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114 reviews for:
The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet
Alicia Silverstone
3.65 AVERAGE
114 reviews for:
The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet
Alicia Silverstone
3.65 AVERAGE
I've been on a temporary vegan kick for a couple months now, inspiring my boss to learn more about the benefits of eliminating animal foods. Alicia Silverstone's new book was her most recent finding so I got the chance to read through it the other day, and it's surprisingly one of the more tolerable publications concerning veganism.
The recipes sound really great, but my main complaint there is that I would be spending my whole paycheck at the Japanese aisle in Whole Foods to abide by her diet plans.
Basically, this book is not total bullshit and I may have been convinced to remain vegan for a spell longer. I could go without the peppered mentionings of inner-goddesses, but what can you do? You'd probably start on that new-age trip, too, had you not enjoyed a steak in the past decade.
The recipes sound really great, but my main complaint there is that I would be spending my whole paycheck at the Japanese aisle in Whole Foods to abide by her diet plans.
Basically, this book is not total bullshit and I may have been convinced to remain vegan for a spell longer. I could go without the peppered mentionings of inner-goddesses, but what can you do? You'd probably start on that new-age trip, too, had you not enjoyed a steak in the past decade.
Life-changing! I will never look at food the same way again!
I didn't delve far enough into this to properly review it, but I also don't intend to pick it back up. The intro tries to guilt and/or scare you into all-out veganism. I'm just interested in trying some interesting recipes, not being frightened into eating that way.
My cat ate a corner of this book. Because the partially devoured copy belonged to the library, I felt obligated to read the whole thing as I had become the proud new owner of it.
I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but they look tasty and not terribly difficult.
There are a few nit-pickeries that I had with this book:
1. Yes, Alicia Silverstone, you are lovely. But filling a diet book with too many pictures of yourself may induce eye rolling in the readers. One or two of you and your handsome hubby on your happy homestead will do just fine. On the flip side, there are lots of food pics which is always a plus.
2. Partly macrobiotic, partly straight up vegan and a whole lot of sea veggies and Asian eats. Silverstone recommends eating mainly foods that grow in your area. Sounds great except she also pushes the sea veggies... a lot. I live in Colorado. There is no sea here (that I know of). What's a well-intentioned girl to do??
I like that Silverstone gives the reader options for how far and how fast they want to change their lifestyle. She also provides a great list of vegan replacement foods, like non-dairy cheeses and ice cream and other snacks to help make the transition a little easier. Animal welfare issues are mentioned, but not discussed in depth. This makes the book more palatable for the general public, which I guess is a good thing.
I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but they look tasty and not terribly difficult.
There are a few nit-pickeries that I had with this book:
1. Yes, Alicia Silverstone, you are lovely. But filling a diet book with too many pictures of yourself may induce eye rolling in the readers. One or two of you and your handsome hubby on your happy homestead will do just fine. On the flip side, there are lots of food pics which is always a plus.
2. Partly macrobiotic, partly straight up vegan and a whole lot of sea veggies and Asian eats. Silverstone recommends eating mainly foods that grow in your area. Sounds great except she also pushes the sea veggies... a lot. I live in Colorado. There is no sea here (that I know of). What's a well-intentioned girl to do??
I like that Silverstone gives the reader options for how far and how fast they want to change their lifestyle. She also provides a great list of vegan replacement foods, like non-dairy cheeses and ice cream and other snacks to help make the transition a little easier. Animal welfare issues are mentioned, but not discussed in depth. This makes the book more palatable for the general public, which I guess is a good thing.
I borrowed this book from the library in 2013 and never did more than read a few pages. I finally got it again in 2014 after I became vegan and read Alicia Silverstone'a other book (which I loved), The Kind Mama. I thought this book covered a lot of good information and has great suggestions for dipping your toes into veganism. Make no mistake -- Alicia Silverstone thinks you should be vegan and has a hard time not reminding you every few minutes -- but there is great advice in here and it comes from a kind, gentle soul.
If you want more facts without all of the "Alicia Silverstone" lovey gooey goodness, then I'd recommend Vegan For Her (another wonderful book focusing on vegan nutrition...despite the title, it has lots of good info for men, as well).
But I loved Alicia Silverstone, for the most part. She feels real to me, and someone who readily admits her own struggles and skepticism.
The book is broken into sections of (essentially) 1. Why you should be vegan. 2. Sample Diets (Flirting with Veganism, Veganism, or Macrobiotic Superhero). 3. Recipes
I haven't had a chance to try the recipes, and I'm looking at her Macrobiotic recipes since I'm already vegan, but they look pretty good from the page.
Bottom Line: I'm buying this book for myself and I recommend you take a look at it from the library. Great info and great book if you can read it without feeling bad about not being vegan. We're all on our own journeys -- she's enthusiastic about where she is on hers.
If you want more facts without all of the "Alicia Silverstone" lovey gooey goodness, then I'd recommend Vegan For Her (another wonderful book focusing on vegan nutrition...despite the title, it has lots of good info for men, as well).
But I loved Alicia Silverstone, for the most part. She feels real to me, and someone who readily admits her own struggles and skepticism.
The book is broken into sections of (essentially) 1. Why you should be vegan. 2. Sample Diets (Flirting with Veganism, Veganism, or Macrobiotic Superhero). 3. Recipes
I haven't had a chance to try the recipes, and I'm looking at her Macrobiotic recipes since I'm already vegan, but they look pretty good from the page.
Bottom Line: I'm buying this book for myself and I recommend you take a look at it from the library. Great info and great book if you can read it without feeling bad about not being vegan. We're all on our own journeys -- she's enthusiastic about where she is on hers.
Now Im going to have to buy it just to have a copy of all the recipes
I love Alicia Silverstone and her fun enthusiasm and sweetness just jumps off the page at you, also has great information altho I cried in one of the early chapters talking about how they treat dairy cows.
I love Alicia Silverstone and her fun enthusiasm and sweetness just jumps off the page at you, also has great information altho I cried in one of the early chapters talking about how they treat dairy cows.
While I did enjoy reading the book, I did have a problem with the type of foods she used. The majority of the recipes required foods that I've either never heard of or could not find where I live. While this book would be great for someone living in a large city with a plethora of foreign markets, for the average American, many of the ingredients are inaccessible or impossible to afford. In her defense, there were some recipes that were simple, easily attainable, and moderately priced, but they were few and far between. Save your money. This is a book you browse in a bookstore and copy down a few recipes. I definitely wouldn't buy it.
If someone were to ask me about what it means to be vegan, I would most certainly loan them this book.
Alicia is a sweetheart- let it be said. She writes in an accessible, non-confrontational way that might annoy some, but I found it very accessible and endearing. I might sound like I'm patronising here, but I think it's just that this book was such a contrast to the hit-you-over-the-head confrontational style of other vegan lifestyle/recipe book authors (I'm looking at you, Skinny Bitches).
I can't really speak for the recipes, they looked like effort so I haven't tried any, and I can't say I'd be inclined to do so either. I'm a lazy chef and I have plenty other potentially better recipe books. This is something that now holds pride of place on my vegan bookshelf though.
Alicia is a sweetheart- let it be said. She writes in an accessible, non-confrontational way that might annoy some, but I found it very accessible and endearing. I might sound like I'm patronising here, but I think it's just that this book was such a contrast to the hit-you-over-the-head confrontational style of other vegan lifestyle/recipe book authors (I'm looking at you, Skinny Bitches).
I can't really speak for the recipes, they looked like effort so I haven't tried any, and I can't say I'd be inclined to do so either. I'm a lazy chef and I have plenty other potentially better recipe books. This is something that now holds pride of place on my vegan bookshelf though.
I read this book for its discussion of food rather than the recipes. That being said the “science” that is referenced in this book is in no way sound. Especially from an anthropological perspective. The part that was really troubling was where she suggested feeding dogs a vegetarian diet.
Wonderful Read
I love the way that Alicia informs people of how the meat and dairy industry are and the effects of eating these foods without shoving the vegan way of life into your face. She makes sure to let you know it’s ok to slip up, it happens, we’re only human and there’s nothing wrong with just easing into things. A few of the ingredients she frequently uses I’ve never heard of and had to look up and some may be hard to find depending on where you live or a bit pricey but most of those items can easily be substituted by something else to get a similar result. I know I will be frequently opening back up this book for some of the delish looking recipes for me and my family
I love the way that Alicia informs people of how the meat and dairy industry are and the effects of eating these foods without shoving the vegan way of life into your face. She makes sure to let you know it’s ok to slip up, it happens, we’re only human and there’s nothing wrong with just easing into things. A few of the ingredients she frequently uses I’ve never heard of and had to look up and some may be hard to find depending on where you live or a bit pricey but most of those items can easily be substituted by something else to get a similar result. I know I will be frequently opening back up this book for some of the delish looking recipes for me and my family