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

by Brenda Davis, Vesanto Melina

The authors of this text explore the benefits of a vegan diet, and eating without eggs or dairy products. In addition they explain why more and more people are being motivated to become vegans and discuss the consequences of their choice.

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

281 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Craig? · Rating 5 out of 5]

not a page turner, but the definitive Bible of veganism. where, why, what, and how to get all those yummy things that your body needs. never who, though. :)

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative, but about as exciting as reading a textbook. Not a book I would recommend to an omnivore considering a vegan or vegetarian diet (for that I would suggest The China Study). But this is an excellent book for someone who's already made the decision to eat vegan and needs practical advice on how to do so healthfully. It goes into exhaustive detail on every macro and micro nutrient the body needs. I appreciated that the book doesn't sugarcoat everything about vegan nutrition. It points out the areas that vegans need to pay special attention to and how to best address them. I found the chapters on "Vegan Athletes" and "Vegan Diplomacy" to be particularly valuable.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

The process of changing my ideas and habits about what I put into my body for nourishment and recreation began in earnest this year, my 59th. Sometimes facing one's mortality can bring about positive lifestyle changes. Two powerful events this year have determined me to get serious about getting healthy.

I read Andrew Breslin's book "mother's milk" which is an intelligent fiction that points to the real negative effects of dairy on the human body. Recently I heard former President Bill Clinton say that he converted to a plant based diet this past May and has lost 25 pounds and has more energy. Mr. Clinton wants to live a long and healthy life and I do also.

This book is pro Vegan, but also in fairness tells us the downside of that diet. They and I believe the upside is far greater than the downside. The book also spends much time discussing the way food animals are treated and the harmful environmental effects of our factory farms. I do care about both these issues, but my motivation for a transition to a plant based diet is for the welfare of my own body. I'll be 60 in just a few days.....it's not too late......mgc

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book covering every little nook and cranny of vegan nutrition. The best feature of this book is that the authors are unbiased with the information they share, and they truly have their readers' health as their primary interest. There are chapters for every stage of life - pregnancy, breastfeeding, infancy, childhood, adolescence, old age, even a chapter for athletes.

Despite the title, this really is a book mostly all about nutrition. For other issues surrounding living as a vegan, check out Being Vegan

[Ray (user2637) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great information for people transitioning to compassionate eating habits. Will answer all or almost all of your questions.

[Fathom Panthere Iaguar · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was decent, but never something I'd recommend to someone trying to go vegan. Instead I'd recommend it to their mothers who, still buying in to the massively corrupt nutritional guidelines we have in place in the U.S., would be much reassured by the authors' stalwart support of said guidelines.

I was disturbed by the fact that there is a chapter on 'obesity' (Latin, 'because of eating') right before the section on eating disorders. It seems to me that if you truly want to help people from their eating disorders (and furthermore to not create new ones) then you absolutely do not put 'the fear of fat' into them. Considering that we, as a society, are already bombarded with the idea that all we have to do to be thin and prettier (read: actual persons) we have to cut calories or otherwise get rid of them: how does reiterating this help any patients with eating disorders you may have?

In short, I would be very wary of ever employing the authors: their compilation of aforementioned nutritional guidelines (often much higher than our actual needs) and their examples of how veganism can easily meet and surpass these guidelines is excellent and enough to completely blast away all doubts whether veganism can be healthy by conventional standard. But, and I repeat this with force, BUT the back-to-back chapters on 'obesity' and eating disorders leave me in doubt of their knowledge of cultural and societal realities.

[Kat Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is essentially the Encyclopedia of Vegan Nutrition. I primarily use this book as a reference tool much like you would a textbook. While you can read this cover to cover it can be very dry and difficult to absorb. I highly suggest to anyone committing to a vegan lifestyle to shore up their knowledge on the actual nutrition behind it. Becoming a vegan isn't a magic fix for your health if you aren't doing it right. This text will guide you in how to meet your caloric and nutrient requirements in great detail.

There is a lot of what I like to refer to as "pop wisdom" on the internet about becoming a vegan and how to eat. Just do a quick youtube search and you will see hundreds of videos from viral vegans promoting their way as the ultimate vegan path. De-bunk the myths and faux experts by reading the scientific nutritional breakdown for yourself in this book. I won't comment on High Carb/Low Protein, Raw Til 4, and all the other vegan fads, but this book is a great way to educate yourself without all the hype. I highly recommend!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best material on nutrition that I have ever read. While Davis and Melina's focus is on vegan nutrition, the basic information would be valuable to everyone (even omnis). I feel that more than any other type of person, vegans are constantly being interrogated about their eating choices and their nutritional fortitude; therefore, having a solid understanding of food science is beneficial not only for one's personal well-being, but also to shut people up when they haughtily ask about protein sources. Admittedly, this is more of a reference book and not necessarily for sustained reading, but it is comprehensive, even including chapters specifically discussing the nutritional needs of infants, athletes, and women during pregnancy. The author's token opening chapters on the ethical aspects of veganism are rather slim and cursory, and people interested in the more philosophical foundations of ethical veganism would do well to look at Francione and Torres for these types of discussions. As a nutritional reference source, however, this book is indispensable.

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book is the most precious finding to me in nutrition literature and practical guides for a healthy vegan diet, because it's very scientific and comprehensive, whilst written in a way that is accessible to everyone. The authors write about pretty much everything related to nutrition and vegan diet, from ethics, environmental impact, nutrition for people of all ages, gender, lifestyle, disability, eating disorders, athletes, etc, etc... I read it from beginning to end and found every chapter very informative and interesting, even thought obviously not all of it applies to me specifically. This is my go-to reference book for any type of question I might have in the future. Thank you so much to the authors for making it so much easier for people like me to change to veganism and have the know-how to reorganize our eating habits!

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive, indeed. I read big sections, skimmed a few sections I didn't need or care about right now. It's really intended as a reference book to be kept on hand and referred to as needed. Which I shall do.

[Haley Rylander · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely thorough, scientifically backed guide on the benefits (and challenges) of eating vegan and how to do so in a healthy way. Highly recommend to anyone interested in or practicing a vegan diet.

[Johanna Ilen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bookshelf reference to everything about vegan nutrition. Vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals... plus the macronutrients. Veganism for athletes, children and everyone.

The only minus in this book is that it’s weight makes it hard to read in bed.

[Marina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good resource on plant-based eating!

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some helpful information but way too much and repetitive. Also, like How Not to Die, hard to know what was valid info or not because of comments about aspects of diet “causing autism”. Come on.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guide complet

[Kasey Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most vegetarians, I have a failed attempt at veganism under my belt. Almost all of these failures stem from a simple lack of planning. Being a vegetarian really isn't that difficult, and I think that makes us overconfident in our ability to transition smoothly to a vegan diet.

I really liked this book's organization. After some introductory materials, the first section details the importance of various macro- and micro-nutrients in a vegan diet. The middle describes how to accommodate the vegan diet for various life stages, and the last few sections highlight how to deal with special dietary needs: those who are overweight, underweight, or have eating disorders. I think this organization makes a lot of sense and makes the book fairly readable for reference material.

I'll admit that I'm not a nutritionist but the material seems comprehensive and correct. I will certainly use this book to continue my flirtation with veganism.

So why only three stars, you ask?

The tone is definitely off-putting. It is important to remember that this book was written in 2000 when American vegans were few and far between. Twelve years later, you can't throw a stick in the US without it being caught by four or five vegans who want to gnaw on its sweet, sweet cambium. Because veganism has moved from unique to merely unusual, more of us have come into contact with at least one outspoken, annoying vegan.

Q: How do you know if someone is vegan? A: Don't worry, they'll tell you.

The last chapter in the book is called "Vegan Diplomacy" and seems to be largely an exercise in making people hate you. There is a mini-quiz fraught with peril -- I tried to bring my own vegan patty to my family's Thanksgiving and ended with the family uncomfortably eating in silence around me. The quiz tells me that the only appropriate options are to bring my own main dish and educate my poor, ignorant family or fuck off and go eat with my vegan friends. Well, quiz, I've tried to bring a vegetarian dish to functions and my family is really weird about it. And I don't think they'd appreciate me ditching them for the most family-centered holiday of the year because I just am judging them for their food choices. There was potential in the quiz section, but the black-and-white answers calling for giving your family and coworkers pamphlets to educate them (!) really leads to the most abrasive reactions I can imagine.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually bought this book a long time ago (I've been vegan for almost eight years) and only just now read it cover to cover because I've recently become very interested in the quality of my food and eating healthy. Better late than never! This is a good read for anyone whether they are considering veganism or have been vegan for many years. It is written in a realistic and candid way and just gives you the facts. It never suggests that a vegan diet is the only way to eat but it does offer as much encouragement as any intelligent and compassionate person should require to at least consider the implications of their diet regardless of what it is and consider impact you could have on your world and still maintain optimal health. This book also includes chapters on pre and post natal health, over and underweight management, guidelines for the elderly, coping with eating disorders and guidelines to create a diet appropriate for any athlete. Although this is pretty much an academic sort of book it reads fairly easy and if you enjoy learning things it will be entertaining. You just may start working on feeling better everyday too.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to learn more about the nutritional aspects of vegan and/or vegetarian diets! The writing tends to be pretty technical, but doesn't really require a background in science to understand it. It also tends to get a bit repetitive halfway through (the chapters on nutrition for pregnancy, weight loss, etc. pretty much re-state information mentioned in the earlier chapters on carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals), but I suppose that helps reinforce certain information, which is ok. Plus, I really got the sense that I could trust what I was reading because: 1) the authors have a strong education and experience with the topic they're writing about; 2) they use scientific studies to add credibility to their writing, yet they acknowledge where there are still gaps in knowledge about vegan/vegetarian nutrition; 3) they provide references to the scientific literature + websites at the end of each chapter; and 4) they don't condemn meat-eaters for not being vegan, as many vegans often do--all they do is present the facts & let the readers choose for themselves! (Although the evidence in favor of a vegan diet is overwhelming.)

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Becoming Vegan" was written by two of the Registered Dieticians (RD) who coauthored The American Dietetic Association Position Paper On Vegetarianism. It covers the nutritional needs of all phases of life from birth to death as well as special needs. It is complete and easy to read. The same authors have also published The New Becoming Vegetarian ( second edition ) which has even more nutrition information and is essentially a vegan nutrition book aside from the title.

I've heard from one of the authors that making a revised edition is on their schedules.

Otherwise, if you only want to read one book on vegan nutrition I would say that this book is it. You will not get more reliable and more complete information in one book.

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This read like some of my favorite college textbooks in that it held a great deal of valuable information in understandable chunks. This might be a bit dry for some people, but I found it a great resource after reading some other vegan/vegetarian books that seemed big on generalizations and less focused on the numbers of nutrition. There was some amount of focus and tweaking of the food pyramid, so that could be an issue for some people as well.

The brief nod to the history of mainstream plant-based diets was one of my favorite parts, and I think I'd enjoy a whole book just about that and about Seventh-Day Adventists. The book talks about the benefits of eating a vegan diet of course, and its particular benefit to me was the idea of a balanced vegan diet at various stages of life and for differing needs of individuals. The meal plan section could have been expanded, but it seems like a good starting point.

[Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a 5/5 reference book. I read the comprehensive edition which is apparently not on goodreads. At about 600 pages or a 24 hour audiobook, this book, as its name suggests, is very comprehensive. It starts off by talking about the ethical implications of veganism, but then the rest of the book is dedicated to nutrients: protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. The authors delve into all the things that both vegans and non-vegans should be aware of with respect to these nutrients. They also talks about pregnant, old, young, and athletic folks and what they should be aware of on a vegan diet. I found her discussions on the highly debated topics in the vegan community (honey and low- and high-fat diets) one of the most interesting parts. I think this is a good reminder to continue to learn about the food that I’m eating to be able to continue on the path of good nutrition and a well-planned, well-balanced diet.

[{erika} · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly comprehensive and well written. Took my time reading it and I loved the way it presented the information and nutritional facts and studies. This was exactly the sort of book I was looking for and I annotated my copy like a textbook. The only wish I would have is if it were a bit more current (2000) but alas it is all I could get my hands on. Definitely keeping for reference and love the emphasis on real food ♡

[Camille · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thorough, dry, and perfunctory book on the health dynamics of veganism, particularly ensuring a balanced diet and staving off any mineral or vitamin depletion. That said, this is an incredibly boring book. It should be treated like the dictionary -- not ideal for reading cover to cover, but good to pick up as a reference item.

[Eric Neuhaus · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got the information out of it that I needed. It's definitely a little preachy about animal killing and what have you in the beginning, but if you are going to adopt a vegan lifestyle then you have to make a drastic life change. I was reading the book to find out different ways I can obtain protein from vegetables.

[Xanthi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very dense book with a lot of practical information about nutrition in general, and how it applies to vegans. It outlines the advantages and pitfalls and how to overcome them. Overall, a very useful book that all vegans and potential vegans should have on their shelves, to refer to as needed. Non-vegans, especially omnivores, could do well with reading this books too.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of information and very thorough. Obviously, a lot of effort went into it. But for me, it was overwhelming, information overload. It's answering questions I didn't even know I had. Therefore, for me it is and will be a great reference book down the road. It's all in there I'm sure and then some.

[Rach Wigg]

If you’re considering a plant based diet but are hesitating due to fear of the unknown, I highly recommend this book. I read it in 2012, and, even then, some of the science had become a little dated. Still, I think it is comprehensive, user friendly, and worth your time. It will give you the knowledge you need to do any additional Googles you might want to do.

[Cossete Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for people who want to become vegan and actually people who just want to learn more about how to nourish our bodies. I learned a lot and i'm more than motivated to start this new lifestyle. The only thing I didn't like thaaaat much was all the super thecnical language but I feel it was necesary.
Great book!

[Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I would recommend this if you want the nitty-gritty of it all when it comes to veganism. A parochial reading full of facts and figures for the most discerning of food-techie people is to be found here.

[Grape · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a great resource for people exploring the idea of becoming vegan or already on the path. This book explains how to get all those nutrients you're worried about not getting, like protein, calcium and vitamin B12. It's more of a reference book than a page-turner, so keep that in mind.