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If you’ve seen more vegan cookbooks on store shelves recently, it’s for good reason. A study done by Gallup shows that 23 percent of U.S. adults cut back on eating meat during the pandemic. Pew Research Center reports that eight percent of Black Americans are strict vegans or vegetarians – while only 3.4 percent of the rest of the population follows a plant-based diet. That eight percent likely knows something that everyone should: a vegan diet can prolong one’s life and improve quality of life. Plus, research says it might particularly benefit the Black community.
According to the American Heart Association, Black people suffer higher rates of heart disease and stroke and The CDC reports that Black people are more than twice as likely to die from heart disease than whites. Here’s where the vegan diet comes into play: the Journal of the American Heart Association reports that eating a plant-based diet can substantially reduce one’s risk for heart disease and every cause of natural death. That’s information that can’t be ignored. But even if you’re sold on eating a plant-based diet, maybe you run out of ideas for how to make delicious vegan meals. That’s why we’re covering vegan cookbooks from Black chefs that will keep you loving that plant-based diet.
Eat Plants, B*tch
By Pinky Cole
Get it on Booksamillion.com.
Pinky Cole brings her long-time experience as an owner of a vegan food truck (Slutty Vegan) and several restaurants to the pages of this fun and accessible cookbook. It features 91 delicious recipes that have easy-to-follow instructions and show that eating a plant-based diet doesn’t have to be difficult or dull. It’s focused on vegan comfort foods, so expect dishes like black pea cauliflower po’boys and oyster mushroom parmesan.
Earth Candy: Vibrant Versatile Vegan
By Jamila Crawford Pécou
Get it on Amazon.
Source: I. Harris / iOne
Earth Candy comes to us from celebrity chef Pécou. In addition to providing tons of simple, delicious vegan recipes, it also offers useful tips on how to transition to a plant-based lifestyle, including how to stock a vegan pantry. The dishes pull from a variety of cuisines and range from casual to upscale, like her Ethiopian Full Medames to a vegan cheeseburger.
Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats
By Rachel Ama
Get it on Amazon.
Rachel Ama combines her knowledge of Caribbean and West African cuisine with her expertise in plant-based eating in this cookbook. The book offers recipes for bold, flavorful and colorful dishes. Ama’s recipes tend to boast short ingredient lists and simple instructions, so even though the end results look complicated, making them is anything but. Expect treats like carrot cake waffles, chickpea sweet potato falafel and tasty stir fry.
Vegan Soul Food: Plant-Based No-Fuss Southern Favorites
By Nadira Jenkins-El
Get it on Amazon.
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This is one of several vegan cookbooks that prove that even vegans can enjoy classic Southern dishes like gumbo and fried “chicken.” Jenkins-El finds creative and modern ways to offer plant-based renditions of recipes that might leave you preferring the vegan option to the original. The author also strives to only include ingredients that are easy to find at most stores and even offers some basic tips for new vegans, including her favorite vegan swaps for things like mayo and chicken.
Ageless Vegan: The Secret To Living A Long And Healthy Plant-Based Life
By Tracye Lynn McQuirter
Get it on Amazon.
This book – written by a mother-daughter duo – offers a good variety of cuisines and types of recipes. What they all have in common is incredible flavor and simple ingredients. You’ll find classics like vegan pot pie and French toast along with international dishes like curry and Cajun dishes. The authors share some of their diet-based secrets for looking much younger than their ages, along with practical advice for going vegan.
Caribbean Vegan: Plant-Based, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free Authentic Island Cuisine for Every Occasion
By Taymer Mason
Get it on Amazon.
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Bring the flavors of the Caribbean into your kitchen with the diverse and delicious recipes in this book. Mason is an expert at using herbs and spices to bring out the natural flavors of her main ingredients and she infuses every type of cuisine found in the Caribbean – including French, African, Asian and Spanish – into her creative dishes. This book will teach you how to make crowd-pleasing dishes like jam-filled beignets, a Caribbean macro bowl and even Caribbean sushi.
Black Girl Baking
By Jerelle Guy
Get It On Amazon.
Black Girl Baking is not strictly a vegan cookbook, however each of its 75 recipes includes a vegan alternative. The book was written by vegetarian chef icon Jerelle Guy, whose vegetarian blog Chocolate for Basil has been featured in Vogue and the Boston Globe. This particular book is all about the comforting art of baking. Guy teaches you how to make some of her favorite childhood favorites that will leave your kitchen smelling heavenly. Five Spice Baked Rice Pudding, Sticky Date Sheet Cake and Brown Sugar Plantain Galette are just some of the treats to expect here.
Colorful Home Cooking
By Gabrielle Reyes
Get it on OneGreatVegan.com
You might know Gabrielle Reyes from her roles in Mad Men or Switched at Birth. However, this powerhouse is also a vegan chef and host of The Colorful Home Cooking Show. In her book, she shares recipes for vegan and gluten-free dishes that are as photogenic as they are mouthwatering. Her inspired recipes typically combine several cuisines into one bold dish, like her cauliflower queso flatbread, her stacked + grilled veggie pizzadilla or her fajita stuffed sweet potato.
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