By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Choline is a nutrient that is important for brain development early in life. In the United States, animal products including meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, and eggs are the main sources of choline. That’s not to say that these are the only foods that supply choline, it’s simply that these are foods that are most commonly eaten. Other foods that are rich in choline include cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli for example) and dried beans and lentils. Nuts, seeds, other vegetables, and whole grains are also good sources of choline.

The recommended amount of choline for toddlers age 1 to 3 years is 200 milligrams of choline per day.

To plan a menu for a vegan toddler that would meet recommendations for choline, I chose a variety of whole foods including some foods known to be higher in choline such as soymilk, quinoa, tofu, and lentils. These foods do not have to be included every day since there are other foods such as chickpeas and other dried beans, wheat germ, nuts and nut butters, choline-fortified pea protein based milk, and vegetables that could be used to meet choline needs. Some multivitamins include choline.

Here is a sample menu for a toddler indicating the amount of choline in each food.

Breakfast

Lunch

Snack

Dinner

Snack

 Total: 214 milligrams of choline

To read more about feeding vegan toddlers see:

Vegan Nutrition in Pregnancy and Childhood

Feeding Vegan Kids

Tips for Parents of Young Vegans

In the latest issue of Vegan Journal, Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, discusses the topic of Diet and Skin Health in her Nutrition Hotline column. She states, “Many factors, including genetics, smoking, sleep, exercise, overall health, and diet, can affect skin health.”

Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2023issue3/2023_issue3_nutrition_hotline.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Kasheri with Brown Rice

In a previous VRG Journal article Chef Nancy Berkoff shared Egyptian recipes she gathered when visiting her former students living in Egypt. Enjoy Kasheri with Brown Rice, Brown Rice Mujaddara, Makloubeh (layered eggplant), Vegan Kofta, Orange and Olive Salad, Khoshaf (compote), and Egyptian Lemonade.

Find the complete article here: Vegan Recipes from Egypt

Subscribe to Vegan Journal:
https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

photo by Rissa Miller

Each issue of Vegan Journal contains a column called Vegan Cooking Tips written by Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD. In the recent edition she offers numerous egg replacer suggestions.

Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2023issue3/2023_issue3_cooking_tips.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

photo from Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant

The Vegetarian Resource Group will host a networking dinner in Denver, Colorado, during the annual FNCE meeting of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Within one mile of the Colorado Convention Center. The public is invited. Participants from Denver and places from around the country will have a chance to share veg related activities they have coordinated.

RIO GRANDE MEXICAN RESTAURANT BUFFET:

Chips and Salsa

Guacamole

Black Beans

Portabella and Squash

Grilled Peppers and Onions

Plain Rice

Pico de Gallo

Selection of Salsas

Flour Tortillas

Soft Drinks, Coffee, Tea

PLEASE RESERVE IN ADVANCE. SEATING IS LIMITED

$30 for The Vegetarian Resource Group and Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group members. $35 for nonmembers. Includes tax and tip.

Please prepay at vrg.org/donate. Write in the comments section names of participants and that it is for the Denver dinner. Or call (410) 366-8343, or mail payment to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

Be sure to follow The Vegetarian Resource Group on Instagram: @vegetarianresourcegroup

Mexican indigenous dishes, such as those that are part of Maya cuisine, are traditionally plant-based. Odette Olivares writes about these foods in the latest issue of Vegan Journal.

Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2023issue3/2023_issue3_maya_vegan_foods.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

The Vegetarian Resource Group continues to be very busy on a daily basis. Below are some examples of successes and activities. Your support through Combined Federal Charity (CFC) or your Local/State Campaign is greatly appreciated! You can also donate directly to VRG at vrg.org/donate

Here’s a sampling of some of our accomplishments and outreach:

• The Vegetarian Resource Group Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, did a presentation to Maryland Dietitians in Health Care Communities on Offering Plant-Based and Vegan Options: Why It Makes Sense and How to Do It.
• The Vegetarian Resource Group poll numbers were cited in The Hill, a political news publication, which is read by The White House, Congress, and others. See: thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/3747206-vegetarianism-is-on-the-rise-especially-the-part-time-kind
• The Vegetarian Resource Group Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, did an interview on Arirang TV, an English-language broadcasting station in South Korea, on vegetarian diets. She also authored the Guide on How to Go Vegetarian or Vegan in Psyche (digital magazine).
• Reed was interviewed for an article for Contemporary Pediatrics about nutritional benefits and/or drawbacks of veganism and vegetarianism in adolescents. The aim of this article is to provide general practice pediatricians with guidance and nutritional information that they can share with their patients who may want to pursue either of these diets.
• VRG sent materials for health fairs, clinics, and restaurant tabling in Alabama, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. For example, a presenter at a health fair in Alabama asked for copies of our My Vegan Plate to distribute to attendees. VRG also gave 75 copies of our Spanish coloring books to three kindergarten classes in California. We were told it was a fun resource to use with their mostly bilingual students.
• Charles Stahler and Debra Wasserman coordinated a booth at Vegan SoulFest in Baltimore, Maryland, while Elsa Spencer, PhD, staffed a VRG booth at Richmond VegFest in Virginia.
• VRG sent 400 Vegan Journals to include in grab bags for VegFests in Sarasota, Florida; Durham, North Carolina; Columbia, South Carolina; and Greenville, South Carolina, for a total of 1,600 copies. We also shipped four boxes of Vegan Journals and VRG handouts to the Vegan Society of Hawaii to be shared at the Climate Fair on the Hawaii State Capitol’s lawn and at the Windward Coast Emergency Preparedness Fair. Finally, we sent materials for events at a church in Selma, Alabama, and another in Anniston, Alabama, as well as a Juneteenth day of celebration and learning in Richmond, Virginia.
• VRG continues to host virtual interns/volunteers throughout the year. They all worked/are working on a number of exciting outreach and research projects!

This is just a small sampling of what we are doing at VRG every day. Thank you so much! We couldn’t do this without your support.

You can donate directly to VRG at www.vrg.org/donate

You can also mail donations to The Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203 or call in your donation to (410) 366-8343 Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm EST.

Whenever we see fresh beets growing in a garden or stocked in a store, we wish we had new ideas for preparing a vegan beet-based dish. In a previous issue of VRG’s Journal, Debra Daniels-Zeller wrote an article offering many suggestions including Orange Beet Puree, Savory Baked Beets with Horseradish Sauce, Roasted Rosemary Beets, Creamy Beet Green Chowder, Spicy Sesame Beets and Greens with Jasmine Rice, Smoky Tempeh with Beets and Wilted Greens over Pasta, Balsamic-Basil Pickled Beets, and Borscht.

Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2000sep/2000_sep_beet_it.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only by visiting https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php