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Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64876-660-2 | eBook ISBN: 978-1-64876-159-1
R0
FOR MY CHILDREN, Bly, Cedar, Willow, and Fern, who inspire me to be better. For René, who
believed in me. For my parents, who called every day to see how the writing was going. And,
as always, for the animals.
Contents
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: What Is the Vegan Diet and Why Should I Try It?
CHAPTER 2: Complete Nutrition and the Health Benefits of a Vegan Diet
CHAPTER 3: Stocking a Vegan Kitchen
CHAPTER 4: Plant-Based Proteins
CHAPTER 5: Carbohydrates and Fiber
CHAPTER 6: Healthy Plant-Based Fats
CHAPTER 7: Vitamins and Minerals
CHAPTER 8: Vegan for Every Life Stage
CHAPTER 9: Vegan on the Go: Parties, Restaurants, and Travel
CHAPTER 10: The Vegan Plate and Menu
RESOURCES
REFERENCES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
INTRODUCTION
I spend every day helping individuals and families optimize their health with plants. I’m a
registered dietitian, and veganism has been the focus of my nutrition practice since 2014. As
an expert in the field, I am pleased to be able to write a book sharing my knowledge with you
as you embark on your journey to build a healthy vegan diet.
While I was studying nutrition in college, I read a book called Diet for a Small Planet by
Frances Moore Lappé. I learned that we have enough food in the world to feed everyone; we
just need to distribute that food differently, feeding plant calories directly to humans instead
of to animals in the animal agriculture industry. That book inspired me to go vegetarian. It
was an easy transition for me because I had always loved animals and I never liked the idea
of eating them. I can remember being so upset as a child when my cousin shot a few rounds
over the heads of some crows who were eating grain in my uncle’s fields. He was only trying
to scare the birds, but I didn’t like thinking of animals being shot.
When I decided to open my private practice as a dietitian, I began deeply researching the
relationship between personal health and nutrition in North America. I was aware that
Canadians and Americans were facing an epidemic of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and
high blood pressure, and I wanted to offer my clients a way to prevent these diseases and
optimize their health. In my research, I discovered that eating a plant-based diet can reduce
the risk of disease and increase longevity. I was convinced!
I went completely plant-based myself, first for just 30 days. I found it easy, and I felt good,
so I kept going. I had worried about giving up cheese, but I found vegan food to be so
satisfying and delicious that my cravings soon went away. Not long after going vegan, I
watched some shocking videos about animal agriculture. After I understood the impact of
animal agriculture on the planet and saw the mistreatment of animals, I committed to being
vegan for life.
Your decision to go vegan probably reflects many of the things that influenced me.
Veganism is growing as a movement for many good reasons. People are going vegan
because they know it is better for the planet, better for the animals, and better for their
personal health. I could write a whole book about why to go vegan, but this book is on how
to go vegan, with a focus on personal health benefits. Whether you are already vegan,
interested in going vegan, or looking to optimize your health by eating more plants and less
meat, this book covers everything you need to know.
CHAPTER 1
WHAT IS THE VEGAN DIET AND WHY SHOULD I TRY IT?
The first step to creating and following a nutritious and delicious vegan diet is understanding
what veganism is and how it differs from other dietary approaches, such as vegetarian and
plant-based diets. This chapter explores the meaning of veganism, its social justice aspects,
and its health benefits. I also define other related dietary approaches to provide helpful
context for your new lifestyle.
Veganism Defined
Veganism is a philosophy and way of life that extends far beyond diet. The Vegan Society
defines veganism as “a way of living that seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practicable,
all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, and any other purpose.”
Veganism is a social justice issue, and underpinning that issue is a belief that animals have
rights, and their bodies are not ours to exploit.
In general, vegans practice a lifestyle that encourages protection and respect for the
rights of species other than our own. This practice is in contrast to the idea of speciesism. In
his book Animal Liberation, Peter Singer defined speciesism as “a prejudice or attitude of bias
in favor of the interests of members of one’s own species and against those of members of
other species.” Speciesism has its origins in the view that humans are the apex of life on Earth
and animals are here to serve the needs of humans. Speciesism also relates to how humans
classify the value of different species of animals—treating their family dog much better than
they would treat a pig raised for pork, for example.
Within the veganism movement, there are a variety of approaches and schools of thought.
The following sections provide a brief introduction to some of the primary concerns and
debates within the larger movement. I invite you to participate in discussions and do your
own research if you are interested in diving deeper into any of the positions mentioned here.
Vegan Activism
Vegan activists are people who advocate for animal rights and promote veganism. Activism
can take many forms, including hosting vegan potlucks, political campaigns, protests, sharing
vegan food ideas on social media, or speaking about veganism with family and friends.
Activists are motivated by the fact that there are about 77 billion land animals slaughtered
for food each year, and those animals cannot advocate for themselves. The scale and
urgency of the problem motivates some vegans to advocate exclusively for the rights of
animals.
Anti-Oppression Framework vs. Animals-First Approach
An anti-oppression framework means that to oppose any form of oppression, we must
oppose all forms of oppression. Vegans, including myself, who take this approach bring
animal rights to the anti-oppression discussion table. This increased awareness of the plight
of animals, and the act of asking advocates from other social justice backgrounds to
recognize the rights of animals, helps expand those rights. In turn, vegan activists can uphold
the rights of people from oppressed groups both within and outside the vegan movement.
Contrary to the anti-oppression framework, vegans who take an animals-first approach
believe that vegan activists should focus solely on bringing attention to the oppression that
animals face, and let other social justice causes advocate for themselves.
Abolitionism vs. Animal Welfare
Vegans differ on the best approach to achieving animal liberation. Some vegans believe in
taking an abolitionist approach, which means they would advocate only for the total
liberation of animals, and not accept a step-by-step approach to achieving this. Other vegans
