Reading list · 11 books
Vegan nutrition, done right
Books by registered dietitians, physicians and researchers on what a vegan diet needs, plus reading on fiber and processed food.
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Nutrition
Becoming Vegan (opens Bookshop.org)
The Complete Reference to Plant-Based Nutrition, Comprehensive Edition
Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina · 2014
Registered dietitians Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina cover every nutrient, life stage and food group in an edition that reads like a reference.
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Nutrition
Vegan for Life (opens Bookshop.org)
Everything You Need to Know to Be Healthy on a Plant-Based Diet
Jack Norris and Virginia Messina · 2011
Registered dietitians Jack Norris and Virginia Messina lay out a daily food guide and explain each nutrient, with sections on supplements.
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Nutrition
Vegan for Her (opens Bookshop.org)
The Woman's Guide to Being Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet
Virginia Messina and JL Fields · 2013
Virginia Messina and JL Fields address vegan nutrition for women, including pregnancy and bone health.
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Nutrition
The Dietitian's Guide to Vegetarian Diets (opens Bookshop.org)
Issues and Applications
Reed Mangels, Virginia Messina and Mark Messina · 2011
Reed Mangels, Virginia Messina and Mark Messina wrote this for clinicians. It covers each life stage, athletes and common conditions, with the research cited.
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Nutrition
Plant-Powered for Life (opens Bookshop.org)
52 Weeks of Simple, Satisfying Whole-Foods Meals
Sharon Palmer · 2014
Registered dietitian Sharon Palmer builds a year of weekly plant-based habits, each with recipes and nutrition notes.
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Nutrition
Never Too Late to Go Vegan (opens Bookshop.org)
The Over-50 Guide to Adopting and Thriving on a Plant-Based Diet
Carol Adams, Patti Breitman and Virginia Messina · 2014
Carol Adams, Patti Breitman and dietitian Virginia Messina write for people over 50 who are switching, with health guidance for that stage of life.
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Nutrition
Plant-Based Sports Nutrition (opens Bookshop.org)
Expert Fueling Strategies for Training and Performance
Enette Larson-Meyer and Matt Ruscigno · 2019
Enette Larson-Meyer and Matt Ruscigno, both registered dietitians, cover protein, iron and energy needs for athletes eating plants.
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Nutrition
Fiber Fueled (opens Bookshop.org)
The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome
Will Bulsiewicz · 2020
Will Bulsiewicz, a gastroenterologist, explains how plant fiber feeds gut bacteria and lays out a program for adding more of it.
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Nutrition
The Good Gut (opens Bookshop.org)
Taking Control of Your Weight, Your Mood, and Your Long-Term Health
Justin Sonnenburg and Erica Sonnenburg · 2015
Stanford microbiologists Justin and Erica Sonnenburg describe how dietary fiber shapes the bacteria in the gut. The book applies to any diet and leans on plant foods.
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Nutrition
Ultra-Processed People (opens Bookshop.org)
The Science Behind Food That Isn't Food
Chris van Tulleken · 2023
Doctor and broadcaster Chris van Tulleken examines how ultra-processed foods are made and what they do to appetite. Many vegan substitutes sit in that category.
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Nutrition
In Defense of Food (opens Bookshop.org)
An Eater's Manifesto
Michael Pollan · 2008
Michael Pollan's short case for eating mostly plants and minimally processed food, with skepticism about nutrition headlines.
Chosen by the Vegan Brief desk. No publisher pays for a place on this list. Updated September 2026.
More from the shelf
The practical answers, then the daily ones.
These guides answer the questions a vegan kitchen asks once. The morning brief answers the ones the world asks daily: what actually moved veganism forward, quoted and checked. One short read, free.
Free, every morning. No guilt. No preaching.