If you want to geek out on the topic of protein, this is a great book. It is more for the nerdy and science minded but it isn’t so academic that the average person couldn’t read it. However I do think the average person might find it too technical or dry.

I like to geek out on nutrition but would have preferred this as an audiobook more than an ebook. I’m not sure I retained a lot of what I read either 😑

I found the research comprehensive and well organized.

That said, the recipes, as few are there are, were really lacking. I’m not sure why books are still being published with recipes for tofu scramble, green salads, and chia puddings. None of the recipes enticed me or my family
. Many of them relied heavily on dates. I also was surprised how low on protein or how little protein many of them had considering this is a book on protein. I am glad the recipes had nutritional info.

I’m not sure who I would recommend this too. It’s a little too niche and definitely not the right hook for the new vegan curious about where she will get her protein…

Perhaps it would have been a better book if it did the same with fat and carbohydrates and consulted with a vegan chef for recipes 🧐

Thanks netgalley for my ARC

Plant-Powered Protein is a tutorial and theory guide to eating adequate protein on a plant-based diet written and curated by dietitians Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina, and agronomist Cory Davis. Released 28th March 2023, it's 192 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

The authors are professionals working in nutrition and allied fields (one is an agronomist). They provide science and practice based research for their assertions. The authors expend a considerable amount of effort exploring the background of some of the sociopolitical realities behind farm subsidies and lobbying and how they affect meat farming and agriculture, especially in the US.

The content is arranged in chapters thematically, exploring protein in general, and by life phase (pregnancy, lactation, infancy, toddler, up through adult). The chapters are *full* of raw data and statistics, tables, and expository information which gives an overall thorough and convincing picture of the benefits and realities of plant based diets. This is a monograph on plant based protein, and NOT much of a cookbook. There are some recipes gathered in the final chapter of the book which are varied and attractive, but they're not the chief focus of the book.

Recipes are written with a description/intro, ingredients in a bullet list, and followed by step by step prep and cooking directions. Ingredient measurements are provided in imperial (American) units, with metric measures in parentheses (yay!!). Nutritional info is included for each recipe, as well as alternative ingredients for taste or necessary dietary restrictions. Most of the recipes include one or more color photos. Serving suggestions are attractive and appealing.

Four stars. An enthusiastically and motivationally written book with very general recipes. Readers will likely need more specific training advice as well as a broader selection of recipes. What the book does, and does well, is make a compelling argument for plant based nutrition being beneficial for health and performance as well as the heath of our biosphere. It also includes a comprehensive cross-referenced index for finding information quickly; important as this is a very very information dense volume full of tables and statistics. It would be well suited to readers who are looking for reference material, not chiefly for the recipes. It would also be a good selection for more formal classroom use for diet/nutrition and allied subjects.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This was a fascinating read and I learnt so much about plant proteins. The ideas and recipes were great, easy and achievable. This is definately a book I will be returning to often. Was a bit doubtful about cookies with black beans in but they were delicious and addictive.

Like many, I'm trying to reduce my intake of red meat and eat a more plant based diet. The protein aspect of veganism has long been its Achilles heel, thanks to inaccurate reporting in the press. I've frankly been wary about a plant based diet because of misconceptions about protein and worries that I wouldn't easily get all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

This book counters all the arguments. It is extremely comprehensive with data presented in a readable way - "jaw droppers" for example. The book confronts the arguments around the environmental impact of plant based diets versus meat based.

It covers how to calculate how much protein you need for a day. Two grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is considered a safe upper limit.

Dietary advice and recipes are given for infants and toddlers, children and teens, plant-based athletes and energetic elders. It's pleasing to see ingredients quoted both for the US (cups) and Europe (ML/grammes).

This is more about the information about plant based protein and the science and history behind it. It has a few recipes in it too.

This is a great resource! There are recipes but it is also a lot of information about the science aspect and history of plant-based and the SAD.

Making sure I get enough protein in my meals while eating vegan can be challenging for me. This cookbook gave great recipes and suggestions with how to add in plant protein sources and still make tasty recipes.

Honestly, the main focus of this book is proving that you can meet your protein needs on a vegan diet. It’s very scientific and goes into way more detail than I need on things like what every amino acid does. It also goes into all the stuff about how most people eat too much protein, how animal products are destroying the environment, etc. I am already quite familiar with all that. Where I thought the book was strongest were the chapters on individual needs, like for pregnant and breastfeeding people (they say women but trans and non-binary folks can get pregnant and breastfeed too), kids, seniors, athletes, etc.

I am over 50 now and need far more protein than I usually get. I’m only 5 feet tall and don’t weigh a lot, so I don’t take in that many calories anyway. And I’m keto for health reasons. I need healthy fats and more protein than I’m getting, and I like to concentrate on whole food and healthy ingredients. I was hoping this book would just help me work more plant based protein into my diet. The majority of the book isn’t for this purpose— it’s for convincing you to go vegan, explaining protein and amino acids, and then a few fairly generic vegan recipes. I appreciated that these have very complete nutritional information, but most of them were very high in carbs and also frequently very high in calories too. To maintain my weight at my size I only need 1200 calories a day, so a 500 calorie smoothie or bowl of oatmeal isn’t going to work for me. And that oatmeal has over 90 grams of carbs so I’d be over my daily carb licking the spoon.

I also disagreed with not mentioning health issues with processed meat substitutes and GMO, pesticide-laden products like nonorganic soy. I agree with the authors that science has shown that soy is generally quite beneficial, but not once we’re talking processed, polluted, genetically engineered soy. I felt that anything that wasn’t rah rah vegan was conveniently ignored, which takes away any faith I have in a resource.

The middle section is a good read, and will be helpful for vegans who want to understand their changing needs. Check it out at your library and see if the book is a good fit for you.

I read a digital review copy of this book via NetGalley.

I found this to be a fascinating and informative read—that being said this is a topic that I am interested in. I have been vegan for almost 3 years so I know it is possible to get the protein needed for balanced nutrition. What makes this book different is it gets into the history of the SAD (standard American diet) and the science behind plant-based options. If someone is anti-vegan/plant-based, or a newbie looking for quick guidelines to begin (which are there) they could easily get lost in the science/educational information in this book. For those seeking knowledge or information going in without bias the information is excellent.

While this is not a typical cookbook, there is a final section that includes some pretty versatile recipes—I found quite a few options that I am excited to try and will end up in my rotation.

This wasn't what I was expecting from this book. There was so much more information than I'd imaged. Some of it even I would say is more scientific. A lot of research has gone into this book, and makes a very educational read.

Wasnt getting enough proteinin my diet and wanted to add more. I really love some of these receipes. Would definitely recommend!

This is a nicely presented book that is perfect for those who are curious about or interested in learning more about plants and protein. Whether an athlete, pregnant mother, senior, or layman, this explains everything you need to know about protein: from the biological aspects to why certain sources are better than others.

The book breaks down as follows: Plant and animal protein: setting the stage; What is protein and why does it matter; Amino acids: the building blocks; Which foods provide protein; the environmental costs of protein choices; Protein in health and disease; Global protein: a planet in peril; Protein during pregnancy and lactation; Infants and toddlers, children and teens; Protein for plant-based athletes; Energetic elders, The plant-based plate, tips, and menus, The protein-powered kitchen, recipes.

Because of the colorful presentation, I highly recommend the print version over the Kindle. There are charts, graphs, and other visual aids to explain the concepts, many of which are somewhat difficult to read on a Kindle. Since it is such good information, you really do want easy access to it.

The recipes in back are your standard plant-powered staples: overnight oats, chia seed pudding, etc. etc. There are no images for them but they are pretty simple and should be straightforward to make.

The book is backed up by the research, making this ideal for skeptics who always seem to feel that a plant-based diet is never going to be healthy or able to deliver protein. As well, the importance for the planet and environment of eating less meat is a good starting point to understanding why the change is important. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Thanks NetGalley for a copy of this book.

There is a lot of information packed into this book. The book discusses the benefits of eating planet based protein instead of animal based, helps reading figure out how much protein they need and give cooking tips and recipes. The books starts briefly with some policies and politics around animal vs plant protein. I really enjoyed this section of the book as some of the information I had not heard before. Several chapters of this books breaks down what protein is, why we need it and how it is used by the body. These chapters were a bit too much science than I want to read. I have read some of this information in other vegan books and honestly once I read it, I forget it. The author then breaks down how much protein people need to consumer. I found this information the most helpful. Protein needs depend on the age and activeness of the individual which is discussed at length. Finally, recipes are provided with the break down of nutritional information which I find extremely helpful.

Thank you Netgalley and Healthy Living Publications, for this eCopy to review

This was an interesting read on the benefits of getting your protein from plants instead of meat. It was a bit to technical for me and being new to plant protein I would have liked more recipes. Those given were easy to follow and not too complicated for everyday eating

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting read, especially for a vegan. A lack of recipes, in my opinion. Recommended.

Plant-Powered Protein : Nutrition Essentials and Dietary Guidelines for All Ages is a book using studies and scientific research to encourage you to eat the best plant based protein sources. It is a bit too scientific for me and I find facts and figures a bit boring. I am already convinced of the benefits and would have liked to have seen loads more tasty and useful recipes. It is a great book for anyone who still needs convincing of the benefits or for anyone who just wants some more information. AA very useful book for lots of people.

A book packed with facts about plant based protein. Well worth the read! If you eat plant based, you plan on doing it, or have a general interest in the subject, then this is the book for you! The facts and figures, plus the studies shown in the book show that plants are more than enough! Personally I would not have added recipes into this book, but I am sure some will find them useful as well.

I was hoping it to be less scientific and more logic or practical with recipes. Also when I read that plant diet helps with erection problems I stopped reading. I love my veggies and absolutely believe in growing my own veggies to fight climate change but I cannot stand by false propaganda.

With many people choosing more plant-based eating, this is a great book to make sure you are receiving your body's nutritional needs. An excellent resource, and recommended.

This was a very informative book on the science and politics of the food industry. I felt that the book supported its statements with transparent references. The science was explained in a way that I could grasp. The recipes are amendable to provide anyone with satisfactory results. I enjoyed this book and am eager to try some of the strategies. Simply put... "Very Applicable"