1) ARE YOU VEGETARIAN AND HEADING OFF TO COLLEGE? APPLY FOR THE VRG SCHOLARSHIPS: TWO $5,000 SCHOLARSHIPS AND ONE $10,000 SCHOLARSHIP

Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, The Vegetarian Resource Group each year will award $20,000 in college scholarship money to graduating U.S. high school students who have promoted vegetarianism/veganism in their schools and/or communities. Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or fowl. Vegans are vegetarians who do not use other animal products such as dairy or eggs.

One award of $10,000 and two awards of $5,000 will be given. Entries may only be sent by students graduating from high school in spring 2016. Deadline is February 20, 2016. We will accept applications postmarked on or before February 20, 2016. Early submission is encouraged.

Applicants will be judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegetarian diet/lifestyle. Payment will be made to the student's college (U.S. based only). Winners of the scholarships give permission to release their names to the media. Applications and essays become property of The Vegetarian Resource Group. We may ask finalists for more information. Scholarship winners are contacted by e-mail or telephone. Please look at your e-mail.

If you would like to donate to additional scholarships or internships, go to www.vrg.org/donate

2) VRG WELCOMES MEGAN MISHOU

We are pleased to announce a new addition at The Vegetarian Resource Group HQ. Megan Mishou has been a vegetarian for more than half of her life. She spontaneously went vegan more than two years ago on World Day for Farmed Animals (WDFA) and has never looked back. Megan's goal has always been to spend her days working to make a difference for animals and the environment. She has found that opportunity here as the Volunteer Coordinator for The VRG, and we're happy to have her along on our educational mission.

Would you like to volunteer with the VRG? Please contact Megan directly at [email protected] or call (410)-366-8343 to find out how you can help!"

3) THANK YOU FOR HELP WITH CHECKING TRANSLATION TO PORTUGUESE

We (Vegetarian Resource Group) currently have a volunteer in Brazil translating our Food Ingredient Guide into Portuguese. We greatly thank Hugo Dos Santos, who proofed a beginning version. Here is Hugo's website:
[ http://www.hugodossantos.com/ ]

If you are fluent in Portuguese and can volunteer to assist with this project, please let us know at [email protected]

Thank you.

4) THANK YOU TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS

VRG would like to extend its gratitude to its volunteers, namely:

• Laura McGuiness
• Shani Stewart
• Reed Mangels
• Carole Hamlin
• Hana Takemoto

Special thanks to Colin Hickey-Schiappa and David Milner for converting articles into HTML for www.vrg.org

Another very special thank you to the following for their help at our 34th annual Pre-Thanksgiving Vegan Potluck:

• Our co-sponsors and friends at Baltimore Vegan Drinks, Rissa and Nat.
• Hana Takemoto
• Matt Baker
• Sam Stahler
• Mark Rifkin
• Cindy Blum

5) VISIT VRG AT THIS OUTREACH BOOTH

Valley Vegfest [ http://www.valleyveg.org/vegfest/ ] ]
Florence, MA
April 2, 2016

If you would like to volunteer at any events, contact Megan at [email protected].

If you would like to donate towards our veggie outreach, donate at:
[ http://www.vrg.org/donate ] .

Donations can also be sent to

The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203

Or call: (410) 366-8343.

6) MARYLAND AREA EVENTS

VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN MEET-UPS IN BALTIMORE, MD

The Vegetarian Meet-up happens at Mango Grove, located at 8865 Stanford Boulevard, in Columbia, Maryland 21045, on the first Sunday each month at 12:30 PM. The Vegan Meet-up takes place at Mr. Chan Szechuan at 1000 Reisterstown Rd. in Pikesville on the third Wednesday every month at 7 PM. If you are vegan or vegetarian and would like to eat great food while socializing with others who share your interests, attend a meet-up!

For more information about EarthSave's Vegan and Vegetarian Baltimore Meet-ups,

• [ http://www.meetup.com/vegetarian-9/ ]
• [ http://www.meetup.com/The-Baltimore-Vegan-Meetup-Group/ ]

JOIN EARTHSAVE FOR A VEGAN POTLUCK

This month, on Wednesday night, December 9th, from 7:00-9:00PM in the church sanctuary of Towson Presbyterian Church in Towson will be Earthsave’s final event for 2015. There will not be a potluck, but instead a live talk by Dr. Michael Greger, an intrepid nutrition researcher and founder of the wildly popular website NutritionFacts.org, who will speak and do a book signing on “How Not to Die: Foods that Prevent and Reverse Disease.” Books will be available at the event. Please note that this event will be in the church sanctuary, so use the main church entrance in front. Hope you will join us!

The vast majority of premature deaths can be prevented through simple changes in diet and lifestyle. Dr. Michael Greger examines the fifteen top causes of premature death in America-heart disease, various cancers, diabetes, Parkinson's, high blood pressure, and more-and explains how nutritional and lifestyle interventions can sometimes trump prescription pills and other pharmaceutical and surgical approaches, freeing us to live healthier lives.

A founding member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Michael Greger, MD, is a physician, author, and internationally recognized speaker on nutrition, food safety, and public health issues. He has lectured at the Conference on World Affairs, testified before Congress, and was invited as an expert witness in the defense of Oprah Winfrey in the infamous "meat defamation" trial. He is a graduate of Cornell University School of Agriculture and Tufts University School of Medicine. Currently Dr. Greger serves as the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at The Humane Society of the United States. More than a thousand of his nutrition videos are freely available at NutritionFacts.org, with new videos and articles uploaded every day.

Attendance fees are $12 in advance, and $15 at the door. Attendance fees are $12 in advance, and $15 at the door. Register in advance by sending Paypal payment to [email protected], or send check or money order payable to Don Robertson to

Earthsave Baltimore
517 Talbott Ave.
Lutherville, MD,21093

Please RSVP, if you can, by calling 410-252-3043, or emailing [email protected].

DINEKIND

Dinekind Harford Meets monthly to share information on the benefits of a plant-based diet. For more information, visit: [ http://www.dinekindharford.com/ ]

MARYLANDVEGEVENTS.COM

Marylandvegevents.com is a one stop calendar site for all MD/DC vegan and vegetarian events. If you are looking to network, socialize, and/or engage in social activism you will find plenty of opportunities here. Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, or interested in trying vegetarianism/veganism, you will find many exciting and fulfilling events.

FORKS OVER KNIVES MONTHLY POTLUCKS

This group is for those interested in trying or for those already committed to a whole food, plant based diet with none or very little oil, salt, or refined sugar. There is a monthly potluck where we sample delicious and healthy dishes, share recipes, learn, and connect with like-minded individuals.

Please bring a dish to serve 8-10 along with a copy of your recipe or ingredients list with your name included so others can identify who made each dish. The dishes should serve 8-10 and must be entirely plant-based (vegan) as well as low or entirely void of refined sugar, salt, and oil. Contributions of $3/person are appreciated to cover the cost of fees, room rental, and supplies.

For more information, visit:
[ http://www.meetup.com/Columbia-MD-Forks-Over-Knives-Meetup/ ]

BALTIMORE NUTRITION AS MEDICINE POTLUCK AND SUPPORT GROUP

This group meets on the second Friday of each month at 6:30PM at the Park Heights Community Health Alliance, located at 4151 Park Heights Ave., Baltimore, MD 21215.

They typically show one or more short educational videos, often a cooking demonstration of something delicious and easy. And, of course, support, discussion, advice, and recipes, beginners welcome. Organized by a plant-based Registered Dietitian and also a plant-based Medical Doctor. Please bring a vegan dish to share if you can.

Please RSVP and visit at
[ http://www.meetup.com/Baltimore-Nutrition-As-Medicine-Potluck/ ]

If you have any questions, contact: [email protected] or 410-231-3323

7) VEGAN CHEF WANTED

This letter was sent to us by Jennifer Arias:

8) POTATO CHIPS’ WATER FOOTPRINT

BY JEANNE YACOUBOU, MS

The VRG received an email inquiry from a European reader about the amount of water needed to produce one bag of potato chips listed in our Save Our Water the Vegetarian Way brochure:
[ http://www.vrg.org/environment/water_brochure.php ]

Water Footprints and Virtual Water

In the brochure we cited data from page 42 Table 4.2 of a UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education document authored by Chapagain and Hoekstra (referred to herein as “Report 16”) giving global averages of the virtual water content of selected foods:
[ http://waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/Report16Vol1.pdf ]

The “water footprint” of an individual, business or nation as described in the Introduction (p. 11) of Report 16 is defined as “the total volume of freshwater that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual, business or nation...consists of two parts: use of domestic water resources and use of water outside the borders of the country...includes both the water withdrawn from surface and groundwater and the use of soil water (in agricultural production).”

“Virtual water” in the Summary to Report 16 (p. 9) is defined as “the volume of water required to produce a commodity or service.”

A Potato Industry Employee's Perspective: Water Footprint of Potato Chips The inquirer told us that he had been in the European potato industry for several years responsible for approximately 300,000 t (approx. 661.4 million pounds) of potatoes used for chips annually in a few countries. He thought that the value (185 L = 48.9 gal.) given in our brochure's table for water needed to produce one 200 g (7 oz.) bag of potato chips was too low.

He suggested that the water usage involved in producing a bag of potato chips from start to finish is significantly higher and should include the water involved in all of the following steps:

• potato seed production (fresh seed used every year); fertilizer and pesticide production;
• water loss from outgrade potatoes not meeting all quality specifications and thereby discarded from production lines (on farms: 10-20% and in the chip plants: 3-5%);
• storage from October to June where there is an ongoing water need to humidify and regulate temperature and ventilation;
• potato (and thereby water) losses when in long-term storage due to inadequate conditions (8-50% of crop);
• transporting, washing and processing potatoes during chip production;
• producing, processing and transporting vegetable oils including palm oil used in the final product;
• packaging materials manufacture;
• transportation from chip plant to distributors and on to retailers.

Our reader told us:

My opinion is based on my experience in the potato industry. I also cite Pimentel's work which states it takes 500 L of water to grow one kilogram of potatoes. By comparison your brochure states it's only half of that.”
[ http://www.kysq.org/docs/Pimentel97.pdf ] (p. 100)

He related to us a farming scenario when he was an agricultural manager during a drought year:

Can you imagine irrigation equipment working 24/7 on one farm which pumped approximately 5,000 cubic meters (approx.1.3 million gallons) of water per hour onto fields by 8 pumping stations from two rivers and four wells?

...The total area of the farm was more than 6,000 ha (hectare) (23.2 square miles)...potatoes grew on 1,000 ha (3.9 sq. mi.)...The irrigation system was used for vegetables (1/3) and potatoes (2/3)...The biggest unit there was a center pivot supplying 140 ha (0.54 sq. mi.) with a capacity of 600+ cubic meters (158,500+ gallons) of water per hr. used for potatoes only.

Since the irrigation was needed under drought conditions The VRG asked if the system operated during years with normal rainfall. We were informed:

In a “normal” year the irrigation system would work 30-50% below the drought year rate but it depended on the soil type and quality; potato variety; climate at a particular farm location; and weather conditions (rainfall and temperature) in a given year.

In a follow up discussion, The VRG learned more about the complexities involved in calculating water footprints for potato chips:

The paradox with potatoes is that the water supplied to fields and later in the factory is the same water that is removed: potatoes retain 78- 81% of water but potato chips, only 2.5-3%. In other words from a single one-ton (2,205 lbs.) capacity chip production line the amount of water which must be removed from potatoes exceeds 2.2 t of steam per hour (4,850 lbs. of steam per hour = 9.7 gallons of water per minute).

What happens to the removed water?

I witnessed the water just going up in the air; you could see plenty of steam above every chip factory. I raised the subject of wasted energy and water many years ago, but there was no intention to change anything as there was no external pressure at all.

Another aspect of potato chip manufacture came to light during our discussion. The potato industry manager stated:

...In chips there is 30-35% fat from the oil the chips were fried in during processing. So if we add all water used in the supply chain for all ingredients including the vegetable oil...such as local sunflower or canola oil and imported palm oil...the water usage will be much higher than calculated by the authors you cite in your brochure.

Although VRG's research in October 2015 showed that palm oil is not listed as an ingredient in the top ten potato chip brands sold in the US, palm oil is used in some potato chips sold in Europe. We learned that:

Palm oil is used in potato chips in some European countries...it may be used as part of a blend of sunflower and palm oils or used alone...I recently saw a bag of chips in the supermarket that contained only palm oil...In other cases the proportion of palm oil is going down from year to year but it is still in usage.

I saw a report showing that European Union countries imported 1,400 tons of palm oil in 2014...The interesting fact is that a large European sunflower and canola oil producer imports palm oil regularly.

Here is a link to a European chip company stating that it uses palm oil in its products:
[ http://www.lorenz-snackworld.com/sustainability/farming/palmoil ]

Interested readers may learn more about palm oil production and harvest as well as efforts to find alternatives here:
[ http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-09-19/yes-palm-oil-destructive-scientists-are-creating-compelling-alternatives ]

American Potato Chip Consumption

Recent United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) data place annual US potato chip consumption at 17 lbs. per person:
[ http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/vegetables-pulses/potatoes.aspx ]

To calculate how much raw commodity it takes to produce this quantity of chips The VRG used the potato manager's estimate of 0.8 kg (800 g or 1.76 lbs.) of raw potatoes needed to make one 200 g (0.44 lb. or 7 oz.) bag of potato chips. We used 322 million for the US population as of October 2015. [ http://www.census.gov/popclock/ ]

Based on these estimated values, total annual chip consumption in the US is approximately 5.5 billion lbs. of potato chips. To make this amount of potato chips approximately 21.9 billion lbs. of raw potatoes are used.

Are Chapagain's and Hoekstra's Values Accurate?

We pointed out in our response to the reader that Chapagain and Hoekstra had indicated several sources of error in their report.

• Use of global averages (Values could be significantly more or less in different areas depending on many factors such as climate variability and agricultural practices.) See Summary and p. 41 Table 4.1 for examples.
• Excluded water needed for processing (p. 38 of Report 16)
• Many simplifying assumptions (p. 26 of Report 16) when calculating the water footprint of processed products (e.g., potato chips) derived from primary raw commodities (e.g., potatoes):
  • water needed to produce only one raw commodity used to calculate water footprint for each processed product
  • raw commodity produced domestically using only domestic resources
  • no mention of water footprints of packaging materials and their processing as well as water needed to run production lines in factories

Chapagain and Hoekstra have expressed concerns over some of their assumptions and choice of certain data sets while discussing their work's shortcomings (pgs. 70-71 of Report 16). These include:

• using crop water requirements (not actual water used by crops) as a basis
• excluding irrigation losses focusing only on quantitative use of water resources (disregarding impacts of human activities on water quality such as agricultural pollution due to pesticides and fertilizers)

In line with observations made here concerning Chapagain's and Hoekstra's work, a September 2015 article published at Bakeryandsnacks.com reiterates the main points:
[ http://www.bakeryandsnacks.com/Manufacturers/Chip-brand-sustainability-level-has-a-long-way-to-go-Rank-a-Brand/?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=16-Sep-2015&c=yazB%2FDHFv2UpQjNc84mPIg%3D%3D&p2= ]

See also: [ http://rankabrand.org/chips-crisps ]

Conclusion

Despite the limitations and qualifying assumptions to all water footprint calculations discussed above, Chapagain and Hoekstra have produced a vast body of knowledge about water footprints serving as a basis for future refinement by researchers just as Chapagain and Hoekstra also continue to develop ways to calculate water footprints more accurately.

Post Script: Net-Zero Chips

Some potato chip companies are redesigning their production methods at pilot sites to achieve a “net-zero” snack chip: [ http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2012/pepsi-near-net-zero/ ]

The VRG asked the potato industry manager if European companies are also piloting net-zero technologies and received this reply:

In some parts of Europe companies don't have customers with great environmental awareness and since competition is not a factor, no changes are in process that I know of...

Post Script: Ugly Vegetables

An innovative way for consumers to conserve water used for food production is to purchase the outgrades (i.e., cosmetically blemished fruits and vegetables that are discarded from production lines).

For more information:

• [ http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/08/19/3692594/ugly-fruit-and-vegetable-food-waste-campaign/ ]
• [ http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/12/09/369613561/in-europe-ugly-sells-in-the-produce-aisle ]
• [ http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/09/21/222082247/trader-joes-ex-president-to-turn-expired-food-into-cheap-meals ]

Interested consumers may find out more about ugly grocers near them:
[ http://www.endfoodwaste.org/united-states.html ]

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group research, please donate at www.vrg.org/donate

To join The Vegetarian Resource Group go to [ http://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php ]

9) MUTTS AND ANIMAL RIGHTS: POPE FRANCIS

Reader Carolyn Stephens wanted everyone to know about the cartoon Mutts and all its animal rights themes, but especially the quotes from Pope Francis it featured.

• "It would also be mistaken to view other living beings as mere objects subjected to arbitrary human domination." (The cartoonist had a picture of a dog chained up.)
• "Because all creatures are connected, each must be cherished with love and respect, for all of us as living creatures are dependent on one another." (Pictures of many animals holding paws and flippers)

See: [ http://catholicherald.com/stories/Mutts-comic-strip-features-a-weeks-worth-of-quotes-from-Pope-Francis,30058 ]

10) STEARIC ACID IN LIFE SAVERS MINTS DERIVED FROM TALLOW, LARD

BY JEANNE YACOUBOU, MS

Background

Throughout The Vegetarian Resource Group's recent investigations on calcium and magnesium stearate and stearic acid from May until November 2015, information emerged that was very different from what was known to be true many years ago. Many ingredient manufacturers and suppliers as well as many different types of food companies told us that their food grade stearates and stearic acid were vegetable-derived, mostly coming from palm or coconut oils or corn rather than tallow or lard which was more common twenty or more years ago.

Although a few food grade tallow-derived stearates and stearic acid were located on the market as raw ingredients, they weren't appearing on ingredient labels of foods that we had been researching. A few ingredient company employees who would not divulge their clients' identities told us that customers may purchase food grade products (of plant or animal origin) but use them in non-food items such as personal care products.

In fact one ingredient supplier told us that the only difference between food grade and non-food grade ingredients has to do with where the ingredients are measured out and bagged. Food grade ingredients are handled in cleaner “white rooms” under more rigorous standards and quality controls while non-food grade ingredients are measured out in warehouses.

Google® Images of ingredient labels turned up very few foods listing stearic acid as an ingredient; in fact it took manipulating the search term wording a few times to reveal a handful of stearic acid-containing mints among thousands of labels that we reviewed. One of them was Wrigley's® Life Savers®.

A Wrigley customer service representative told The VRG by email and phone in August 2015 that the Pep O Mint®, Spear O Mint® and Wint O Mint® Life Savers varieties contain stearic acid which “...is an animal-based ingredient.” Wrigley's corporate affairs office confirmed to us by email that their “stearic acid is sourced from both beef and pork.”

Taste or Texture Factor?

The VRG contacted Wrigley's corporate affairs office by phone for more information. We received a return phone call and several follow up email responses:

I am following up on your inquiry to Wrigley regarding stearic acid in Life Savers mints...

While most Wrigley products sold in the U.S. do not contain animal-derived ingredients, we do use [animal-derived] stearic acid in Life Savers Spear O Mint, Pep-O-Mint and Wint-O-Green sugar mints, which is included in the ingredient line label. The ingredients in our products are necessary to achieve the right taste and texture. We are continually looking at alternatives to animal-derived ingredients that can deliver the same quality that our consumers love. - On behalf of Wrigley Corporate Affairs

Price Factor?

Possibly price could be the reason why a company would choose tallow or lard as a stearic acid source rather than palm, coconut or corn oil. So we asked stearic acid suppliers if there was a large difference in price. For example, Acme-Hardesty® provided a price quote on one ton of food grade tallow-derived and one ton of food grade plant oil-derived stearic acid (70% or higher) in flake form:

The pricing on triple-pressed stearic acid tallow- vs. vegetable-based is 0.82 vs 0.89/lb. respectively...

An employee of Silver Fern Chemical® added that the price of animal- and plant-derived stearic acid fluctuates depending on supply and demand; animal-based could be slightly lower in price than plant-based at one time but more expensive at another time. Speaking of powdered stearic acid she said that

...plant-derived is generally higher, but sometimes it's tallow; plant is usually 10 cents per lb. higher.

Wondering if a 7-10 cents/lb. difference for one ingredient could make a significant difference to the profit margin of a large company and if the taste difference would be noticeable The VRG asked for the opinion of a certified food scientist with over ten years of experience in the food industry who stated:

I don't think there would be a significant difference in taste/texture from a plant-based vs. a tallow-based version. But believe it or not, 7 cents extra per pound can be an issue, especially for a major company that mass produces in volume such as Wrigley's.

The other thing to consider is supply chain. There may not be enough available, maybe not enough to sustain growth, maybe minimum production runs are larger, maybe they require a clean-out stage making the ordering lead-time longer. There are a lot of factors involved in supply chain that may be the biggest hurdle.

Bottom line is there is most likely a good substitution available, and if they had consumer interest to make it work - they could probably make it happen I think.

NOTE: By comparison, Wrigley's Altoids Smalls® and Altoids Arctic® contain magnesium stearate. The “stearate” part of this magnesium stearate used in these products is (from a company email to us), sourced from “stearic acid derived from palm oil.”

Conclusion

Apart from three Wrigley's Lifesavers flavors it is possible that other products contain animal-derived stearic acid although we find it unlikely based on our research. Look for an upcoming article by VRG on approximately 40 mint brands.

If you discover any other products containing stearic acid derived from animal fat (tallow or lard) please email us at [email protected]. Your information will be an important contribution to The VRG's database on food ingredient source trends.

The contents of this posting, our website and our other publications, including 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.

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group research, donate at
www.vrg.org/donate

To join The Vegetarian Resource Group, go to
[ http://www.vrg.org/member/cabdacae.php ]

11) FOOD DELIVERY COMPANY

John J asks:

-The Vegetarian Resource Group
[email protected]

12) $20 COUPON FOR RELAY FOODS IN BALTIMORE, WASHINGTON, DC, VIRGINIA, AND NORTH CAROLINA

RelayFoods.com, an online grocery store with a mission to make eating quality, healthy, sustainable food simple is offering a discount for you. Shop their catalog of vegan and vegetarian products at:
[ https://www.relayfoods.com/search?q=tag=6WX ]

Also, see recipes at: [ https://www.relayfoods.com/meals/dishes?f=vegan ]

Be sure to use coupon code VRG20 to save $20 off your first $50 order through 12/31/2016. Offering online ordering for local, organic, and everyday groceries, and home delivery or free pick up.

13) MATCHING DONATIONS

Don't forget that many employers will match your donation to nonprofits such as The Vegetarian Resource Group, often up to $5,000. A partial list of employers that match can be seen here at www.vrg.org/donate by checking "employer to match" and clicking on "Please Select."

14) VRG'S YAHOO PARENT'S GROUP

Are you or someone you know raising a vegetarian or vegan child? If so, you may want to join a network of parents interested in exchanging ideas on various vegetarian/vegan topics including: finding a vegan summer camp, vegan dining options at Disney World, what can I pack in my child’s lunchbox, how have you and your child dealt with the dissection issue in school, can you recommend a veggie-friendly pediatrician or dietitian, is there a veggie children’s group in my area, etc.

For more information on this online Yahoo Group see:
[ https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/vrgparents/info ]

15) AMAZON SMILE: PURCHASE THROUGH AMAZON AND MAKE A DONATION TO VRG

Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Vegetarian Resource Group whenever you shop on AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service.

Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at
[ http://smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1279034 ]

16) DONATE YOUR CAR TO A GOOD CAUSE

A free, convenient service for converting that extra car, truck, or RV into a tax deductible donation benefiting The Vegetarian Resource Group. You can donate online or call 877-999-8322 to make your donation.

Start now by clicking on "Donate Now" below. If you are not ready to donate, find out about donating your vehicle by browsing all the valuable information and links on our site at: [ http://www.v-dac.com/org/?id=52127903 ]

17) BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR FOR VRG

The Vegetarian Resource Group greatly appreciates the support given by our monthly donors. You can join our monthly giving group with a minimum gift of just $10 a month by going to www.vrg.org/donate. You will be part of a network of givers who support our outreach efforts on an ongoing basis. These donations allow us to continue vegan education in a wide variety of venues including schools, doctor and dietitian offices, libraries, various professional conferences, animal rights events, health fairs, environmental festivals, and much more. Thank you for your support!

18) VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP RESEARCH AND NEWS TRADER JOE'S SOY CHORIZO, CHANUKAH RECIPES, VEGAN SOUP RECIPES, VEGAN BOOTS, DISCOUNT ON VEGAN SHOES, VEGAN HOSPITAL FOOD, AND MORE

TRADER JOE’S SOY CHORIZO AND MUENSTER CHEESE

[ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/12/03/trader-joes-soy-chorizo-and-muenster-cheese/ ]

CHANUKAH STARTS THE EVENING OF DECEMBER 6, 2015—YOU MAY WANT TO SERVE THESE VEGAN RECIPES!

[ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/12/02/chanukah-starts-the-evening-of-december-6-2015-you-may-want-to-serve-these-vegan-recipes/ ]

ENJOY SOME VEGAN SOUP RECIPES!

[ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/12/01/enjoy-some-vegan-soup-recipes/ ]

STUDENT NEEDS HELP WITH A SURVEY

[ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/30/student-needs-help-with-a-survey/ ]

RACING EXTINCTION

[ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/24/racing-extinction/ ]

VEGANO ITALIANO TOURS REVEAL RARELY SEEN ITALY IN 2016

[ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/19/vegano-italiano-tours-reveal-rarely-seen-italy-in-2016/ ]

VEGAN SHOES, BOOTS, AND MORE FOR CHILDREN

[ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/16/vegan-shoes-boots-and-more-for-children/ ]

VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP 2015 VIDEO CONTEST WINNER

[ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/06/vegetarian-resource-group-2015-video-contest-winner-2/ ]

WHERE TO BUY VEGAN BOOTS

[ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/05/where-to-buy-vegan-boots/ ]

SCHOOL LUNCHES

[ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/05/school-lunches/ ]

25% DISCOUNT ON LUCA CHIARA NON-LEATHER SHOES, HANDBAGS, WALLETS, AND PASSPORT

[ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/04/25-discount-on-lucachiara-non-leather-shoes-handbags-wallets-and-passport-cases/ ]

VEGAN HOSPITAL FOOD

[ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/11/04/vegan-hospital-food/ ]

19) ABOUT VRG

Our health professionals, activists, and educators work with businesses and individuals to bring about healthful changes in your school, workplace, and community. Registered dietitians and physicians aid in the development of nutrition-related publications and answer member and media questions about vegetarian diets. The Vegetarian Resource Group is a non-profit organization. Financial support comes primarily from memberships, donations, bequests, and book sales. The Vegetarian Journal, a print magazine, is a benefit of membership in The VRG. (For more information, please see the Vegetarian Journal online at:
[ http://www.vrg.org/journal/ ]

To sign up for the The Vegetarian Resource Group national email newsletter, please visit:
[ http://lists.vrg.org/mailman/listinfo/vrg-news_lists.vrg.org ]

We are also on Facebook and Twitter!!

• [ http://www.facebook.com/thevegetarianresourcegroup/ ]
• [ http://www.twitter.com/VegResourceGrp/ ]

If you would like to make a donation, become a member, volunteer, or find out more about The VRG, contact us at:

The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203
Phone: (410) 366-8343
Fax: (410) 366-8804
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: [ http://www.vrg.org/ ]

To donate: [ http://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?Action=GC&CID=1565/ ]

Copyright The Vegetarian Resource Group 2015 The contents of this newsletter, and our other publications, including 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 own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

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[ http://lists.vrg.org/mailman/listinfo/vrg-maryland_lists.vrg,org ]

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[ http://lists.vrg.org/mailman/listinfo/vrg-maryland_lists.vrg.org ]

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