Vegetarian Times Vegetarian Beginner's Guide

Great book! I've been a vegetarian for 2 years now and I still learned a lot from this book. It makes a great gift.

"Although high heat can kill microbes, at least 9,000 people in the United States get sick every year from contaminated meat and poultry. Of those 9,000 approximately 500 die and another 6,500 of the survivors never fully regain their health." ~ pg. 9 Whether you want to be a vegetarian or are just looking for ways to include more veggies in your diet, this book explains how you can make more healthy choices. Designed for new vegetarians, the authors dispel popular myths and misconceptions. They show how eating more vegetables can reduce heart disease, cancer and diabetes. "...the protein found in vegetables has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels..." ~ pg. 119 If you are worried that you won't get enough protein from a vegetarian diet then you will love the foods suggested in this book. You may not think of foods like avocado and lentils as having protein. Oatmeal, tofu and beans also help to give your body the protein it needs. There is also information on why a high protein diet leaches calcium from your bones. For the most part this book presents a fair and balanced approach to food studies as they provide both sides of the issue. The section on the poor treatment of animals is quite short, although convincing. You might be shocked to learn that over sixty-four drugs are administered to dairy cows. When you think about it, soymilk sounds like a good idea. One of the sections in the book focuses on restocking a pantry. From my own experience in the last few weeks it is best if you just buy what you need for the recipes you are trying. Soon you will have a stocked pantry with all the right ingredients. Since I've been trying a variety of soy products I noticed that the cheese is less salty and the soy yogurts are less sweet. This is great because so much food you buy at the grocery store is overly salted and sickeningly sweet. While the recipes in this book are not comprehensive there are quite a few interesting selections. You may enjoy a quick minestrone, glazed root vegetables, an apple salad or even a cassoulet. There are plenty of cooking tips and a note about the importance of reading labels. One of the things you will probably decide while reading this book is whether or not you will be a true Vegan or an Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian. This is important to decide because on the one hand you avoid all dairy and eggs and on the other you are free to eat them in moderation. If you are looking for recipe books or books on a vegetarian lifestyle I can recommend the following: Skinny Bitch- a very convincing read! Skinny Bitch in the Kitch: Kick-Ass Recipes for Hungry Girls Who Want to Stop Cooking Crap (and Start Looking Hot!)- the best vegetarian recipes I've found so far Weight Watchers Versatile Vegetarian Vegan with a Vengeance : Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes That Rock Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home: Fast and Easy Recipes for Any Day Real Food Daily Cookbook: Really Fresh, Really Good, Really Vegetari

Excellent explanation of Vegetariansim and the recipes and ideas were very good .I would heartilly recommend.Vegetarian Times Vegetarian Beginner's Guide

This is a great book to introduce you to vegetarianism. It starts off by giving you some reasons to go vegetarianism without being preachy or judgmental. It then debunks some of the myths and worries you may have about vegetarianism as well as educates you on what you'll need to know to eat healthy on a vegetarian diet. The comic drawings throughout are great, too. There's a section on stocking your pantry, followed by a section full of enticing recipes. The book ends with some other related issues that may or may not have factored into your decision to become a vegetarian (such as animal rights or animal welfare and environmental protection). Again, the authors don't preach or push. They leave it up to you to decide how far you want to go with things and what your underlying motivations are. There is also a section on vegetarianism if you're not the "average American" (i.e. you're pregnant, a teenager, a child, etc.). This is a wonderful book that manages to give a lot of information and help for beginning vegetarians without being overwhelming or confusing.

Filled with tons of practical information, it covers all the bases that almost anyone beginning or interested in beginning a vegetarian/vegan diet wants to know. It does so in a simple, friendly, and informal manner. The "tips" and "callouts" are especially valuable. Easy & enjoyable reading, and highly recommended.