The VRG's Maryland Newsletter by Laura McGuiness
September, 2018
- VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP RESEARCH AND NEWS
- VRG VEGAN DINNER IN WASHINGTON, D.C. ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2018
- THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP'S 2018 VIDEO CONTEST WINNERS
- INTERNATIONAL VEGETARIAN FOOD FAIR
- DC VEGFEST ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2018 Canceled because of weather!
- COLUMBIA 30-DAY PLANT-BASED DIET CHALLENGE
- PSYCHOLOGY STUDY ABOUT VEGETARIANS
- VRG BOOTH AT VEGAN SOULFEST
- GELLAN GUM
- THB BAGEL SHOP OFFERS VEGAN CREAM CHEESE
- WISH LIST
- HUNGRY HARVEST
- VRG HIGHLIGHTS
- MARYLAND AREA EVENTS
- VISIT VRG AT THESE OUTREACH BOOTHS
- A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS
- CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
- AMAZON SMILE: PURCHASE THROUGH AMAZON AND MAKE A DONATION TO VRG
- ABOUT VRG
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2) VRG VEGAN DINNER IN WASHINGTON, D.C. ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2018
The Vegetarian Resource Group will host a vegan dinner at BUSBOYS AND POETS in Washington, DC (About three blocks from the Convention Center) on Sunday, October 21, 2018 at 6 PM during the annual meeting of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Meet VRG advisors Reed Mangels PhD RD, Catherine Conway MS RD, Mark Rifkin MSRD, Debra Wasserman, and vegetarian dietitians from around the country. All are welcome!
Must reserve and pay in advance.
To reserve: Send $35 per person (includes tax and tip) with names to
The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203
You may also call (410) 366-8343, M-F 9-5, EST, to pay over the phone, or pay at
[ https://www.vrg.org/donate ]
and write DC Dietitian Dinner in the Comments.
PLEASE SHARE THIS FLYER
[ https://www.vrg.org/Annual_VRG_Vegan_Dinner.pdf ]
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3) THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP'S 2018 VIDEO CONTEST WINNERS
Digital Story: Fishing
By Ivan Lashinsky
I was depressed whenever I looked down at my plate and saw the corpse of something that used to be
alive. I do not want any flame to be extinguished in order to fuel my own fire. See:
[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQZkWGEJSEc&feature=youtu.be ]
The deadline for the next video contest is July 15, 2019. See:
[ https//www.vrg.org/videoscholarship ]
View winners of the video contest at:
[ https://www.vrg.org/veg_videos ]
For information about VRG's College Scholarship Contest (One $10,000, two $5,000 awards), see: [ https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar ]
To support The Vegetarian Resource Group scholarships and internships, donate at [ https://www.vrg.org/donate ]
or The Vegetarian Resource Group, Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203
Video scholarships have been given in honor of W.M. Zahn, who was a great mentor.
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4) INTERNATIONAL VEGETARIAN FOOD FAIR
On September 16, 2018, is the annual Capital Memorial Church (CMC) extravaganza! CMC members, hailing from almost 50 countries, present an unlimited "sampling" of authentic international vegetarian cuisines. You can take a small serving of hundreds of items and come back for more! Try foods from Africa, Asia Pacific, Caribbean, Europe, South Asia, Latin America, and North America. All items are vegetarian; many vegan dishes are available too. A cookbook will be available so you can make some of these dishes at your leisure!
[
https://www.facebook.com/events/2101258670090467/ ]
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5) DC VEGFEST ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2018
Canceled because of weather!
Compassion Over Killing is proud to present the 10th annual DC VegFest on Saturday, September 15, 2018. Hosted outdoors at famed Yards Park in the nation's capital, the DC VegFest is a free fun-filled festival of food, music, education, and inspiration with more than 20,000 attendees who join the celebration each year.
Featuring over 120 vendors and exhibitors, thousands of festival-goers - vegans and pre-vegans alike - will experience plant-based eating's many flavors, and learn how each of us can protect the planet, our health, and animals simply by enjoying vegan meals.
On the main stage, emceed by rapper Grey, celebrity speakers will share inspiring talks and expert chefs will dazzle the crowd with their culinary creations.
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6) COLUMBIA 30-DAY PLANT-BASED DIET CHALLENGE
Please join in each week for 4 weeks beginning October 5th to:
- Set your own plant-based related goals (it doesn't have to be all or nothing)
- Share recipes, successes, and challenges with others
- Learn about plant-based nutrition
- Sample foods
Ideas for meals and recipes will be provided, along with Vegan food lists, and a journal to keep track of your experience and progress.
The group will be facilitated by Marcy Schveibinz who is a board certified health coach and certified Vegan Lifestyle coach.
To sign up go to eventbrite at [ https://bit.ly/2Q3uGj2 ]
OR meetup at: [ https://bit.ly/2Q4w5pG ]
For questions or more information contact Marcy at [
[email protected] ]
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7) PSYCHOLOGY STUDY ABOUT VEGETARIANS
Hi, we're hoping you can help us out with a psychology study we are conducting. We are doing an anonymous survey (20 min or less) about being a vegetarian. Any help spreading the word about the study would be greatly appreciated.
Participants over the age of 18 are eligible to win a $50 Amazon gift card (chances of winning are 1 in 100, draw entries will be confidential and not associated with survey responses).
You can take the survey online at:
[ https://tamuc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6nYet2okoD8e3mB ]
The survey will be open until September 16th, 2018.
Thank you!
Dr. Courtney Plante, Department of Psychology, MacEwan University, [email protected]
Dr. Stephen Reysen, Department of Psychology & Special Education, Texas A&M University-Commerce, [email protected]
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8) VRG BOOTH AT VEGAN SOULFEST
By Kalie Ganem, VRG Intern
On August 25, 2018, I along with ten thousand others, had the pleasure of attending Baltimore's Vegan Soulfest [ https://www.vegansoulfest.com ]
, a festival of vendors, organizations, and performers all coming together to celebrate veganism. The Vegetarian Resource Group set up our booth there in order to answer questions, distribute recipes, sell merchandise, and spread interest for veganism. I, along with other volunteers Julia, Marcy, Davin, and Matt, spoke to a wide variety of people from all different walks of life, all with one thing in common: a passion for veganism.
We passed out editions of our quarterly magazine Vegetarian Journal, which includes recipes
and tips, to everyone who passed by, most of whom took it with enthusiasm at the prospect
of new dishes to try. I spoke to many people who were struggling with the diet and needed
faith that it was worth the trouble, including the mother of a teenager with an eating
disorder, a worried father of vegan children, and a woman trying to add gluten-free to her long
list of dietary restrictions. Many asked about alternative sources of protein, to which I responded
with a laundry-list of plant-based protein sources they could try. One man revealed that he ran
for office and had to hide his vegetarianism from the public for public relation reasons. One
woman who particularly struck me was a physician seeking help on selling a plant-based diet to
her meat-loving, but consequently sick patients. She talked about frequently hearing how her
patients could never give up the taste of a fatty meat diet, and how they had convinced
themselves that plants were not healthier so they would not have to change their ways. How
were her patients supposed to believe that a change of diet would save their health when
organizations that are supposed to be health conscious were recommending meat-loaf as a
heart healthy recipe? We discussed how there is so much more work to be done in getting the
word out about how good for the body and planet veganism really is, but events like this very
festival were taking huge steps in the right direction. We gave her a stack of copies of our
Vegetarian Journal to give to her patients to help inform them of the power of veganism.
This experience really touched my heart in so many ways. Other than my own parents, I had
never seen anyone besides teenage girls trying these diets, but this festival really opened me
up to the large community of vegans. I had gone in with the expectation that I would inspire
others to make the change to or further their belief in veganism, which I believe I accomplished
on many occasions. What I did not expect is that I myself would be so inspired by the very
people I was trying to help. Hearing all their different stories and backgrounds really reminded
me why I chose and continue to choose this lifestyle every day. It reaffirmed for me the positivity
of both body and soul that comes from eating from the earth. Even though I had been standing
and talking in the hot sun all day, I came back from the festival not fatigued, but energized,
excited to try the free products I got and inspired by those around me.
To volunteer at future Vegetarian Resource Group outreach booths, contact [email protected]
To support The Vegetarian Resource Group outreach, donate at [ https://www.vrg.org/donate ]
Or join VRG at [
https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php ]
To intern for The Vegetarian Resource Group, see [ https://www.vrg.org/student/index.php ]
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9) GELLAN GUM
By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
Alternative name: E418
Commercial source: microbial fermentation (Sphingomonas elodea on corn, sugar beet or sugar cane)
Used in: beverages (esp. plant-based beverages), dairy, confections, jams, jellies, pie fillings, salad dressings, sauces, cosmetics, personal care and oral care products, pharmaceuticals, pet food, household cleaners
Used for: Gelling, texturizing, thickening, stabilizing, suspending, film-forming, bulking, and structuring
Definition: A naturally occurring polysaccharide (carbohydrate) used mainly as a stabilizer & suspension agent in beverages, gellan gum is a common gelatin alternative.
Major Manufacturers: Jason at CP Kelco told us they use "corn syrup" as a fermentation medium. [ http://www.cpkelco.com/products-gellan-gum.html ]
Summer at Cinogel Biotech informed us they use "cane sugar or glucose." She did not respond with more detail. [ https://www.cinogel.com ]
Brooke at TIC Gums wrote by email that they "...use corn derivatives to make the glucose syrup for the fermentation process." [ https://www.ticgums.com/products/category/gellan-gum.html ]
Wen Wu from Opal Biotech stated that they "...use glucose powder to produce gellan gum. Glucose is derived from corn. If requested, we could use cane sugar." [ https://www.opalbiotech.com ]
Jean-Baptiste of DuPont Danisco responded that "Our plant is located in Europe, and we use some local beet sugar to produce [gellan gum]." "[Our gellan gums] are vegetable- and microbial-based, but one of the processing aids used to produce MAS 100 makes this grade not vegan compliant...Only the Gellan VEG 200 is vegan."
[
http://www.danisco.com/about-dupont/news/news-archive/2017/dupont-nutrition-health-increases-the-appeal-of-dairy-free-drinks/ ]
Classification: Vegan (see DuPont Danisco note above.)
Definition updated: August 2018
For more information:
For information on other ingredients, see [
https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php ]
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10) THB BAGEL SHOP OFFERS VEGAN CREAM CHEESE
THB bagel shop located in Canton, Charles Village, Towson, and Timonium, Maryland now offers vegan cream cheese. For information on this bagelry, see:
[ https://www.eatthb.com/ ]
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11) WISH LIST
As a non-profit, we can only take on new projects when we are able to get support from
donors and our dedicated volunteers. Right now, we are especially seeking your support
for the following:
- VRG Outreach Booth at American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, attended by
10,000 health professionals - our most important conference of the year. Here, we are able
to educate and put materials into the hands of 1,000 registered dietitians and other health
professionals. ($50 to give out copies of Vegetarian Journal and other resources to ten
dietitians) ($4,000 to have a booth)
-
We're getting down to the last of our Vegan Nutrition for Teenagers brochures. We're
looking for $1,000 for another print run of this very popular pamphlet.
-
- Do you have an old car, truck, or RV that youÂ’re trying to get rid of? Did you know that
you can turn that old vehicle into a tax deductible donation to The Vegetarian Resource
Group? You can donate online here: [ http://www.v-dac.com/org/?id=521279034 ], or call
1-877-999-8322.
-
You can make a one time, quarterly, monthly, or an annual donation. To make a donation, call (410)-366-8343 M-F 9:00-5:00 EST, mail a check to The Vegetarian Resource Group at PO Box 1463, Baltimore MD, 21203, or visit [ https://www.vrg.org/donate ]
. Please be sure to let us know which project you would like your contribution to fund. Thank you for supporting The Vegetarian Resource Group!
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12) HUNGRY HARVEST
Hungry Harvest is a produce delivery company on a mission to end food waste and
hunger in the US. They work with local farms and wholesalers to recover their surplus
produce and deliver it to subscribers every week in a curated and customizable box.
Get $5 off your first delivery. Sign up with code WELCOM
Serves locations in Baltimore, DC, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Delaware, North Carolina,
and Southern Florida.
For information, go to:
[
https://www.hungryharvest.net/vrg ]
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13) VRG HIGHLIGHTS
Our intern Amy Dell and French volunteer Angelique Complainville recorded a vegan
cooking demo for a traditional French lunch. You can see it here:
[ https://youtu.be/vmRhqpU9f8I ]
Reed Mangels, Ph.D, RD was able to answer a food company's questions about vegan
labeling.
A nonprofit organization in Idaho that consults to people starting businesses called us
because they needed information for a client wanting to set up a brick and mortar vegan
bakery. They were impressed with our website and poll information!
We were able to send some Christian-oriented pro-vegetarian literature from another
organization to a member who wanted to share vegetarianism with her Bible study group.
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14) 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, see:
[ https://www.meetup.com/vegetarian-9/ ]
[ https://www.meetup.com/The-Baltimore-Vegan-Meetup-Group/ ]
DINEKIND
Dinekind Harford meets monthly to share information on the benefits of a plant-based diet. For more information, visit: [ http://www.dinekindharford.com/ ]
WWW.VEGEVENTS.COM
Maryland and DC veg events can be found at [ https://www.vegevents.com ]
WHOLE FOOD FOR OPTIMAL HEALTH - BALTIMORE 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. Please bring a vegan dish to share if you can.
Please RSVP and visit at [ https://www.meetup.com/Whole-Food-for-Optimal-Health-Potluck/ ]
If you have any questions, contact: Margie (mobile: 410-375-5803, [email protected])
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.
For more information about the next event, visit:
[ https://www.meetup.com/Columbia-MD-Forks-Over-Knives-Meetup/ ]
BALTIMORE VEGAN DRINKS MONTHLY MEETUP
Baltimore Vegan Drinks is a happy hour for vegans, vegetarians, and the veg-curious. There's no cover charge, and there are 100%-vegan snacks, entrees and more. And of course there are awesome vegan drinks! Our group is part of a national Vegan Drinks outfit with events in dozens of cities. Vegan Drinks' mission is to bring together diverse people to build new friendships and promote the sharing of resources.
This month's events are coming up on September 13th at Suspended Brewing w/ PEP Foods Pop-Up, 912 Washington Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21230 and September 30th at The French Twist (crepes), 732 Oklahoma Ave., Sykesville, MD 21784 from 6 PM to 9 PM.
For more information about Vegan Drinks, visit:
[ https://www.facebook.com/BaltimoreVeganDrinks ]
[ http://baltimorevegans.com/ ]
MONTHLY COOKING CLASSES
No meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, or honey. $55/person; $100/two people; $50/VSDC, VRG, or COK members. Demonstration classes include recipes, organic food samples, manufacturers' samples coupons. Gift certificates are available for purchase.
Email [email protected] or call 703-643-2713 for space availability. Make checks payable to Mimi Clark and mail to 9302 Hallston Ct., Fairfax Station, VA 22039. Sorry, no phone or e-mail reservations and no walk-ins. Seventy-two hour cancellation policy for refund or credit. Class subject to cancellation if minimum enrollment is not met.
Check website for monthly class updates: [ http://www.veggourmet.wordpress.com ]
Upcoming class: Beans & Grains--September 23, 2018 from 10AM to 1PM.
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15) VISIT VRG AT THESE OUTREACH BOOTHS
MARYLAND AREA EVENTS:
- DC VegFest
- Canceled because of weather!
Saturday, Sept. 15th, 2018
Yards Park, Washington, DC
- Eat Well Stay Well 2018
- Sunday, November 4th, 2018
Howard Community College
Smith Theatre, Horowitz Center
Columbia, MD
- VRG's Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Potluck
- North Baltimore Mennonite Church in Roland Park
Baltimore MD
Sunday, November 18th, 2018, 5PM
EVENTS OUTSIDE MARYLAND:
- York Harvest VegFest
- Saturday, September 22nd, 2018
Coulser Park
York, PA
- Charlottesville Vegan Roots Fest
- Saturday, Sept. 29th, 2018
Washington Park, Charlottesville, VA
- Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Washington DC
October 21st-23rd, 2018
- VRG Annual Vegan Dinner (during the annual meeting of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
- Sunday, October 21st, 2018, 6pm, Washington, DC
If you're interested in helping us at one of these events, contact Gene Slothour-Hudnall at [email protected].
World Veg Fest
Saturday, October 27th, 2018
San Francisco County Fair Building, Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, CA
OTHER EVENTS:
- Boston VegFest
- Saturday and Sunday, October 20th and 21st, 2018
Reggie Lewis Athletic Center
Boston, MA
- Central Florida Veg Fest
- Saturday, October 27th , 2018
Orlando Festival Park
Orlando, FL
- Sedona Health & Nutrition Conference
- Sedona, AZ
January 17th & 18th, 2019
- Sedona VegFest
- Sedona, AZ
January 19th & 20th, 2019
Plant-Based Prevention of Disease
Saturday - Monday, May 18th - 20th , 2019
McKimmon Conference and Training Center at NC State University
Raleigh, NC
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16) A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS
Thanks to the following VRG volunteers for all your hard work with The Vegetarian Resource Group, including, posting to social media, writing blog posts, research, presentations, restaurant research, developing SNAP low income (food stamp) meal plans, designing handouts, clerical work, writing HTML, judging videos, contributing to our vegan parents group, hosting interns, training interns, doing media interviews, staffing booths, accounting, editing, performing nutrition analysis, making vegan casseroles for the homeless, helping with our newsletters, and more!
- Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD RD
- Whitney Blomquist
- Casey Brown
- Angelique Complainville
- Keryl Cryer
- Amy Dell
- Carole Hamlin
- Reed Mangels, Ph.D, RD
- Paul Marrocco
- Julia Mathew
- Laura McGuiness
- David Milner
- Karen Peissinger
- Marcia Schveibinz
- Robin Tate
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17) CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
We're still looking for volunteers who can assist us with updating our lists of vegetarian
and vegan restaurants. We've gotten a lot of leads from our scholarship entrants, but we
need to research their suggestions.
We also need assistance with clerical work in our Baltimore office, including stuffing
packages to be sent out to members.
We'll be needing local volunteers to assist with our Pre-Thanksgiving potluck in
November.
To volunteer at VRG, please contact Gene at [email protected] ]
To support The Vegetarian Resource Group's outreach, donate at [ https://www.vrg.org/donate ]
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18) 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 ]
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19) ABOUT THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP
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:
[ https://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, Instagram, and Twitter!!
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: [ https://www.vrg.org/ ]
To donate: [
https://www.givedirect.org/donate/?cid=1565 ]
Copyright The Vegetarian Resource Group 2018 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.
If you were forwarded this message and would like to sign up for our monthly local email newsletter, please go to
[ http://lists.vrg.org/mailman/listinfo/vrg-maryland_lists.vrg.org ]
If you do not wish to receive the Local Email Newsletter, visit
[ http://lists.vrg.org/mailman/listinfo/vrg-maryland_lists.vrg.org ]
Instructions for unsubscribing will appear at the bottom of the page. See Unsubscribe or edit options. (You do not need a password).
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