The Library Vault

“I’d consider being vegan but I could never live without cheese.” “Of course I care about my health, animals, and the environment, but is life without burgers really worth living?” “Vegans are judgmental and preachy, I prefer to avoid people like that.” Do these words sound familiar? Perhaps, you’ve heard others say them, maybe you’ve even said them yourself.

Let’s face it, when it comes to food, people have a lot of opinions! The way we choose to eat is often a highly contentious topic. But what if… maybe, just maybe, we chose to be curious, rather than contentious? The truth is there are many valid reasons to put more plants on your plate, regardless of whether or not you choose to eliminate animal products entirely. If you’re even slightly plant-curious, there’s never been a better time to dip your toe in the vegan waters. Russell Library is here to help you take the plunge! 

But before we get too far down this rabbit hole, let’s take a moment to clarify our terminology. While the terms whole-food, plant-based diet (WFPB) and vegan are often used interchangeably, there are important differences. Both diets exclude all meat, fish, dairy products, and eggs, but a whole food, plant-based diet focuses on whole, unrefined, and unprocessed foods.

A WFPB diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds. A vegan diet, on the other hand, simply has to exclude animal products and animal by-products, but chips, soda, and ultra processed vegan junk food can stay on the table. In other words, a vegan lifestyle can be chosen purely for ethical and environmental reasons, while a whole food, plant-based diet is almost always rooted in health. I think about it like squares and rectangle: every square is a rectangle, but not every rectangle is a square. All whole-food, plant-based diets are vegan, but not all vegan diets are whole-food, plant-based. Got it? 

Geometry aside, there are many reasons why someone might be drawn to this path, but the plant-based road ultimately leads to the same place… better health for you, the animals, and the planet. In fact, according to a new report from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change, shifting diets from meat and other animal products to plant-based diets has a high potential for reducing carbon footprints and mitigating climate change, as well as improving human health. So, if shrinking your carbon footprint and your waistline sounds appealing, pull out your trusty library card and start with one cookbook at a time. 

If you’re anything like me, you prefer to test drive a cookbook before making an investment in your own copy. Libraries make this process so easy; simply grab an armful of books and browse until your heart’s content. Don’t have a Russell Library card yet? Fill out our easy online application if you are a Middletown resident and we will email your new card number to you, and snail mail the physical card to your house! We can also renew your expired card through our online form. Even if you used to have a card but it got blocked with all those late fines or replacement fees, don’t give up! Our new fine free policies have freed up many formerly blocked cards. We can also manually override your fees up to $100, and we even offer amnesty for replacement fees after seven years.

Russell Library has an impressive collection of cookbooks, spanning all sorts of cuisine, and the plant-based offerings are continuing to grow. Tabitha Brown’s, Cooking from the Spirit, is a joyful read full of soul-satisfying vegan meals. Jane & Ann Esselstyn, godmothers of plant-based cooking, offer super healthy low-fat, low-oil, nutrient-packed recipes in their new book, Be a Plant-Based Women Warrior. Mina Rome’s, All Day Vegan, is a visually beautiful, minimalist glance at a day full of vegan goodness.

You also won’t want to miss The Fiber Fueled Cookbook, by gastroenterologist, Dr. Will Bulciewicz. This book teaches you all about the gut microbiome and how to heal a multitude of digestive issues. Dr. Bulciewicz is a dynamic practitioner, writer, and speaker who healed his own gut and is now passionate about helping others do the same.

If your gut is healthy, but your mind is plagued by thoughts of climate change, you have to grab The Low-Carbon Cookbook by Alejandra Schrader. This book is chock-full of information to help you understand the connection between diet and planetary health. And if you love the idea of going vegan, but can’t imagine life without meat, you have to check out Fake Meat: Real Food for Vegan Appetites by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Alternative meat products have come a long way in the past few years; you might be surprised by how tasty these options can be. This is only a handful of the plant-based cookbooks that the library has to offer; come in today and see for yourself!

Remember, it’s not necessary to label yourself. If the idea of being called “a vegan” is unappealing to you, that’s okay. If eating 100% whole-food, plant-based meals sounds restrictive, no problem. Maybe Meatless Monday is more your speed, or enjoying vegan meals during the week and an omnivorous diet on the weekend, or perhaps you take an 80/20 approach… 80% whole food, plant-based and 20% flexible. However you choose to approach food is your business, but getting more plants on the plate is ultimately good for all of us. We’ll provide the books, you provide the greens!

By Cate T.

Love fresh fruits and veggies? Check out The Middletown Farmers’ Market in the Town Green, Fridays 10am-2pm from June 30th until October, 2023.

Works referenced:
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. “A Vegan Diet: Eating for the Environment,” Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. 2023. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/. Accessed on May 12, 2023.

IPCC Sixth Assessment Report: Mitigation of Climate Change. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2022. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/. Accessed on May 12, 2023.