Books That Nourish: My Favorite Reads on Vegan & Plant-Based Living

Are you curious to learn more about eating plant-based or what a vegan lifestyle means and how it might work? Here are a few of my favorite books about both topics. I have plenty of others to share as well, but these are a good start.

Main Street Vegan, Victoria Moran

As you might garner from the title, the idea is that anyone, from any walk of life can be vegan. As I was reading Main Street Vegan I felt a kinship with Victoria Moran, the author. I originally went vegan for the animals (like her) and later learned of the health benefits of a healthy plant-based lifestyle. She explains veganism in a very approachable manner, touching on many important facets and why and how to go about becoming vegan. This is the book that I would have loved to have written, except I’m glad she did and it’s out there for others to learn from.

How Not to Die, Dr. Michael Greger

Are you familiar with Dr. Michael Greger? He’s just so smart and passionate about a whole food plant-based lifestyle. This book had been on my shelf for a while, and glad I took the time to read it. He makes potentially tedious information actually interesting and often funny to read. And I love that he shares what he eats (with his disclaimers) in the back of the book. Good manual to have on hand.

Vegan for Life, Jack Norris, RD and Virginia Messina RD, MPH

This is a wonderful book written by two plant-based dietitians. Overall, it is a great nutritional reference tool. After studying plant-based nutrition through the eCornell program, I was anti-oil (cooking with and eating it). But after reading Vegan for Life, I don’t feel I have to be quite as strict if I’m being judicious. I cook without oil since I also eat in restaurants, so I try to reserve my oil intake for non-homemade food as I know it will be plentiful. It’s good to have a little flexibility, especially if one does not have heart disease.

Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows, Melanie Joy, PhD

I read this book years ago and recently reread it. I had forgotten how difficult it was to read. As difficult as it was to hear the realities of farming and animal consumption once again, Melanie Joy writes (and speaks) about this so brilliantly. (In fact, I don’t remember being as disturbed the first time I read it. It’s interesting that I have maybe become more sensitive to hearing the truth rather than becoming more desensitized.) Dr. Joy coined the term carnism which is important to understand as we normalize veganism. (Plus, I had the pleasure of interviewing her which can be found on my Youtube channel )

Eat for the Planet, Gene Stone, Nil Zacharias

While this book is primarily written to implore us to eat for the planet, they do touch on the health and compassion elements as well. It offers a scenario of what will happen if we do not change our eating habits, along with what can happen if we do. I recommend this if you are interested in the climate (which should be everyone). I like that it’s such a quick read too.

Vegan Minded, Christine Cook Mania

This book feels personal. The author is vulnerable about her social qualms, specifically when she was a new vegan and not wanting to be different from her friends and family. Maybe you can relate to that? I think many of us can. Ms. Mania not only offers tips about being vegan but also about being a good steward to our planet, people, and the animals. She touches on subjects that you’ve probably heard about as well as some more tangential subjects that might be new to you. You will finish the book with actionable items too. I wrote a more thorough review of Vegan Minded on my blog which you can find here.

Next on my reading list is The Vegan Transformation by my colleague Angela Crawford, PhD, which explores the mental health benefits of a plant-based diet. I can't wait to dive in!

Dr. Crawford and I are also teaming up to co-teach a cooking class called Food as Mood: Cook and Learn, where we'll explore how the food we eat can support emotional well-being. I'm thrilled to be teaching alongside her.

Have you read any books about the benefits of a vegan or plant-based lifestyle? I’d love to hear your favorites!