How to Be a Conscious Eater: Making Food Choices That Are Good for You, Others, and the Planet

My copy of Egan's newest book arrived during the first days of COVID-19 in the US. I'm a huge fan of hers from her New York Times columns and her first book, Devoured (five stars for the Italian-American food chapter!), but I was worried I wouldn't have brain space to give this my full attention as we all figure out our new normal. Boy, was I wrong.Big wins:*Egan didn't know we'd all be sheltering during a pandemic in 2020, but she organized this book in a great way to accommodate our need for 1) quick, digestible info, and 2) something that's easy to pick up, put down, and revisit later. I'm a working mom with a toddler, and this was huge for me.*Up-to-date science! UP-TO-DATE SCIENCE! I work for a science institution and I was thrilled to see Egan reference Seafood Watch and many other well-respected primary science sources/thought leaders to back up each section.*Color-coded sections. Genius! I can't stress enough how much the section divisions and beautiful look-and-feel (illustrations, etc.) add to the easy-reading quality.*Guidance and suggestions, never preaching. Egan is a new mom herself and knows that we don't need to be told what to do...but we do have a responsibility to keep ourselves, our families, and the world thriving. I like how she drew lines where they needed to be drawn.Egan inspired me to up my grain game, understand all the nonsensical eggs descriptors at the store, double-check that my frozen shrimp is slave-labor free, and buy meal kits (come on, I need pandemic meal-planning break!!!!!!!) without the guilt when we can afford them. I love it. I really, truly love this book.I decided to buy a batch of these books from an independent bookseller and match each with a favorite fiction book for holiday presents this year. It's hard to find such down-to-Earth, up-to-date information, tailored for our sad/scared minds. Thanks to Egan for showing me that I can still think about sustainability and family health during the greatest modern global crisis (without losing sleep).

Sophie's methodical, rooted-in-science, accessible approach to figuring out exactly what to eat and why makes this book a stand-out. Whether you've already made a few changes to your diet or buying habits, or are looking for ways to deepen your commitment to eating and living consciously, this book has something for everyone. Most of the book is centered around eating and drinking (like which eggs to buy, why to eat less meat, what the heck is gluten, what's the difference between all the sugars and sweeteners out there, what the impact is of all those aluminum cans on the environment, etc.), but broken up in a way that makes it easy to read in small bites or bigger chunks. Her style is also one of non-judgement: she's really offering up a palette of ideas for you to start to incorporate into your life if you want to make better choices for yourself, humanity, and the planet. This book is perfect for a new mom, a recent college grad, or someone that is just starting to contemplate different food choices to feel better or make the world a better place!

Very well organized and concise. Easy to read. Wish it had more list format but lots of information I never knew and I have a background in food and nutrition.

I've read countless books over the years and many of them have been about diet. Most of those books have received a "meh," from me. This one, however, just makes since. I'm not kidding when I say this book has made me a better human. It's helped me to see how what I eat effects more than just me. My health has vastly improved since I've started putting the book's recommendations into place and I feel like I'm making better decisions that benefit the treatment of animals I consume (far fewer than I have in the past) and I am being a more responsible steward of our planet. Few books have made an impact on my life such as this one and I highly recommend it. I'm now proud to be a conscious flexitarian.

I had so many “aha!” moments reading this book! Finding out what food labels actually mean and learning about the shocking number of gallons it takes to produce a single chocolate bar are just a few of countless examples. This book took me beyond the question of what’s good for me nutritionally and encouraged me to also consider how my food choices impact others and the environment. I found it to be smart, credible, insightful, comprehensive, and clear in its delivery of the information we need to help us wrestle with challenging dilemmas regarding food. The visuals in this book are also compelling! This is the type of book that won’t sit idle on my shelf now that I’ve finished it; I know I will consult it many times in the future.

Egan's book is a guide for those who want to choose their food thoughtfully. The book discusses food in relation to its nutrition and also its impact on the planet. Most of this information is available online, but not in as comprehensive a package as this book. The author is not a nutrition professional, but is a journalist. As a nutritionist myself, I have some disagreements with her, such as her dislike of coconut oil due to its saturated fat, and her dislike of butter for the same reasons. She also minimizes the positive nutrition aspects of grass-fed beef. The book also discounts regenerative agriculture using grazing animals. Because of these shortcomings, this is a good, but not ideal book, in my opinion.I received a complementary copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.