Interested in exploring a plant-based diet recipes? A diet rich in fresh vegetables, grains and legumes may slim you down (if you eat with that goal in mind) and reduce your risk of cancer and other illnesses. And cutting back on animal foods will remove a lot of cholesterol and saturated fat from your diet. Read on to learn more about a plant-based diet and find out if it's right for you!

Hallmarks of a Plant-Based Diet

Priority is on whole or minimally processed foods (bonus points for local and/or seasonal).

Vegetables, grains, and legumes occupy the center of the plate.

Eggs and dairy are consumed occasionally (if at all).

Meat (if consumed at all) is treated as more of a condiment.

Try a Plant-Based Diet if…

You'd like to reduce the carbon footprint of your diet.

You have moral or ethical objections to eating animal products.

You never met a vegetable you didn't like.

You're worried about your cancer risk.

But Skip it if…

You can't imagine life without (real) cheese.

You feel better on a high-protein diet.

Beans and legumes make you unfit for polite company.

You're looking for a flexible, low-maintenance diet.

Plant-Based Diet Recipes

Find More Plant-Based Diet Recipes in These Books

1. The China Study , by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., and Thomas M. Campbell, M.D.

Although not a diet program per se, The China Study has inspired many to adopt a vegan lifestyle. According to Dr. Campbell, "the solution to losing weight is a whole-foods, plant-based diet, coupled with a reasonable amount of exercise." As a bonus, Dr. Campbell argues, the vegan diet will reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses. There's a slight logical disconnect in the scientific rationale: Dr. Campbell seems to assume that meat eaters eat mostly junk food, and that vegans eat only wholesome, unprocessed foods in the appropriate amounts. As long as that is indeed your approach, you should see good results.

Less of a dietary philosophy and more of a medical intervention, Dr. Fuhrman's program begins with six weeks of vegan, plant-based diet meals that slash calories and promotes rapid weight loss. Caffeine, alcohol, and salt are completely eliminated, and vegetables are precisely portioned by the pound. If you make it through the first six weeks, the restrictions ease a bit.

Though the author believes you'd be better off as a vegan, she's also got a transitional plan for "flirts" who aren't quite ready to go all the way. Silverstone is not a nutritionist, and some of her "science" gets a little "pseudo." But she also offers lots of vegan recipes and practical tips to ease you along the path.

Published in tandem with the documentary movie of the same name, the book summarizes the film's talking points and offers practical advice on transitioning to whole-food, plant-based diet recipes. You also get inspiring success stories from those whose health was transformed when they radically changed their diets in this way.