Simon and Shuster - Vegan Basics: Your Guide to the Essentials of a Plant-Based Diet—and How It Can Work for You!

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First Adams Media trade paperback edition January 2019

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.

ISBN 978-1-5072-1013-0

ISBN 978-1-5072-1014-7 (ebook)

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The information in this book should not be used for diagnosing or treating any health problem. Not all diet and exercise plans suit everyone. You should always consult a trained medical professional before starting a diet, taking any form of medication, or embarking on any fitness or weight-training program. The author and publisher disclaim any liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of this book.

Always follow safety and commonsense cooking protocols while using kitchen utensils, operating ovens and stoves, and handling uncooked food. If children are assisting in the preparation of any recipe, they should always be supervised by an adult.

Contains material adapted from the following titles published by Adams Media, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.: The Everything Vegan Cookbook by Jolinda Hackett with Lorena Novak Bull, copyright 2010, ISBN 978-1-4405-0216-3; The Everything Guide to Being Vegetarian by Alexandra Greeley, copyright 2009, ISBN 978-1-60550-051-5; The Everything Vegan Pregnancy Book by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, LD, FADA, copyright 2011, ISBN 978-1-4405-2551-3; The Daily Vegan Planner by Jolinda Hackett with Nicole Cormier, copyright 2012, ISBN 978-1-4405-2998-6; The Everything Guide to Nutrition by Nicole Cormier, RD, LDN, copyright 2011, ISBN 978-1-4405-10304; The Everything Vegan Baking Cookbook by Lorena Novak Bull, RD, copyright 2012, ISBN 978-1-4405-2997-9; The Everything Vegan Paleo Cookbook by Daelyn Fortney, copyright 2015, ISBN 978-1-4405-9022-1.

Youve heard a lot about the benefits of going vegan. It lowers cholesterol levels, reduces your risk of heart disease, helps you to lose weight, and so much more. But with so many rules and restrictions, where do you begin?

With the basics.

Vegan Basics teaches you everything you need to know about the vegan diet in a quick, easy-to-understand way. Wondering what you can eat? Youll discover the wide variety of delicious foods included in the vegan diet. Confused about what makes a food vegan? Youll find a clear explanation along with easy-to-follow guidelines. Worried an all-plant diet will leave you feeling hungry all the time? Not a problem! Youll learn about the many filling foods you can enjoy and find tips for beating cravings. Plus, there are more than fifty recipes so delicious, you wont believe theyre vegan!

Youll learn the ins and outs of plant-based eating. How you apply the information is up to you. Maybe you want to increase the amount of fruits and veggies in your diet, or maybe youre looking for a healthy alternative to red meat and cheese, or maybe youre concerned about animals and the environment. Whatever your motives, with the Vegan Basics covered, you can be confident and successful in your diet decisions.

No matter what your reasons are for trying plant-based eating, this book is here to help you understand the vegan diet and apply it to your lifeeasily and effectively.

This chapter will give you an overview of the vegan diet and introduce you to the wide variety of plant-based foods available to you.

Vegans can eat anything but choose not to eat certain foods. When thinking about what to include and exclude in your diet, consider your reasons and values for choosing a vegan diet. Does eating a particular food align or conflict with these values? Whatever your diet may be, stick with your personal values and goals rather than dictionary definitions.

Eating plants as food is basic to all vegetarians, but over time people have devised many different vegetarian categories to suit their various beliefs and lifestyles. For beginners, the distinctions may seem bewildering.

Lacto-Ovo: Perhaps the largest group, these vegetarians eat both dairy products and eggs, but no meat of any kind. Their food plan is broad and offers substantial choices to include greens, grains, fruits, and legumes, plus moderate amounts of nuts, dairy products, eggs, and plant oils, and in the smallest quantities, sweets.

Lacto: This group omits eggs but does include all dairy products in a diet that otherwise resembles the lacto-ovo food plan.

Ovo: These vegetarians include eggs but omit all dairy products in a diet that otherwise resembles the typical vegetarian one.

Vegan: Following the strictest plant-based diet, a vegan excludes eating or using all animal meats or products, including all dairy, eggs, and honey. And a strict vegan will not wear anything made from silk, leather, or wool. They are careful to avoid eating any processed foods that may have required animal products in their manufacture, such as refined sugar. While the eating plan sounds restrictive, careful vegans plan their meals to include a wide range of nutrient-dense foods.