NutriSpeak - Vesanto Melina M.S., R.D.          |         "Becoming Vegetarian" Scientific Reviews    |        home


Send Vesanto Melina an e-mail
Purchase Vesanto's books on-line


"Becoming Vegetarian" Scientific Reviews
"Few books on vegetarian nutrition are as comprehensive and accurate as Becoming Vegetarian...  It would be a valuable addition to the bookshelf of all dietetics professionals and other health care providers who work with vegetarian or near-vegetarian clients."
     Journal of the American Dietetic Association

"In the forward to this book Louise Lambert-Lagacé gives Becoming Vegetarian a glowing recommendation.  After reading it I understand why! The book's sub-title tells it all: The complete guide to adopting a healthy vegetarian diet... This book is well-written, flowing logically from one topic to the next."
     Journal of the Canadian Dietetic Association

"Becoming Vegetarian is subtitled The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Vegetarian Diet, which is a good description of this book. The authors - who are all registered dietitians - provide a comprehensive but readable guide to vegetarian nutrition. The first chapters cover the origins of vegetarianism and the health effects of vegetarian diets, while the main part of the book describes human nutrient requirements and explains how these can be met by a vegetarian or vegan diet. The book finishes with 40 pages of recipes, all of which are vegan or have a vegan version described.  The advice is sensible and up-to-date and the book is a valuable addition to the literature on vegetarian nutrition. It is reassuring to read clear advice on the necessity for a dietary source of vitamin B12, together with lists of foods that do supply vitamin B12. Other important advice, which is not often found in books on vegetarian nutrition, is the need to include plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids (the class of fats found also in oily fish)."
     Dr. Tim Key (of 'The Oxford Study)
     Oxford, England

"While vegetarian means different things to different people, this book shows that meatless meals don't have to jeopardize growth and health."
       B.C. Medical Association News

"A vegetarian food guide, along with dozens of charts, tables and lists illustrates how to switch from a meat-based to a grain-based way of eating. You'll learn the new thinking about protein, fat, omega-3 fatty acids, fibre and vitamin B12."
     Canadian Medical Association News

"Becoming Vegetarian is a timely book that fills a large gap in the resources available to would-be vegetarians...Readers can use this book at a variety of different levels and be assured that they will find practical, accurate information to help them follow a balanced vegetarian diet".
    B.C. Dietitians' and Nutritionists' Association News

"In this readable, practical guide, three registered dieticians look at vegetarians in all their various incarnations...they set out not only to guide the reader on the proper food choices to create a healthy vegetarian diet, even for small children, but to provide a primer on vegetarian diplomacy."
     Medical Post

"This reliable, comprehensive and very readable resource offers invaluable support for people shifting to a plant-based diet, to those who are fine-tuning a vegan diet and for everyone in between. Highlights include a vegetarian/vegan food guide, plant sources of bioavailable calcium as 'milk alternatives', specific guidelines for optimal nutrition throughout the growing years, concerns when animal foods are removed from the diet, delicious and user-friendly recipes with nutritional analyses and great ideas for handling challenging social situations."
     Dr. Winston Craig, 'Issues in Vegetarian
     Dietetics', Volume V, Number 2, 1996

To order these books, click here.