Vegan-Diet Books

This book is wonderful, even if you get it just to look at the pictures. I'm new to the world of vegan baking, and I bought this along with Isa's 2 other cookbooks. I like that they give you useful information along with the recipes. I've made 2 cupcakes so far, I wasnt blown away by either one, but I plan to try some of the more interesting ones in here. You do need a lot of ingredients that the average baker doesnt normally have on hand, but I'm slowly stocking up so I can take over the world with my cupcakes!

Every cupcake I have made from this book has been a big success. Well done...

I've had this book for awhile, but I feel it's time to finally review it. This cookbook is truly the perfect way to show family and friends that being vegan isn't a big deal--no really. I'm the only vegan in my family, but I can't wait to knock everyone's socks off at Christmas with these delicious recipes (I'm thinking blueberry lemon creme cake for the adults, and 'decorate-it-yourself' banana split cupcakes for the younguns). Please buy this book. I love exotic vegan cooking as much as the next person, but I don't have to funds to acquire the really weird ingredients. This book has those exotic ingredients, but also simple recipes with common ingredients. I'm hoping this book will propel me to official baker of the extended family, making each gathering a little less cruel!

I made the S-more cupcakes for a group of meat eaters young and old, and everyone loved them! The kids took seconds and the adults asked for the receipe!

Unlike others i went straight for a hard recipe. Well, for me at least :) Orange creamsicle cupcakes! After my bf helped me figure out I would have to turn up the heat a little to make the orange pudding, (evil electric stove) it was smooth sailing. They came out fantastic and noone at the party had any idea they were vegan until we told them. The orange buttercream frosting is to die for btw.
I also made the mexican cocoa cupcakes that day. They tasted great but i had a little spill over and the tops kept popping off. I think that was me, not the recipe!

this cookbook is awesome. all of the recipes are fairly simple and are healthy and low fat (most!) and... VEGAN!
from the best restaurant in the world, blossoming lotus, this cookbook has some awesome, flavorful recipes

This book will make you realize that the food choices you make, are not only good for your health but for the planet and all other living beings....we are all connected after all! I found this book very informative, organized and easy to follow. I have loved the few recipes I made already and look forward to making more. I highly recomend it!

This is a beautiful book, with pictures and quotes that are lovely and inspiring. Not to mention that the recipes are really fabulous! Great for entertaining vegan and non-vegan guests and having everyone feeling satisfied and complimenting the chef. The restaurant in Portland, Oregon is well worth the trip, as I'm sure the one in Hawai'i is as well. A must-have for any vegan kitchen.

I'm a vegan living outside NYC. I am a huge fan of your book, the hardcover, it's actually my favorite cookbook. It is beautifully photographed and just a lovely book to own and use in your kitchen!

I've tried about half of these recipes and had good success. Breads, pastas, pizzas, salads, dressings, deserts - it's all here. This is vegan heaven!

In my view, essentially Dr. Tuttle's research answers the question "Why are humans behaving so violently on Earth?" The World Peace Diet also answers the question of "What did humans eat before they invented tools and discovered fire?" He refers to humans, who we all know first lived in the tropics, as frugivorous herbivores. This is consistent with the Natural Health practioners with whom I study, and logic in my view.

After reading this book with an open mind, (keep in mind I had to get past my bad habit of criticizing), I realized the countless dollars tax payers could save just by collectively learning to think through a vegan paradigm of non-violence. This book has answered so many of my most burning questions. I feel like I can move on now to live my life with such a remarkable understanding of what's going on here!

I love how this book defines the word "veganism" as intended by the man who came up with the word in 1944. This definition is on page 27, and when you read it, regardless of what you eat presently, you will likely find yourself thinking "That's me; I am that way."

This book will change your life and eating. Will Tuttle is so thorough and convincing I can't see how anybody good read this book and not go vegan. This book is so important for our world and should go hand in hand with "A New Earth" by Eckart Tolle.Sp

Tuttle feels very strongly that veganism is the answer to many, if not all, of the world's problems and he argues passionately that all humans should adopt a vegan lifestyle. His basic thesis is fairly straight-forward: that by beginning to raise animals for food and other products, humans came to view animals as commodities to be exploited. This situation led to desensitization and a disconnection that humans have transferred to one another over the centuries and is the reason that human beings are capable of committing so many atrocities against one another.

It is a bold thesis and perhaps unique in its effort to so concisely explain why violence amongst human beings exists in the world, but it is also rife with oversights and gaps. Most of what Tuttle argues is more opinion and belief than "fact."

In a chapter on the dairy industry, Tuttle describes how cows are artificially inseminated, kept perpetually pregnant, and almost immediately separated from their calves. It is a powerful and sensational description. Tuttle goes on to argue that a cow's milk is not intended for human consumption, that it is biologically intended only for its calf and that, therefore, humans should not consume dairy products. This statement is specious. For if this logic were applied to plants, one would come to the conclusion that humans should not eat fruit or vegetables either. Of course, this would be preposterous.

Tuttle identifies many of the problems facing human beings today, but arguing that if all humans became vegans these problems would cease is going too far.

Chances are a reader who is already vegan will feel vindication after finishing this book. A reader who is vegetarian will likely feel some pang of guilt for not being vegan and contemplate taking that next step. An omnivore who reads this book is likely to be put off by its self-righteous tone, but may find it thought-provoking if he or she can get past that. A die-hard meat eater is highly unlikely to make it past page two before setting it down.

What sets this book apart for the many fine books about veganism is that it really gets to the spiritual roots of the issue. Dr. Tuttle writes eloquently and passionately, about the karma of eating. He challenges the reader to expand their compassion to every creature on this planet, and in enacting this in our daily lives via the food we eat, we can begin to experience a taste of limitless, transcendent love. It is a book about the transformation of our consciousness, and thus the transformation of the world. He shows how food choices are not a small issue, or a mere lifestyle choice, as they are sometimes made out to be. But rather, our food choices lay the foundation for the violence and exploitation rampant in this world.

He also exposes the culture's deep aversion to looking at this issue and sheds light on why it is so difficult to get others to see the brutality that composes our cultural diet. I was finally able to make sense of why people just seem to shut down when it comes to really looking at where meat comes from. It is our culture's dirty little secret. Deep down we have guilt over it, and we deal with this by either becoming aggressively defensive ("no one is going to tell me what to eat!") or just turning away from the truth and lulling ourselves into a state of denial. When we do this, we numb our basic capacity for empathy and kindness thus creating a more violent world.

Operating from the belief that everything is interconnected, he shows how when we treat animals in barbaric, exploitative ways it lays the foundation for the other ills in society. There is no compartmentalizing. The atrocities in the slaughterhouse don't stay in the slaughterhouse. The energy of the violence and suffering ripples outward like circles in a stream. He shows how human beings who work in slaughterhouses are turned into monsters by the violent work they do all day. One can only imagine how many families are destroyed, how much alcoholism, depression, domestic violence, and suicide results from the dehumanizing work of slaughtering animals.

This is one of the best books I've read, and a must-have for anyone looking to help alleviate the suffering of the world. There is no way I can adequately represent Dr. Tuttle's beautiful, compassionate book, so just buy it and read for yourselves!

According to Tuttle, everything connects and stems off of our cultural and inherited belief systems, of which we were born into. The fact that we never question or test these beliefs, rather just accept them because it is easy and comforting to do so, is a core factor that he is forcing people to attempt to step out of the box and acknowledge. His desperate plea is for people to begin to recognize that what we "do unto others" is ultimately what we in turn do to ourselves as a culture. By inflicting harm, fear, forced obesity, forced pregnancy, robbing animals and their babies, forcing ill health, as well as brutal methods of confinement and killing, we are creating the stage for the exact same devastating problems to be bestowed upon ourselves as a human culture. It is a very deep and powerful message, with astounding accusations and connections, which most people would never even consider linking together on their own. However, with careful analysis and consideration, these accusations all begin to seem completely realistic and perhaps hold much truth.

One of the best vegetarian cookbooks I have come across. Everything is delicious and easy to make.

I picked up this cookbook several years ago at a vegetarian food festival. I have several great cookbooks, but I find myself checking this one first most of the time, because the recipes always turn out great. Everything I've made from this cookbook has been delicious. Highly recommended for new vegetarians/vegans and anyone looking to add a great, healthy cookbook to their collection.

Before I do buy it, though, I want to describe what drew me to do so. When I started to become vegan, my friend highly recommended the book. She copied some of the recipes. I remember the tofu scramble, which everyone seems to talk about. This book is perfect to buy for people who do not understand what vegans are all about, because the recipes are simple and understated. I don't know any book, vegan or raw, that comes close to capturing the mood and spirit of veganism.

I recently went vegan and asked a vegetarian friend if they could recommend a starter cookbook. She let me borrow her copy of "Peaceful Palate". Since I've read it, I've been hooked. My favorite recipes are the "Dolphin-Friendly Mock Tuna Salad" and the "Neat Loaf". It has opened my eyes to the world of Veganism and I don't think I would have been as successful without it. The recipes are easy to make and the tastes are incredible. The first 20 pages are also loaded with helpful hints, kitchen staples and other interesting information. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to start a vegan cookbook library.

Friends keep asking me what to get for someone who has just started cooking or turned vegan. Hands down, this is the one and only book I recommend. I bought it four years ago and still use it weekly. It has fool-proof cornbread, hummus, split pea soup, tacos, masoor dal, Thai noodle salad, oatmeal cookies---all the vegan stand-bys. For breakfasts, the scrambled tofu is good, though I had bad luck with the french toast and sourdough pancakes. I really appreciate the nutritional information provided for each dish. The pantry-stocking pages are excellent, as is the overview of nutrition and veganism. For beginners, the book's chief asset is its brevity: my first vegan cookbook was too big, and it took me way too long to sift through it and plan the week's meals. This has everything you need for months of great cooking, without much fuss. And its wide pages lay relatively flat, which makes it easier to use in the kitchen. A must for the new vegan or cook in your life.

This book is so helpful that I bought an additional one for my daughter in college. We are about 90% raw and this book is really helpful with real recipes we can use.

It is a good book just not what I wanted. Not the kind of recipes I was looking for.

I got this book because I wanted to make sprout bread. The book is very informative. But 95% of the sprout recipes are for wheat. That is great if you want to sprout wheat, but I don't. It does repeat the same info in many parts of the book. But I would say over all I still say it is a great book. I am on a special diet so a lot of what he has in his recipes I can't use. But I did learn a few things.

Sproutman Publications is a specialty publisher with an impressive roster of health books to their credit. One of the best of these is the "Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook" by Steve Meyerowitz who began his interest in the relationship of foods to health in 1975 when he sought to deal with a lifetime condition of allergies and asthma. After the traditional medical establishment had failed him for some twenty years, he was able to restore his health through diet and fasting. he at 100% live foods for five years, practices 'fruitarianism -- a diet of fruit, nuts and sprouted seeds -- and fasted on raw juices for as long as 100 days. The resulting improvement to his personal health was amazing. In "Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook", Steve has amassed superb collection of recipes for sprout breads, cookies, soups, and salads, as well as 250 additional low-fat, dairy-free, vegetarian recipes. The recipes are presented after the reader benefits from an informational presentation on the pros-and-cons of dairy, dehydrating foods, nutrition charts, sprouting, food drying, low temperature cooking, how to be a healthy vegetarian, and so much more. From Cashew Cottage Cheese; Mighty Millet Bread; Sunflower Nut Milk; and Banana Chips; to Manhattan Sprout Chowder; Braised Tofu; Spinach Marinade; and Creamed Potato Mash, "Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook" will prove to be a popular and invaluable addition to the cookbook collection for anyone having to deal with the problems of food related allergies and illnesses, as well as the recipe collections for general vegetarians. Also very highly recommended for those concerned with food related health issues are the other titles from Sproutman Publications (available through their website at www.sproutman.com) including: "The Organic Food Guide"; "Power Juices, Super Drinks"; Juice Fasting & Detoxification"; Wheatgrass: Nature's Finest Medicine; "Water: The Ultimate Cure; and "Food Combing and Digestion".

I guess I'm not the typical reviewer here - I am interested in healthy eating, but without the context of a major life change for myself and my family of five... I'd like to find new ways to eat well, without undermining our entire familiar (mostly vegetarian, mostly well-balanced) diet.

Let's start with what this book IS: an excellent guide to using all types of sprouts, and to which types are good for which occasions - baking, stir-frying, salads, etc. It's also a rather overt advertisement for "Sproutman's" own website and sprouting tools (sprout bag, greenhouse, seeds, etc); fair enough.

The book is full of interesting, simple recipes and ideas for using sprouts either raw or with low temp cooking to get the most nutrition out of every green, crunchy bite. He's also thrown in a bunch of related nutrition stuff - non-sprout items like vegan ice creams and helpful alternatives to salt and other seasonings.

Still, I found that most of the recipes were impractical for family cooking. If two cups of sprouted wheat make a single small loaf or several crackers or cookies, it doesn't take long to realize I'm going to need wheat berries bursting out of every corner of my tiny kitchen in order to create one meal for the five of us.

And that's just bread! To create enough sprouts for us to eat a single salad, a single stir-fry, a single helping of sprouted nuts... well, we're probably going to need to renovate other areas of the house to accomodate all the grow-bags or baskets.

Also, many of the recipes are just variants on previous recipes. Like, he'll take a page to describe how to make a cracker, and then ANOTHER page - this is just an example from memory - on how to make seasoned crackers, and it's obvious the ingredients and steps are identical, just with seasonings added.

Finally, having tasted sprouts and fermented products, I have some idea of what kinds of flavours to expect. Suggesting that his fermented "rejuvalac" beverage will taste similar to lemonade sounds way overblown. He actually hints that it may taste more "like sauerkraut" - to me, that's a BIG difference. Sorry, but I don't curl up on a summer's day with a tall, cool glass of sauerkraut.

Similarly, I realize our dependence on added sugars is overblown, but if I call something a "cookie", my kids (10 & 11) are going to know I'm lying if it's only sweetened with natural sprout maltose and a few raisins. Yes, sprouts give a nice malty sweetness to bread - but only the most idealistic parents would believe kids would accept it as a special-occasion treat.

I guess I was looking for a book that would help me incorporate sprouts into every aspect of our regular household dishes - stir fries, yes, but also to add flavour/nutrition to standard yeast breads, cakes, cookies, veg patties, etc.

Being almost totally vegan (he practically apologizes in the one section where he asks you to put a bit of butter into your rice cereal), there is too little range of dishes for our family's tastes and the dishes offered seem too monotonous for long-term enjoyment.

This book may be ideal for a single person or a couple who want to try an "extreme" veg or raw-foods or minimal-cooking lifestyle. For our family lifestyle, the overhaul required is too enormous to even begin imagining - and trust me, I have plenty of imagination!

As a longstanding and rather hefty vegetarian, I also firmly felt that my aversion to killing animals, birds and fish for food was rooted in reverence for God's creatures. Richard Schwartz bolstered my spirituality with this compelling and irrefutable book. Genesis One clearly asserted that man was created vegetarian before our fall from grace and plunge into strife. Fortunately, the Prophet Isaiah envisions Messianic times to be an idyllic era wherein men and all creatures will live in peaceful coexistence devoid of bloodshed. Schwartz answers his detractors and accentuates the ecological, moral and human rights benefits of a meatless diet. He also salutes vegetarian advocates including Rav Kook, Rabbi David Rosen and Isaac Singer. If you love this book it will be imperative to purchase and read David Sears' brilliant "Vision Of Eden".

This book is excellent. It is beautifully written, exceptionally complete, and very fair-minded in its tone. The arguments are compelling and clear. I expected a diatribe, but that was not the case at all. Even though I will continue to eat meat, the author raised many pertinent questions and answered them in a thoughtful, well-reasoned way.

Schwartz's treatment of vegetarianism and Judaism is remarkabley thorough. He approaches the topic from the multifaceted avenues of Jewish thinking: Torah, halakhah, values... it's all there. This book is a complete compendium on all the issues and argument pertaining to vegetarianism, concerning for animals, the environment, and more. Schwartz's style is highly readable. He is passionate about his topic, but not emotional. I highly recommend the book to everyone, and certainly for Jews who take our traditions seriously.

I wrote a review on this book for the newsletter for the winter 2001 newsletter for the animal rights group, Last Chance for Animals. I am including my review here:

Richard H. Schwartz's Judaism and Vegetarianism is a useful reference for refuting claims that humans and animals do not deserve equal consideration. It effectively explains and elaborates upon the Bible's stance on vegetarianism and explores other moral and societal issues with which non-religious people can identify; Schwartz even includes a section on how vegetarianism can promote awareness and ultimately resolve these issues. The book also contains answers to common questions, nutritional suggestions, discussions of Jewish vegetarian groups and their activities, biographies of famous Jewish vegetarians, an annotated bibliography, ideas for promoting vegetarianism, and a detailed index. In sum, Schwartz has produced a well-documented, well-reasoned, and very convincing work which ends with a query to Jews who plan to continue eating meat: "In view of strong Jewish mandates to be compassionate to animals, preserve our health, help feed the hungry, preserve and protect the environment, conserve resources, and seek and pursue peace, and the very negative effects animal-centered diets have in each of these areas, will you now become a vegetarian, or at least sharply reduce your consumption of animal products?".

I have read this book thoroughly, and I think it is the most informative, most complete and most readable book about vegetarianism I have ever read. The book is very well structured, the information given is presented clearly and is up to date. Since I am a vegan, I have paid extra attention to what is being said about veganism, and I found the author is objective, accurate and gives sound advice. The B12 issue is dealt with in a responsible manner and I think it is very wise to present the transition to vegetarianism and from there to veganism as a process of growth, where every step counts. The author gives many practical suggestions on how to make changes in your lifestyle without losing touch with family or friends and manages to be firm and friendly at the same time. These things alone make the book a purchase well worth the investment. For me, however, the particular merit of the book lies in the spiritual values that have inspired it. Reading the book from a non-Jewish perspective, what struck me most was that the author has chosen focal points which are relevant to people from all kinds of different backgrounds, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and people who are not religious in the 'traditional' sense. In short, all those who are concerned about the way we relate to our environment from a spiritual point of view. The first focal point is that ethical considerations are more important than habit, convenience, or tradition, and the second is that there will be a price to pay if we chose to ignore the ethical imperative to change our ways. There are many books explaining why it is better for your body to become a vegetarian; there are not many books explaining why it is better for your soul. Richard Schwartz makes the reader see how the themes of inclusion and compassion towards animals are woven all through the Torah. Having read theology at a fairly orthodox Christian college, I have often heard the argument that `since Man was created in the image of God, he was given dominion over all creation' as an excuse for the maltreatment of animals and their reduction to `meat-producing units'. Guided by Richard Schwartz, we are shown that according to the Torah both man and beast are creatures of God, and that our being created in the image of God is not a given, but rather a potential; something to be brought into manifestation by following the pattern God has laid out for us, and that one of the qualities we must manifest is compassion. Instead of feeling very proud of ourselves and thinking that we are like God already, we should realise that we are asked to imitate God in love and concern for all living beings. Instead of 'dominion' we should read 'compassionate stewardship', and that is something else entirely. From the idea of our potential for goodness and compassion, the theme of responsibility is developed. The author shows us how we are responsible, in the sense of being accountable for the wrongs we do not try to stop. By means of the voice of Amos and other prophets he poignantly asks how we can be content and comfortable while others are in great distress, humans or non-humans. I feel that now Europe has recently been plagued by BSE and foot-and-mouth disease, and we have watched the horrors of what is happening every night on television, this question is more pressing than ever. How are we to answer for these things? That is one side of responsibility. The other side is that human beings are called to do justice, to liberate the oppressed, to care for every living being and that it is the way we act in this world, the choices we make and the goals we chose, which form our answer, our response, to God. For me, our human capacity to answer to this call is the basis of faith in a better future for all beings and Richard Schwartz's book has given me every reason not to give up believing. Human beings have the potential to be compassionate and just, and they can learn how to express these qualities. And they will learn more willingly if they are given the facts about oppression and hunger and are shown ways how to change. This is exactly what Richard Schwartz has done. Like the good teacher he is, he shows people what their calling is, where they go wrong, and what they can do to change for the better. This calling is not just for Jews; many people feel that they have a responsibility for the planet and for all that lives there; they just don't know what exactly is going wrong and how to make it better. By enumerating the facts, by showing the consequences of present practices, and by showing the way out, Richard Schwartz makes a very strong case for the vegetarian imperative, no matter what the reader's religion is. I sincerely recommend the book.

I am looking forward to making some of these recipes for my family. It will be nice to present colorful, healthy, non-processed dishes at the dinner table.

The recipes in this book are tried and true. I've prepared the pesto, deep green garden soup, and pumpkin cookies--All wonderful. Thanks Jennifer Lynn for sharing your recipes.

I love all the recipes, and the simple and clear directions. A fabulous book for both the novice and professional chef.

In my busy day and quest for a health-conscious diet, innovation and creativity are sometimes hard to muster. Jennifer's book does a wonderful job of not only giving great ideas for great tasting snacks, meals, and more, but takes traditional recipes and gives them a "raw" makeover. If you find yourself trapped in the same processed-food world but don't know how to make the transition to a raw-foods/vegetarian diet, Jennifer's book is a great start!!

You can tell this recipe book was truly made with love when you open it and read the Introduction and the Blessing before the Meal. Jennifer Lynn has obviously thought this out. Unique, fresh and easy to follow recipes.

Brendan tells his story & is very inspirational. He offers ideas and recipes. A good book to give to any one into sports. If Tiger Woods read this he'd win even more!

A truly inspiring read that won't end up on the bookshelf but remains handy every day!
I completely restructured my pantry and more so my thinking about what I put where my mouth is.
Supplements are just that, the true benefit comes from whole fruits and vegetables. I've been a lacto-ovo vegan for about 18 months and still going strong. My biggest challenge was the proper intake of protein. After reading Brendan's book I'm closer to an inner and outer nutritional balance than ever.
Astrid Kratzat, RN, 42, avid runner, Las Vegas, NV

If you want to be a super athlete and stay healthy, or you want endless stamina, ever-increasing strength, and a healthy body, or you are vegan and want to lift weights or other intense workouts, then Brendan Brazier has designed a diet plan for you! If you are already vegan, have food sensitivities, and love whole foods but just haven't been able to put it together so everything works, then this diet plan is for you.

If any of these descriptions fits, then skip this book and go directly to Brendan's Thrive Diet. It incorporates most of the material here and adds recipes. The Thrive Diet

If you're not sure, go ahead and get this book to check it out first. Brendan is amazing!

First, let me comment on all the criticism that the author is selling his own product (Vega)... how can you complain when he gives you the recipe to make it?? The recipe "Nutrient-rich shake" is on page 87. You don't have to buy his product, you can make it yourself. Personally I did this for a while and found it too time-consuming (just as the author says). I ended up ordering his product, but have no regrets. I really like Vega and will continue to purchase it - it's expensive, but you can tell when you use it what high quality it is.

Now about the book... For such a short book, it's PACKED with information! This book deserves a lot of credit for providing such a complete picture of stress - what it is, where it comes from, how it affects your body, and how to deal with it. Stress is stress, regardless of the source. Although this book is mainly concerned with stress from physical exertion, the information will help with whatever kind of stress you have.

The recipe section in this book, though short, is excellent. Several of these recipes have become regulars in my diet and are committed to memory. One unique thing about the recipes is they show which nutrients each ingredient is adding. For example, a banana adds electrolytes, a half tbsp hemp oil adds Essential Fatty Acids, pumpkin seeds add iron and zinc, and so on. I really enjoy this feature; it helps me better understand the nutrition (rather than just following a recipe). It's probably my favorite part of the book, next to the information on stress.

I've read at least a dozen different raw food health books and they all have their merits, but I have to say that this book is unique. I am so glad to have it in my collection. I'm giving copies to some of my health-conscious friends for Christmas this year.

I've been a struggling lacto-ovo vegetarian for 16 years. Busy career/life made me take the easy route...whatever you can lay your hands on to eat that was meat free. PU! This book helped me in my search for a better way to eat, especially on the run.

If you are trying to avoid dairy products in your diet, you may have found the excellent Web site: [...]. The site is constantly updated with product reviews, articles, announcements, discounts, etc. To make the information even more accessible, the sites founder, Alisa marie Fleming has put together a book entitled "Dairy Free Made Easy: Thousands of Foods, Hundreds of Tips, and Dozens of Recipes for Non-Dairy Living."

This well-researched book gives detailed information about dairy products - what they are, how they are processed, what is so special about dairy milk anyway, and answers questions about organic vs. conventional dairy products.

For those avoiding dairy products for health reasons, there is extensive information about allergies, lactose intolerance, whether dairy can help you to lose weight or to gain it, whether there is a link between consuming dairy products and certain cancers, acne, migraines, and other ailments. There is also great information about infant milk allergies and steps to prevent food allergies in babies. Fleming includes information about why breastfeeding is so important but she gives a comprehensive breakdown of infant formulas on the market with the pros and cons of the various choices.

Probably the most common concern of those giving up dairy products is where will they get their calcium. Fleming does an excellent job of dispelling the myth that dairy products are the best source of calcium (they're NOT!) and gives excellent advise for getting calcium from food and choosing a supplement if you feel you need one.

Fleming goes on to list non-dairy alternatives for milk, cream, cheese, etc., recommending products you can buy but also including easy ways to make the substitutions yourself. There is a small section of recipes with some yummy sounding dishes like "Easy Dairy-free Lasagna, Cream of Mushroom Soup (I can't wait to make that one!), 5-Star Ranch Dressing, Chocolate Tofu Ice Cream and Dairy-free Cheesecake.

Another really excellently done section is the chapter on dining out. Fleming goes through the various kinds of restaurants and lists dairy-free options for each, for example, she says that most dishes at Asian restaurants (Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese) are dairy-free though they may contain eggs. At Mexican restaurants, she suggests tacos, fahitas, tamales, and burritos - but tell them to hold the cheese and sour cream. More importantly (I think), she clues you into dishes that you might think are dairy-free but aren't, e.g. she tells you to "Skip the Tandoor and kabob entrees. Though they may appear dairy free, these specialities are typically meats and/or vegetables marinated in yogurt." For curries, Fleming recommends going to a Thai restaurant as Indian curries are usually made with cream.

Other helpful sections in the book tell how to decode food lables, lists of ingredients that really mean dairy (e.g. lactose, caseinate, whey), and foods that may contain dairy - some that even surprised me like tuna fish, chewing gum, chicken broth, and breath mints!

A large portion of the book is dedicated to profiling non-dairy products (over 2,000). A nice feature is that the products are ALL free of hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup. (YAY!) The foods are listed in a chart format that lets you know if the product is in stores on can be purchased online, if it's gluten-free, soy-free, vegan, processed on dairy-free equipment, and is kosher certified.

The book also lists resources for finding dairy-free products and cookbooks. Although this book is not vegan, it is an excellent resource for vegans and anyone avoiding dairy. If you suffer from severe dairy allergies, I would say this is a definite must-have.

This is an exceptionally detailed, organized, and informative book. The author writes in a very intelligent and easy to understand manner. The topics of each chapter are well-defined and information can be found very quickly. I was especially pleased with all of the additional resources made available at the end of the book.

Besides all of the information on food allergies and dairy-free concerns, the book also addresses the many challenges we face when dining out, preparing our own meals, and how to shop for ingredients. Preparing non-dairy meals and shopping can be time-consuming and challenging. Sometimes, those labels you find on food products are very confusing. Alisa's grocery shopping lists provided a way for me to quickly scan the categories I was most interested in and find those types of foods with little trouble at my local or specialty health food stores. The chapters on dairy-free alternatives and cooking without dairy illustrated that we can still make many of the meals we love without worrying about sacrificing taste. Restaurant tips include fast food, ethnic choices, and general ways on how to be more aware of what you are eating when information about ingredients are not readily stated on the menu.

All in all, this book is a tremendous reference for anyone who is interested in a dairy-free lifestyle. Although I personally do not have dairy allergies, following her advice worked well for me because I can still enjoy eating the foods I love but in a more healthy and balanced way.

This is a great resource that certainly lives up to its title.
You can literally pick this book up and "run with it" to the grocery store or the restaurant (or your own kitchen).
It is also a great reference book - it contains the latest research information regarding dairy and dairy alternatives.

I am currently using this book to "wean" our family off of our dairy addiction!
I am confident that, by using the recipes and the extensive list of additional resources, the transition should be a smooth one.
Well, except for that "addiction" part, but that is our job and it is a big one.

Thanks for writing a book that actually inspires you to make the change.

I agree with others this is certainly an excellent resource book, but want to point out that this book has a limited number of recipes. To the book's credit, these recipes include all the "standards" for dairy-free eating including Alfredo Sauce, Macaroni and Cheese, Tofu Sour Cream, Cream Cheese Alternative, etc. So, if you want information about Non-Dairy Living (i.e., its health benefits) and you don't mind that about half the book is a spreadsheet of store or internet products and their content (i.e., gluten-free, dairy-free, non-soy, vegan or Kosher), then this is the book for you.

"Page Turner" is not usually a term you'd use to describe a cookbook or lifestyle guide, but that's exactly what "Dairy Free Made Easy" is. Like a good mystery, this comprehensive guide to diary free living was filled with one "ah ha!" moment after another. Alisa Marie Fleming brings you the insider scoop on dairy, and all the havoc it can reap. From the revelatory chapter on "The Many Faces of Non-dairy Dieters" (thanks for the info on "acne and dairy!), to the excellent "Dining Out With Diary Free Style", to the encyclopedia-like "Grocery Shopping: Over 2000 Non-Dairy Products", this book continuously impressed me with its thoroughness, and helpful timely advice. Of particular note was the chapter on "Non-Dairy Milk Alternatives" which includes instructions on making your own rice milk, oat milk, soy milk, etc. -- a very helpful guide for those with growing concerns over cross-contamination.

As the mother of a dairy-allergic child, and an asthmatic toddler, and the wife of a lactose intolerant husband, "Dairy Free Made Easy" just made living dairy free a whole lot easier!

I just finished my second marathon season, and am ready to take a step up in the laziest manner possible. ha ha! My previous diet was vegetarian, no dairy, but fish and eggs were included because I didn't feel like I was getting the right fats and protein. What I like about this book is that Brendan gives you the info to dive right into a vegan diet, but he also gives you the basics for someone that wants to slowly ease in, with regards to effort. I have started by adding to my intake every day: a veggie rich salad, a smoothie, and an energy bar. They were pretty simple, and did not involve spending $237 at whole foods (beside, I found a great co-op which is way cheaper). I pick a few things, and then shop only for the ingredient they require. I have tried sprouting quinoa and buckwheat, and the quinoa has become a new favorite in salads and energy bars. I'm also a big fan of BOKU Superfood powder, which has a lot of the ingredients he talks about like Chlorella, Sea Vegetables, and other good stuff. I don't spend much time cooking during the week, so I prep all my veggies, salad items, and energy bars on Sundays, and then everything is really fast during the week. I'm not much of a dinner person either... I often go out with friends and follow his eating out tips, and or myself eating a bowl of cooked psuedograins for dinner, and that's enough. After a few weeks, I'm down from 130lbs to about 127, and my body fat has decreased about 2% as well. Weightloss is appealing, but its not really my priority, mind you. Its all easy enough, becomes easier after you try recipes a few times, and you feel very good since you're getting proper nutrition for once without crazy supplements! This is a lifestyle change and something I feel like I can do on an ongoing basis.

I have MS and it is important to me to be able to sustain energy with nutrients maximized; following this path has made this possible. I recommend following this triathletes wisdom and guidance. Minimizing to eliminating sugar, salt, fats and processed foods is a win/win combination that is no fail.

In a mere coincidence, I bought this book when I just had completed the Golden Bridge Yogi cleanse, an alkaline based vegan cleanse, with a real sense of where my diet should be at. I was vegan based during my marathon trainings in the past, but had developed Hashimoto's disease a year after my last marathon, which made me quit soy products, thinking I had to go back to dairy for protein sources, only to not feel good about it physically and mentally. In addition, the skin on my arms and face getting rough, my energy levels not improving either.
So I read about Brendan Brazier, a vegan triathlete, and wanted to give his plan a try. I love his ideas and I love the fact that his food lists are based on alkaline levels, explains how eating this way can improve muscle recovery, help endurance, and just generally make you feel really good, and it is true. I LOVE the pizza recipes and have been sprouting like crazy. My husband loves them as well. This book is great for any vegan who wants to be back to basics, and develop a real love of raw food eating with some low temp baking options.

"The cornerstone of the Thrive Diet is high net-gain foods. It's that simple. By eating more high net-gain foods, your energy will rise, body fat will decrease, mental clarity will be enhanced, and cravings for refined foods will fade." ~ Brendan Brazier from "The Thrive Diet"

We all want to Thrive in our lives, don't we? It's kinda hard to live at our highest potential if we're having a hard time getting out of bed, eh?

As an active, athletic vegan, I've worked hard to make sure I'm as healthy as I can be. That's why I was thrilled when I first met Brendan Brazier (we actually met at John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods' ranch). Brendan's a professional Ironman triathlete and is one of only a few professional athletes in the world whose diet is 100 percent plant-based.

Yep. Ironman. And no meat. No dairy. No refined foods. Nothing but plants.

I'll repeat: Brendan only eats plant-based foods and he's a professional athlete in what must be THE most grueling sport out there. (For those curious souls, an Ironman consists of a 2.4 mile swim followed by a 112 mile bike ride and wrapped up with a 26.2 mile marathon. The best athletes in the world do it in under 9 hours. Brendan's among that group.)

"He does THAT and he only eats plants, you say?!?"

Yep.

"But where does he get his protein?!?!"

From plants. Tragically, plants don't have quite the same marketing spend as the meat and dairy industries so you don't hear quite as much about their nutritional value but you'll learn how to best THRIVE on the food nature intended us to eat in Brendan's brilliant book, "The Thrive Diet."

Sounds a bit over the top, but I'm an actress in Hollywood with an athletic build. I've always found it hard to stay really lean, even though I'm a hard-core athlete, and that makes it hard to compete with the waifs. I bought Brendan's book two months ago and for the first time I am shredded without starving myself. I feel better than I ever have in my entire life and I honestly can't believe it.

I love the diet, love the food, love the philosophy. (I'm also an environmentalist)

I read the book cover-to-cover, excited by the philosophy but dismayed by the foreign foods that I needed to learn to locate, sprout and soak in order to start. This was just initial panic. I got over it.

I started with the smoothies and energy bars. I bought the Vega Complete Whole Food Optimizer he recommends and I found that making the smoothies was super-fast (throw my fruit, water, optimizer in a blender and go) and that while the energy bars took a little time, I could make a 2-month supply at a time, and then have a quick, easy snack always ready. I like them best frozen, so I'm not worried about spoilage. That was week one.

Week two I did my big shop (it was a bit pricey to start, but it's been very cheap ever since) which took a little to psych up for, washed and sanitized my fruits and veggies, and started sprouting. As soon as my sprouts were ready (a few days later) I took a full day and made pizza, burgers, crackers, sauces, salad dressings, etc. I basically made a little of everything. The joy was that I then could eat all week without doing anything but opening up the fridge. Since then, I've run out of things one by one, but since I've done it before, I had all of the ingredients on hand and it was no big deal to replenish; getting started was the hard part. I was glad I just bit the bullet and did it all at once.

Sprouting and soaking have become part of my routine and I actually find it kind of fun. It's very fast and I get the "farmer's joy" of seeing the first shoots every few days.

I keep Brendan's book on the table and I read part of it every day while I eat. I'll probably keep doing that until I feel like I have fully absorbed it and can really remember what nutrients are in which food.

Last night I did I bathing suit scene in my acting class and didn't think twice about stripping down in front of everyone. That's a first.

I cannot tell you how wonderful it feels to look in the mirror and feel great about my body, without having to punish myself to get the look I want. When I told my husband he said, "I never thought I'd hear you say those words." Yeah, neither did I.