The best Vegan Cooking books: Reddit reviews

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Hey! I just wanted to say, if you do decide to eat veg, it's completely okay if it doesn't happen all at once. I know I had this idea of "going vegetarian" that meant I would just pick a day, and suddenly stop eating meat.

But if you've eaten meat products your entire life, that's really hard, and you'll probably be healthier and happier if you gradually find plant-based foods you like and incorporate them into your diet over time. I did the "all at once" approach, and spent way too much time eating junk/heavily processed food and pizza because that was the only meatless stuff I was familiar with.

Changing habits and lifestyle takes a while, but small, consistent changes will get you there. You don't have to be perfect. Here's my favorite cookbook! :)

I highly suggest you take a look into reading Jonathan Safran Foer's "Eating Animals." It directly addresses this cultural/emotional component you're bringing up.

Well, heck. How about Amazon? Here's a link to her cookbook, Artisan Vegan Cheese.
Hope you're having an awesome weekend :)

The first book Sarah Ballantyne wrote has a ton of science but it’s less of a cook book. In fact it’s mostly about the AIP diet and lifestyle and the research she’s found to back it up. It’s a long book and goes deep into the immune system too.

https://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Approach-Reverse-Autoimmune-Disease/dp/1936608391

The best thing I can recommend is to pick up a copy of the book "The Joy Of Cooking" This book has recipes for everything you could ever want.to cook, but more importantly it teaches you the why's of how cooking works. A lot pf recipes just tell you 'Knead the dough and let it rise', but Joy goes into detail. It is a foundational work and should be on ever6 cook's shelf at least as a reference.

I would not go low carb. Our bodies are made to function on carbs.

When I think of a carb heavy meal, I think of chewy farrow or fluffy quinoa as the base of a Buddha bowl with sweet potato, avocado, some sort of beans, cabbage, peppers, sprouts, and a dressing made of tahini, dates, and lemon.

WFPB diet already excludes animal products, oil, and anything processed. You’re left with legumes, grains, and veggies for the most part. I personally lost a ton of weight way less painlessly than low-carb, and felt better overall. Eating carbs is expected and healthy for humans.

I would recommend reading The Starch Solution by Dr. McDougall.

r/PlantBasedDiet - Great sub with good active members always willing to help!

The Starch Solution - I have read this and follow this. Losing weight constantly.

The Forks over Knives Plan - I have not tried this but the documentary they made is what changed my way of eating (hopefully for life)

Edit: I don't count calories, I eat what is allowed in the diet until I am full (ad libitum). I follow visual guidelines of how much food should be of each group. I try not to cheat except for special occasions. My lipid and Hb1AC numbers have come down to where I have never seen them before since I have started tracking them and lost 24 lbs in 3-4 months or so.

You want a weight loss and health-promoting diet which also is disease-preventing.

Good luck!

For reference:
The author's Starch Solution website
Book on Amazon

It's called

The Homemade Vegan Pantry: The Art of Making Your Own Staples https://www.amazon.com/dp/1607746778/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_CJfmAbF0ZM5FM

(I hope amazon links are okay)

It's neat cause it has recipes for vegan cheeses, breads, sauces, yogurt and all sorts of "meats" even homemade tofu.

do yourself a favor and put that bro science bullshit on hold for a bit to read this book

https://www.amazon.com/Starch-Solution-Regain-Health-Weight/dp/1623360277

Asians eat rice and Mediterraneans eat pasta (actually Asians also eat noodles and Italians also eat risotto) and both eat bread and they're the healthiest and happiest and longest lived people in the world

I’ve been using the “Veganomicon” - good recipes, not many overly exotic ingredients, and the writers don’t take themselves too seriously. I’ve been having good results and I’ve never baked before at all

Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook https://smile.amazon.com/dp/156924264X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_3H044TFSBJHDKQ6YTPFF

I was a very a picky eater through my late teens. Becoming a vegetarian actually made become less picky, as it forced me to try new things.

It's hard when you live at home and don't cook. You may want to also try veg a few days a week and always outside the house. I also recommend this cook book, which is good for beginners and (I'm sure) has many things a picky eater would like.

Buy this book https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316221902/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_imm_t1_Gfv0FbZ2SC28R I haven't had a bad recipe out of it, and most are quite easy to make. The red pepper mac and cheese is our current favorite.

They key is making the pain you experience emotionally over the torture and death of animals greater than the pleasure you get from eating animal products.

Be careful to seek out recipes and foods that are whole-foods plant based (WFPB) and friends who support these choices and help you cook/eat well and don't belittle your vegan choices.

If you can manage to avoid stocking your pantry with highly processed vegan foods, that would make bingeing potentially less harmful, but I am NOT an expert and do not have experience with ED, though I do struggle with eating too much processed vegan foods and struggle with weight I want to lose.

You'll also need to tread carefully as most healthcare professionals prepared to work with you through ED will likely see veganism as a harmful aspect tied to your ED, rather than seeing it as a potential positive that could help you emotionally and physically when handled appropriately.

Edit: Oftentimes certain vegan processed foods like non-dairy milks and Nutritional Yeast will be fortified with nutrients that non-vegans get from animal sources. A couple of years after going vegan, I had a full blood-panel done and happily found that my B-12 levels were perfectly healthy! I believe it's because I cook with Nutritional Yeast and it has super high levels of B-12. I personally find this book really helpful when working through nutritional considerations: Vegan for Life: Everything You Need to Know to Be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet

if you are looking for any new recipes, I suggest joy of cooking https://www.amazon.ca/Joy-Cooking-Irma-S-Rombauer/dp/0743246268. of all the recipes I have made from this book, only one has failed me. there are different recipes, ranging from easy to difficult. a big part of the recipes are cost effective and there is even a section dedicated to lists of recipes for different occasions, for example, there is a list called to cook for a day and eat for a week, then there is also a list of easy 30min meals.

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good job on your meal!

I read the book Vegan for Life by Jack Norris (https://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Life-Everything-Healthy-Plant-Based/dp/0738214930) before I went vegan. But I think there are a lot more books out there. And I would just try it out instead of worrying too much. One can at least try. I mean I thought I could never go vegan because it would be way too difficult and I am not the most resolved person out there but far from it but I tried and it was the best thing I have ever done. Vegan for 3 years now

Not to push a specific product but... I was looking for cookbooks a few weeks ago for a friend and came across a really cool looking meatless cookbook on Amazon. I didn't get it because they aren't vegetarian. Your kid may enjoy it: Thug Kitchen: The Official Cookbook

Not tech related but the first anniversary is considered the “paper” anniversary (technically that’s for weddings but whatever). You could look for a nice print or, going with the cooking motifs, get a copy of The Joy of Cooking (https://www.amazon.com/Joy-of-Cooking/dp/0743246268) and write a nice personalized note in it. It’s a classic and would be a good addition to any cooks kitchen. Happy anniversary!

Sounds like you've never had real vegan cheese, just that modified food starch plus oil cheese product fake stuff.

Miyoko's is the shit. Btw, she wrote a whole book about making your own cheese with cashews and stuff.

https://www.amazon.com/Artisan-Vegan-Cheese-Miyoko-Schinner/dp/1570672830

ATK is a great suggestion, as is Cook's Country! I think that a subscription to that or another cooking magazine like Bon Appetit would be a great gift.

Spices are cool. Perhaps choose a cool cuisine, get some spices from that cuisine along with a cookbook for it.

Cheese making kit is a killer idea.

The Betty Crocker Crocker Cookbook is a great idea. Similarly, even if her mom has it, her own copy of Joy of Cooking would make a nice start to her own personal cookbook collection.

If she is familiar with a wide variety of cooking techniques already from her mom, don't pander to her age with kids cookbooks.

Or, if you live close, you could get her a gift card to a cooking store and take her on a cooking themed date where she got to pick out her own cooking items. At that age I didn't need them, but I loved having my own knife, spatula, pan, weird gadget I've only used once, etc. She's just getting to that age where having her own stuff is going to feel really important as she starts to try and find her own identity, this gift could help support that.

As for cookbooks, my go-to is The JOY of Cooking. Not only does it have a ton of recipes, but it has a sizable appendix on cooking techniques, how to use ingredients and more, as it's designed for novices and experienced cooks alike.

Also, a bit long, but here's a previous comment I made regarding my basic staples and some food ideas on the cheap: https://www.reddit.com/r/Frugal/comments/3istym/what_are_musthave_items_for_college_student/cujey25

one of the best books i've found on the topic is vegan for life. it's full of great nutritional information and even has sample meal/diet plans. it definitely changed the way i ate!

Unless you have access to the real good stuff (e.g. Treeline), making it is the way to go. I started with Miyoko's popular book, which is great for nut cheeses. Lately though, I've been using this. The writing could be clearer, but his method for making soymilk-based cheeses is awesome.

Yes. I too think diya is horrific. Some nut based cheeses are making their way into vegan markets = awesome. The downside is that they're typically very expensive to the tune of north of $10 for not a lot

The fantastic news is that you can make fookin super tasting vegan cheese that's not all processed and oily very easily right here

http://www.amazon.com/Artisan-Vegan-Cheese-Miyoko-Schinner/dp/1570672830/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1428028879&sr=1-1&keywords=Vegan+cheese

This stuff is so amazing that you can have a wine and cheese party w omnis [and several cheeses from this book] and they'll love it

I prefer Beyond to Impossible for the 'ground beef', but the italian-style sausage is pretty good for both. I find Beyond ('ground beef' and sausages, cut out of the casing) make very good meatballs and have a really nice texture. Also, if you're making burgers out of either, I've noticed they don't shrink like actual ground beef does, so I'll do 3-oz. patties instead of 4-oz.

I like the gardein ultimate for 'fried chicken'. I like a litelife hotdog here and there.

I also make my own fake meat. The un-rib recipe in The Homemade Vegan Pantry is worth the cost of the book alone. While not quite fake meat, the chickpea cutlet recipe in the Veganomicon is also worth buying the entire book in my eyes (I also lovelovelove the banana nut waffles).

My advice, if you're going to get serious about bread making, is to invest in a $20 kitchen scale and follow a recipe that measures in grams. Because flour compacts, you can't really be precise with volume measurements. It's also quicker and easier than finding, using, and cleaning lots of utensils.

Also, the cool thing about bread is that eggs and milk don't play an essential role. You can just omit the eggs and sub the milk for water or soymilk in any recipe and the bread will turn out fine. It might have a different taste and texture, but it'll still be good bread. If anything, it's a bit harder to make bread with eggs and milk because they weigh the bread down.

The first no-kneed recipe I made was from The Homemade Vegan Pantry, and it worked out just fine.

I read about it in <em>The Starch Solution: Eat the Foods You Love, Regain Your Health, and Lose the Weight for Good!</em> by Dr. John A. McDougall initially.

You would need to look into this further to see if it's a good idea, but AIP is an elimination diet. It's primarily geared to people with autoimmune conditions, but if you'd be seeing a rheumatologist I'm guessing there's some overlap. It certainly is focused on lowering inflammation. If you implement it properly it's very healthy, but people tend to have a month or two where they aren't eating in a balanced way as they get the hang of the diet, you wouldn't want to take any risks with that. Another issue is that if you're not able to move that much you would need someone else to do a lot of the food prep. So, something to look into. https://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Approach-Reverse-Autoimmune-Disease/dp/1936608391/ref=sr\_1\_1?crid=2YXTGNRA34SHL&amp;keywords=sarah+ballantyne+autoimmune+protocol&amp;qid=1666991120&amp;qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjQxIiwicXNhIjoiMS44OSIsInFzcCI6IjIuMjEifQ%3D%3D...

That reminds me of the Thug Kitchen Cookbook, and while I've never bought it, I would hope in at least one recipe there's directions like "Beat the chicken like it owes you money'.

Easily Thug Kitchen.

The inspirational story of how two white LA hipsters can declare themselves thugs and become best selling cookbook authors gives me the spiritual energy to get out of bed and be my best self, even if that best self has no relation to my actual identity