Never Too Late to Go Vegan by Carol J. Adams, Patti Breitman and Virginia Messina

My review from Amazon.com:

I have been a vegetarian, avid vegetarian cook and cookbook author for over 20 years. But to date, I have not taken “the plunge” to become a total vegan, YET! But it IS a topic of interest to me, and often on my mind.

Vegans come in all shapes, sizes and age groups, but it’s still often thought of as something only the “under 30” crowd would embrace willingly and gain from.

In: Never Too Late to Go Vegan, authors Adams, Breitman and Messina prove without a doubt that this definitely is not just a good choice, only for the younger crowd.

This truly is (as the cover states) “the over 50 guide to adopting and thriving on a plant-based diet”.

And how I loved to see the word “thrive” included in that description. 🙂

For those of us who want to enjoy a long, healthy life, “to thrive” is something we should all be aiming for; no matter what stage we are currently at in life’s journey.

The book contains a wealth of information for the new or wannabe vegan. And although the book is focused mainly on those over 40, 50…and beyond, this certainly is worthwhile reading for anyone, at any age, who is considering making the switch in their own lives to a vegan diet and lifestyle.

Some of the chapters included:

-Why Now? Positive Aging the Vegan Way

-Relationship Dynamics: Family and Friends and Veganism

-Veganism and Caregiving

-and yes, there are a good variety of recipes included too!

Cashew Herb Pate, Southwestern Corn Salad, Sweet and Spicy Baked Tofu, Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake and lots of other easy to make choices; and certainly not just the vegans or vegetarians at your table.

I found the overall tone of this book to be upbeat, interesting and encouraging too. And unlike many vegan guides, it doesn’t contain a lot of graphic information (and no photos) about the horrors of meat-production. I think that most people over 40, who are at the point of considering veganism, are already all too aware of these troubling and disturbing facts. That for me was a bonus.

There are many real life stories shared in this book too, again something that I really enjoyed; from older vegans, sharing their own personal challenges in adopting and maintaining a vegan lifestyle. It’s never an easy choice, even in today’s supposedly more enlightened times; especially if you happen to be sharing a home with staunch meat-eaters.

The book wraps up with the recipe section (over 100 pages!) and also a number of recommendations for further books and cookbooks to check out and other suggested vegan products.

I’m still not a total vegan, but after reading “Never Too Late to Go Vegan” a couple of weeks ago,  I am contemplating taking this step even more.If you’ve also considered a vegan lifestyle and just happen to be over 40…you’ll want to check out this excellent resource book.

Highly recommended!

You can also visit the author’s website here.