Finally A Vegan by Stephanie Jane @Stephanie_Jne

4 out of 5 stars

On Stephanie's Etsy Shop
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How I discovered this book: I know the author from Twitter, and was most interested when I saw that she'd written a book about becoming vegan

In A Nutshell: A mini-memoir about how Stephanie went from omnivore to vegan, what it means to her, and also lots of recipes.

First, a bit about me!  I 'made the change' in 2016 - I was a meat eater, never considered trying anything non-dairy.  Then I watched the film Cowspiracy, which made me realise that by eating meat and dairy products I was supporting industries that wreck the planet and inflict harm on animals.  I thought, I don't want to be a part of this; it was as simple as that.  I went vegan overnight and without fanfare; for the first week or so ate only toast, potatoes, vegetables and hummus.  Gradually, though my range expanded, and a year or so later veganism became trendy - suddenly there were all sorts of products available.  I'm not interested in cooking, so I need things that can be made quickly and without fuss!  For anyone who is interested, I've made a list of good supermarket vegan food HERE.

I don't call myself a vegan - I don't buy leather and use mostly vegan-approved toiletries, but not always, and I do have the odd 'normal' chocolate! My actual meals are almost always totally vegan, and I have non-dairy milk, cheese, yogurt and butter; I'm a 90% plant-based person, that's all!

Now, the book:

Stephanie, on the other hand, has embraced the subject with a great deal of thought, and wholeheartedly.  In this book, she talks about her own eating habits over the years and her gradual shift from being an ominivore to vegetarian; it makes for most interesting reading and is written in a conversational, friendly tone that I liked very much.  She also details the events and books that led to her eventually taking the plunge, and her own first Veganuary food diaries.  You'll find her recipes for basics such as roti flatbreads, dips, hummus, nut roast and many more. 

Going the extra mile, Stephanie gives advice on how expensive (or not) veganism may be, and addresses the health benefits and potential problems to look out for, kitchen tips, the leather and plastic issue - there is a chapter called How Vegan Do I Want To Be?

To sum up, it's a complete vegan lifestyle handbook, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is vegan-curious, or about to start out on Veganuary this year!