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veganheathen's review against another edition
2.0
I think this book just wasn't really what I was looking for. I don't particularly care for the potty-mouthed tone of the Skinny Bitch book series, but I went ahead and bought this one anyway because at the moment there aren't any other books on vegan pregnancy. Sayward Rehbal is publishing one through Herbivore this spring that I think will probably be more of what I was hoping for with this one.
Here's the thing: this is a nutrition book for pregnancy, not an all-encompassing book about pregnancy. That's fine, and if you're one of those who is still eating animal products, this is a great, great, great book for you. However, I already knew the information found in over half of the book. The chapter on sugar and the sample menus were helpful. I also found some good info in a few of the shorter chapters at the back of the book.
I found the writing to be repetitive and a bit stale in places. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. You've already mentioned thing x and thing y on over other page. Enough, already. I also think the authors seemed to be trying to hard with the wording in some places. I don't particularly want to read a pregnancy nutrition book full of cursing. Get over yourselves, already. I felt like it undermined some of the great information and facts found in the book. All of the sources are listed in the back of the book, so maybe it's a better idea to just read some things from the original source material so I don't feel like I'm listening to some educated, trailer park teenager.
If you're already vegan and looking for a book on pregnancy, you could probably get away with just flipping through one of these in the store or borrowing it from the library. If you're still an omnivore, then I definitely think you should read this. It won't feel like old hat to you.
Here's the thing: this is a nutrition book for pregnancy, not an all-encompassing book about pregnancy. That's fine, and if you're one of those who is still eating animal products, this is a great, great, great book for you. However, I already knew the information found in over half of the book. The chapter on sugar and the sample menus were helpful. I also found some good info in a few of the shorter chapters at the back of the book.
I found the writing to be repetitive and a bit stale in places. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. You've already mentioned thing x and thing y on over other page. Enough, already. I also think the authors seemed to be trying to hard with the wording in some places. I don't particularly want to read a pregnancy nutrition book full of cursing. Get over yourselves, already. I felt like it undermined some of the great information and facts found in the book. All of the sources are listed in the back of the book, so maybe it's a better idea to just read some things from the original source material so I don't feel like I'm listening to some educated, trailer park teenager.
If you're already vegan and looking for a book on pregnancy, you could probably get away with just flipping through one of these in the store or borrowing it from the library. If you're still an omnivore, then I definitely think you should read this. It won't feel like old hat to you.
browardvanessa's review against another edition
3.0
It's loaded with information. A bit extremist but I do plan to take bits and pieces and definitely be a more conscientious consumer.
brfmckay's review against another edition
3.0
This book was pretty good information-wise and gave a lot of food suggestions and other suggestions for products and tips. However, the author can get a bit pushy and aggressive with the vegan information (though I already know it as a vegan, so I just passed over it.) Also, she is quite aggressive when it comes to breastfeeding. Whereas I will be breastfeeding, I think FED is best and I don't want to starve my child just so I can breastfeed (or feel bullied into it). I think she could have taken a nicer approach to this topic (and a few others) but that's just not her writing style. It could (and probably did) turn off a lot of readers, but that's the chance you take to stick to your writing style.
Otherwise, good information and well-rounded.
Otherwise, good information and well-rounded.
brinastewart's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoy reading their books. They are information filled but relayed in a hilarious way. I love their way of talking and their personalities definitely come out. Even if you are not vegan or wanting to look into it read this book. The authors talk about supplements, vitamins, and what to look out for in baby care products (all kinds of chemicals).
jaclynday's review against another edition
1.0
When I first found out I was pregnant, I trekked over to the bookstore to look at a few books to get the lay of the land. I flipped through a few and bought them, this one included. I had opened to a food list in the middle of the book that listed healthy food options for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks and thought it would be a good resource to have on hand. I’d only read snippets of the original Skinny Bitch book, so I was ill-prepared for this one.
The Good: The aforementioned food list, a comprehensive meal plan with loads of great ideas, a formidable works cited section at the end of the book.
The Bad: The reliance on scare tactics to shame women into changing eating behaviors, the writing style, the insistence that anything non-organic is not worth eating.
The Ugly: Everything else.
First, let me get this out there: I eat organic when I can. I’m trying to eat it more now, but I am by no means eating organic and locally grown food for every single meal. Not at all. With that being said, I’ve always tried to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet and tend to lean toward vegetarian options more often than meat ones because I was raised a vegetarian as a child. I’m not downing McDonald’s five times a week over here, but nor am I eating locally-grown arugula salads with homemade dressing at every meal either. No extremes. I like delicious food, bottom line. If it’s made with cheese, I don’t go shame-cry in the corner. I love cheese.
Second, this book touches on the fact that most women have food aversions, nausea or cravings at some point during the average pregnancy, but continues to say that a cup of peppermint tea (for example) can help you “avoid a sugarfest.” This kind of advice, while helpful (especially to the non-pregnant), struck me as completely ridiculous. Although I didn’t have much nausea, I’ve had food aversions to nearly every “normal” food or drink I had prior to pregnancy. Coffee? Nope. Red meat? Hell no. Peppermint tea?! Let me put it this way: I almost vomited opening a cupboard above my sink that had my peppermint tea stash in it.
In addition to these no-sugar-not-even-once scare tactics, they pile dairy and any type of meat on the heap. Yet, in their recommended food section, they list a whole host of packaged, processed organic goodies to substitute for, oh, for example, an egg white omelette. I cannot—will not—accept that a frozen, packaged organic waffle is better for me than an egg white omelette made with veggies and greens. No way, not happening, not buying it.
I acknowledge that they put forth a lot of research to support their views, and I can see how valuable such a diet may be for someone attempting to, well…become a “skinny bitch” (bun in the oven or not). That’s not me. I want to eat good food, cook good food and eat some sour candy when I feel like it. I’ll eat organic when I can and I won’t sweat it when I don’t. I’ve got too many other things to worry about to stress about whether or not I should be eating a burger made with soybeans.
If you’re curious, buy this book for The Good parts I mentioned above. Honestly, the meal plans are great and it’s easy to substitute ingredients if something doesn’t sound quite up your alley.
In the end, maybe I didn’t give this book a fair chance. Maybe I got wrapped up in the horrendous writing or overtly pathetic scare tactics and should have focused on the overall message instead. But, let’s face it: I’m more bitch than skinny these days and I don’t really have time for any nonsense.
P.S. I wrote this post eating Sour Patch candy.
P.P.S. I’m making a salad later, don’t freak out.
The Good: The aforementioned food list, a comprehensive meal plan with loads of great ideas, a formidable works cited section at the end of the book.
The Bad: The reliance on scare tactics to shame women into changing eating behaviors, the writing style, the insistence that anything non-organic is not worth eating.
The Ugly: Everything else.
First, let me get this out there: I eat organic when I can. I’m trying to eat it more now, but I am by no means eating organic and locally grown food for every single meal. Not at all. With that being said, I’ve always tried to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet and tend to lean toward vegetarian options more often than meat ones because I was raised a vegetarian as a child. I’m not downing McDonald’s five times a week over here, but nor am I eating locally-grown arugula salads with homemade dressing at every meal either. No extremes. I like delicious food, bottom line. If it’s made with cheese, I don’t go shame-cry in the corner. I love cheese.
Second, this book touches on the fact that most women have food aversions, nausea or cravings at some point during the average pregnancy, but continues to say that a cup of peppermint tea (for example) can help you “avoid a sugarfest.” This kind of advice, while helpful (especially to the non-pregnant), struck me as completely ridiculous. Although I didn’t have much nausea, I’ve had food aversions to nearly every “normal” food or drink I had prior to pregnancy. Coffee? Nope. Red meat? Hell no. Peppermint tea?! Let me put it this way: I almost vomited opening a cupboard above my sink that had my peppermint tea stash in it.
In addition to these no-sugar-not-even-once scare tactics, they pile dairy and any type of meat on the heap. Yet, in their recommended food section, they list a whole host of packaged, processed organic goodies to substitute for, oh, for example, an egg white omelette. I cannot—will not—accept that a frozen, packaged organic waffle is better for me than an egg white omelette made with veggies and greens. No way, not happening, not buying it.
I acknowledge that they put forth a lot of research to support their views, and I can see how valuable such a diet may be for someone attempting to, well…become a “skinny bitch” (bun in the oven or not). That’s not me. I want to eat good food, cook good food and eat some sour candy when I feel like it. I’ll eat organic when I can and I won’t sweat it when I don’t. I’ve got too many other things to worry about to stress about whether or not I should be eating a burger made with soybeans.
If you’re curious, buy this book for The Good parts I mentioned above. Honestly, the meal plans are great and it’s easy to substitute ingredients if something doesn’t sound quite up your alley.
In the end, maybe I didn’t give this book a fair chance. Maybe I got wrapped up in the horrendous writing or overtly pathetic scare tactics and should have focused on the overall message instead. But, let’s face it: I’m more bitch than skinny these days and I don’t really have time for any nonsense.
P.S. I wrote this post eating Sour Patch candy.
P.P.S. I’m making a salad later, don’t freak out.
dlynn627's review against another edition
1.0
I picked this one up because lately I've been feeling like my body is full of junk- like it was craving a cleanse or something. No I'm not prego- but I will be again at some point- so I thought this would be a good way to go. Also, NO I'm not vegan, but this book has a TON of information about a lot of other subjects, though they do endorse a vegan way of life, they aren't psycho about it and concede that lots of readers are still meat/animal product eaters. The chapters on meat and dairy are a little scary (and if i really did have prego hormones i probably would have gotten emotional)- but mostly because they're true. I've wondered about organic foods for some time now and this book has given me a lot of useful information and encourages you to go out and do your own research to find a healthy diet that is best for you and your kids. So will I stop eating meat? Not entirely, but I will look into chlorine free diapers and read labels more carefully- and try to cut out as much processed crap as possible. It's all stuff I knew was bad for you, but never really looked into or got the facts. It has really inspired me to take a closer look at what I put in my body (and my kids' bodies).
laurenpressley's review against another edition
3.0
I had seen Rory Freedman at a conference a few years ago, so I knew about the Skinny Bitch franchise from that. I'm not a fan of the word "bitch," nor am I supportive of the tactic to sell animal free diets as a way to lose weight, nor did I think it was a good idea to imply pregnancy was a time to be a skinny bitch, but I really wanted to read a book on vegan pregnancy to learn what things I'd be going up against, so I figured I'd give it a go.
And, really, I shouldn't have been avoiding this series all this time. Freedman reappropriates "Bitch" (I still don't like it, but I can respect what she's doing) and actually does talk about how pregnancy is no time to be dieting. The information all resonated with what I know to be true, and she made very good points about how to do a vegan pregnancy in a healthy way. All this and it was written in a fun and casual tone.
And, really, I shouldn't have been avoiding this series all this time. Freedman reappropriates "Bitch" (I still don't like it, but I can respect what she's doing) and actually does talk about how pregnancy is no time to be dieting. The information all resonated with what I know to be true, and she made very good points about how to do a vegan pregnancy in a healthy way. All this and it was written in a fun and casual tone.
kitm's review against another edition
1.0
Finding a book on vegan pregnancy excited me. However, this one was a bit of a disappointment. I didn't like the tone of the book. It was misogynist (both in terms of the language it used, the way it views women's bodies and motherhood). It lacked a lot of the answers to nutritional questions I have about vegan pregnancy - it's more of an intro to veganism while you're pregnant than a book for pregnant vegans and vegetarians.
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