I expect a lot more from my cookbooks than what was offered in PALEO VEGAN: PLANT-BASED PRIMAL RECIPES by Ellen Jaffe Jones with recipes by Alan Roettinger. It is a 137 page paperback with ten chapters.
The first 23 pages cover the paleo philosophy of eating like people did during the Paleolithic era when food came from either hunting or gathering. Since this is a vegan book, there is no hunting, just gathering at the farmer's market and grocery store. Ms. Jones does give a brief guide, without photos of foraging in the wild.
There is no science in this book, no studies quoted, just the author's personal insights. There isn't a bibliography at the end of the book, just an index and glossary. Ms. Jones is a certified personal trainer, running coach, author and speaker, reporter and athlete. Mr. Roettinger is a writer, blogger, food designer and public speaker. His recipes are fairly easy and they include the calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, sodium, calcium and fiber per serving. Thank goodness for that bit of solid information in this book.
According to the author, a modern vegan paleo menu consists of unprocessed foods, high in fiber, potassium and healthy fats. It doesn't contain grains, legumes, potatoes, dairy products, added salt or refined sugar. After explaining the paleo diet, Ms. Jones then goes on to explain the importance of "cheating" or "cheats" on your paleo diet. "Cheating is your way to success," is a direct quote from the book. There are also two chapters in the 8 chapter recipe section on "optional cheats for protein."
This is a concept I don't understand. If the paleo vegan diet is a healthy lifestyle, then why do you have to "cheat" on it? I have been cooking vegetarian food for 27 years for my husband and two of my children and they don't cheat on their diet. They would rather cut off an arm than consume meat or fish or any by- product of it. I would never write a vegetarian cookbook with chapters on how to cheat on it!
I believe that this book is, at best a trendy, light reading book. I do like some of Mr. Roettinger's recipes which happen to be in the "cheating" sections of "Artichokes Stuffed with Quinoa, Olives and Capers" and "Pineapple Fried Rice," which I will be trying.