The number one fact that made me love this book was the way the author presented a number of reasoned arguments for both eating or not eating meat. The book was full of very very helpful dietary commentary and treated arguments like vegtarianism in kids, and how to make sure they get all the vitamins and other things they need to grow up healthy. I highly recommend it.

An interesting look into the reasons for vegetarianism, with humor alongn the way.

This was an excellent book.  Great layout and full of facts and great detail - definitely a five star read for me!

This is a great book for any family. It is very educational & very easy to understand. There is a lot of very useful information. A must read.

After recently reading this article* in the Washington Post, in which an online survey found 7% of people surveyed thought chocolate milk could mes from brown cows, and an study in 2011 found that only 22% of all 4-6th graders know pickles are cucumbers, I thought reviewing a few books about food and farms would be a good plan.

Meatless is an excellent primer on vegetarianism, veganism or even flextarianism as alternative diets. There are so many reasons, well described, from animal welfare to limiting greenhouse gases for vegetarianism. The book gives a thorough grounding in the ethics, the pragmatics and even offers example meal plans. Targeting a Middle School reader, the book is an accessible read. Since I was a strict vegetarian from age 12-24, I appreciate the admonishments about the need to eat a diet balanced in protein, minerals and vitamin B12. All in all, a great book for those looking to learn more about going meatless!

*https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/15/seven-percent-of-americans-think-chocolate-milk-comes-from-brown-cows-and-thats-not-even-the-scary-part/

Meatless - A healthy way of feeding is popular..... We can get the nutrients needed for our body without meat by following plant based ingredients......

Books about vegetarianism usually have an agenda. The author tries to convince you that vegetarianism is the only healthy, morally responsible choice to make. That's what I like about this book: Elton has no agenda. She only presents facts. Young readers will learn about types of vegetarianism and their roles in religion and throughout history. We learn the social and ecological impact of various diets as well as the various motivations behind making a diet switch. The goal here is merely information. The reader is encouraged to review these facts and then make his/her own decision.

Cute story but not something I could really get into.

"Meatless" is a colorful, easy to understand, non-fiction book that breaks down vegetarianism for middle graders who are considering a meatless lifestyle. The author is a carnivore so the book, while seemingly in favor of vegetarianism, doesn't get preachy. The book introduces different types of vegetarianism,  the history of meat eating and vegetarianism, children who eat plant-based diets, and info like how to discuss your desire to be meatless with your family.

Meatless? A Fresh Look At What You Eat by Sarah Elton is a fantastic and easy read for any person who is considering vegetarianism, veganism, or plant-based diets. 

This book would be great in a public library or available in schools for younger readers who are seeking honest answers to alternative ways of eating. There is no obvious bias from the writer in this book. She simply offers interesting facts and information regarding the food that we eat and why we eat it.

I am impressed by the amount of information available in this book regarding the environmental effects of eating meat and the costs of eating meat. 

For readers who do want to remove meat from their diets, there are easy to follow suggestions and recipes available in this book. The glossary and index with source information and further reading titles also make for a handy guy for those who want to really consider a plant-based diet.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a meatless diet. For vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based diet parents, this is a great book to share with your children!

I recommend this book for any young person  who's  thinking about becoming a vegetarian. This book is very informative and easy to follow.

This book is a great resource for anyone, any age to read. We all have choices and we should be allowed to make our own educated choices. Meatless also children to understand a more broad eating habit. With a fun cover and simple to understand this book should be in any family's library.

Meatless? A Fresh Look At What You Eat by Sarah Elton is a book about choices. The book starts out by talking about meat and where different meat is eaten and and why. Then the different types of vegetarian classes. Who eats what. Then it is discussed why religions may effect a persons choice. Other reasons such as climate change, conservation, humanity, person choice, health reasons, etc. Then it talks about how it is possible for many people to eat at a table together that have various meal choices that differ. The book mostly emphasizes that is the reader's choice what they want to eat, not anyone else. This book is just to clear up any misunderstandings and give the reader choices and information they may not have had before. Great book. Very informative and lays out the information without pushing any agenda, religion, or meal choice. Thanks NetGalley for letting me read this book.

Meatless: A Fresh Look at What You Eat, written by Sarah Elton and illustrations by Julie McLaughlin, is quick glimpse into life as a vegetarian.

This children's book may be utilized as a family guide to vegetarianism. Within the What Is a Vegetarian Exactly? chapter, the author shared, "A vegetarian is someone who chooses not to eat meat.... But only a small percentage of people are true vegetarians.... That said, more and more adults--and kids, too--are becoming vegetarians. And some people who do eat meat are deciding to have less of it."

In addition to the Introduction and Conclusion, this book is divided into four sections, which includes the following: A History of Meat-Eating, Why Go Vegetarian, If Not Meat, Then What, and Becoming a Vegetarian. At the back of the book, there's a helpful Glossary, as well as Index, Sources, and Further Reading.

Meatless is geared towards young readers, particularly fourth to eighth grades. However, this book is a helpful resource for all ages interested in learning more about vegetarianism. 
 

Note: I received this book from NetGalley, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

For middle school age children considering a vegetarian lifestyle Meatless provides a case for being meatless.  The book is broken down into sections such as, what is vegetarianism, history of meat eating, why go vegetarian, and if not meat then what.  In the why go vegetarian section animal welfare and the high cost of meat to our environment is investigated.  Kids might be surprised to learn that 14.5 % of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by meat and dairy production.  If the reader is swayed to making this healthy lifestyle change the book explores a healthy diet, complete proteins, meat free week long menu ideas, and tips from real kids that already embrace the veggie diet.  At the end of the book are definitions and resources to develop a plant based lifestyle.

Meatless? is an excellent book for young readers. The book answers a lot of questions about meat-eating and vegetarianism, in a way that is unbiased and easy to understand. Author Elton covers the many different reasons for not eating meat, and does not malign meat-eaters for making the choice to eat meat. The book does not state that any eating preferences are inferior.

There are tips for children who wish to try going vegetarian. Readers are urged to be tolerant of family and friends' diets, to include everyone when preparing meals, and to try to offset any trouble that they may cause by changing their diets.

Nutrition is also included, so that children who want to go meat-free know how important it is to eat healthily. Meal plans are included, but no recipes. I think the book would be better for including a dozen or so easy, healthy recipes to illustrate how easy preparing vegetarian meals can be. Other than that, I really liked the book's fair tone, extensive information and ease of understanding. Very colorful and comprehensive.

Meatless? By Sarah Elton had so much more information that I was expecting. This is a very educational book for middle grade (junior) children to understand what it means to be a meat eater. It discusses things such as where meat comes from, the environmental cost (cutting down forests etc.), greenhouse gasses, and other food options. It also explains the differences between being vegetarian, vegan, flexitarian, and pescatarian. It also talked about various religions and what they believed. The way it was presented was easy to read and interesting. It would help children make decisions about how they want to eat, and what they want to eat. The book doesn't try to sway anyone to be for or against meat, it just explains the simple facts. The author even included a weeks menus showing how you could eat without meat for one week. The back of the book contained a glossary, further reading suggestions and even recommended some vegetarian cookbooks. I liked that the book talked about accommodating everyone's eating style at your home so they feel welcome. A good book to be used with youngsters asking these types of questions, those considering a change in their eating habits as well as when you are teaching about the environment and the impact raising animals for meat has.

Meatless?, by Sarah Elton is a very educational book for children to understand just what it means to be a meat eater. It answers questions about where meat comes from, environmental cost, greenhouse gasses, and other food options. It also explains the differences between being vegetarian, vegan, flexitarian, and pescatarian. 

I was thoroughly amazed at the amount of information in this book. It leads children to start thinking about their own food choices. The book isn't for or against meat, and just explains the simple facts. I loved how the author explained greenhouse gasses, as this is something our children are hearing more about daily. 

I enjoyed the sample menu, further reading, and recommended vegetarian cookbooks in the back. 

Overall 5*****

This was a great book for kids about vegetarianism! It also spoke to the kids who might not be vegetarians, but are thinking about it, as well as vegans and pescatarians. I thought it explained why abstaining from eating meat is good for your health as well as the environment. It even explained why some religions don't eat certain meats, or cook it a certain way. This is a great one for any collection!

I have to first mention that I had a hard time reading this ARC because the text was a little jumbled in places so I think that might have affected how much I enjoyed this book. I was hoping this would be something like Forks Over Knives for middle readers but I actually found this book to be a little too one sided. Although a lot of good arguments for vegetarianism were made, I don’t think there was enough discussion about why people do choose to eat meat. It was also more graphic than I thought it was going to be, which I suppose would be an effective way to covert young people away from eating meat but probably won’t sit well with parents of less mature readers. Overall, I was disappointed that the positive messages of this book were drowned out.