Miso soup with tofu photo from Freepik

Hiroko Kato, one of our former interns, was interviewed concerning vegetarianism/veganism and Japan. See https://www.zoomjapan.info/2023/11/14/n135-encounter-vegan-writer-kato-hiroko/

Here are articles that Hiroko wrote while a VRG intern.

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj99sep/1999_sep_vegetarianism_japan.php

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj99nov/1999_nov_japanese_holiday.php

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2003issue3/2003_issue3_noodles.php

For information on VRG internships, see https://www.vrg.org/student/index.php

photo from Freepik

Who isn’t trying to save money when preparing meals today? You might want to consider using lentils or split peas more frequently. Chef Nancy Berkoff offers a number of ideas for dishes using lentils or split peas in her Vegan Cooking Tips column that appears in each issue of Vegan Journal.

Nancy says, “Lentils taste great right out of the pot, especially with a sprinkle of chopped parsley or black pepper. Add hot lentils to rice, pasta, and pasta sauce or, when cooled, to salads. Here are some more lentil ideas:

• Combine cooked lentils and chopped bell peppers to make a chilled salad. Season with your favorite Mediterranean herbs and spices.
• Toss cold buckwheat noodles with cooked lentils, small broccoli florets, and chopped scallions. Dress with olive oil mixed with garlic and ginger.
• Create a Moroccan lentil soup by adding diced seasonal vegetables flavored with coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne.
• Make lentil stew with cooked lentils, chopped fresh or canned tomatoes, sliced or chopped fresh mushrooms, diced potatoes or elbow pasta, and seasoned with basil, oregano, and parsley.”

As for split peas, Chef Berkoff offers these suggestions:

• Split pea soup is a classic, as is Purée Mongole (Mediterranean split pea soup), a split pea soup combined with chopped tomatoes.
• Dahl is an omnipresent South Asian side dish, made by sautéing cooked split peas with garlic and onion; then seasoning with ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander, black pepper, and lemon juice; and simmering until slightly thickened.
• Preparation for mushy peas varies from family to family and region to region. Sometimes adding baking soda to the soaking water helps soften the peas. The Scandinavian version can include mashing cooked split peas with flour and vegan butter, while the British version may not use additional ingredients, only the mashed peas.
• If you have time to create a snack, crispy split peas can be made by soaking split peas for about four hours, draining, patting dry, and then frying in oil until crispy. Season with cumin or chili powder.

To read the entire column, visit https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue4/2024_issue4_cooking_tips.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, go to: https://www.vrg.org/member/

Chef Nancy Berkoff previously shared the following suggestions in her Vegan Cooking Tips column of Vegan Journal.

Keep some brewed tea in the refrigerator to use for cooking, marinades, and to flavor sauces. Tea is a great flavoring for mushrooms, tofu, cooked grains, roasted vegetables, and smoothies.

There are so many teas from which to choose, with lots of varieties of white, green, and black, caffeinated, decaffeinated, and herbal. You can purchase white, green, or black tea and flavor it or purchase pre-flavored tea. Hot tea can be flavored with cinnamon, fresh or dried ginger, fresh or dried mint, lemon grass, lavender, dried rose petals, rosewater or orange blossom water, fresh or dried lemon or orange zest or peel, orange juice, pineapple juice or apple juice concentrate, dried cranberries, dried pineapple… the list goes on! You can pour brewed tea over your flavoring of choice, or you can brew the tea with the flavoring.

If you’d like extra garnish or flavor, place some frozen pineapple (still frozen) or mango into the tea while it is brewing. This will add to the flavor and texture. If there is an international market nearby (or browse the internet), try the following hot beverages:

Korean:
Roasted corn and roasted barley are sold in the tea section of Korean markets. The roasted corn has a naturally sweet flavor and a delicate yellow color. The barley has a nutty, full-roasted flavor and a golden brown color. Add several teaspoons to two cups of boiling water and allow to boil for 2-3 minutes. Some people like to brew the corn and barley together. While you are at the store, purchase dried chrysanthemum or jasmine flowers to use as a garnish for your hot grain beverage or tea. You can also brew the flowers on their own — they make a fragrant and flavorful hot brew! You can drink your floral teas iced, too. This also works as a cooking liquid for rice, green vegetables, and grains.

Japanese:
Peel and slice fresh ginger, letting several small slices steep in boiling water for several minutes. The ginger tea will take on a delicate, pale green color and have a mild but stimulating flavor. Ginger tea is said to be good for sore throats or hoarse voices and it can warm a crowd on cold nights. Garnish ginger tea with orange or grapefruit straws. (Peel fruit and cut lengthwise into square “straws.”) You can also put some frozen strawberries or raspberries in the tea while it is brewing. This will create a festive color and texture. A different spin on this would be a hot lemonade. If you have fresh lemons available, you can wash them, slice them thinly, and steep in boiling water with fresh ginger or frozen raspberries or strawberries (still frozen) and a sweetener of choice. If fresh lemons are not available, you can use refrigerated or frozen (unsweetened) lemon juice concentrate.

South African:
When brewed, rooibos looks like a cup of traditional black leaf tea and has a mild, pleasant taste. Taken from the bark of a tree that grows only in South Africa, rooibos has no caffeine, but lots of flavor. Look for it in natural foods stores. Rooibos also tastes great combined with a small amount of vanilla extract and sweetener, orange zest and coriander, or a small amount of maple syrup and white pepper for a really interesting beverage. Rooibos can be used for flavoring chocolate- and cherry-based desserts and fruit ices.

If you’d like to go beyond tea, combine brewed tea with hot rice or almond milk (soymilk can tend to curdle), cinnamon, ginger, black pepper (yes, black pepper), and green and black coriander to create a “chai latte.” This can also be done with brewed coffee. Any leftover can be frozen for a delicious latte ice or latte ice cubes to be served with cold beverages.

See the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2016issue4/2016_issue4_cooking_tips.php

Please subscribe to Vegan Journal at: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Cheesy Mac Pie photo by Hannah Kaminsky

Vegan Journal article “Pies to Savor,” by Vegan Journal Senior Editor Hannah Kaminsky includes these recipes: Wholesome Whole Wheat Crust; Taco Pie; Cheesy Mac Pie; Primavera Pot Pie; Spaaghetti Squash and Meatball Pie; and Holiday Quiche. Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue4/2024_issue4_pies_to_savor.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: https://www.vrg.org/member/

Due to the generosity of anonymous donors, The Vegetarian Resource Group each year will award $50,000 in college scholarship money to graduating U.S. high school students who have promoted veganism in their schools and/or communities. One award of $10,000 and six awards of $5,000, and additional runner-up prizes will be given. Entries may only be sent by students graduating from high school in SPRING 2025

We will accept applications postmarked on or before FEBRUARY 20, 2025. Early submission is encouraged.

Applicants will be judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegan 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

Applications

Please click here to download a PDF of the application. However, applicants are not required to use an application form. A neatly typed document containing the information below will also be accepted as a valid application.

However, applicants are not required to use an application form. A neatly typed document containing the information below will also be accepted as a valid application.

Please send application and attachments to [email protected] (Scholarship application and your name in subject line) or mail to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

If emailing, please put your essay in a separate attachment with your first name and last initial. A PDF or Word document is preferred, but if you send a Google document, make sure permission is given so readers can access it. For more information call (410) 366-8343 or email [email protected].

A Vegan Journal article by Nava Atlas called “Collard Comforts” includes recipes for Stir-Fried Collard Greens and Cabbage; Spicy Collard Greens with Black-Eyed Peas and Tomatoes; Hoisin-Glazed Collard Greens and Sweet Potatoes; Rosemary Potatoes and Collard Greens with Vegan Sausage; and Roasted Collard Greens with Polenta and Brussels Sprouts. These delicious recipes can be found here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue4/2024_issue4_collard_comforts.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: https://www.vrg.org/member/

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 www.vrg.org/donate

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

• The Vegetarian Resource Group Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, 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. Reed was also interviewed in The New York Times about nutrition for new vegetarians or those transitioning to a vegetarian diet.
• The Dental Hygienist’s Guide to Nutritional Care textbook asked to reprint VRG’s My Vegan Plate. One of our VRG interns separately said, “This visual was also a resource my supervisor, the registered dietitian I worked with during my peer nutrition coach internship, recommended for vegan clients.”
• Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, spoke for the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group Spotlight session at the annual FNCE meeting of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The session was based on two systematic reviews of topics in vegetarian nutrition, namely, Vegetarian Nutrition for Disease Management and Vegetarian Nutrition for Disease Prevention, that were conducted for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Evidence Analysis Library. The session is titled Exploring the Rewards and Challenges of Vegetarian Diets: A Fresh Look at the Academy’s Position.
• Charles Stahler and Debra Wasserman coordinated a booth at the Animal Vegan Summit in Alexandria, Virginia, while Elsa Spencer, PhD, staffed a VRG booth at Charlottesville VegFest in Virginia, Phil Becker staffed a booth at World VegFest in San Francisco, California, and Heather Francis coordinated VRG’s booth at the Boston Veg Food Fest in Massachusetts.
• VRG sent 600 of VRG’s I Love Animals and Broccoli Coloring Books plus El arco iris vegetariano coloring books to PG County Maryland WIC. A nutritionist from a county health department in New Jersey asked to reprint our My Vegan Plate. We sent 400 Vegan Journals for grab bags for the Columbia, South Carolina VegFest and also Sarasota, Florida VegFest, and we sent a box of brochures for tabling at a Black Family Wellness Expo in AL. We also shipped a box of Vegan Journals to be distributed at Texas VegFest in Austin, Texas.
• VRG continues to host interns/volunteers throughout the year.

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.

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

There are times when people’s protein needs are higher. For example, in pregnancy, the recommendation for protein is 25 grams higher than it is when someone is not pregnant. That’s an increase of about 50%. Older adults may have higher protein needs than younger adults. Athletes may have somewhat higher protein needs than non-athletes (1). It’s entirely possible to meet protein needs with a vegan diet. Sometimes, choosing a higher protein plant milk can help to meet protein needs.

We’ve updated our list of higher protein plant milks from 2023. Our updated list includes only plant milks that are labeled as original or unsweetened. Since plant milks are often also used as a source of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12, we’ve included information about whether the milks we identified are fortified with these nutrients.

Edensoy Unsweetened, Organic Soymilk (shelf-stable) provides 12 grams of protein per cup of milk. Fortified with calcium (40 mg/cup) but not with vitamin D or vitamin B12.

Pacific Foods Original Ultra Soy Milk (shelf-stable) has 10 grams of protein in a cup. Fortified with calcium (340 mg/cup), vitamin D (2.5 mcg/cup), and vitamin B12 (1.5 mcg/cup).

Edensoy Original, Organic Soymilk (shelf-stable) has 10 grams of protein in a cup. Fortified with calcium (90 mg/cup) but not with vitamin D or vitamin B12.

Edensoy Original Extra, Organic Soymilk (shelf-stable) provides 10 grams of protein per cup. Fortified with calcium (280 mg/cup), vitamin D (1.1 mcg/cup), and vitamin B12 (2.9 mcg/cup).

Dream Soymilk Original with Calcium & Vitamin D (shelf-stable) provides 10 grams of protein per cup. Fortified with calcium (310 mg/cup), vitamin D (4.8 mcg/cup) and vitamin B12 (1.1 mcg/cup).

Pacific Foods Organic Unsweetened Soy Milk (shelf-stable) has 9 grams of protein in a cup. It is not fortified with calcium, vitamin D or vitamin B12.

West Life Organic Unsweetened Soymilk Plain (shelf-stable) provides 9 grams of protein per cup. It is not fortified with calcium, vitamin D or vitamin B12.

Trader Joe’s Organic Non-dairy Soy Beverage Unsweetened (shelf-stable) provides 9 grams of protein per cup. It is not fortified with calcium, vitamin D, or vitamin B12.

Califia Farms Original Protein Oatmilk (refrigerated) is based on oats and pea protein and has 8 grams of protein per cup. It is fortified with calcium (590 mg/cup) and vitamin D (5 mcg/cup) but does not supply vitamin B12.

Califia Farms Kids’ Complete Plant-based Milk (refrigerated) contains pea protein, chickpea protein and fava bean protein and has 8 grams of protein/cup. It is fortified with calcium (310 mg/cup), vitamin D (4.4 mcg/cup), and vitamin B12 (1.1 mcg/cup).

Ripple Original Pea-based Milk (shelf-stable and refrigerated), Unsweetened Original Pea-based Milk (shelf-stable and refrigerated) and Ripple Kids all have 8 grams of protein per cup. All of these varieties are fortified with calcium (440-455 mg/cup), vitamin D (5 mcg/cup), and vitamin B12 (1.1 mcg/cup).

Silk Kids Oatmilk Blend (refrigerated) has 8 grams of protein per cup. It is fortified with calcium (330 mg/cup), vitamin D (4 mcg/cup), and vitamin B12 (1.1 mcg/cup).

Bettergoods Plant-Based Original Soymilk (refrigerated) has 8 grams of protein per cup. It is fortified with calcium (300 mg/cup), vitamin D (6 mcg/cup) and vitamin B12 (1.2 mcg/cup).

Kirkland Signature Organic Soy Non-Dairy Beverage, Original (shelf-stable) has 8 grams of protein per cup. It is fortified with calcium (390 mg/cup), vitamin D (6 mcg/cup), and vitamin B12 (1.2 mcg/cup).

Kikkoman Pearl Organic Soymilk, Unsweetened (shelf-stable) has 8 grams of protein per cup. It is fortified with calcium (300 mg/cup) and vitamin D (2.5 mcg/cup) but it is not fortified with vitamin D.

Kikkoman Pearl Organic Soymilk, Smart Original, 8 oz carton (shelf-stable) has 8 grams of protein per cup. It is fortified with calcium (300 mg/cup), vitamin D (2.5 mcg/cup), and vitamin B12 (1.1 mcg/cup).

Silk Original Soymilk (refrigerated and shelf-stable) have 8 grams of protein per cup. They are fortified with calcium (450 mg/cup), vitamin D (3 mcg/cup), and vitamin B12 (3 mcg/cup).

Silk Organic Unsweet Soymilk (shelf-stable) has 8 grams of protein/cup. It is fortified with calcium (300 mg/cup), vitamin D (3 mcg/cup) and vitamin B12 (3 mcg/cup).

West Life Organic Soymilk Plain (shelf-stable) has 8 grams of protein/cup. It is not fortified with calcium, vitamin D, or vitamin B12.

Reference

1. Larson-Meyer DE, Ruscigno M. Plant-Based Sports Nutrition. Expert Fueling Strategies for Training, Recovery, and Performance. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics; 2020.

To read more about plant milks see:

VRG Sends in Testimony to FDA on Labeling of Plant-based Milk Alternatives

Choosing a Plant Milk? Check the Nutrition Facts Label

We gratefully acknowledge the work of VRG interns Aashay Mody, Ren Patel, and Neha Vivek and VRG volunteer Mae Y. Soon who collected information for this article.

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.

Are you looking for some vegan-friendly indoor games for young kids? Here’s two created by former VRG staff member Jessica Dadds that you might enjoy:

Veggie-Friendly Memory Cards for Kids (the classic game of Memory, with a veggie twist!)

Veggie Counting Game for Kids

Debra Daniels-Zeller’s article Loafing Around includes these recipes:

Walnut, Onion, and Carrot Rice Loaf
Southwestern Polenta Loaf
Pecan-Lentil Loaf
Chickpea Loaf
Red Bean and Millet Loaf with Sweet Potatoes and Mushrooms
Fire-Roasted Tomato Bread Loaf
Smooth Adobe Sauce
Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

Start cooking today and don’t forget to subscribe to Vegan Journal at https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php