Best Vegan Books: Read The Future
Some of these insightful books shed a light on the realty of factory farming and encourage people to make choices that are better for their health, the planet and the animals; other provide the tools to adopt a tasty and nutritious vegan diet.
During this time of social distancing, many of us are spending much more time alone with our thoughts, pondering, reflecting and imagining. For those of us who right now are lucky enough to be safe and healthy, both physically and mentally, this quarantine can be an occasion to enrich our lives with new knowledge and get a few steps closer to our “better selves”. When this pandemic will be nothing but a painful memory, humankind will be still facing the catastrophe of Climate Change and the necessity to radically change the way we live and consume in order to guarantee a future to the next generations. Animal agriculture has a tremendous impact on the health of our planet and its own existence it’s synonym with animals’ death and suffering. Some of these insightful books shed a light on the realty of factory farming and encourage people to make choices that are better for their health, the planet and the animals; other provide the tools to adopt a tasty and nutritious vegan diet.
HOW NOT TO DIE
By Michael Greger, M.D.
In this book, a New York Times Best Seller, Dr. Michael Greger explains us how most premature deaths can be avoided with the right lifestyle and diet, as they can prevent, arrest and even reverse many diseases. The book "How not to Die" explores a fact that we often tend to forget: given the right conditions the body can heals itself. That’s what happens for example when smokers say goodbye to their once-beloved cigarettes. By reading this insightful and science-based book one will not only discover what to eat in order to help preventing the top 15 causes of death, but will also get “Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen” a handy checklist of a variety of healthy, plant-based foods that we should all try to include in our everyday diet to live a healthy, long life.
WHY WE LOVE DOGS, EAT PIGS AND WEAR COWS: AN INTRODUCTION TO CARNISM: THE BELIEF SYSTEM THAT ENABLES US TO EAT SOME ANIMALS AND NOT OTHERS
By Ph.D. Melanie Joy
A powerful dissertation on the “meat paradox” and the cognitive dissonance it generates, this book explores the way the system we live in trains us to justify a very common and highly contradicting behaviour: most people profess their love for certain animals on one hand, but on the other they not only condone but widely accept or even encourage the financing of industries that kill other animals to turn them into everyday commodities like food and clothing. The author does not only give a voice to the obvious victims of this violent system, the animals, but also highlights the suffering our habits inflict on the “other" victims: those who work in the animal agriculture industry and the environment itself.
RACHEL AMA'S VEGAN EATS: TASTY PLANT-BASED RECIPES FOR EVERY DAY
By Rachel Ama
Vegan food is not just avocado toasts and quinoa salads, as the stereotype would suggest. If you want to discover a wide variety of tasty vegan foods, then look no further than Rachel Ama’s cookbook. It is jam-packed with flavourful and easy recipes of all sorts, from typical lunch foods like sandwiches and salads, to decadent desserts like moringa pancakes with figs and walnuts and all-time classics such as lasagne, curries and stews. At the back of the book you can also find a cupboard glossary with some ingredients that come in handy when cooking vegan food. Her recipes are rich in texture, nutrients and colour, because as Rachel says in her cookbook: “a beige plate was never my kind of plate.”
VERSATILE VEGAN
By Madeleine Olivia
If there is someone that can prove that plant-based eating doesn’t necessarily have to be overly-elaborated or expensive, that’s Madeline Olivia. This wonderful e-book is a great tool to learn how to cook plenty of colourful and scrumptious vegan recipes. They are very easy and the ingredients can be found in most supermarkets. The book also includes a list of kitchen essentials, a starter shopping list and helpful cooking hacks. These qualities make it a great read especially for those who are beginners to veganism or to cooking in general as it provides them with the knowledge they need to cook nourishing and delicious vegan food. The minimal design and photography make it a treat for the eyes, not just the taste buds.
HOW TO GO VEGAN: THE WHY, THE HOW, AND EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO MAKE GOING VEGAN EASY
By Veganuary
Filled with useful tips for beginners and seasoned vegans alike, this encouraging and helpful read will make your life as a vegan a lot easier thanks to loads of interesting and practical information. It will not only explain you what veganism is and why you should try it, if you are not a vegan already, but it will also help you navigating your everyday life as a vegan with plenty of advice on things like reading labels, answering questions from your loved ones, traveling as a vegan and so much more.
BECOMING VEGAN: COMPREHENSIVE EDITION: THE COPLETE REFERENCE TO PLANT-BASE NUTRITION
By Brenda Davis & Melina Vestanto
As the title would suggest, this book written by two registered dieticians is an extremely comprehensive guide on plant-based nutrition. Here you will find all the necessary information to feed yourself properly as a vegan in every stage of your life and the facts-based reasons why one should give this lifestyle a try, from the health benefits of a vegan diet, to the way plant-based eating can positively impact Climate Change and even Word Hunger.
MORE PLANTS LESS WASTE: PLANT-BASED RECIPES + ZERO WASTE LIFE HACKS WITH PURPOSE
By Max La Manna
Max La Manna, New York chef and sustainability activist, condensed in an easy-to-read and aesthetically-pleasing book all you need to know to lower you waste and eat plant-based. In the pages of this book he will teach you how to cut down on food waste and make the most of your food, so much so that the word food scraps won’t equate trash no more, at least in your kitchen. The recipes are wonderfully down-to-earth, no need to go out of your way to purchase some obscure exotic fruit or a spice known only the fanciest chefs. If you want to learn how to save money by valuing every single bit of the plant-based foods you bring into your home, then give this a read!
+ Words: Roberta Fabbrocino
Roberta Fabbrocino is a writer and an environmentalist who loves sharing stories about all things sustainability. She runs @mosclothingsubscription, an eco-friendly personal styling service, and creates content for green brands.
Instagram: @naturallybree
