In post World War II Great Britain Donald Watson with his wife coined the term “vegan” to refer to people who believe that it is wrong to exploit animals. They went on to form the Vegan Society Of The UK.
There is a lot of bogus information “out there” in regards to vegan diets.
Jack Norris, cofounder of Vegan Outreach, is a registered dietitian (R.D.) who regularly stays abreast of the latest nutrition research. He maintains the Vegan Health.org web site, which is essentially a free, online vegan nutrition book.
You can also get a free copy of his Guide To Animal Free Eating that Norris publishes through Vegan Outreach. You can read the guide for free online, download it as a pdf or order it from Vegan Outreach for free. It makes a very nice booklet and is worth the trouble.
Contrary to popular beliefs you don’t need to “watch many things” to be healthy on a vegan diet. Jack Norris has a short one page “checklist” of things to keep an on in his Daily Recommendations for Vegan Adults. Another short, one page ( there really isn’t that much to know ), vegan nutrition “guide” is The Seven Habits Of Healthy Vegans by Virginia Messina R.D. .
There are also a number of vegan nutrition books written by well credentialed authors.
Virginia Messina RD and Jack Norris RD are registered dietitians who regularly blog about the latest in human nutrition. They have a reputation for being being up to date and complete with the facts. If there is something you should know about, you will be able to read about it on their sites. This book is a compilation of up to date vegan diet nutrition information ( published in 2011 ). The book debunks many common myths about vegan nutrition and has a strong focus on being clear and practical. See their excellent “Vegan Food Guide” that sums up everything you need to know in one single page( pg 88 ). The book covers all phases of life, including pregnancy, child rearing, old age and even nutrition for athletic training. It has excellent suggestions for preparing food on a daily basis when following recipes is not desired. Solid information, interesting information.
It is written by two of the Registered Dieticians (RD) who coauthored The American Dietetic Association Position Paper On Vegetarianism. It covers the nutritional needs of all phases of life from birth to death as well as special needs. It is complete and easy to read. Be sure to get the full updated, comprehensive, edition that was published in late August of 2014.