Vegan Nutrition with Dina Aronson, M.S. R.D.

I am a senior dietetics student in Philadelphia in the CP program, and I have recently begun to eat a vegan diet after reading Skinny Bitch and realizing that much of the book's reasoning is scientifically sound. What are some other helpful books I can read on this subject? My friends ask me for vegan nutritional advice 24/7 and I want to learn all that I can. Thanks so much!

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• 1. The China Study. As the Skinny Bitch ladies recommend, you should read this one cover to cover. Perhaps not the most fitting title, the book about the relationship between diet and disease in general, not only in China. Authors T. Colin Campbell and his son Thomas M. Campbell go into great detail explaining why and how the standard American diet is making people sick, and the solution is a diet rich in whole plant foods.
  
  
• 2. The Dietitian's Guide to Vegetarian Diets. This one is the Bible regarding anything and everything vegetarian/vegan nutrition. Written by Mark and Virginia Messina (PhD and MPH/RD, respectively) and Reed Mangels, RD, PhD, this text book arranges information in four parts: Overview of the Vegetarian Diet, which discusses the basics plus the health consequences of vegetarian diets; Vegetarian Nutrition, which takes you nutrient by nutrient, their importance in human nutrition, and how to achieve optimal levels of each nutrient with a plant-based diet; Vegetarian Diets throughout the Life Cycle, which describes the diet from pregnancy to seniors; and Practical Applications, which discusses issues like glycemic index, weight control, nutrition counseling, and food preparation. There are also useful food guides, a whole chapter on soyfoods, resources, and many appendices (handy reference tables).
  
  
• 3. Food Politics. Marion Nestle is not afraid of the truth. In this revealing read, she describes the real motives behind America's nutritional guidelines (such as the Food Guide Pyramid and Dietary Guidelines for Americans) and how food and drug companies' financial interest drives so much of this country's nutrition education efforts. While not about vegan nutrition, it is important information when we're talking to others about how most people have come to think about food, why our habits are so ingrained, how many of us (including dietitians) have been brainwashed, and how the information from the USDA, FDA, and others are not necessarily in our best interest.
  
  
• 4. Becoming Vegan. Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina, two vegan RD superstars, go into great detail about vegan nutrition in this book. (Its partner book, Becoming Vegetarian, is a bit more up to date and contains much of the same information.) Full of useful charts and tables, examples, tidbits, and practical tips, you'll find yourself referring to these pages again and again. Like in the Dietitian's Guide, the authors rely on published studies and evidence-based information to form nutritionally sound guidelines and food guides.