photo by Studio One Photography

Smriti said, “As I stared at the chicken curry on my plate, flashes of cramped cages at my grandparents’ farm (was) running through my mind. In that moment my relationship with food changed … I chose veganism because it aligns with my values of minimizing harm, respecting animals as sentient beings, and reducing environmental impacts.” Smriti said she joined her district’s nutrition committee and helped introduce overnight oats to the breakfast menu. Í wrote and illustrated a children’s book about nutrition and compassionate eating, then read it in elementary classrooms to more than 500 students … In college and beyond, I plan to promote veganism through systems rather than slogans. I intend to study nutrition and public policy to address structural barriers that make plant-based eating inaccessible for many families.”

The deadline for the VRG scholarship contest for high school seniors is February 20^th of each year. For details, and to see other winners, go to  https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

To support VRG’s outreach to young people, donate at vrg.org/donate.

Join at https://www.vrg.org/member/

istockphoto

Chef Nancy Berkoff says, “Cabbage, cilantro, parsley, Swiss chard, green peppers, chilies, leeks, scallions and chives, snow peas, petit pois (young green peas), spinach, kale, collards, mustard and beet greens, romaine, and endive are some of the greenery we can use to brighten our spring menu!” She offers these recipes: Fennel Salad; Green Pea MockaGuacamole; Smoky Collards; Grilled Romaine Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing; and Vinegary Green Beans with Dill.

Read the entire article along with her recipes here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2013issue1/2013_issue1_early_spring_greens.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only here: https://www.vrg.org/member/cabdacae.php

Are you searching for non-leather vegan shoes, belts, wallets, purses, and other items in the USA, Europe, Canada, and other places? If so, you might want to check out VRG’s Guide to Leather Alternatives: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/leather.php

Noelle became a vegetarian in sixth grade. By ninth grade, she co-founded PETA2 Los Angeles County, while she was the only vegan in the club. For her AP capstone projects, she created a college-level research project on “How does an increased awareness of factory farming impact youth perceptions of meat-eating, concerns for animal welfare, and openness to change?” Noelle spearheaded an event at Santa Monica Pier for Thanksgiving, partnering with Tofurky and others to give out dozens of whole vegan turkeys as well as hundreds of samples and recipe leaflets. Her club coordinated with the school district’s superintendent and nutrition department to introduce daily vegan lunch options. The menu plan included a veggie burger, bean burrito bowl, and pasta with red sauce and plant-based sausage. This spring her club is collaborating with the Plant-Based Treaty to organize a plant-based event in Calabasas. Noelle is also a Girl Scout. As her troop only had Thin Mints as the vegan option, she would only sell that flavor since becoming vegan in eighth grade. But by working extra hard, she still always managed to meet her quota.

In college Noelle hopes to continue her research about perceptions of factory farming while expanding her understanding of human-animal relationships, and to dive into strategies for social change or nutrition. In five years she hopes to have a Masters in Social Work.  

The deadline for the VRG scholarship contest for high school seniors is February 20^th of each year. For details, and to see other winners, go to  https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

To support VRG’s outreach to young people, donate at vrg.org/donate.

Join in the USA at https://www.vrg.org/member/

The Vegetarian Resource Group is once again sponsoring a video contest. We will be awarding several monetary awards. The deadline for entries this year is July 15, 2026 and the contest is open to all ages.

Create and submit a video relating what you want to tell others about veganism. Some possible topics: food, nutrition, your feelings about veganism, water usage and veganism, veganism and animal rights, or other veggie topics which appeal to you. Humor and feelings are appreciated. All videos should be positive, not be critical of anyone, and not include any footage of animal cruelty. You may submit a video you have already made. Please do not enter videos made completely using AI.

Aspects of judging include accuracy and judges wanting to share the video with others. Entrants give permission to The Vegetarian Resource Group to post and share the video, to link to and from the video, and share the video with the media.

To see the video contest rules, visit: http://www.vrg.org/videoscholarship.php

Previous winning videos can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/veg_videos.php

photo from Freepik

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Pregnancy and the first two years after birth are important times for a child’s growth and development and good nutrition plays an important role. A recent study examined the growth of infants from vegan, “vegetarian,” and nonvegetarian families (1).

What is the study?

This study, from Israel, used data collected over a 10-year period during which almost 1.2 million infants were studied for the first 2 years after birth. The infants were measured and weighed at birth, in early infancy, and at 2 years. Each infant’s caregiver was asked if the family diet was vegan, “vegetarian” (including lacto-ovo vegetarian and those who ate fish), or nonvegetarian. Approximately 98.5% of infants were from nonvegetarian households, 1.2% from “vegetarian” households, and 0.3% from vegan households. Information was not collected on what the infants ate or on supplement use.

What did this study find?

The main finding of this study was that, overall, there were minimal differences in average growth among the different households. The growth of infants from vegan, “vegetarian,” and nonvegetarian families was generally similar.

Infants from vegan households had a slightly lower birth weight (about 3-1/2 ounces less on average) than did infants from nonvegetarian families. Infants from “vegetarian” families were in between. This difference between the groups is not considered to be clinically meaningful. About 6.1% of infants from vegan families were low-birth weight (less than 5-1/2 pounds at birth) compared to 4.6% of infants from nonvegetarian families. In contrast, high-birth weight (more than 8.8 pounds) was more common in infants from nonvegetarian families than in infants from vegan families.

Mothers in the vegan group were more likely to fully breastfeed their infants for the first 6 months and to continue breastfeeding for 12 or more months than mothers whose family was “vegetarian” or nonvegetarian. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first 6 months with partial breastfeeding continuing for up to two years or beyond, as long as mutually desired by the mother and the child.

When the infants were measured and weighed at ages 2 months and 2 years, there was little difference between the three groups. Infants from vegan families were more likely to be classified as underweight at age 2 months but by age 2 years there were minimal differences between the groups.

Since this study classified infants based on their family’s reported dietary pattern, we can’t say for certain that the infants were vegan/”vegetarian”/nonvegetarian. Infants’ diets commonly are similar to their family’s dietary pattern, however.

The results of this study suggest that infants from vegan families grow similarly to infants from “vegetarian” and nonvegetarian families.

Reference:

1. Avital K, Fliss-Isakov N, Shahar DR, et al. Growth trajectories in infants from families with plant-based or omnivorous dietary patterns. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9:e2557798..

To read more about vegan diets for infants and young children see:

Feeding Vegan Kids

Vegan Nutrition in Pregnancy and Childhood

Baby-led Weaning for Vegan Families

Vegan Babies: Starting Solid Foods

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

photo by YourHS

Emily said, “How could schools justify requiring medical notes for dietary accommodations when many low-income families in my community lack access to healthcare? The simple solution was home-packed lunches, but how could that be realistic for those like myself, whose parents’ time and money was a luxury? Frustrated, I searched for inclusive solutions and discovered plant-based meals could address nearly every barrier I noticed, yet they weren’t offered at school. That moment pushed me to contact my district’s nutrition director to advocate for vegetarian and vegan lunch options. Over several months, we met regularly as I presented the testimonies I gathered supporting accessible plant-based meals for students. My proudest success was the following school year where my relentless advocacy campaign led to new daily vegetarian/vegan entrée options on our campus and as well as the six schools within my district. Examples of new meals include vegan buffalo nuggets, plant-based meatballs, and veggie dumplings. … Soymilk has been introduced in my school’s lunch line. After my school’s rollout of soymilk, it will then soon be introduced to the rest of the sites in my district … Coming from a school predominantly composed of students of color whose demographics experience higher rates of lactose intolerance, I am absolutely thrilled from this success (Soymilk is highly popular at my school, with chocolate soymilk being the first to run out.) … Additionally, I was a student speaker at California’s School Nutrition Annual Conference, where I presented at the Nutritious and Delicious Plant-Powered Meals session to nutrition directors and school staff … I was so happy when audience members … said to me my experience encouraged them to try introducing veggie meals within their own community … To promote plant-based meals to ensure they remain for years to come, I founded a District Dietary Council, a youth-led coalition featuring student representatives from all six schools in my district.

I discovered this scholarship through previous winners Nancy Zhang and Ava Cuevas, both amazing advocates who I met through Plant Powered School Meals Coalition. Ava especially has been an incredible role model to me. She was my youth mentor. … In five years, my dream is to graduate with a degree relating to public health and public policy.”

The deadline for the VRG scholarship contest for high school seniors is February 20^th of each year. For details, and to see other winners, go to  https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

To support VRG’s outreach to young people, donate at vrg.org/donate.

Join at https://www.vrg.org/member/

In honor of Earth Day, if you are not familiar with veganic agriculture, you may want to read Jeanne Yacoubou’s article Veganic Agriculture as A Climate Crisis Solution.

Find the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue1/2025_issue1_veganic_agriculture.php Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only here: https://www.vrg.org/member/

Subscribe to Vegan Journal and support all the vegan outreach VRG does on a daily basis! Subscribe for 2 years and receive a free copy of Vegans Know How to Party. This cookbook contains over 465 vegan recipes!

Offer is good in the USA only. Visit: www.vrg.org/member

Freepik photo

Cierra Peterlin shares vegan recipes utilizing foods that would otherwise go to waste. She says, “These ideas are meant to provide a quick view of what it could look like to eat in a way that is conscious of food waste each day.” Some of the recipes include Stale Bread French Toast, Celery Leaf Salad, Potato Soup, Wrinkly Pepper Fajitas, Banana Peel Tacos, and more. See: https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/vegan-zero-waste-recipe-ideas.pdf