The Vegetarian Way : Total Health for You and Your Family

Rating:
Summary: Nutrition information and more
Review: This was one of the first books I read when I decided to follow a vegan diet, and a year and a half later, I am glad that I found it so soon. Though it also contains stuff about other issues and problems that many vegetarians encounter, the main value of this book lies in the nutritional information it contains. The book goes through what vitamins and minerals are needed, why they are needed, where to find them in vegetarian foods, and what studies have shown about vegetarians and their relations to these nutrients. There are larger chapters discussing protein and calcium, which are the primary concerns that people who don't know much about vegetarianism seem to have. Messina is a registered dietician and cites her references carefully. She tries not to make any unfounded claims, though she cites correlational studies whose conclusions are more unclear than she makes them seem. For the most part, the information is very much consistent with current knowledge of nutritional science, and if you are a new vegetarian who is unsure of where to start, this book will prove to be extremely useful in understanding why other people become vegetarians, how such a diet affects certain illnesses, how to address the special needs of infants, children, teenagers, pregnant women, athletes, and how to start planning and preparing vegetarian meals. Of course, it's a big change to alter your dietary habits, so you want to read many other books as well. And cookbooks will no doubt be helpful. But you can't go wrong starting with The Vegetarian Way.

Rating:
Summary: Nutrition information and more
Review: This was one of the first books I read when I decided to follow a vegan diet, and a year and a half later, I am glad that I found it so soon. Though it also contains stuff about other issues and problems that many vegetarians encounter, the main value of this book lies in the nutritional information it contains. The book goes through what vitamins and minerals are needed, why they are needed, where to find them in vegetarian foods, and what studies have shown about vegetarians and their relations to these nutrients. There are larger chapters discussing protein and calcium, which are the primary concerns that people who don't know much about vegetarianism seem to have. Messina is a registered dietician and cites her references carefully. She tries not to make any unfounded claims, though she cites correlational studies whose conclusions are more unclear than she makes them seem. For the most part, the information is very much consistent with current knowledge of nutritional science, and if you are a new vegetarian who is unsure of where to start, this book will prove to be extremely useful in understanding why other people become vegetarians, how such a diet affects certain illnesses, how to address the special needs of infants, children, teenagers, pregnant women, athletes, and how to start planning and preparing vegetarian meals. Of course, it's a big change to alter your dietary habits, so you want to read many other books as well. And cookbooks will no doubt be helpful. But you can't go wrong starting with The Vegetarian Way.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book!
Review: When I bought this book, I wasn't a vegetarian but I was curious about being one. The thing I liked most about the book is that for almost each fact, the authors provided a source for the information. The reader could actually go find the article that the info came from and read about the study. I highly recommend this book - it's interesting and easy to read, informative, and helpful for someone who wants to limit or eliminate meat from their diet.

Rating:
Summary: A Must-Read Even for Non-Vegetarians
Review: You don't have to be a vegetarian to take advantage of this book. I am a non-vegetarian with a 1 1/2-year-old daughter who does not like meat. I was very worried that she would not get enough protein and iron so I purchased this book to educate myself more about non-animal sources of the nutrients. What an eye-opener! Even the nutrition courses I took in college did not provide me with such wealth of information. This book will tell you all you need to know to feed yourself and your family healthily and nutritiously. Interestingly, it will also change the way you look at the food on your plate. I'll be delighted if my daughter will one day happily eat red meat (organic of course). But I no longer worry that she doesn't.