The New Becoming Vegetarian: The Essential Guide to a Healthy Vegetarian Diet

by Vesanto Melina MS RD, Brenda Davis

This guide provides statistics on vegetarian eating, as well as up-to-date information on the science behind why vegetarians have an advantage when it comes to their health. Learn what the experts have to say about how to construct a vegetarian diet that meets all your nutritional needs.

Genres: Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Health, Food, Cooking, Reference, Nutrition

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 9, 1994

Reviews

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two of my social distancing food adventure, haha. You should know I'm already a vegan, so I won't use this book for my own journey but I am always curious and I'm also always looking for books to recommend to others interested in the lifestyle.

This is a very insightful and complete book about vegetarianism. It starts with a chapter on why you 'should' transition to a vegetarian lifestyle. This is pretty in depth and pretty intense. If you have no interest in vegetarianism at all, this can be a little intimidating. I do think that it's well researched and useful information.

Following is a chapter on the health benefits of being a vegetarian. This is also pretty in depth with a lot of background information. Chapter three debunks some myths you often hear when you talk about vegetarianism. There's also some information about athletes and a vegetarian diet. There are a lot of references to scientific articles and books for if you want to go even further in depth.

After that the book gets practical, on how to make the transition for example. There's tips for shopping and a grocery list. Then on to my favourite part - the recipes! I love them. They're easy, not boring and simple to veganize. I already made two of them and they were wonderful.

So in conclusion, great book, definitely recommended for people just starting out with vegetarianism or people who are just interested. It could use some nice pictures, but it's quite old so I can't really complain. It's quite in depth so it's not really light reading and if you're looking for a lot of recipes, you should get another book. The recipes in this are great but there are only a few.

[Alyson Walton · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh, this book has been really helpful on my journey to being vegetarian.

I purchased this due to the breakdown of nutritional requirements as I wanted to be a healthy vegetarian, not a French fry and cheese one. The book didn't disappoint.

Whilst being informative, I didn't find it to be too scientific, it remained easy to read.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for anyone who is starting to think about a vegetarian lifestyle, like myself, but also great for established vegetarians. This book outlines the bennefits of this lifestyle in an easy-to-read way, without seeming pushy. It includes information about how to transition your life to a vegetarian diet (or even vegan) easily,whether it is for health reasons, or moral/ethical based. Includes recipies, dietary infomation for pregnant women, children, and elderly.
My favorite thing about this book is how it talks you through different dietary needs of the vegetarian, and how to sucessfully incorporate them into your diet--without too much work!
In addition, I found the "diplomacy" chapter helpful because it shows readers how to resolve conflict between omnivores and vegetarians, and how to explain it to others without coming off judgmentally. In this way, I found the book to be "wholesome" (meaning it includes all aspects of this lifestyle you might have questions or concerns about), which I appreciated.
I cannot stress enough how necessary this book is, and find myself referencing it often.

[Johan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect book for those who want to switch to a vegetarian diet or for those who want to cut down on animal produce. The book has a very straight forward method of explaining Why and How to become a vegetarian. There are alot of myths regarding the conversion to a vegetarian diet ( that you do not get enough protein, you can only get vitamin B12 from animals etc) which the author dismantles with great conviction.

The book doesn,t stop there. Switching your diet not only effects you, but also people around you. If you have trouble convincing others why you are a vegetarian or just don't know what to do when confronted by a carnivore then there is a specific chapter "Vegetarian Diplomacy" for you. When you change your diet it's often harder for others to accept your change than it is for you. Becoming a vegetarian is not hard, its easy.

I highly recommend this book it's for lack of a better word, a vegetarian "bible".

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's really unfortunate that this book has vegetarian in the title, because everyone can really benefit from reading this book! I am learning a lot about nutrition and balanced diets. I have tagged many pages to refer to in the future! It's nice to read about vegetarianism without being bombarded with PETA-type sensationalism. I would highly recommend this book to anyone concerned about what they eat, for whatever reason!

[Erek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about healthful eating. Proves a lot of myths wrong about people who are vegetarian. Help me decide to become vegetarian. Would highly recommened it. All people need to read this book if you plan on eating.

[Roxanne Snopek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of information, much that I already knew, but great reinforcement. Helped me open my mind to going from near-vegetarian to completely plant-based.

[Penelope · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is packed full of information. As another reviewer mentioned, vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike could learn a lot from this book about nutrition. I'm trying to transition into a veg*n lifestyle and this book, or more likely the newer edition, will definitely be added to my collection (I got this copy from the library). I read the entire book, except for chapter 9 ("Vegetarian Nutrition in the Growing Years") since none of that information really applies to me (yet). I thought the "Vegetarian Diplomacy" chapter was a little silly at times, but nonetheless I suppose it covers some of the issues that vegetarians encounter in daily life, although I think vegetarianism is more and more becoming a widely accepted lifestyle choice.

Overall I think this book is full of useful information and tries to be as objective as possible, allowing the reader to make decisions for his or herself. I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but they seem like good building blocks for a nutritious, diverse vegetarian diet.

[Ann Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am learning so much. For instance, this morning I had orange juice with my oatmeal because it helps the iron get absorbed better. Then I got some cashews for my mid-morning snack because they are a good source of zinc but you don't eat them with grains because the zinc won't absorb as well. I am excited about these changes because I love oranges and cashews. A must read for becoming a vegetarian.

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book on nutrition for everyone, not just aspiring vegetarians. I agree with another reviewer who said that its a pity that the word vegetarian is in the title, as the information would also be useful for omnivores. I love that it is science based and presented in a logical style. I read a copy from the library, but will be in search of my own personal copy soon.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sheer amount of knowledge in this book is insane.

This book covers:
- essential nutrients all people need, and compares how different diets can provide those nutrients
- reasons why people might choose a meatless diet and the benefits associated with this lifestyle
- guides to just living as healthy as possible, including examples of what to eat each day
- a vegetarian food pyramid (which I'd been looking for)
- how to be a vegetarian through pregnancy, childhood, and senior years
- how to navigate social awkwardness around diet differences

The one thing I'm not a fan of is the BMI scale that's included in this book, but this book was published in 2003, so I can overlook that.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un excellent ouvrage très technique qui explique en profondeur toutes les questions que l’on peut se poser quand on devient végétarien. Il y a des années que je traîne ce livre dans ma pile « À lire », je suis bien heureuse de l’avoir lu maintenant que mes connaissances sont plus approfondies. Il n’y a pas si longtemps, je ne savais pas qu’on pouvait remplacer un oeuf par des graines de lin, je ne connaissais pas le kombu ou le goémon (dulse) et que dire du tahini ? Excellent, mais très « académique ».

[EME · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am very curious how I eat and what gives me better solution for my health in general.
I tried to eat as vegan but didn't last too long but I appreciated the benefits and my body felt better when i was doing it. This is a book about vegetarian (nutrition information for vegetarian). I have basic knowledge of nutrition but this was helpful and even if you are not vegan or vegetarian, it's a good informative book.

[damla yur · Rating 3 out of 5]

“why be vegetarian? over five million Americans would each have a unique answer. vegetarians dance to their own music. they have the courage to challenge accepted practices, even those respected as tradition. a good number of vegetarians are health enthusiasts, most have a very big heart when it comes to animals, and many are deeply committed to protecting the environment.”

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thorough.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive book with quality information and some good recipes. I am more of an omnivore but, I find this super helpful on a regular basis.

[k.wing · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a brand-spanking-new vegetarian, I wanted an extensive book that detailed the health and food information I should know with my new diet. The New Becoming Vegetarian is just that: an exhaustive text on what vegetarian means and how to be a healthy vegetarian. This book isn't a piece of published propaganda - it's more like a textbook. Personally, I appreciated this fact as that's more of what I was looking for. The studies in this book are mind blowing but also reputable.

The only thing that bothered be about this book was that the author tried to subtly influence the reader into considering veganism. I know, I just said the book was unbiased, and I feel that it is. But the author is upfront about being a Vegan and gives many vegan options and at some points doesn't include dairy in her options. That's fine, I understand, but I think it was a little inappropriate to put those 'gentle nudges' in so soon because many people reading this book are-the title says 'Vegetarian' hint hint-new Vegetarians, not Vegans.

However, my dislike was minimal. This is a really great resource into the diet-science of being vegetarian.

[Hilary Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book months ago but haven't been able to write about it because it makes me too nauseous. I still can't write in as much detail as I would like, but I can say how much I loved this book!!! I have read lots of books about healthy eating, along with being vegetarian and vegan; and this book is the best! It is very thorough in explaining all aspects of safely reducing animal protein in your diet. It talks about kids of all ages and even pregnant and lactating women. As a bonus, there were some really good recipes in the back. I'm pretty sure this book also had lots of extra references (websites, additional reading and places to find information) in the back. I honestly think anyone who would like to eat this way should have this book around as a reference!! (Sidenote -- I also think everyone should look into the health benefits of eating this way. Try reading "The China Study".)

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in a bookshop in Christchurch while on holiday in the New Forest, England. It was one of those browsing bookshop visits and I thought then that it looked sufficiently interesting to memorise the title and authors.

Wind forward several years and I thought of it again. By some miracle, I remembered the details and bought the book. I found it informative, intelligent, thorough and interesting. By far the best case for vegetarianism I have read. I went vegetarian for a couple of years!

This book is worth reading if you are considering going vegetarian. For me, vegetarianism didn't last, save that it changed my diet long term even as an occasional meat eater and enjoyer of the odd bacon butty now and then.

I've kept the book and still come back to it. Excellent!

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this was a pretty good book, overall. There is a lot of information on getting your vitamins and other necessary nutrients. It really read more like a book about how to eat a healthy diet and letting those facts speak for themselves, rather than a preachy "meat-is-cruel" diatribe (except for a couple of spots). There is a lot of good information about what you need to eat healthfully, and where to get it. Overall, I really feel that this is a good "vegetarianism for beginners", or maybe even "so you want to try vegetarianism?" title. Perhaps that is just how I read it, but it did succeed in that respect.

[Jamie · Rating 1 out of 5]

It had so much information compacted into a boring never ending stream of words. I wanted to finish it, and I wanted to like it, but I just couldn't. That's very painful for me, I absolutely hate leaving things unfinished. I'm sure it is full of interesting and helpful points but I can't get into it. I didn't retain the information and I found myself daydreaming after a few paragraphs. I was reading it in small sessions, but I still just can't do it. Well, maybe some day I'll go back and try to read it again, but that may not be for a long time.

I've deemed it unfinishable.
Maybe forever. xD

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to become vegan at age 14, and my parents bought me this book, since "Becoming Vegan" was not even published yet at the time. They were extremely worried about my health and that I know about nutrition before I started on such a potentially dangerous diet change. Thanks to this book, I have been extremely healthy from the get go, and the nutrition knowledge in this book made me more knowledgable than even most adults I know today. It's a great resource for anyone thinking of becoming vegetarian, or even someone who would like to know more about nutrition and how to rely a little less on meat.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really helpful in making the transition to a vegetarian diet and doing it in a safe and healthy way. It tells you about all the nutrients and vitamins your body needs, witch suggested foods for getting each one. The last few chapters are particularly helpful because they focus on the change it will make in your lifestyle. There's a food pyramid, cooking suggestions and even a section on potential problems you will have dealing with anti-vegetarian friends and family. I'd suggest this book for anyone who is considering making the change.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great guide for someone thinking about or transitioning into a vegetarian diet. It gives great information about nutrition, which is extremely important because vegetarianism can be very healthy if done right but very unhealthy if you don't have the knowledge. It breaks down everything you need and what foods you can get it from. It even has a section on ethics and how to respond tactfully when people give you sh*t about being a vegetarian which can definitely be useful! I got this book 5 years ago and I still reference it from time to time.

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've learned more from this book about nutrition (actually, to the point where it was almost exhausting) than I have from any other book. I think it would be a beneficial read to anyone concerned about improving their diet and overall health. It was extremely helpful and I learned a lot, which has given me confidence that I will eventually make it down the measured path I'm traveling to become vegetarian.

[Elise Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome. I love cooking, and this book really helped me figure out what amazing ingredients I should cook with. It also explained the healing properties for the ingredients, which helped me get more excited about them. There were also a few good recipes included. I feel really prepared to become a vegetarian now. I could not have asked for a more well rounded book. It even gives you a perfect idea of everything you should have in your house to be be a good vegetarian.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to read 'Becoming Vegan' by the same authors, since I minimize my intake of dairy products, but got this one because our library has it. It's giving me more motivation to head toward vegetarianism. I like that it's written by dietitians.

So far this reads like a college textbook. Pretty dry, but good information.

[Kay C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't finish this book. It was part of my research for becoming vegetarian which isn't going to happen in the near future because it is so much work to ensure one gets proper nutrition. I learned some new things. I eat less meat and am more skeptical of meat. For the time being, it gives me the energy I need.

[Vernon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was great on helping me understand what I need to do to help my family be mostly vegetarian. We are part-time omnivores, only eating meat about once or twice a week. But with growing kids, we need to make sure that they are getting all the essential amino acids and other nutrients that we would otherwise be getting from meat. I love the beans, so this book was right down my alley.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fair look at nutrition; too much reliance on 'enriched' processed products in the examples. Difficult to read through the fat-hating--which was sort of fixed within and following the fat chapter. A compilation of recipes.

(See The Fats of Life to learn about the fat we eat.)