Customer Reviews

The Gradual Vegetarian: The Step-by-Step Way to Start Eating the Right Stuff Today

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This book was a great investment for me - my family has never made it to total vegetarianism, but we are eating less red meat and enjoying the options more.

My biggest concern was that in going away from meat, my family would have no protein - what DO you need to look out for, where do you find enough protein for growing kids? Reading this book gave friendly, easy to understand information along with shopping help and recipes that can lead the reluctant a little closer to healthy eating.

I keep this book in my cookbook library, and periodically pull it out and for awhile, cook meals that are tasteful and a little better for our bodies than the usual typical American meals.

More than half of this book is filled with information on how to step towards vegetarianism in a non-judgmental way. She gives information, recipes and shopping hints for each stage without pushing the reader on to the next. She also realizes that there may be serveral stages all within the same family.

1) Stage One is where many of us are - less red meat, coffee, refined sugar, more vegetables, fruits and cereals. Eating poultry and fish, milk products, egs, beans, and other grain products. She lists the pluses of this stage, and doesn't urge anyone to move on to the next stage unless they want to.

2) Stage Two is the next step - still eating fish, but almost no poultry, more dairy, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds.

3) Stage Three goes beyond the more traditional lacto-ovo-vegetarianism into macrobiotics, natural hygiene.

She says here, "The Stage Three diets represent a much larger step away from what we grew up with, but...remember: You don't have to do it all at once. Or forever. As the teacher said, every little bit helps."

The last part of the book has recipes, divided by the stages, which makes it really helpful for people like me who are vegetarian wannabes, living with meat-lovers.

Soups, Casseroles, Indian Side Dishes, Vegetable Side Dishes, Breads, and more - some have become staples, even in the months when we are eating less healthy foods. Her chicken recipes are fast, easy and absolutely delicious!

A treasure of information AND recipes!

Lisa Tracy provides a very non-threatening approach to becoming a vegetarian. Set up in stages: ranging from "thinking about it" to "veganism", and how to eat out in not necessarily vegetarian friendly restaurants (an essential thing when I lived in Nebraska) to how, and where, to shop for groceries. An excellent book.

I've had this for a long long time and enjoyed it thoroughly. In addition to feeling better, I lost weight as well. It's a wonderful guide if you follow it. Informative and educational. I recommend it!

Does anyone know of other books she has written?

Joseph Campbell realizes that one has to eat to stay alive this means something has to die. He says it is monstrous. However we need to get over it and realize that is the nature of things.

For the rest of us there are other reasons for going vegetarian and cornering the poor carrot that can not run from us. This book is dedicated to the attitude that "you are what you eat."

It is not easy or wise to go cold turkey per-say. And this book helps both physically and psychologically to become the svelte vegetarian that we all long to be.

The process is divided into three stages including 15 steps. The book includes over 200 recipes.

So you do become a social outcast there are strategies for feeding the archaic meat eaters at the same time.

All in all it is a very useful book at treating vegetarian (much more just healthy eating) in a practical and less radical manner.

There are no pictures to this 297 page book. However there is a list of recipes and organizations that can help beyond the book.

I've had this book for several years now, and this is my third copy, having gone through 2 paperbacks. When Amazon offered it in hard-copy I jumped at the chance. The book is organized in three parts, from easing into meat-free dishes to going all the way, and using more unfamiliar products such as kudzu and other seaweeds. Everything you need is there, from salad dressings to soups to main dishes to desserts. I have stayed mainly with stage 1 and made some forays into stage 2; you can go with your own pace. My favorite recipes are the chicken paprikash and almost all the soups, especially the split pea and the minestrone from stage 1. This is the book to get if you want to gently work your way into being vegetarian.

Joseph Campbell realizes that one has to eat to stay alive this means something has to die. He says it is monstrous. However we need to get over it and realize that is the nature of things.

For the rest of us there are other reasons for going vegetarian and cornering the poor carrot that can not run from us. This book is dedicated to the attitude that "you are what you eat."

It is not easy or wise to go cold turkey per-say. And this book helps both physically and psychologically to become the svelte vegetarian that we all long to be.

The process is divided into three stages including 15 steps. The book includes over 200 recipes.

So you do become a social outcast there are strategies for feeding the archaic meat eaters at the same time.

All in all it is a very useful book at treating vegetarian (much more just healthy eating) in a practical and less radical manner.

There are no pictures to this 297 page book. However there is a list of recipes and organizations that can help beyond the book.