This account of how one family has explored the connections between food, health, community and the environment may inspire others to look beyond stereotypes to discover the many dimensions of a vegetarian lifestyle. Writer/biologist Sally Kneidel and her college-age daughter, Sara Kate, have compiled more than 100 recipes along with preparation tips, nutritional guidance and advice on how to eat at restaurants and other people's houses with ease. While much of the health information is now commonly known, the Kneidels' well-reasoned defense of vegetarianism, focusing on humane treatment of animals and the environment, is worth considering. They describe U.S. meat industry policies that affect animals, independent farmers and the environment; and the impact of factory farm practices on health and community relations. Particularly inspiring are Sara Kate's descriptions of how food fosters community and social change in he grassroots village in Mexico where she worked, and the vegetarian co-op she co-formed, and brief interviews with young vegatarians. Best suited for young adults who are vegetarian or considering a vegetarian lifestyle, this work may also prove useful to parents of young vegetarians who want a more complete understanding of vegetarian nutrition and menu options.

Food for Thought
Veggie Revolution
There are many and varied reasons for adopting a vegetarian diet, and Veggie Revolution covers all of them, from the ecological and economical through health and nutrition to social justice and animal rights. The mother-and-daughter team of Sally and Sara Kate Kneidel provide readers from middle school up with the information they need to make "Smart Choices for a Healthy Body and a Healthy Planet," and they pull it off without sounding preachy or academic. The statistics are all there, well researched and documented, but woven into a generous collection of personal interviews and "Student Voice" sidebars, all presented in a clear and lively journalistic style. The people interviewed range from families running small organic farms to egg-factory managers, feedlot owners and many others involved in food production and distribution. While it is clear that the vegetarian "revolution" represents a challenge to corporate agribusiness, it is equally clear that organic growers depend on an informed and supportive community. The authors do their part toward building such communities by sorting out the various kinds of vegetarian diets and supplying the basic information one would need to embark on any of them--or on one that includes meat but avoids factory-farmed products. They also include dozens of recipes, a glossary and pointers to sources for further research. This is a must for just about any school or college library.