a good book about a vegetarian child, to read to my children, but this isn't it. There are too many loose ends when the book is over. Is the family going to be vegetarians, or just the little boy. The parents don't seem thoughtful or commited to doing so.

Victor, The Vegetarian: Saving the Little Lambs is a simple story with an important message. Victor is a young boy who lives with his parents on their farm set amongst the woods. When
Victor overhears his father talk about killing the lambs on the farm so they can have lamb chops, Victor takes his lamb friends, Marigold and Buttercup, into the woods where they become lost.
When they are finally found, Victor's parents decide not to kill the lambs. Not only are the lambs saved, but Victor realizes that he doesn't want to eat any other animals either. "'What about all the meat we eat?' he asked his parents. 'I'd love all those animals if I knew them. I don't want to eat cows or pigs or chickens either!'" Victor has become a vegetarian!
Victor, The Vegetarian: Saving the Little Lambs will appeal to children and will make vegetarian
children feel good about their compassionate diet. –Reviewed by Glenn Perrett (...)

Radha Vignola's simple story clearly conveys the ethics of vegetarianism. Victor's heroism is inspiring and teaches children that their actions can make a difference. The illustrations are cute but as another reviewer mentioned reinforce gender stereotypes. Also, Victor's parents' ready acceptance of his decision to stop eating meat seems pretty unrealistic, especially given that their livelihood depends on raising animals for slaughter. Meat-eating kids may be disappointed to find that their parents offer more resistance. However, these drawbacks do not affect my 2 year old's enjoyment of the book in the least, and the message of becoming vegetarian for compassionate reasons shines through.

Victor reaches that moment in life when he realizes the origins of the food on his plate, and he's horrified by what he's learned. He shows compassion and his determination, that his family's lambs will not become lambchops. My elementary school students really enjoy this book and its companion tape. They often ask to rehear the story.

You can be a vegetarian and still eat terribly unhealthy food. I bought this book with the hopes I could have a vegetarian meal without having to worry about the contents of the ingredients. So far it has delivered. All the recipes have been delicious and require a medium amount of preparation involved, all while trimming away unnecessary calories. The book uses a lot of different types of meat substitutes, so if you may have to do a bit of research once you purchase the book. I'm impressed and would encourage other blossoming vegetarians to try it out. Good luck!

I love this book! There are many wonderful recipes in it. I only have 1 complaint and that is the condition I received the book in! The book arrived in worse condition than you could actually purchase it used! Why pay full price for a book only to receive it in poor condition! The book is great but the place I bought it from needs to put some safeguards in place to ensure good products arrive to their customers.

This is one of the best vegetarian cookbook ever. Most of the recipes are simple and fast to make, and all of them delicious.
It classified every meal into vegan, lacto-ovo, lacto, and ovo; and each recipe has the nutrionational guide too.
In the last edition they added the Smart Carbs chapter, for vegeterians that are also interested in wiselly choosing their carbohydrates.
I totally recommend this book for everyone that want to eat in a healthier way.

This is a GREAT book. The whole way of eating really works. Wonderful!

good book as part of the ongoing series of McDougall cookbooks, I am trying to find his entire series!

I love this book! I have yet to own a copy, but the one I checked out from the library was used almost avery day that I had it. Great recipes, easy to make, delicious, satisfying, I could go on and on... I highly recommend this, and other books by Dr.McDougall and Mrs. McDougall for those concerned with their health and becoming vegan. This is a whole new way of eating!

In Munchie Madness, Dorothy R. Bates, Bobbie Hinman, Robert Oser, and Suzanne Havala successfully collaborate to present 120 quick and easy to prepare, teen friendly vegetarian dishes that are as delicious as they are nutritious. There is something here for every dining occasion from snacks to major meals, smoothies and shakes to salads and dips, soups to puddings. Of special value is the chapter on "Vegetarian Nutrition: A Primer for Teens". Munchie Madness should be on the kitchen shelf of every family with teens -- and sent off with young adults headed for college or independent living away from home for the first time!

This Book is an informative resource book for teenagers who want to live a compassionate, healthy lifestyle. Teenagers will relate to the main part of the book as it contains tasty, nutritious recipes that are easily prepared. Most of the recipes are vegan, and each contains the number of servings that the recipe makes as well as the calories, protein, fat and carbohydrates for each serving. Recipes are divided into the following sections: "Smoothies & Shakes," "Breakfast," "Salads, Dressings, Spreads, & Dips," "Soups," "Main Dishes" and "Cakes, Pies, Candies, Pudding." Laura Holzapfel offers an insightful message at the beginning of the book in "Notes from a Vegetarian Teen" and Suzanne Havala, who is a vegetarian, author and consultant on food and nutrition, provides important information for teenagers (and their parents) in "Vegetarian Nutrition: A Primer for Teens." Havala effectively covers such topics as protein, calcium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin B12 and fats - to name a few. Whether you are a vegetarian teenager looking for some delicious, easy-to-make recipes, a parent wanting nutritious meals for your vegetarian child, or you are just looking for a good recipe book, Munchie Madness will not disappoint. -Reviewed by Glenn Perrett

by Molly Conway, 15
Teen Editor
...

My friend Rebecca is a super-vegan. I have the utmost respect for her and her family of super-vegans because it baffles my mind as to how they do it. Whenever Rebecca and I have enough of a lull in our schedules to eat lunch together, I'm in for it if any part of my meal comes from "some poor animal." The speech usually starts with, "Did you know?" and continues with Rebecca trying desperately to prove to me that all of the world's problems are my fault because of what I'm eating. Rebecca's argument is rehearsed and usually flawless, which is why I enjoy so immensely trying to prove her wrong, but deep down I know that she is absolutely right on most points. And that's why I've eliminated red meat from my diet.

If you happen to be in the same situation as me - that is, questioning your dietary identity - you might want to pick up this book. It's not just a cookbook. It also includes solid information about vegetarianism, weighs the pros and cons, gives sources for more info, and, here's the best part, nutritional information for every recipe. Plus it's geared specifically for teens so that all of the recipes are quick and easy, and it even offers tips on talking to your relatives and friends about your dietary choices.

But even if you aren't planning on switching your diet completely over to the green side, this is still a good book to check out. After all, according to Rebecca, if we all reduce our meat consumption by 10 percent and use the surplus grain we would have fed to livestock to feed people in Third World countries, we would have solved world hunger already.

Copyright 2002, Blue Jean Media, Inc.

I first discovered this book in a public library in 1980.. I had been on and off the standard drugs for ulcerative colitis for over four years and was frustrated with the headaches the drugs gave me and the thought of having to take the drugs all my life. I decided it was worth a try. I simultaneously stopped taking the drugs (sulfasalizine) and began fasting, I fasted for perhaps three days while continuing my regular responsibilities, and all symptoms went away for six months when previously I could not stay symptom free longer than about two weeks. I have since learned that I can best maintain long term freedom from symptoms by periodic fasting, one day per week, but a rigid schedule is not required. I met a man who said he was cured by herbal medicine, but it took him 6 months. I have not brought the drugs for twenty years. One thing I have learned that is not in the book is that brown rice is very easily digested and is for me the easiest food to eat if I am having a temporary problem with colitis,but fasting is also required. To avoid recurrences it would be well to avoid excessive stress, but when that can not be done, the system is not prepared to digest food, so fast.

The book also refers to other diseases and conditions for which fasting has been used.

This book is a fascinating account of a dramatic recovery from a very serious illness through fasting. The only question I have is: Whatever happened to Dr. Jack Goldstein? I can find nothing about him after 1977, except that he's no longer alive. If he ended up dying from the disease he thought he had cured, it would make me think twice about the long term benefits of fasting.

Having tried it all. The SCD, the paleolithic diet, the juice diet, macrobiotic diet, traditional medicine -- working with doctors, chiropractors, accupunture, massage. All of it made me more sick until I read this book. Do a google search on this title.

A personal testamonial in the vein of a true-confession story, only this story is not of love and betrayal, but of a young man who, through recieving much conventional medical treatment for ulcerative colitis, had been so damaged by the medicos that he approached death. In the nick of time he discovered natural hygiene, fasted for over 40 days and began to recover health and enjoyment of life. Gruesome in its detailed description of the disease and shocking in its recounting of the brutal and constitution-destroying treatments he received, interesting in the detailed inner-experience of a long-time water faster...