I have always been an avid collector of books, especially cookery books. I love to sit and read and absorb them just as you would any other book.
When I decided to go vegan I had to consider a few things.
1. I had to do it the right way, taking into consideration the foods I should eat and any vitamins or supplements I would need.
2. To be informed, yes I watched certain videos that made me weep. I also wanted some good books to read about veganism and a few vegan cookery books. This is my best books that helped me along the way.
For me, cookbooks should really get you to want to cook, even the non-cooks. It is like listening to your favourite piece of music and wanting to dance. Good vegan recipes that range from the simple to the more complicated for when you have more time. I am not a great fan of celebrities who are not vegan jumping on the very popular bandwagon and flogging a cookbook. Images too are important for me as I love to see what I hope to achieve. Instruction should be easy to read and follow. I also want a good amount of each section as in breakfasts, dinners etc. I may sound fussy but they do not come cheap and many of us invest at least in a few cookbooks.
I hope you are inspired by some of my favourites, you may be surprised than some of the well-known ones are not on my list. This does not mean they were a bad read or even a bad cookbook it is just for me, not enough boxes were ticked.
The Face on Your Plate
(the truth about food) by Jeffrey Moussaieff Mason
This was my first vegan book and it blew me away. Itis a challenging read in a good way. It delves into the psychological factors what influence every one of us which make us decide what we eat. It tells us why he is a vegan and why he thinks we all should eat less meat. If you do not like psychological books then I would steer clear but for me, it was definitely a favourite.
Oh She Glows by Angela Liddon
As a lover of her blog before I made the decision to become vegan. This was the first vegan cookbook I bought. This is the perfect book even if you just want to cut down on your meat consumption. It is not just about recipes, it offers practical advice on how to organise your store cupboard and just draws you in. Not just a celebrity cookbook cashing in on veganism movement, she really knows her stuff. There are so many recipes that focus on clean living ( a term that used to make me think of wheatgrass and sandals). This about proper food, just without the meat.
When elephants weep
by Jeffrey Moussaieff Mason and Susan McCarthy
I adored this book, it is not predominately a book about veganism but it makes you look at animals differently. It contains comprehensive studies about the emotional feelings of the animal. We all associate and are convinced that our domestic pets have feelings, but we don’t give the same thoughts to other species. For me, without getting too deep it changed the way I looked at all living creatures. It showed them to have a wide range of complex emotions such as shame, anger, shame and compassion.
Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows
Melanie Joy
A very gritty book and a must-read for anyone thinking of becoming a vegan or even if you are a vegan. It delves into the reasons why we are conditioned to express such empathy on the animals we see as pets and less on others we see as a food source. It discusses the horrors of factory farming, revealing the cruelty these animals suffer from birth to slaughter. Informative and certainly makes you think.
The Complete Plant-Based Diet for Beginners
by Merdy Bouk
I now have a few plant-based or vegan cookbooks but I come back to this one too. Just because I have my recipes I still love to cook other recipes. Full of healthy recipes which also shows their calorific value. Great for both newbies, considerers or those that have been vegan for a while. It is also full of handy information.
The Skinny VEGAN
by Zoe Hazan
I saw this book while I was looking through Amazon, not by a well-known celebrity chef or actor but I love it. I am trying to lose weight and Slimming World was not great for me being a vegan. This lady has produced some lovely vegan cookbooks so I am so glad I purchased this one. Full of gorgeous recipes that I loved cooking and enjoyed. Definitely worth a look.
Dirty Vegan
by Matt Pritchard
I love Matt’s take on vegan food and loved his easy-going TV programme. No weird or outlandish ingredients needed, those that you may only use in a couple of recipes, cost a small fortune and have you scouring the internet. some great recipes although some do contain a lot of ingredients. My only bugbear was that a lot of the book was taken up by his autobiography. But a good vegan cookbook by a vegan.
Five Ingredient Vegan
by Katy Beskow
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