By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

A reader asked about nutritional yeast for a twelve month old boy.

If a child’s diet is nutritionally adequate or supplements are being used to insure intakes at the RDA level for age, nutritional yeast is not especially needed. Some families choose to use Vegetarian Support Formula nutritional yeast as a source of vitamin B12. I am not aware of any need to avoid this product for a healthy 1-year old. The RDA for vitamin B12 for a 1-3 year old is 0.9 mcg/day. Approximately 2 heaping
tablespoons of Large Flake Vegetarian Support Formula (VSF) nutritional yeast or 1.5 heaping tablespoons of Mini Flake provides 8 mcg of vitamin B12. (http://lesaffre-yeast.com/red-star/vsf.html). By my calculations, about 3/4 teaspoon of Large Flake VSF or 1/2 teaspoon of Mini Flake VSF would provide close to 0.9 mcg of vitamin B12, which is the 1-3 year old RDA for vitamin B12.

The contents of this posting and our other publications, including the Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

Looking for vegan Passover recipes? Happy holidays!

Matzo Meal Pancakes
From No Cholesterol Passover Recipes by Debra Wasserman

Makes 8 small pancakes

3 small ripe bananas, peeled
½ cup matzo meal
¾ cup water
2 teaspoons oil

Mash bananas in a small bowl. Add matzo meal and water. Mix well. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Form 8 small pancakes in heated pan and fry for about 10 minutes until brown on both sides.

Pear and Apple Slaw
From Vegan Passover Recipes by Nancy Berkoff

(Serves 5-6)

1 pound (about 3 cups) fresh pears
½ cup (about 4 ounces) green or tart apple
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup finely shredded green cabbage
1 cup finely shredded red cabbage
2 Tablespoons oil
1 Tablespoon vinegar
½ teaspoon black pepper

Wash and dice pears and apples (don’t peel) and toss with lemon juice. Add green and red cabbage and toss. In a cup, mix oil, vinegar and pepper until combined. Toss with vegetables until well coated. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Note: Make a double batch of this recipe, as the flavor gets even better the second day!

Syrian-Style Okra with Dried Fruit
From The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook by Debra Wasserman

(Serves 4)

½ pound okra, chopped
½ small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon oil
1 Tablespoon water
1½ cups dried fruit (about 8 ounces prunes, apricots, and/or raisins, etc.)
½ cup prune juice
½ cup tomato juice
¼ lemon, minced (rind and fruit)

Stir-fry okra and onion with oil and water in a large frying pan for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add dried fruit, juices, and lemon. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring often. Serve warm or chilled.

Oh, and don’t forget… Star K (orthodox) said quinoa can be used if certified Kosher for Passover. The OU on their website says it can be a local decision, so ask your rabbi. You easily can make sweet or spicy dishes with this grain or simply use it instead of rice as a base for vegetable-based dishes you are preparing.

By Brad Scott

My wife and I recently returned from a one week cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas. We did a similar cruise last year to celebrate my mom’s 90 birthday. When we went on a cruise somewhere in the early 90s, Carnival had a separate vegetarian menu (two options each night), as did Celebrity in the late 90s. Last year, there was a vegetarian option on the regular menu every night, but almost always involved cheese.

The food situation was very different this year than last. I’m not sure if Royal Caribbean changed or if it is because this year’s ship was much larger. On the regular menu on the first night, I was pleasantly shocked to see one of the entrees was Soy Chili with Tortillas. There was always a vegetarian option (often with cheese), as well as Linguini w/ tomato sauce. Other nights the regular menu offered Soy Meatballs with Lentil Chili and Sweet and Sour Vegetarian Chicken. On the nights with the cheese, they made (just for me) a tofu stir fry, spinach and black bean chili in Tortillas, and Channa Masala. At lunch, I was able to request a veggie burger in the buffet area (not an option last year). So, it was much nicer to be able to look forward to dinner in the main dining room rather than sneaking off to the buffet for the Indian option or the veg sushi.

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

An online reader commented on our website that a P.F. Chang’s employee had told her that ghee was an ingredient in all of their vegetarian dishes except the steamed vegetables and rice. Ghee is clarified butter that is commonly used in South Asian cuisine. Since this was contradictory to what P.F. Chang’s told us in 2011, we contacted P.F. Chang’s to see if there had been an ingredient change.

The Director of Media Relations at P.F. Chang’s told us in October 2012 that “P.F. Chang’s only uses wok oil and not ghee.”

Similarly, P.F. Chang’s Marketing Coordinator replied by saying:

“I talked to our training department and…our Director of Culinary Operations about your inquiry. I was informed we do not use ghee in any of our dishes and it’s not something in any of our recipes nor is it kept in our restaurants.
Regarding the wok oil and wondering if it could contain animal- or dairy-derived flavors or be processed on equipment where residual animal or dairy ingredients could have been in contact with the wok oil, the Marketing Coordinator at P.F. Chang’s told us in February 2013 that
[o]ur wok oil is a soy-based oil. It is considered a safe oil for persons allergic…to soy as it contains no soy protein. We have never asked the supplier about animal contamination. We would expect it not to be an issue. We are looking into this further for you.”

A week later he informed us after hearing from his supplier that “No animal oil is processed in the plants that make our wok oil.”

More information about the vegetarian menu options at P.F. Chang’s is on their website: http://www.pfchangs.com/menu/

Other recent VRG articles about P.F. Chang’s:
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2012/09/07/p-f-chang%E2%80%99s-vegetarian-labeled-dishes-oyster-sauce-is-all-vegetable-no-honey-egg-or-dairy-present/
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2011issue1/2011_issue1_pf_changs.php

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including the Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements. Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

For the latest news on fast food and quick service chains, visit The VRG at http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

Southern Adventist University, located just outside Chattanooga in Collegedale, TN, is currently enrolling students for its new Vegetarian Culinary Arts program with courses beginning in Fall 2013. The program starts as a one-year certificate track, but the university plans to include associate’s and bachelor’s degree options by 2014.

Southern is one of only a few colleges or universities in the country providing this kind of training. This is a natural fit since the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s health message, which strongly recommends a meat-free diet, is on display each day as the university uses exclusively vegetarian ingredients in providing meals for its 3,300 students.

The bulk of the new curriculum will consist of professional cooking instruction. Some of the other courses being taught include Food Safety and Sanitation; Introduction to Food Purchasing, Preparation, and Presentation; International Ethnic Cuisines; and Introduction to Marketing for Culinary Professionals.

A new, full-time faculty member has been hired as the director and lead professor. There will also be several adjunct professors teaching classes, as well as guest speakers for class demonstrations.

To view a complete list of courses and requirements, visit: https://www.southern.edu/pe/academics/Pages/vegetarianculinaryarts.aspx.

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

In recent months, national convenience store chain 7-Eleven® has introduced a “healthy, fresh” line of foods intended to appeal to health-conscious consumers. It is intended to go beyond the fresh fruit (such as bananas) that the some 7-Eleven® stores have offered for many years to include healthier snack and meal packs.

The VRG contacted 7-Eleven® in February 2013 for a list of the vegetarian and vegan options in their fresh food line. We received this reply:

Vegetarian-Friendly Foods at 7-Eleven Stores

These products should be available at the 7-Eleven Inc. stores that have our
daily-delivered, fresh-foods program, which is about 95% of our U.S. stores.

Bistro Protein Snack Pack – celery and carrot sticks, grapes, cubed cheese,
hummus and little, soft pita bread rounds. The cheese is from Sargento® with
vegetarian rennet.
Celery and carrot sticks with a separately packaged portion pack of ranch
dressing (milk and cheese)
Yoplait® yogurt parfaits with only fresh (not frozen) strawberries, and
strawberry + blueberries
Macaroni salad
Potato salad
Several varieties and sizes of bean and cheese burritos
1-oz. size of string cheese, 2-oz. size bar of Borden’s® yellow cheese
Hard-boiled eggs with packaged salt and pepper
A side salad with no meat

We also offer many types of juice drinks and beverages.

The VRG asked 7-Eleven® if it were possible to purchase a bean burrito without cheese. We were told that “For manufactured (previously frozen) fast food burritos, [o]ur burritos contain meat or meat and beans. The vegetarian-friendly option is our freshly-made, delivered daily burrito option “Bean & Cheese,” always together. There is no vegan option.” (The cheese is not in a side cup that can be left off; the cheese is mixed with the beans inside of the flour tortilla.)

Regarding the salsa available at stores, we learned from 7-Eleven® that “The Heinz® salsa and Del Monte® pico de gallo that 7-Eleven® recommends its stores use are vegan friendly – all veggies. These are in a condiment station where customers can help themselves.”

Lastly, 7-Eleven® told us that “We continue to look at new food items that can meet our guests’ snack and meal needs.” Consumers interested in seeing 7-Eleven® expand its fresh food line to include vegan options are encouraged to contact the chain directly through the 7-Eleven® website: http://corp.7-eleven.com/ContactUs/tabid/184/Default.aspx

Readers may find out more about 7-Eleven® healthier snack and meal options here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/25/business/7-eleven-stores-focus-on-healthier-food-options.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1356707700-8H1rDprhmmuaiIzAzaMI/Q&

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including the Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements. Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgement about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

For the latest news on fast food and quick service chains, visit: http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

Long-time VRG members recently asked us why “…almost every item we pick up to read the ingredients have a disclaimer saying that the item was made on shared equipment that also processes eggs, soy, peanuts and wheat.”

The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004, (FALCPA), is the reason why manufacturers must list on food labels any of the eight allergens, (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans), determined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be potentially harmful to the majority of allergy sufferers. Because highly sensitive individuals could have adverse reactions to even very small quantities of allergen present in food due to cross-contamination from equipment on which food containing the allergen was previously manufactured, some companies voluntarily indicate that shared equipment was used. Doing so may protect the manufacturer from legal liability if an adverse reaction occurs from a food product which does not contain the allergen as an intended ingredient but was produced on shared equipment.

Currently FALCPA does not require a “may contain” statement or anything similar such as a shared equipment disclaimer. (Question 13 on this FAQ page: http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/FoodAllergensLabeling/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm106890.htm#q10 and Question 16 on this one: http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/FoodLabelingNutrition/ucm059116.htm) FDA emphasizes only that

FDA advised that advisory labeling such as “may contain [allergen]” should not be used as a substitute for adherence to current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs). In addition, any advisory statement such as “may contain [allergen]” must be truthful and not misleading.

However, in the statement of the Act, there is a paragraph that states that FDA is aware of cross-contamination of major allergens due to shared equipment and requires further research into the subject. (Section 204 on this page: http://www.fda.gov/food/labelingnutrition/FoodAllergensLabeling/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm106187.htm).

In December 2005, FDA added this further clarification to its FAQ page (Question 18): http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/FoodLabelingNutrition/ucm059116.htm:
Is a major food allergen that has been unintentionally added to a food as the result of cross-contact subject to FALCPA’s labeling requirements?
No. FALCPA’s labeling requirements do not apply to major food allergens that are unintentionally added to a food as the result of cross-contact. In the context of food allergens, “cross-contact ” occurs when a residue or other trace amount of an allergenic food is unintentionally incorporated into another food that is not intended to contain that allergenic food. Cross-contact may result from customary methods of growing and harvesting crops, as well as from the use of shared storage, transportation, or production equipment.

The Act states in Section 202 that undeclared allergens have become more frequent resulting in more FDA food recalls. FDA provides current information about undeclared allergens in specific food products on its website: http://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls/default.htm. According to Food Safety News, undeclared allergens accounted for more than one in three food recalls during the last quarter of 2011: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/02/recalls-of-fda-regulated-foods-spiked-up-last-quarter/#.UT0aCjdhuSp

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including the Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company employees or company statements. Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgement about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

To purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, please visit our website: http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=8

For information on food ingredients, fast food, and for other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our enewsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/

To support VRG research, you can donate at http://www.vrg.org/donate

Matt Ruscigno, MPH, RD, is a vegan dietitian who is especially knowledgeable about sports nutrition. Below is his schedule of talks for the next few months. If he’s in your area, try to get to one of his events — Matt is an engaging and knowledgeable speaker!

Adding Plant-Based Meals to Your Sports Nutrition Plan: The How and Why
Wednesday March 13th at 6pm Hi-Tec Bikes, San Diego, CA

Plant-based and Powerful: What We Know About Vegan Athletes
Saturday March 23rd Mission Viejo Hospital, Mission Viejo, CA
Part of the Orange District Dietetic Association Fundraiser; May require registration.

The Unathletic Vegan Athlete, Is that Even Possible? How Being Physically Active Can Have Nothing to do with Sports
Tuesday March 26th at 4-6 pm Austin Peay University, Clarksville, TN
Hosted by the APU Sociology Department and Tucker Brown, PhD.

Film Screening on Vegan Athletes
Wednesday March 27th at 7 pm Compassion Over Killing Headquarters, Washington, DC
Limited seating, reservations required!

Plant-Based Nutrition Discussion
Thursday March 28th at 7 pm, Sticky Fingers Bakery, Washington, DC.
Hosted with Compassion Over Killing
Limited seating, please get there early!

Athletes and Plant-based Nutrition: Get Real Science From An Expert*
Wednesday April 3rd 7-9 pm Jivamukti Yoga, New York City, NY
Presented by The Discerning Brute
$5 suggested donation.

Sports Nutrition: What We Know About Plant-based Athletes
Thursday, May 2nd, 2-3pm Boise, Idaho
Idaho Dietetic Association Annual Meeting. Requires conference registration.

Athletes and Plant-based Nutrition: Get Real Science From An Expert
Friday or Saturday May 3rd or 4th, Portland, Oregon
Details TBD

One $500 award; two $250 awards!

The Rules:

Create and submit a video relating what you want to tell others about vegetarianism and/or veganism.

Some possible topics: food, nutrition, your feelings about veganism and/or vegetarianism, water usage and vegetarianism, vegetarianism and animal rights, or other vegetarian topics which appeal to you. Humor and feelings are appreciated. All videos should be positive, not be critical of anyone, and not include any footage of animal cruelty. You may submit a video you have already made.

Aspects of judging include accuracy and judges wanting to share the video with others.

Entrants give permission to The Vegetarian Resource Group to post and share the video, to link to and from the video, and share the video with the media.

DEADLINE: April 20, 2013

Click here to read the rest of the scholarship rules and apply »

Kristen Palana was one of last year’s winners for her video “Veggie Propaganda.” Kristen said the video is a fun and sharable animated music video she made, and is a quirky, sing-song animation that puts a spotlight on animals, our relationship with them and their rights. The video explores childhood myths about animals vs. the reality of their lives in a human-centered world, where our food really comes from and how by simply eating less meat individuals can make an astounding positive impact on their health, their finances and the environment.

Looking for ideas on how to make regular recipes vegetarian, or a good veggie burger recipe?

To complement her article in the March 2013 issue of MASSAGE Magazine, “A Vegetarian Diet: Good for Your Body, Good for the Planet,” Nancy Berkoff, R.D., VRG’s Food Service Advisor, has written this online article with substitution ideas and several recipes: http://www.massagemag.com/News/massage-news.php?id=13698&catid=337&title=vegetarian-recipes