Archive for July, 2013

Vegetarian Bible by Sarah Brown

by on Monday, July 29th, 2013

Book Description
For the committed vegetarian as well as those who just want to eat healthier, here are over 250 irresistible international recipes. Comprehensive information on nutrition and ingredients for satisfying, healthy, and easy meals.

What will I learn from it?

It says the book has over 250 international recipes and information on nutrition and ingredients.

Who is the intended reader?

The description is aimed at committed vegetarians and at people who simply want to eat healthier.

This summary is based on the book description on the Amazon page. The description is short, so check the Amazon page for the full contents.

What are the building blocks of a balanced vegetarian kitchen?

A “Bible” of recipes is easier to use if you know the building blocks of a balanced meal: vegetables and fruit, whole grains, protein foods such as beans, tofu, eggs or dairy, and healthy fats. The Harvard Healthy Eating Plate summarises it as half the plate vegetables and fruit, a quarter whole grains and a quarter healthy protein, with healthy oils and water.

Nutrients to watch are the ones concentrated in animal foods. The MedlinePlus vegetarian diets entry lists B12, zinc, iron and calcium and gives food sources for each, including beans, leafy greens, fortified cereals and dairy.

Ingredient knowledge also means storage. The FDA produce-safety advice advises storing perishable produce at 40°F or below, and washing before use. Keep dry goods in sealed containers, label leftovers and rotate older items to the front.

Variety across the week is the simplest nutritional strategy. Aim for different coloured vegetables, a mix of legumes and whole grains, and nuts or seeds as snacks. If you have a medical condition or special needs, ask a registered dietitian to adapt the plan. Label and date everything you freeze, and use the oldest items first. Cook what is in season where you live. Taste as you cook and adjust the seasoning at the end.

More on this blog: Diet and Fitness: How Carbs, Fat and Protein Fit Together and Antioxidant Foods: Why Colorful Plants Beat Supplements

Book: Vegetarian Bible by Sarah Brown
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

Linda McCartney’s World of Vegetarian Cooking by Linda McCartney

by on Friday, July 26th, 2013

Book Description
Now in paperback, Linda McCartneys World of Vegetarian Cooking presents international menus that follow in the healthful and delicious tradition of the bestseller Lindas Kitchen. Linda McCartneys World of Vegetarian Cooking uncovers the pleasure of eating fresh vegetables and other meat-free foods beautifully cooked and imaginatively prepared with the herbs and spices of countries around the world. From Green Jade Soup from China to Asparagus and Herb Risotto from Provence, the 260 recipes include distinctive ingredients from Europe, Mexico, Asia, India, and North America. Each recipe is personalized by Lindas comments and accompanied by wonderful photos. This is a cookbook that will provide incredible variety for the vegetarian cook as well as refreshing new options for anyone who wants a healthy and tasty meal. Linda McCartney on Tour, the hardcover version of Linda McCartneys World of Vegetarian Cooking, was a nominee for the 1999 Jacobs Creek World Food Media Award in the category for the best hardcover recipe book. Linda McCartney was famously committed to vegetarianism, a cause that her family continues to support publicly.

Book: Linda McCartney’s World of Vegetarian Cooking by Linda McCartney
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

Betty Crocker Easy Everyday Vegetarian by Betty Crocker Editors

by on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013

Book Description
At last! Family-style vegetarian dishes like pizza, lasagna and burgers that taste as good as the meaty varieties. It’s easy to eat healthier when it’s so good! Whether you’re already a vegetarian or just want to begin eating less meat and more vegetables, grains and pastas, this is the cookbook you’ll turn to meal after meal.

What does Betty Crocker Easy Everyday Vegetarian cover?

The book description says it offers family-style vegetarian dishes such as pizza, lasagna and burgers that it says taste as good as the meaty versions.

Who is the intended reader?

It speaks both to people who are already vegetarian and to people who just want to eat less meat and more vegetables, grains and pastas.

Is it a starting point for newcomers?

The title calls it “easy everyday”, but the description gives no more detail about skill level.

Who is the author?

The title credits the Betty Crocker Editors.

Everything above comes from the book description on its Amazon page.

How do I read labels on convenience foods?

Frozen pizzas, ready meals and veggie burgers are convenient, and labels show how they compare. The FDA guide to the Nutrition Facts label lists serving size, calories, percent daily value and added sugars. Compare the same serving sizes, and remember that the packet may contain more than one serving.

Sodium can be high in processed meals. The WHO salt reduction fact sheet recommends adults eat less than five grams of salt a day, about a teaspoon, which can be used up quickly by a few packaged items.

Home versions of pizza, lasagne and burgers let you control salt, fat and portions: make a tomato sauce in bulk, use whole-wheat bases or add beans and vegetables to patties. If you are cooking for the family, serve extra vegetables on the side.

Keep frozen foods at 0°F and follow packet cooking instructions. Reheat leftovers to 165°F, as the USDA advises.

Related on this blog: Diet and Fitness: How Carbs, Fat and Protein Fit Together and Eating to Lower Cholesterol: Oats, Fruit, Beans and Healthy Fats

Book: Betty Crocker Easy Everyday Vegetarian by Betty Crocker Editors
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

A Teen’s Guide to Going Vegetarian by Judy Krizmanic

by on Saturday, July 20th, 2013

Book Description
Every day, all across America, more and more teenagers are going vegetarian–and here’s the book that has all the answers they want and need. The guide covers all the bases–from nutritional requirements to dealing with anxious parents and friends–and includes some easy beginner’s recipes. It all adds up to the most comprehensive, accessible book of its kind.

Do I need experience to use it?

It says the guide includes “some easy beginner’s recipes”.

What is inside the book?

The book description says the guide covers everything from nutritional requirements to dealing with anxious parents and friends.

Who wrote A Teen’s Guide to Going Vegetarian?

The title credits Judy Krizmanic as the author.

Who is the intended reader?

It is written for teenagers who are going vegetarian. The description says more and more of them are doing so across America.

This is a summary of the book description, not medical advice.

What should teenagers know about getting enough iron?

Teenagers who stop eating meat need to replace the iron it provided, particularly girls who have periods. The ODS iron fact sheet says people who eat no meat, poultry or seafood need almost twice as much iron as the standard figure, because the body absorbs the iron in plant foods less well.

Good plant sources include beans, lentils, tofu, whole grains, dried fruit, dark leafy greens and fortified cereals. The MedlinePlus vegetarian diet page says vitamin C at the same meal helps absorption, so add tomato, peppers or citrus to bean dishes.

Tiredness, pale skin, dizziness or shortness of breath can signal low iron, which a doctor can test. Talk with parents, a doctor or a dietitian before you make the change, so that you cover B12, zinc, calcium and enough calories as you grow. Cooking a few simple meals yourself is a good way to build confidence. A parent or school nurse can help you book a check-up.

More on this blog: Vitamins and Your Health: Do You Need a Supplement? and Antioxidant Foods: Why Colorful Plants Beat Supplements

Book: A Teen’s Guide to Going Vegetarian by Judy Krizmanic
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

Food for the Vegetarian by Aida Karaoglan

by on Wednesday, July 17th, 2013

Book Description
Lebanon’s cuisine draws from a culinary history truly unlike any other in the world. This healthy and wholesome diet is a reflection of Lebanon’s unique interaction with Babylonians, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Persians, Byzantines, Turks, and more recently, Europeans.

This tantalizing collection of vegetarian recipes-passed down from mother to daughter, generation after generation-has been carefully collected from the rural villages of Lebanon, patiently tested and adapted to Western kitchens.

Accompanied by colorful photographs, these tempting and delicious dishes are straightforward and easy to prepare. They offer exotic alternatives to those wishing to rely more on plant protein and less on meat protein.

Who is this book written for?

It says the dishes suit people who want to rely more on plant protein and less on meat protein.

What kind of book is Food for the Vegetarian?

The description presents Lebanese cuisine as drawing on a culinary history shaped by contact with Babylonians, Phoenicians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Persians, Byzantines, Turks and more recently Europeans.

What recipes can I expect?

The recipes are described as passed down from mother to daughter, collected from the rural villages of Lebanon, and tested and adapted to Western kitchens. The dishes come with colorful photographs.

Who is the author?

The title credits Aida Karaoglan as the author.

Do I need experience to use it?

The description calls the dishes “straightforward and easy to prepare”.

Everything above comes from the book description on its Amazon page.

What is special about Levantine vegetable and legume dishes?

Eastern Mediterranean cooking features chickpeas, lentils, fava beans, wheat, olive oil, lemon, garlic, tahini and herbs. These are plant foods that fit the pattern of the Harvard Nutrition Source review of the Mediterranean diet Mediterranean diet, and legumes are the backbone of many mezze dishes.

Chickpeas and lentils are inexpensive sources of protein and fibre. Tinned versions are convenient, but rinsing them reduces added salt. Hummus and similar dips keep for a few days in the fridge, and sesame paste is energy-dense, so watch portions.

Sesame is a common allergen, and people with an allergy should avoid it. Bulgur and freekeh are wheat products and contain gluten.

Cook dried beans thoroughly, and cool and refrigerate dishes promptly, following the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service guide to leftovers advice that leftovers go into the fridge within two hours and keep for three to four days.

Related on this blog: Eating to Lower Cholesterol: Oats, Fruit, Beans and Healthy Fats and Diet and Fitness: How Carbs, Fat and Protein Fit Together

Book: Food for the Vegetarian by Aida Karaoglan
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)