Vesanto Melina has taught nutrition at the University of British Columbia and at Bastyr University in Seattle. She is co-author of the Dietitians of Canada, and the American Dietetics Association's joint Position Paper on Vegetarian Nutrition. She has received the Clintec award for leadership in dietetics. She consults for government and industry and for clients throughout North America. She is a third-generation Vancouverite. Becoming Vegetarian has been published in eleven countries and in three languages.

With Brenda Davis, Melina wrote several books about nutrition and wellness, including cookbooks. Their books have been translated into 13 languages and have sold more than 700,000 copies internationally. In 2016, Davis and Melina won the Canada Book Award. Melina also received the Ryley Jeffs Memorial Lecture award in 2016.

In 2023, Vesanto Melina co-authored with  Brenda Davis and Cory Davis, Plant Powered Protein (Healthy Living $29.95). The book is a deep dive into the politics and fallacies surrounding plant-based protein. Together, the three authors present the science and studies that validate why protein derived from plants is not only comparable to protein from animal products but is also often superior. Readers are given a clear understanding of the role of macronutrients and micronutrients, and how the amino acids found in protein promote healthy growth. They learn how to determine their recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein. The authors target specific age groups, as well as athletes and pregnant women, and offer recommendations for how to obtain all the vital protein and nutrients their bodies require.Pantry suggestions, cooking tips, and thirty recipes make it easy to put this essential information into practice.

BOOKS:

(co-authored)

Plant Powered Protein (2023) $29.95 9781570674105
The Kick Diabetes Cookbook (2018)
Becoming Vegan Comprehensive Edition (2014)
Becoming Vegan Express Edition (2013)
Becoming Raw (2010)
The Raw Food Revolution Diet (2008)
The New Becoming Vegetarian (2003)
Raising Vegetarian Children (McGraw-Hill, 2002)
Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Cancer (John Wiley and Sons 2001)
Becoming Vegan (The Book Publishing Company 2000 and 2014)
Becoming Vegetarian (Macmillan 1994, Book Publishing Company 1995 and 2003, Wiley Canada 2003)
Cooking Vegetarian (Macmillan Canada 1996, John Wiley and Sons 1998)

(Other Melina books)

Cooking Vegan (2012)
Raising Vegetarian Children (2002)
Food Allergy Survival Guide (2001)

[BCBW 2023]