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The Best Vegan Books Out There!Ready to learn the Vegan Coach's picks for the very best vegan books available today? These are my top picks for not only what I feel are the best vegan cooking books out there, but the best vegan diet books overall. Be sure to check back occasionally -- I'm always reading and will most likely add more books to this page.  We each have our very own unique "Why I went Vegan..." story. Mine unfolded in a way that's probably similar to many others. And I thought it might be fun to share with you the best vegan books I have come across in my life as a Vegan. My story begins with my husband, back before I even knew him! Jeff was a non-vegetarian at the time, but he suddenly became interested in nutrition, wanting to learn how he could lose the stubborn weight he'd been holding onto for years. He knew this would go hand in hand with an improvement to his health.
It was in the midst of listening to these audios that Jeff realized switching to vegetarianism was probably a good move. However, he suspected that he might be asked many questions by friends and family about this choice, so he picked up a book recommended by Anthony Robbins called Diet For A New America. Interestingly, this book was authored by another Robbins: John Robbins...
This was the very first book I read that had anything to do with vegetarianism (as I'm sure is the same for many, many Veggies out there.) It really opened my eyes to the impact our diets have on our bodies and the planet. But what really struck me about this book was the descriptions of the horrendous, inhumane and unhealthy living conditions of the animals we raise for food. I remember being moved to tears! And it was then and there I decided to "Just Say No" to eating meat. At this point, skipping the eggs and dairy also was just a little too much for me to handle. But within a few months, I found myself cutting out the eggs. That was fairly easy. The dairy was a little more difficult. Now, since I was a HORRENDOUS cook, and had absolutely no idea what I was doing in the kitchen, our diet consisted of mostly salads, pasta and sub sandwiches that were FILLED with raw veggies. This is when I discovered the power of vegan foods to lose weight. Within a very short time I shed 15-20 pounds! These pounds just melted off so quickly and easily, it was nearly miraculous.
One day, when perusing the books in our little organic co-op, I came across what turned out to be my very first vegan cookbook. And after not eating any cheese for months, it was SO refreshing to be able to create vegan cheeses, vegan cheese sauces and vegan cheesy meals without one single speck of animal products. Wow, what a gift to the world this book is! Thank you Joanne Stepaniak! You RAWK!! This is one of the best vegan books if you'd like to learn to create your very own, unprocessed non-dairy cheese. This book taught me how to make some of my favorite vegan "un-cheese" sauces that I play around with to this day, including:
** I should mention that after over 10 years of using this book, and after all my pages were tattered and torn and smeared with food drips, I finally broke down and purchased the 10th Anniversary Edition of The Uncheese Cookbook. It appears that the original version is no longer available, so if you can find a used one, nab it! Of course, the Anniversary Edition is a work of art too..
Leave it to Joanne Stepaniak to change right along with the times! GO JOANNE! You may now return to your regularly scheduled program. ;O) Now that my veganism was underway, and since there weren't any restaurants in our area that catered to Vegans, I needed to learn how to cook. And FAST. So I went out and purchased as many vegan cookbooks as I could. MANY of the recipes I created over the years were disgusting. I was VERY picky and gave a lot of books away as I tried to find those vegan cookbooks that catered to my taste buds -- wholesome, rich-tasting and guest-worthy. And over the years my vegan cookbook collection grew. Here are some of my favorites...
This is one of the best vegan books if you'd like to learn some slightly basic yet completely tasty dishes, such as...
This is one of the best vegan books if you'd like to learn how flavorful vegan meals can be using almost ALL whole foods and nearly zero processed or packaged foods. Some of my standout faves include...
This is one of the best vegan books if you'd like to understand how many dishes tempeh can be used in, like some of my favorites...
These recipes aren't really for beginners, as there are many steps to each recipe (usually), but you can certainly dissect the recipes and create "just the sauce", for instance. This is one of the best vegan books if you ever need a fancy shmancy vegan meal that will impress. Check out some of these delectable dishes I've created...
This is one of the best vegan books if you'd like to learn to create casual and homey-tasting yet completely flavorful dishes, with nice big portions. Here are some of my stand-out faves...
And what cookbook collection would be complete without DESSERTS? My all-time favorite pick EV-ER...
But beware: You can't just eat one! Oy!
This is one of the best vegan books if you'd like to learn to make some of the more basic raw foods, like soups, dressings, sauces and salads. Most of the dishes feature a beautiful presentation. The majority of the recipes don't require a dehydrator, although you WILL need one for pizza and pie crusts, and to make burgers. Oh, and there's LOTS of pictures too! Here's a sample of some of the recipes you'll find...
There are 4 sections to this fabulous treat of a book. Part One talks about the basics of raw foods. Part Two helps you to stock your raw foods pantry. Part Three is all about raw foods prep and techniques. And Part Four contains some of the most scrumptious raw foods recipes I've had the pleasure of making. This is one of the best vegan books if you're looking to go beyond the basics of raw foods to start creating slightly more complicated meals that you can feel comfortable serving to guests. Many of the recipes require soaking, sprouting and/or a dehydrator -- so they can be time consuming. But if you have the time, your taste buds will love you forevermore. I recommend this book for those who like raw foods AND cooked foods as some of her recipes require very light steaming. Here are my standout favorites...
This is one of the best vegan books if you want to learn how to make raw foods that take just a few minutes to prepare. Almost every recipe simply requires either a blender or a food processor. The recipes make just enough for -- as the title states -- 1 or 2 people, but the recipes can be doubled or tripled. I really enjoy...
If I lived anywhere NEAR New York, I would simply visit the restaurant and let THEM do all the work, but alas I'm on the opposite side of the country! So to the kitchen I'll go. ;O) This book is truly a work of art. The photos are magnificent (and there's LOTS of them), and the recipes are divine. This is one of the best vegan books if you want to create gourmet raw foods -- particularly for a dinner party. But be warned -- NOT for beginners. You will need a lot of time, and many require a dehydrator to turn out right. Most of the entrees have 2-3 mini recipes within the whole, which is kind of nice because you can pull out just ONE of those mini recipes to use on its own or in a different dish. For example...
Next, I'd like to share with you some of the best vegan books that focus on vegan nutrition that I feel every Vegan (or Vegan wanna-be) might want to consider reading at some point. Here are some of my favorite vegan nutrition books, in no particular order...
This is one of the best vegan books if you're looking for information about vegan protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins (including B12), and vegan nutrition for children, seniors, and vegan athletes. And so much more! Seek out a copy up today, for sures. ;O)
This is one of the best vegan books if you're looking for solid information about antioxidants, digestion, hormones, and the immune system, among other topics. Although he DOES focus a little too strongly on supplements for my tastes (I prefer to get my nutrition from whole food sources), it would be a shame for me to NOT recommend this book for only that reason. Especially since you should come to your own conclusion about supplements. ;O) * p.s. Although I haven't had the time to review it just yet, there IS an updated version of this book available now called The New Optimum Nutrition Bible which covers the same ground with the addition of stimulants, water, eating right for your blood type, detox, homocysteine, and toxic minerals.
This is one of the best vegan books if you'd like to learn more about why you crave sugar, and how to break the sweets cycle. For those who are non-Vegan, you'll learn why it seems nearly impossible to remove cheese from your diet -- it's not your fault! Whew! It's a matter of biochemistry, and Dr. Barnard will help you to understand what you can do to break this addiction. Non-vegetarians will discover that when you crave meat there's a very good reason! And through it all you'll come out with 7 simple steps to break craving cycles and how to tame your appetite, including the importance of the glycemic index. Oh, and that back of the book is filled with more Joanne Stepaniak recipes! Whoo-hoo!!
This is one of the best vegan books if you're looking for hard facts about why eating a vegan diet is one of the best things you can do to move yourself toward the healthiest person you can be. Be sure to check out my Special Report on the China Study.
This is one of the best vegan books if you're eating food produced in the United States. Period. Hope this list has been helpful for you. Going Vegan has been the biggest adventure of my life. I highly recommend it. :O)
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A friend of his thought he might enjoy a series of audios by Anthony Robbins (love him!!) called Living Health. This series teaches you how to immediately apply specific steps to dramatically increase your energy levels – along with effective nutritional and psychological strategies to bolster your immune system and improve your health. 
The Uncheese Cookbook
Here's a photo of one of the Vegan Banana Split Cupcakes that I made. Isn't it pretty? And SOOOO delicious, with delectable buttercream frosting piled high. 
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