The Vegetarian Handbook by Gary Hull is about the benefits of vegetarianism and the reasons why people are choosing the lifestyle. It includes useful information on how to obtain proper nutrition, which is especially a concern for those accustomed to obtaining their protein from meat sources.
Protein is a particular concern for vegetarians and there are detailed chapters on how to go about getting enough of it. Gary Hull researched this extensively and also includes an appendix in The Vegetarian Handbook: Eating Right For Total Health with complementary foods for maximum protein absorption. Seeds, beans, nuts, and tofu provide more protein when combined with certain vegetables and fruits.
Famous Vegetarians
There’s a whole fun chapter in The Vegetarian Handbook on famous vegetarians and their philosophies. For example Henry David Thoreau wrote, “I believe that every man who has ever been earnest to preserve his higher or poetic facilities in the best condition has been particularly inclined to abstain from animal food.” This might make vegetarianism more appealing to those considering it.
Reasons to Become Vegetarian
Gary Hull presents several good reasons to become vegetarian and/or eat less meat in The Vegetarian Handbook.
- Moral reasons: Killing animals for food when it’s unnecessary is viewed as inhumane to many vegetarians. There are also massive amounts of food and resources wasted when comparing raising cattle for meat with growing crops.
- Health reasons: Meat is often high in cholesterol and hard on the heart in large quantities. It also doesn’t contain fiber, so is not good for the colon because it’s not easily digested.
- Religious reasons: Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism and Islamic religions all have sects who are strict vegetarians.
- Economic reasons: Meat costs much more than fruits, grains, vegetables and beans. It’s even more economical when using dried beans, cooking from scratch and growing bean sprouts at home.
Other information in The Vegetarian Handbook:
- History of Vegetarianism
- The Macrobiotic Way to Health
- Do We Need Meat to Be Healthy?
- Natural Resources: In Search of Ecological Harmony
Vegetarian Recipes
Recipes at the end include salads, drinks, casseroles and desserts. All the vegetarian recipes appear to be vegan, so they do not include any animal products like milk or eggs. Coconut milk, soy milk and mashed fruit or beans are used instead to obtain a creamy consistency. Some of the vegetarian recipes contain the ingredient tempeh, which is made from fermented bean curd. It would have been nice to see a recipe for that as it’s easy to make once a tempeh starter is obtained.
There is so much interesting and enlightening information for health conscious people contained in The Vegetarian Handbook: Eating Right For Total Health (Martin Press, 1987, ISBN: 0-312-03948-4). Gary Hull is not pushy or preachy and celebrates even small healthy changes. This might mean a reduction in meat consumption, a switch to fish only (pesco-vegetarian) or a complete commitment to a vegetarian diet.
Sandra Williams - Sandra's a book addict and writer from Ontario, Canada. Her interests include cooking, health and personal development, so many of her ...
