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By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Does your plant milk supply calcium, vitamin B12, and vitamin D? Not everyone relies on plant milk to supply these nutrients; however, plant milks are often identified as an easy way to get significant amounts of these essentials.

     A recently published study examined 148 different plant milks from stores in Europe, Australia, and the United States. The plant milks from the U.S., as opposed to those in other countries, were more likely to be fortified with calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 and for an 8-ounce serving to contain at least 20% of the Daily Value for these nutrients. A food that contains at least 20% of the Daily Value per serving for a nutrient is considered to be high in that nutrient. Of the plant milks examined in the U.S., 87% were fortified with calcium and 82% contained vitamin D. Surprisingly, less than half (47%) supplied vitamin B12. If we look at the number of products that were examined in the U.S. that would be considered to be high in a nutrient, 73% were high in calcium, 47% were high in vitamin D, and 40% were high in vitamin B12. These results suggest that consumers cannot assume that the plant milk they purchase is a good source of key nutrients unless they have confirmed this by checking the Nutrition Facts label.

     All the plant milks that were examined, except for those based on coconut, had very little saturated fat; more than 60% were low in sodium. More than half of the plant milks had low to moderate amounts of added sugar. The Nutrition Facts label lists added sugar, making it easy to select a milk with little or no added sugar.

     If you are relying on a plant milk to supply calcium, vitamin D, and/or vitamin B12, be sure to check the Nutrition Facts label to see if the product you plan to purchase supplies these nutrients.

Reference:

Craig WJ, Fresán U. International analysis of the nutritional content and a review of health benefits of non-dairy plant-based beverages. Nutrients. 2021;13(3):842.

For nutrition information on coconut, nut, seed, pea, grain, and soy milks, see: https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/milk_alternatives/index.htm

For VRG’s national poll on what Americans expect from a beverage labeled as soymilk, see: https://www.vrg.org/blog/2020/10/30/what-do-american-adults-expect-from-a-beverage-labeled-soymilk-questions-asked-by-the-vegetarian-resource-group-in-a-national-poll/

Warmer weather has arrived in many parts of the world and you may need a new pair of vegan sandals. Here are online shops selling a wide variety of vegan sandals from various countries:

Avesu: German company that offers world-wide shipping on sandals for women and men.

https://www.avesuveganshoes.com/vegan-womens-shoes/sandals-com.html

https://www.avesuveganshoes.com/vegan-mens-shoes/sandals-com.html

Bahatika: German company that offers women’s sandals and ships throughout Europe.

Sandals

BC Footwear: American company selling women’s sandals.

Sandals

Beyond Skin: British company that offers women’s sandals.

https://www.beyond-skin.com/vegan-shoes/sandals.html

Bhava Studio: Offers women’s sandals.

Sandals

BioWorld: Company from Spain that offers men’s and women’s sandals.

http://www.bioveganos.com/c183577-sandalias-de-hombre.html

http://www.bioveganos.com/c182148-sandalias-de-mujer.html

Collection & Co.: British company selling women’s sandals.

Sandals

Freerangers: British company selling women’s and men’s sandals.

http://www.freerangers.co.uk/ladies-sandals

http://www.freerangers.co.uk/mens-sandals

Holster Australia: Australian company offering sandals for women.

https://www.holsterfashion.com/women/sandals/

Insecta: Brazilian company that offers women’s sandals.

https://insectashoes.com/collections/argia-papete

Mooshoes: American company selling women’s and men’s sandals.

https://www.mooshoes.com/collections/womens-sandals https://www.mooshoes.com/collections/mens-sandals

Native Shoes: Canadian company selling sandals for women, men, and children.

https://www.nativeshoes.com/womens/sandals

https://www.nativeshoes.com/mens/sandals

https://www.nativeshoes.com/girls/sandals

https://www.nativeshoes.com/boys/sandals

Okabashi: American company selling sandals for women and men.

Women's Sandals

Men's Sandals

Rafa: American company selling women’s sandals.

https://www.rafausa.com/collections/sandals

Sydney Brown: American company selling women’s sandals.

Sandals

Vegan Wares: Australian company selling women’s sandals.

https://www.veganwares.com/shop/shop/sandals/

Vegetarian Shoes: British company selling men’s and women’s sandals.

https://www.vegetarian-shoes.co.uk/mens/sandals/10094_0c.html

https://www.vegetarian-shoes.co.uk/womens/sandals/10023_0c.html

Will’s Vegan Store: American company selling women’s sandals

https://www.wills-vegan-store.com/women-s-vegan-shoes.html?shoetype=Sandals

See The Vegetarian Resource Group’s 2021 YouGov poll of 8- to 17-year-olds in the United States at https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/Yougov2021youthteenwriteup.pdf

Suitable for: Teens, ages 12-18
Featuring Reed Mangels, PhD, RD (VRG’s Nutrition Advisor)

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

5:00PM – 6:00PM California time

Online event

REGISTER AT: https://sjpl.bibliocommons.com/events/6013062e5a51532400649ae0

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

4:00PM – 5:00PM California Time

Online event

REGISTER AT: https://sjpl.bibliocommons.com/events/6013067960a86b2f00b9dfc1

Friday, June 18, 2021

4:00PM – 5:00PM California Time

Online event

REGISTER AT: https://sjpl.bibliocommons.com/events/60144c717abe85450023b39e

Veg-curious? Vegetarian? Vegan? This program is for you! You will learn how to be a healthy vegetarian/vegan, how to deal with social situations, and how to get started as a vegetarian/vegan. We’ll also talk about being a vegetarian athlete as well as ideas for simple meals and snacks. Bring your questions to this interactive session.

Reed Mangels, PhD, RD is a Nutrition Advisor for the non-profit, educational Vegetarian Resource Group (www.vrg.org) and the nutrition editor and a regular columnist for Vegetarian Journal.

Registration is required to receive a link and password. Deadline to sign-up will be 1 hour before the program begins.

Links and passwords will be emailed at least 30 minutes before the program. The virtual room will open 3 minutes before the program begins. We do recommend everyone “arrive” at least 10 minutes before the program to ensure you are able to enter the “room.” If you do not receive an email with the program link at least 30 minutes before the program begins, please check your spam and other folders. If still unable to find it, please use the Chat to ask a team member for help.

For those under 18 years of age who may be joining us, we recommend that a parent/legal guardian be with you during the meeting. Learn more about Zoom at zoom.us.

*Reminder – Those not on the Guest List will not be considered registered, and will not receive a virtual “ticket”. Registration accepted on a first come first serve basis.

To request an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act for library-sponsored events, please call 408-808-2000 at least three business days prior to the event.

The Vegetarian Resource Group produced a brochure called “Save Our Water—The Vegetarian Way” looking at water usage and livestock production versus water usage and eating a veggie diet. One chart shows the estimated amount of water in liters used to produce one kilogram of food in the U.S. Another chart shows global averages of the quantity of water required to produce certain food products by liters. We also present the quantity of grains (kg) eaten by U.S. livestock to produce one kilogram of meat. Three sets of statistics are presented due to differing calculations by various statistics.

You can read this brochure here: https://www.vrg.org/environment/water_brochure.php

The brochure is also available online in Spanish: https://www.vrg.org/environment/water_brochure_spanish.php

If you would like to hand out this brochure in your community, please email [email protected] and let us know how many brochures you would like, street address in the USA only to ship them to, and where you will be distributing them. Donations are always appreciated: https://www.givedirect.org/donate/?cid=1565

Cynthia King Dance Studio in Brooklyn, New York sells vegan ballet shoes for both children and women. They are available through the mail in various sizes and several colors. Visit: https://cynthiakingdance.com/vegan-ballet-slippers-store/rebelle

Are you or someone you know thinking about coming out with a new vegan product and need your packaging designed? If so, you may want to contact Vegan Street Media. This vegan design studio has had years of experience designing food packaging, as well as doing logo designs, website design, and more. For more information, see: http://www.veganstreetmedia.com/portfolio-by-services.html

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Here are some recent vegan restaurant additions. The entire guide can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

To support the updating of this online restaurant guide, please donate at: www.vrg.org/donate

Here are some new additions to VRG’s guide (Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many are doing take-out and/or delivery now):

Brandon Vegan Deli, 859 Lithia Pinecrest Rd., Brandon, FL 33511

Find a plethora of vegan “meats,” meals, and products at Brandon Vegan Deli! Burgers, pasta, sandwiches and more are available every day of the week, including as takeout.

goodsugar, 21 E. 1st. St., New York, NY 10003

Enjoy fresh juices and smoothies along with dishes such as Avocado Toast, Curried Dahl, Green Curry, Chili, Pesto Mushroom Noodles, Marinated Kale Salad, and Banana Bread.

Le Petit Monstre, 82 Washington Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11205

Le Petit Monstre is the perfect place to try some handmade vegan pastries ranging from donuts to tarts to cakes and pies! You can also order either savory or sweet dishes during any meal of the day including watermelon salad, avocado toast, mushroom melt, and an artichoke caprese sandwich.

Minty Z, 3206 Grand Ave., Miami, FL 33133

An extensive menu can be found at this Asian Bistro. On their brunch menu, they provide; vegan shumai, lo mai gai, dumplings along grain, or coconut yogurt bowls. For dinner, they go heavy on the veggies. Anything from roasted yams, cauliflower kimchi, and bbq eggplant. Don’t forget dessert! They provide sesame bubble sundaes, bao beignets, and macaron ice cream.

South x Northwest, 3928 N. Mississippi Ave., Portland, OR 97227

SxNW, which calls itself a “plant-based kitchen & bar,” is located north of Downtown in a walkable neighborhood on a tree-lined street. Its menu offers taste of the South, and diners can enjoy burgers and chick’n sandwiches with fries or hushpuppies on the side. Kids’ meals, sparkling water, local ginger beer, and accompaniments including chili and spinach dip or queso with chips are also available. Diners can indicate a preference for gluten-free preparation, and soy- and nut-free items are clearly indicated, though fryers are shared.

Sunshine Vegan Eats, 893 Jefferson Ave., Buffalo, NY 14204

Close to downtown Buffalo, Sunshine Vegan Eats is a cheery spot for lunch or dinner. Choose from comfort foods like tacos, burgers, wraps, and sandwiches or opt for a basket of wings or a breakfast platter. The carrot tuna, a popular appetizer, is served with chips. The restaurant also offers freshly-pressed juices and juice blends, plus creative smoothies and milkshakes. Parking is located in front. For takeout or delivery, use the restaurant’s app or a delivery service.

Sweet Beets, 295 Ottawa St. N., Hamilton, ON Canada L8H 3Z8

Near the Centre on Barton, Sweet Beets is a cozy, warm café with a fully vegan and nut-free menu including salads, poutines, sandwiches, burgers, and pizza. Gluten-free substitutions are available for a small upcharge. Specials, like cannoli, calzones, and lasagna, are offered on a weekly basis. Additional selections include kids’ meals, bottled drinks, and desserts—try the family size ice cream sandwich or dessert pizza if you’re with a large party. A small assortment of retail products is also available. Street parking.

Vegan Bruder, 619 Breakers Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

Vegan Bruder is a food truck inspired by German cuisine. Dishes include a Sauerkraut Burger, a Bratwurst Sausage, and a Mushroom & Jalapeño Burger. All burgers and sausages come on a pretzel roll/bun with vegan cheese or vegan mayo. Sides include Cinnamon Sugar Crisps, Extra Thick French Fries, Fried Sweet Plantains, and a White Truffle Oil Shot.

Vegan Juiceology, 413 N Howard St. #G1, Baltimore, MD 21201

Vegan Juiceology is a vegan fresh-pressed juice company. They have a wide array of seasonal juice blends such as Beet Lemonade, Sweet Kale, Sweet Potato Pie, and Elderberry Hibiscus Tea. Currently, juices are available for pickup and delivery only.

Each issue of Vegetarian Journal features a column titled Scientific Update by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD with guest reviewer Jacqueline Tang (former VRG Intern) in this issue. In this column we review recent scientific papers related to vegetarianism. The latest column covers the topics of Are Creatine Supplements Effective? And What Do Vegetarians Eat?

Read the column here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2021issue1/2021_issue1_scientific_update.php

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