VRG-NEWS: The Vegetarian Resource Group Newsletter
Volume 21, Issue 2

February 2017

By Shani Stewart

CONTENTS

  1. VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP RESEARCH AND NEWS
  2. VRG BOOTHS AND EVENTS
  3. BEING VEGAN IN A FOODSERVICE CLASS
  4. $20,000 IN VEGETARIAN COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS
  5. MATCHING DONATIONS FOR VEGAN EDUCATION -- DOUBLE YOUR CONTRIBUTION
  6. BECOME A MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY DONOR FOR VRG
  7. ABOUT THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP
  8. ABOUT VRG NEWS

1) VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP RESEARCH AND NEWS

  • BEING VEGAN IN EGYPT
  • TESLA HAS NONLEATHER SEATS
  • VEGAN OPTIONS AT RED ROBIN
  • VEGAN MEALS FOR THOSE THAT CAN'T COOK
  • VEGAN AT CHIPOTLE
  • RUBY TUESDAY'S
  • VEGAN RAVEN CAKE
  • AND MORE
SOY FOODS RESEARCH
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/12/19/soy-foods-research/ ]
BEING VEGAN IN CAIRO, EGYPT
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/12/19/being-vegan-in-cairo-egypt/ ]
READ THE LATEST SCIENTIFIC UPDATES RELATED TO VEGGIE DIETS
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/12/20/read-the-latest-scientific-updates-related-to-veggie-diets/ ]
PLANT BASED NUTRITION CENTER OPENS IN PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/12/21/plant-based-nutrition-center-opens-in-pasadena-california/ ]
PLEASE SUPPORT THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/12/21/please-support-the-vegetarian-resource-group/ ]
GET CASH BACK WITH GIVING ASSISTANT
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/12/22/get-cash-back-with-giving-assistant/ ]
DONATE TO VRG
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/12/23/donate-to-vrg/ ]
TESLA NOW HAS NONLEATHER OPTIONS AVAILABLE IN ALL ITS CARS
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/12/27/tesla-now-has-has-nonleather-options-available-in-all-its-cars/ ]
QUICK AND EASY HOT BEVERAGES
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/12/27/quick-and-easy-hot-beverages/ ]
SALAD BARS BEING DONATED TO SCHOOLS
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/12/27/salad-bars-being-donated-to-schools/ ]
THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP OFFERS TWO $5,000 SCHOLARSHIPS PLUS ONE $10,000 SCHOLARSHIP
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/12/27/the-vegetarian-resource-group-offers-two-5000-scholarships-plus-one-10000-scholarship-2/ ]
IRA QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTIONS
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/12/28/ira-qualified-charitable-distributions/ ]
VEGETARIAN SOCIETY OF DC LIFE AFFIRMING THANKSGIVING
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/12/29/vegetarian-society-of-dc-life-affirming-thanksgiving/ ]
VEGAN TINTED LIP BALM IN SEVERAL FLAVORS NOW AVAILABLE
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/12/29/vegan-tinted-lip-balm-in-several-flavors-now-available/ ]
VEGAN OPTIONS AT RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS AND BREWS
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/12/30/vegan-options-at-red-robin-gourmet-burgers-and-brews/ ]
FDA URGED TO DECIDE WHAT CAN BE CALLED MILK
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/01/02/fda-urged-to-decide-what-can-be-called-milk/ ]
BEING VEGAN IN A FOODSERVICE CLASS
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/01/03/being-vegan-in-a-foodservice-class/ ]
UPDATE FROM LAUREN HICKEY VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP 2016 SCHOLARSHIP WINNER
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/01/04/update-from-lauren-hickey-vegetarian-resource-group-2016-scholarship-winner/ ]
VEGAN MEALS FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T COOK
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/01/05/vegan-meals-for-those-who-cant-cook/ ]
VEGANISM IN AN UNLIKELY PLACE VEGANISM IN VINTED OR OTHER ONLINE STORES
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/01/06/veganism-in-an-unlikely-place-veganism-in-vinted-or-other-online-stores/ ]
HOW TO REPORT PRODUCT PROBLEMS AND COMPLAINTS TO THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/01/09/how-to-report-product-problems-and-complaints-to-the-food-and-drug-administration/ ]
INDUSTRY INFLUENCE ON RESEARCH
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/01/10/industry-influence-on-research/ ]
NEW RESTAURANTS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP'S ONLINE GUIDE TO VEGAN/ VEGETARIAN RESTAURANTS IN THE USA AND CANADA
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/01/11/new-restaurants-have-been-added-to-the-vegetarian-resource-groups-online-guide-to-veganvegetarian-restaurants-in-the-usa-and-canada-7/ ]
VEGAN AT CHIPOTLE
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/01/13/vegan-at-chipotle/ ]
THE BEST VEGAN MAC N CHEESE ACCORDING TO THE KIDS
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/01/16/the-best-vegan-mac-n-cheese-according-to-the-kids/ ]
VEGAN TRAVEL GUIDE IN NEPAL
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/01/17/vegan-travel-guide-in-nepal/ ]
RUBY TUESDAY'S LAUNCHES AN UPGRADED ENDLESS GARDEN BAR
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/01/18/ruby-tuesdays-launches-an-upgraded-endless-garden-bar/ ]
VEGAN RAVEN CAKE
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/01/19/vegan-raven-cake/ ]
LAURA'S SOAP
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/01/20/lauras-soap/ ]
A GUIDE TO FINDING VEGAN FOOD OPTIONS AT SCHOOL CAFETERIA FOOD TRUCK AND SNACK CARTS
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/01/20/a-guide-to-finding-vegan-food-options-at-school-cafeteria-food-truck-and-snack-carts/ ]
VEGAN MENU OPTIONS AT SUBWAY
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/01/23/vegan-menu-options-at-subway/ ]
VEGETARIAN FOOD ASIA (VFA) 2017
http://vegfoodasia17.expo-onlinereg.com/index.php?lang=en&PassCode=EE014 ]

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2) VRG BOOTHS AND EVENTS

Upcoming Events:

Coppin State University Homecoming Basketball Game
Saturday, February 11th, from 2 PM - 6 PM
2500 West North Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21216
The Maryland Dietetics in Health Care Communities Conference
Tuesday, April 4, 2017 from 7:15 AM - 3:10 PM
Located at The Gathering Place
6120 Day Long Lane
Clarksville, MD 21029
Harford County Earth Day
Saturday, April 22, 2017 from 11 AM - 4 PM
Park located at 60 N. Parke Street in Aberdeen Maryland
New England VegFest
Sunday April 30, 2017 from 11 AM-5 PM
Located at DCU Center
50 Foster St
Worcester, MA 01608
Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo
October 21-24, 2017
Located at the McCormick West Building
2301 S King Dr, Chicago, IL 60616

To volunteer at VRG booths, please contact Brigette at [email protected]

To support Vegetarian Resource Group outreach, donate at [ http://www.vrg.org/donate ]

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3) BEING VEGAN IN A FOODSERVICE CLASS

By Casey Brown, former VRG Intern

As a Dietetics Student at the University of Maryland, College Park, we are required to take Foodservice Operations. One of our projects for this class was to work in groups of three and design a theme meal to serve 55 people. This meal had to meet certain requirements for nutritional standards and budgeting.

As a vegan, I was hoping that our meal could be 100% plant-based. I met with my friends who were my group members (both of them were non-vegetarians), and they were both eager to design a vegan menu. We all knew it would be a unique meal plan. It would likely be lower cost since we did not have to purchase meats, it would be lower in fat, and it would show everyone that vegan food can be nutritious and delicious!

After forming our groups, the first step was to design our menu. We had to pick a theme for our meal and then decide on our recipes. Our menu had to consist of a bread, an appetizer, an entree, a starch, a vegetable, and a dessert. As a group, we made a huge list of potential vegan recipes that we could use and then used those options to select our theme. We originally planned to do a Southwestern Vegan menu, but ultimately decided to do a Plant-based Picnic theme. Our professor was hesitant about our menu since meat is the main component of the meal in her culture. She was skeptical about us serving tofu, but she let us continue on as we planned. Our menu underwent many changes as we continuously planned the meal and tried new recipes. The final menu consisted of herb drop biscuits, an autumn fruit salad, tofu strips with ketchup, grilled zucchini, a couscous salad, and key lime pies. While planning the menu seemed like hard work, there was a lot left to do. We had to quantify all of the recipes to serve 55 people, determine the nutritional content of each item, determine the overall cost of the meal, schedule each of the student employees for the day, and more. It was time consuming but rewarding work, which paid off in the end.

On the day of the theme meal, we decorated the room with picnic tablecloths, mason jars with flowers and greenery, and upbeat music. While the dining room appeared peaceful, the kitchen was fairly hectic. We had eight people to cook enough food for 55 people in three and a half hours, and it was our first day in the kitchen. Even though all of the dishes piled up, the seven of the recipes were prepared and ready to serve by lunch time. We had about 30 reservations for our meal and additional to-go orders. In total we served about 45 people, including our professor, who was very impressed with the meal. We received decent reviews on almost every item, although not everyone seemed to like the couscous salad (this was most likely due to a lack of seasoning). We received comments that the meal was “so yummy,” “perfectly cooked,” and a “delicious, filling, and healthy meal.”

It was such an exciting event being able to prepare and serve vegan recipes to such a large crowd! These individuals often come to our theme meals, which are usually not vegan. It was a great opportunity to expose people to these recipes and show them that vegan meals taste great and are healthy!

To see the recipes we prepared, visit:

http://www.vrg.org/fsupdate/CaseyQuantityThemeMealRecipes.pdf ]
For foodservice information, see:
http://www.vrg.org/fsupdate/index.htm ]
For information about VRG internships, see:
http://www.vrg.org/student/index.php ]

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4) $20,000 IN VEGETARIAN COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

Deadline is February 20, 2017

For information about The Vegetarian Resource Group Vegetarian Scholarship Contest for high school seniors, see

http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm ]

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5) MATCHING DONATIONS FOR VEGAN EDUCATION -- DOUBLE YOUR CONTRIBUTION

In honor of our 35th anniversary, a Vegetarian Resource Group supporter has pledged $15,000 to match donations towards outreach. So every donation you make towards ours programs will be doubled. If you would like to donate towards a veg world, please mail to

VRG
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203
call (410) 366-8343, or go to [ http://www.vrg.org/donate ] . Write “matching donation” in the comments.Thank you for your support!

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6) BECOME A MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY DONOR FOR VRG

The Vegetarian Resource Group greatly appreciates the support given by our monthly and quarterly donors. You can join our monthly giving group with a minimum gift of just $10 a month by going to

http://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! Go to:
http://www.vrg.org/donate ]

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7) 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

http://www.vrg.org/journal/ ] )
To sign up for the The Vegetarian Resource Group national email newsletter, please visit:
http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/ ]
We are also on Facebook 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] or to volunteer: [email protected]
Website: [ http://www.vrg.org/ ]
To donate: [ http://www.vrg.org/donate ]

Copyright The Vegetarian Resource Group 2017 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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8) ABOUT VRG NEWS

VRG-NEWS is the e-mail newsletter of The Vegetarian Resource Group. This is an announcement list so subscriber messages are not accepted by the list. If you have a technical question about the list, please contact us at [email protected]. If you have any suggestions, ideas, or corrections to VRG-NEWS, please direct them to [email protected]. Thanks. If you are a new subscriber, you might enjoy reading past issues of VRG-NEWS online at

http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/ ]

Please support our outreach and assistance to others. Join VRG:

http://www.vrg.org/journal/subscribe.htm ]

Donate: [ http://www.vrg.org/donate ]

Free email news: [ http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/index.htm#subscribe ]

[email protected]http://www.vrg.org ]

The Vegetarian Resource Group / Vegetarian Journal
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore MD 21203 US
(410) 366-8343

The VRG is an educational non-profit group providing information on vegetarianism and veganism. To subscribe to VRG-NEWS, go to

http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/ ]

To unsubscribe, or otherwise manage your subscription to VRG-NEWS, go to

http://lists.vrg.org/mailman/listinfo/vrg-news_lists.vrg.org ]
(Go to the bottom of the page where it says "unsubscribe" or "edit options". You do not need a password.)

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The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203
Phone: (410) 366-8343
FAX: (410) 366-8804
E-mail: [email protected] or to volunteer: [email protected]