Stage One
The hallmark of THE GRADUAL VEGETARIAN is its easy, three-stage approach. I’ll bet you are eating way less red meat already than people did 30 years ago. (Here’s to your health!) Studies have shown that vegetarians and partial vegetarians are way healthier than devout meat eaters.
In Stage One, you favor chicken and fish over red meat. These days, you can get free-range chicken in many locations. You may want to vet exactly what your locavore source MEANS by “free range.” And you may want to note that those ready-roasted chickens you can pick up in the supermarket may contain excess fat. But yes, they sure are handy in a pinch. And Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Some thoughts on farm-raised vs. wild-caught fish in a future post. Stay tuned …
Overview
The Gradual Vegetarian was first published in 1985 by small independent New York publisher M. Evans.
The book was soon sold to Dell, which brought out the trade paperback in 1986. Meanwhile, the British rights were sold, and by 1986 a hardback was circulating in Great Britain and Australia.
Paperback editions then appeared in Sweden (Vegetarian Steg for Steg) and Italy (Il Vegetariano Graduale).
The book was in print in the United States for 12 years, a notable run, and is considered a classic.