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Vegan Savvy: The Expert's Guide to Nutrition on a Plant-Based Diet
A positive, authoritative look at the health questions that surround veganism so that you can get the most out of your plant-based diet.
Veganism is one of the fastest growing movements across the world, with 3.5 million people in the UK having cut out animal products completely. This diet, however, is not without its difficulties. As with any diet, when you change what you eat, you also have to change the way you eat and how you think about food.
It is easy, in 2020, to fall down a rabbit hole of vegan fast food and beans on toast and end up deficient in iron, iodine, omega-3 fatty acids and calcium. On a vegan diet it can sometimes also be difficult to get enough high-quality proteins and even calories. Lack of these nutrients may lead to unwanted symptoms of feeling sluggish or low in energy, looking pale and suffering mood swings.
Simply cutting out meat and eating more veg doesn't guarantee a healthy diet. With this book as your companion, you can remedy these pitfalls so that you feel healthy and bursting with energy and vitality.
This is the simple, flexible and nutritionally approved way to make it easier to stick to a vegan diet without compromising on health.
Veganism is one of the fastest growing movements across the world, with 3.5 million people in the UK having cut out animal products completely. This diet, however, is not without its difficulties. As with any diet, when you change what you eat, you also have to change the way you eat and how you think about food.
It is easy, in 2020, to fall down a rabbit hole of vegan fast food and beans on toast and end up deficient in iron, iodine, omega-3 fatty acids and calcium. On a vegan diet it can sometimes also be difficult to get enough high-quality proteins and even calories. Lack of these nutrients may lead to unwanted symptoms of feeling sluggish or low in energy, looking pale and suffering mood swings.
Simply cutting out meat and eating more veg doesn't guarantee a healthy diet. With this book as your companion, you can remedy these pitfalls so that you feel healthy and bursting with energy and vitality.
This is the simple, flexible and nutritionally approved way to make it easier to stick to a vegan diet without compromising on health.
- GenresNonfictionFood
176 pages, Paperback
Published December 10, 2020
19 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Azmina Govindji
32 books3 followersAzmina Govindji is an award-winning registered dietitian, consultant nutritionist, international speaker and bestselling author. She is a media spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association and contributes expert advice on the NHS Choices website.
Azmina is known for her appearances on shows such as This Morning, The Wright Stuff, The One Show, BBC News, the Victoria Derbyshire show and BBC’s Inside the Factory. She is often quoted in newspapers and magazines, and has written over a dozen books on weight management and diabetes.
She is the nutrition expert for Simply Vegan magazine and a member of Holland & Barrett’s Healthy magazine expert panel and appeared as expert dietitian on Sky News digital and BBC News digital Veganuary videos.
Azmina is known for her appearances on shows such as This Morning, The Wright Stuff, The One Show, BBC News, the Victoria Derbyshire show and BBC’s Inside the Factory. She is often quoted in newspapers and magazines, and has written over a dozen books on weight management and diabetes.
She is the nutrition expert for Simply Vegan magazine and a member of Holland & Barrett’s Healthy magazine expert panel and appeared as expert dietitian on Sky News digital and BBC News digital Veganuary videos.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 31, 2022
As you can tell from the rating I've given, I didn't enjoy this book, and this is a negative review, so please don't read further if that's going to bother you!
I was initially drawn to this book because I, like many others these days, am trying to move towards a more plant-based diet, for environmental and ethical reasons, as well as pure preference. At the moment, I follow a mostly vegetarian diet, so I was hoping that this book would give me some useful tips and guidance not only for eating meat-free, but also to make more plant-based swaps. I also thought that, more generally, the book would be an interesting read for someone who is interested in not only veganism but also food and cooking in general. I guess my mistake was going into this book with those expectations because it certainly wasn't what I was expecting.
I feel like I should start off with probably the most important point, which is that if you have any triggers relating to food, weight, or dieting, it's probably best you avoid this book. The book is pretty much entirely about the nutritional content in certain foods and how much of which type of food is recommended. I'm not usually triggered by things like that, though I do try to avoid things to do with dieting (of any kind) and tracking nutritional content, but there were parts where I skipped over paragraphs of text as they became too uncomfortable to read (for example, there's a lot of talk about "good foods" and "eating well", at a couple of points there are tips that suggest you distract yourself if you're craving an "unhealthy food", and yep, unsurprisingly, the author does comment on "the obesity epidemic"). In fact, I'll admit that I ended up skim reading a lot of this book, not only because I don't like to read about or engage in texts that talk about food and weight in this way, but also because I honestly didn't find it interesting at all. There are just pages and pages of nutritional facts and statistics, to the point where it felt kind of overwhelming – despite the fact that it definitely felt like the author repeated themself numerous times.
The reason why I've rated this 2 stars rather than 1 (although a more accurate rating would be 1.5 for me) is that I can see some people genuinely finding this book really useful (and if this is you, that's great!). If you're interested in the nutritional breakdown of different foods, or perhaps you're interested in pursuing a plant-based diet and you're keen to know about which types of foods will give you the most balanced nutritional diet, then you may find this a useful read. Personally, though, I think there are other sources that present the information in a more interesting and useful way that doesn't strip food and cooking down to an almost clinical level.
I'd also like to note, before ending this review, that as well as possibly being trigging in the areas of weight, dieting, and nutrition-tracking, the author also talks in a very binary way about "men and women" throughout, so please keep this in mind too if you think this could be something that might trigger you.
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was initially drawn to this book because I, like many others these days, am trying to move towards a more plant-based diet, for environmental and ethical reasons, as well as pure preference. At the moment, I follow a mostly vegetarian diet, so I was hoping that this book would give me some useful tips and guidance not only for eating meat-free, but also to make more plant-based swaps. I also thought that, more generally, the book would be an interesting read for someone who is interested in not only veganism but also food and cooking in general. I guess my mistake was going into this book with those expectations because it certainly wasn't what I was expecting.
I feel like I should start off with probably the most important point, which is that if you have any triggers relating to food, weight, or dieting, it's probably best you avoid this book. The book is pretty much entirely about the nutritional content in certain foods and how much of which type of food is recommended. I'm not usually triggered by things like that, though I do try to avoid things to do with dieting (of any kind) and tracking nutritional content, but there were parts where I skipped over paragraphs of text as they became too uncomfortable to read (for example, there's a lot of talk about "good foods" and "eating well", at a couple of points there are tips that suggest you distract yourself if you're craving an "unhealthy food", and yep, unsurprisingly, the author does comment on "the obesity epidemic"). In fact, I'll admit that I ended up skim reading a lot of this book, not only because I don't like to read about or engage in texts that talk about food and weight in this way, but also because I honestly didn't find it interesting at all. There are just pages and pages of nutritional facts and statistics, to the point where it felt kind of overwhelming – despite the fact that it definitely felt like the author repeated themself numerous times.
The reason why I've rated this 2 stars rather than 1 (although a more accurate rating would be 1.5 for me) is that I can see some people genuinely finding this book really useful (and if this is you, that's great!). If you're interested in the nutritional breakdown of different foods, or perhaps you're interested in pursuing a plant-based diet and you're keen to know about which types of foods will give you the most balanced nutritional diet, then you may find this a useful read. Personally, though, I think there are other sources that present the information in a more interesting and useful way that doesn't strip food and cooking down to an almost clinical level.
I'd also like to note, before ending this review, that as well as possibly being trigging in the areas of weight, dieting, and nutrition-tracking, the author also talks in a very binary way about "men and women" throughout, so please keep this in mind too if you think this could be something that might trigger you.
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 3, 2020
Such a good, no-nonsense book about leading a healthy life with a plant-based diet. I most definitely recommend this book to people going plant-based, are thinking about it, or have just adopted the new diet. I have been vegan for years and I wish there would have been such a comprehensive resource available when I started out.
The book covers everything from fats to protein to carbohydrates, as well as all the essentials like vitamin D, B12, iron, and calcium, which are important to all of us, and it’s vital to eat enough of them for our bodies to function properly.
If you live on the northern hemisphere in a western country and you eat plant-based food, but might not know everything about the essentials, you should read it! The author has researched the subject profoundly, as well as adopted the diet for several weeks to be able to fully understand it. I enjoyed the tips, facts, and research study boxes found throughout the book.
The book covers everything from fats to protein to carbohydrates, as well as all the essentials like vitamin D, B12, iron, and calcium, which are important to all of us, and it’s vital to eat enough of them for our bodies to function properly.
If you live on the northern hemisphere in a western country and you eat plant-based food, but might not know everything about the essentials, you should read it! The author has researched the subject profoundly, as well as adopted the diet for several weeks to be able to fully understand it. I enjoyed the tips, facts, and research study boxes found throughout the book.
December 3, 2020
I really liked this book! Like the author, I have a child who has decided to follow a vegan diet and, while I have no problem with their choices, I have a huge concern that their nutrition will suffer. This book picks up on all the areas that can be problematic, for example, calcium, zinc, iodine and selenium are important elements of a healthy diet and can easily be missed in a vegan diet. While the book is a somewhat heavy read, it is full of important advice. I think the chart at the back is a brilliant reference and illustrates very clearly where to find the nutrients required to stay healthy. Thank you to Azmina Govindji, Net Galley and Pavilion Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 19, 2021
No nonsense, straight to the point and everything I had hoped for. A great kitchen companion.
August 6, 2021
This is the clearest and most concretely useful guide to vegan nutrition that I have ever read! It is full of practical ways to tweak meals that add key nutrients, and tells you exactly how to keep track of your daily protein. After being vegetarian for ten years, and vegan for two, with a fair level of thoughtfulness to diet given throughout, this still presented a simpler and more cohesive way to think about vegan nutrition.
February 15, 2022
I have abundantly enjoyed the delicacy of an expert nutritionist looking into veganism in order to support her daughter's decision in this direction. This being said, I have a contrasting view on it since I kind of expected more from this book, but at the same time I appreciated its accessible content and language. I believe that overall it's a very good beginner's guide, and I will certainly hang copies of some pages on my fridge :)
Want to read
August 5, 2022Great book to help me start my vegan journey and help me start leading a healthy life with a plant-based diet. Lots of nutritional information and tweaks to make meals more nutritious to help you not resort to the vegan ready foods available which aren’t as healthy as they first seem. Has lots of heart-lifting quotes as well which I enjoyed.
October 20, 2024
There are some great ideas in here about ingredients such as nut butters, or processes to quickly set up a balanced plate. Helps especially with the preoccupations of our time "am I getting enough protein?" and "am I burning the planet?"
July 27, 2023
Absolutely essential book for vegans, I appreciate it is UK based - lots of useful tips
May 14, 2025
Some helpful bridge gaps & nutrient fillers, take the rdi’s with a pinch of salt as new research emerges, protein suggestions are a little low etc
January 3, 2023
A wonderful and colourful tour of the current knowledge about vegan nutrition. In Vegan Savvy, Azmina Govindji deploys copious infographics, simple mental models and heart-lifting quotes to to make a book on nutrition a little more digestible. The whole thing reminded me a little of a theme park map with a tasteful design, and this is an excellent thing. Introspecting one's own nutrition can be a discouraging task so anything that can make the experience more joyous, the better.
The two main models which I'll take away with me are the VVPC plate and the nutrient bridge. Both are incredibly simple and are great mental tools for thinking about nutrition.
The VVPC plate is just a simple visualisation of what should make up our meals, and their proportions. The visualisation is:
So a full half of our typical plate, we should ideally fill with vegetables or fruit. I found this much easier to recall quickly in my head, by either visualising it or just saying "VVPC", compared to the 'balanced diet' wheel or pyramid I was taught as school and that you find as part of most nutritional guides. By being easier to recall, I feel much more fluent at applying it at all times.
The nutritional bridge builds upon the VVPC plate as a foundation. Even with the correct distribution of foods on a food plate, a vegan must also know small practical tweaks to make to their plates in order to get all of our required vitamins and minerals. These tweaks reduce the likeliness of nutritional deficiencies or gaps forming, hence their naming 'nutritional bridges'. It helps to imagine a little bridge going between two plates, one is your current plate and the other is more nutritionally rich. There are tons of these in the book which aren't just limited to adding extra ingredients to meals. The first one stated in the introduction is: 'squeeze lemon juice over hummus to help your body make use of the iron'. Yum!
Vegan Savvy also helped clear up some fears I've always had that I'm not taking enough supplements. The only one she recommends to all vegans is vitamin D supplements during the winter, since we especially need it due to our low calcium intake. The other ones to consider are:
* Vitamin B12
* Iodine
* Omega-3
* Selenium
however she does says that these vitamins and minerals can all be worked into our diet without supplements with some planning. Many vegan drinks and spreads are already enriched with them, but they can also found in non-synthetic food sources like yeast for Vitamin B12, seaweed for iodine and rapeseed for Omega-3.
I would recommend Vegan Savvy as a kitchen handbook for any new vegan, curious non-vegan, or a vegan who feels like giving their diet the once over.
The two main models which I'll take away with me are the VVPC plate and the nutrient bridge. Both are incredibly simple and are great mental tools for thinking about nutrition.
The VVPC plate is just a simple visualisation of what should make up our meals, and their proportions. The visualisation is:
So a full half of our typical plate, we should ideally fill with vegetables or fruit. I found this much easier to recall quickly in my head, by either visualising it or just saying "VVPC", compared to the 'balanced diet' wheel or pyramid I was taught as school and that you find as part of most nutritional guides. By being easier to recall, I feel much more fluent at applying it at all times.
The nutritional bridge builds upon the VVPC plate as a foundation. Even with the correct distribution of foods on a food plate, a vegan must also know small practical tweaks to make to their plates in order to get all of our required vitamins and minerals. These tweaks reduce the likeliness of nutritional deficiencies or gaps forming, hence their naming 'nutritional bridges'. It helps to imagine a little bridge going between two plates, one is your current plate and the other is more nutritionally rich. There are tons of these in the book which aren't just limited to adding extra ingredients to meals. The first one stated in the introduction is: 'squeeze lemon juice over hummus to help your body make use of the iron'. Yum!
Vegan Savvy also helped clear up some fears I've always had that I'm not taking enough supplements. The only one she recommends to all vegans is vitamin D supplements during the winter, since we especially need it due to our low calcium intake. The other ones to consider are:
* Vitamin B12
* Iodine
* Omega-3
* Selenium
however she does says that these vitamins and minerals can all be worked into our diet without supplements with some planning. Many vegan drinks and spreads are already enriched with them, but they can also found in non-synthetic food sources like yeast for Vitamin B12, seaweed for iodine and rapeseed for Omega-3.
I would recommend Vegan Savvy as a kitchen handbook for any new vegan, curious non-vegan, or a vegan who feels like giving their diet the once over.
April 28, 2022
This book is an extremely comprehensive guide to making sure you are "vegan savvy". That means making sure that you are able to meet al of your nutrients needs and also not to fall into the trap of buying and eating "vegan" foods which aren't as healthy as they seem. The author is a well qualified, respected and experienced Dietitian who knows her stuff. The content is honest, well researched and referenced.
What I love about this book is that the author is quite up front about the fact that she wasn't a vegan but had to start from scratch when her daughter decided to choose this way of life and eating. This makes the book even more valuable as she has had to go through combining her knowledge with putting it into practice , the hard way. It's so great that someone has done all of the ground work for people wanting to eat a healthy, balanced vegan diet. There is a lot of content so the book may be best taken in bit by bit.
What I love about this book is that the author is quite up front about the fact that she wasn't a vegan but had to start from scratch when her daughter decided to choose this way of life and eating. This makes the book even more valuable as she has had to go through combining her knowledge with putting it into practice , the hard way. It's so great that someone has done all of the ground work for people wanting to eat a healthy, balanced vegan diet. There is a lot of content so the book may be best taken in bit by bit.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews