Notes from the Scientific Department

Some activities of The Vegetarian Resource Group and Vegetarian Journal are highlighted below.

VRG in the News

VRG Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, was interviewed for a story on teen vegetarians for Ladies' Home Journal. The editorial staff at LHJ spoke very highly of VRG and VRG's website.

Both Reed and VRG's Co-Director, Debra Wasserman, were interviewed by the National Education Association for a story on vegetarian children, which will appear in the April 2001 issue of NEA Today. The magazine reaches 2.5 million members of the NEA, including teachers, retired and support personnel (such as cafeteria workers, bus drivers, and clerical staff), and students.

15th National Conference on Chronic Disease Prevention and Control

VRG Nutrition Advisor Suzanne Havala, MS, RD, presented a poster session at the National Conference on Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, held in Washington, DC, and sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The poster, entitled The National Meals on Wheels Foundation and Vegetarian Resource Group Healthy Meals Initiative: Two-Year Follow-Up, summarized the successes, challenges, and lessons learned as a result of implementation of VRG's innovative vegetarian menu plan for senior food service. A demonstration project featuring VRG's menus was carried out over a four-year period by Catherine Conway, MS, RD, a nutrition consultant for the New York City Department for the Aging. To date, the menus are being used in over 25 senior feeding sites and homebound meal programs throughout New York City.

VRG also sponsored a booth at the conference and distributed educational materials and samples of Vegetarian Journal to conference attendees, including state public health directors and program managers, health sciences researchers, and others interested in chronic disease prevention and control.