If you’re one of the millions who have thought of trying a vegan diet but fear it’s too monotonous or unfamiliar, VB6 will introduce a flexible way of eating that you can really live with for life.

Six years ago, an overweight, pre-diabetic Mark Bittman faced a medical directive: adopt a vegan diet or go on medication. He was no fan of a lifelong regimen of pills, but as a food writer he lived—and worked—to eat. So neither choice was appealing. His solution was a deal with himself. He would become a “flexitarian.”

He adopted a diet heavy in vegetables, fruits, and grains by following a healthy vegan diet (no meat, dairy, or processed foods) all day. After 6:00 p.m. he’d eat however he wanted, though mostly in moderation. Beyond that, his plan involved no gimmicks, scales, calorie counting, or point systems. And there were no so-called forbidden foods—he ate mostly home-cooked meals that were as varied and satisfying as they were delicious.

He called this plan Vegan Before 6:00 (VB6 for short), and the results were swift and impressive. Best of all, they proved to be lasting and sustainable over the long haul. Bittman lost 35 pounds and saw all of his blood numbers move in the right direction.

Using extensive scientific evidence to support his plan, the acclaimed cookbook author and food policy columnist shows why his VB6 approach succeeds when so many other regimens not only fail, but can actually lead to unwanted weight gain. He then provides all the necessary tools for making the switch to a flexitarian diet: lists for stocking the pantry, strategies for eating away from home in a variety of situations, pointers for making cooking on a daily basis both convenient and enjoyable, and a complete 28-day eating plan showing VB6 in action.

Finally, Bittman provides more than 60 recipes for vegan breakfasts, lunches, and snacks, as well as non-vegan dinners that embrace the spirit of a vegetable- and grain-forward diet.

The popular New York Times columnist builds on the theories of his hit book, Food Matters, to outline a menu plan that eliminates meat and animal products throughout the day to promote weight loss and overall better health. 100,000 first printing.

"The best-selling author and popular NYT columnist gives us his innovative and easy diet plan, complete with recipes--by eating vegan every day before 6:00pm, you can lose weight and dramatically improve your health. Every day we learn new benefits of the vegan diet, and discover how cutting meat and animal products out can still mean a world of delicious meals. Now Mark Bittman brings his expertise to vegan cooking, giving you an easy-to-follow diet plan plus 50 simple everyday recipes--exclusively vegan meals for breakfast and lunch, and as flexible as you need to be for dinner. Building on his hit book Food Matters, Bittman outlines in six principles the reasons that a partially vegan diet can dramatically improve your health. When you eat lots of fruits and veggies while cutting back on meat and dairy, and cook as much as possible at home, you automatically find yourself eating more sensible portions and almost no junk food. You can live healthier, not just eat healthier, when you eat with eyes wide open. This is Bittman's flexible, ethical way of eating better and losing weight, using common sense in the kitchen"--

Outlines a menu plan that eliminates meat and animal products throughout the day to promote weight loss and overall better health.