What are the 5 Best Whole Food Plant Based Diet Books?
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What is a Whole Food Plant Based diet?
It sounds simple… and, it really is. A whole food plant based diet consists of whole, unrefined, plant based foods. The term “whole” in whole food plant based describes foods that are minimally processed.
It is more fitting to get rid of the “diet” label, in favor of “lifestyle.” A Whole food plant based lifestyle is simpler and more natural. It’s not a short-term punishment charged by guilt or a set of complicated meal plans. It’s simply a return to whole foods, rich flavors, and natural health.
My Personal Experience Following a Whole Food Plant Based Diet
I have been following a whole food plant based lifestyle for over three years and love it. My energy levels are through the roof and I just feel good, both mentally and physically. My daily diet consists of muesli or porridge in the morning and mainly hearty legume and veggie salads and stews for lunch and supper. I snack mostly on seeds, nuts and fruit but will occasionally have granola bars or crackers and hummus and confess to having a weakness for peanut butter and banana sandwiches on sourdough or sprouted bread. More about me.
Differences Between Whole Food Plant Based and Vegan
A whole food plant based diet is NOT a vegan or vegetarian diet. While some overlap exists, there are some major differences as well. The main difference being the whole food aspect. Many unhealthy vegans and vegetarians merely cut out animal products without adding healthy, whole foods. You can still be vegan by living off vegan pastries, white bread, and chocolate bars!
Table of Contents
Benefits of a Whole Food Plant Based Diet
Weight Loss and Weight Management are much Easier on Whole Food Plant Based Diet.
Following a whole food plant based diet isn’t really a diet at all as weight loss happens naturally while on a whole food plant based diet. A 16 week study of overweight participants conclusively showed that plant based diets increase metabolism and decrease insulin resistance, helping burn calories while improving health. Many other studies have proven the link between plant based diets and weight loss. The main reason for this is the caloric density differences between whole and processed foods. Processed foods are high in fat and sugar making them calorie dense. Whole foods are high in fiber and nutrients and low in calories. Without all the added sugar and fat hidden in processed food you can feel free to eat until you are full without counting calories and exceeding your caloric needs.
Ethical Consumption Practices
Factory farming practices reduce living, breathing, feeling animals into products. Animals within the factory farming system can be treated very cruelly, disregarding their suffering and pain for efficiency. Pigs are as smart as dogs and have the same feelings and intellect. However they are kept in tiny pens where they live their lives on metal grates, unable to even turn around. If people kept their dogs in the same circumstances they could be arrested for animal cruelty. Supporting this type of cruelty is unethical. If you do decide to include animal product in your diet, use truly free range chickens, family farmed pork, grass fed beef and sustainable fisheries. Your body and mind will feel better for the change.
A Whole Food Plant Based Diet is Better for the Environment
Eating a whole food plant based diet is generally better for the environment. As you can see in the graph below, following a whole food plant based diet reduces your water consumption greatly.
Factory Farming is a Major Contributor to Water and Air Pollution as well as Deforestation.
Factory-farmed animals produce massive amounts of manure every day. This waste is usually stored in large open air lagoons which can leak, overflow and spill into the surrounding environment, especially during floods. The waste is also sprayed onto fields as fertilizer. This can contaminate local water supplies, spread pathogens, reach neighboring populations, and emit harmful gasses.
Livestock release methane gas during their digestion process. For this reason, factory farms serve as concentrated sources of methane gas emissions which contribute to global warming.
Land and rainforests are cleared to allow livestock to graze and crops to be grown to feed the animals raised on factory farms.
The Inefficiencies of Factory Farming
It is estimated that:
- 75% of all agricultural land is devoted to animal production.
- 35% or more of global calories is used as animal feed.
- 50% or more of the global protein is used as animal feed.
According to Smil (EM/2008 via UKY) (researcher) it takes:
- 25 pounds of cattle feed to produce 1 pound of beef.
- 9.4 pounds of pig feed to produce 1 pound of pork.
- 4.5 pounds of chicken feed to produce 1 pound of chicken meat.
Following a Whole Food Plant Based Diet Prevents Disease
Whole Food Plant Based Diets can prevent, halt, and in some cases reverse chronic diseases. It is extremely effective at promoting cardiovascular health. It can prevent, halt, and in some cases even reverse heart disease, the leading cause of death in the US. A 2019 review of 99 studies found that diets rich in whole plant foods were associated with significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared with diets high in meat and dairy products.
Adopting a whole food plant-based lifestyle has also been shown to:
- lower risk of prostate, breast & other cancers
- prevent & treat diabetes and arthritis
- improve liver and kidney function
- promote general well-being while living longer
Should You be Taking Supplements?
Eating a whole food plant based diet is the healthiest and most responsible diet on earth. It minimizes your exposure to harmful food components such as sodium and saturated fat and maximizes your intake of fiber and nearly every required nutrient including: vitamin A carotenoids, vitamin C, vitamin E, most of the B vitamins, as well as magnesium, iron, and potassium. However, because of the way we live in the modern world, chances are you’re still missing a few key nutrients. Not getting these nutrients can, at best, make you function at less than your peak. At worst, it can lead to serious health problems down the line.
Vitamins and minerals you could be missing include:
- Vitamin B12 – Vitamin B12 is not made by plants, or animals for that matter, it is made by microbes that live in the earth. And, unless you eat a lot of dirt, you will be low in this vital nutrient.
- Vitamin D – We evolved to get all of our vitamin D from the sun. However, unless you live on a nudist colony in the tropics you are almost certainly low in vitamin D for at least part of the year.
- Iodine – Iodine is essential for thyroid function and is found mainly in the ocean and in variable amounts in soils around the world. Iodine is regularly added to table salt, so if you use enough table salt your iodine requirements will be met. However, since sodium causes many serious health issues, table salt should not be exclusively used for your iodine source. If you eat enough seaweed, which has high amounts of iodine, this can be used for your iodine source. Otherwise iodine should be supplemented in some other way.
- Omega-3 (EPA and DHA) – While plant sources have plenty of ALA omega-3s, notably flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts. Plant sources of EPA and DHA omega-3s are lacking. While fish oil can be taken for this purpose, algae oil is the better, primary source of oceanic omega-3 EPA and DHA and comes without added PCBs, toxins or fish oil burps.
To correct these deficiencies each vitamin or mineral can be sourced separately, fortified foods can be eaten, or a high quality multivitamin can be taken. Multivitamins are now made with plant based diets in mind. These multivitamins include only the vitamins and minerals generally lacking in plant based diets. This avoids the issue of overcompensating and getting too much of any one thing.
Making the Transition to a Whole Food Plant Based Diet
Following a whole food plant based diet is relatively easy. No counting calories, starving yourself or skipping meals. Simply cut out all processed foods and focus on eating natural, whole foods. An easy way to start is by making a whole food plant-based diet shopping list and following the recommendations of a Whole Food Plant Based Diet Pyramid.
A whole food diet may seem bland at first but that is because you are used to processed foods with all of their associated sugar and fat. Your taste buds will soon make the switch and you will be enjoying the rich flavors and freshness of whole, natural foods in no time.
Cutting out all processed food might sound drastic and in reality, it is. To get some added calories and for the sake of palatability and personal pleasure, I regularly include three processed foods in my diet.
- Tamari Soy Sauce – Tamari is a variation of soy sauce that is thicker, darker in appearance, and is richer in flavor than traditional soy sauce. Tamari’s rich flavor comes from an abundance of amino acids that are derived from soy protein during the brewing process. Tamari contains less salt than traditional soy sauce. However, it is still high in salt and should be used in moderation.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – A small amount of extra virgin olive oil can be used in salad dressings or as a topping for steamed vegetables. However, remember that, while high in healthy monounsaturated fats, olive oil is still pure fat and caloric dense so try to have no more than 1 tbsp. per day.
- Plant Based Milk – Plant based milk can be made from legumes (soy beans and peas), nuts (hazelnut, almond, cashew, walnut, coconut, pistachio), seeds (hemp, sesame, flaxseed), grains (rice, oat, quinoa) and fruit (bananas). No matter what the base ingredient is, all plant based milk is made by grinding and then straining the base material which is then mixed with water. Sometimes sweeteners, vitamins, minerals, thickeners and emulsifiers are added. Try to buy high quality plant based milks and avoid products with added emulsifiers like xanthan gum and guar gum as these have been linked to digestive problems. You can also make your own plant based milks at home with a blender or with the easy to use Nutr plant based milk machine.
The Main Food Groups in a Whole Food Plant Based Diet
Fruits: (Raw or cooked) any type of fruit including apple, avocado, bananas, grapes, cherries, mangoes, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, melons, papayas, kiwi, plums, citrus fruits, etc.
Vegetables: (Raw, steamed, stewed or fermented) plenty of veggies including peppers, corn, celery, cruciferous veggies, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, lettuces, parsley, cilantro, chards, bok choy, brussels sprouts, squash, tomatoes, zucchini, asparagus, mushrooms (not really a veggie), sea vegetables, arugula, kale, collards, etc.
Tubers and Roots: Starchy root vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, and cassava (aka yuca) and onions, leeks, carrots, radishes, beets, garlic, ginger, turnips, daikon etc.
Whole grains: Grains, cereals, and other starches in whole form, such as amaranth, quinoa, brown rice, barley, wild rice, whole wheat, steel cut and rolled oats, popcorn, etc.
Legumes: (Dried, sprouted or canned with minimal salt) adzuki beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, fava beans, edamame beans, kidney beans, soybeans, green beans, peas, mung beans, lentils – sprouted lentils are quick, easy and nutritious, lima beans, pinto beans, homemade bean veggie burgers etc.
Seeds and Nuts: Best are the Omega 3 rich seeds including flax and chia seeds but also pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, coconut, cashews, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts etc.
All types of spices: Turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, peppers etc.
Beverages: Water, unsweetened plant “milks”, herbal teas, green tea, kombucha, coffee.
Foods to Avoid
Meat: Fish, especially large predator fish like sword, shark and tuna are high in concentrated metals and other pollutants. Poultry, seafood and red meat, especially processed and cured meats like sausages, hotdogs and salami which are high in nitrates and preservatives.
Dairy: Milk, cheese, butter, half and half, cream, buttermilk (if you tolerate dairy, organic yogurt and sheep and goats milk cheese like feta can be used sparingly).
Eggs: Chicken, duck, quail, ostrich etc.
Added Fats: Oils, margarine, country crock etc. (extra virgin olive and flax oils can be used sparingly).
Refined Sugar: White sugar, barley malt, beet sugar, brown rice syrup, brown sugar, cane juice crystals, cane sugar, corn syrup, confectioner’s sugar, fructose.
Refined Grains and their products: White flour, white rice, quick cook oats, white bread, white pasta, pastries etc. (Whole grain sourdough bread can be used sparingly).
Protein Isolates: Soy protein isolate, pea protein isolate, seitan.
Beverages: Soda, sports drinks, energy drinks, (100% pure fruit juice diluted in water can be used sparingly).
Avoid anything that doesn’t look like a natural food. Avoid anything that didn’t come out of the ground or from a tree, shrub, vine, bush or grass. Snacks like chocolate, energy, and granola bars, twinkies, pastries, chips, crackers, pastas, breads, pop tarts, pizza pops etc.
While there is lots of great information online about eating a whole food plant-based diet, including this article, there is nothing like a good book to really get to the heart of things. So, without further ado.
5 Best Whole Food Plant Based Diet Books
Great book by a charismatic Doctor who donates all proceeds from his books to charity. This is a wide ranging book by Dr. Michael Greger, an internationally-renowned nutrition expert, physician, and founder of NutritionFacts.org – a non-profit very informative health focused website. In it he examines the fifteen top causes of premature death in America-heart disease, various cancers, diabetes, Parkinson’s, high blood pressure etc. He explains how nutritional and lifestyle interventions help prevent and reverse these diseases, allowing us to live longer, healthier lives. Watch a video of Dr. Greger summarizing his book.
The Forks Over Knives Plan: How to Transition to the Life-Saving, Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet
Associated with the Documentary ‘Forks Over Knives’ this book provides an easy-to-follow, meal-by-meal makeover of your diet. It is the same approach Doctors Alona Pulde and Matthew Lederman (featured in the documentary) use every day in their nutritional health practice. It includes a simple plan that focuses on hearty comfort foods and does not involve portion control. In the book you’ll get 100 simple, tasty recipes and learn how to stock your fridge, plan meals, combat cravings, and discover all the tips and tricks you’ll need to eat on the go and snack healthily. The book also includes lots of beautiful photographs and a 28-day eating guide. You can watch the documentary Here.
30-Minute Whole-Food, Plant-Based Cookbook: Easy Recipes With No Salt, Oil, or Refined Sugar
Kathy A Davis brings us a easy way to follow a whole food plant-based diet with simple 30 minute recipes. She also gives up practical tips, great time saving advise and a sample meal plan.
Plant-Based Instant Pot Cookbook: 80 Whole Food, Plant Based Diet Recipes Made Quick and Easy
Great recipe book for your Instant Pot. If you don’t have an Instant Pot get one! I use mine all the time to cook lentil and bean curries and stews. Felicia Slattery does a great job of giving a nice variety of whole food plant based recipes. She does use some oil and salt in her recipes, so if you are super strict in that respect, try one of the other books.
The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the Worlds Healthiest People
While this book isn’t specifically about a whole food plant based diet, it follows the general guidelines. It is a great book about how to eat properly and live a healthier life in general. Written by New York Times best-selling author Dan Buettner. He lays out a proven plan to maximize your health based on the practices of the world’s healthiest people. The Blue Zones Solution explores the five regions of the world that have the most centenarians (people that live to be over 100). The book studies how they live, what they eat, and basically why they live so long. The regions include Okinawa (Japan); Sardinia (Italy); Nicoya (Costa Rica); Icaria (Greece); and Loma Linda (California, USA). The people in these areas live longer than in any other regions in the world and they eat, you guessed it, a natural, mainly whole food plant based diet. Watch Dan give a TED Talk about The Blue Zones.
Enjoy!
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