Note: The Vegetarian Resource Group will have a table at this event!

Date: Friday, October 17, 2025
In-Person Location: 1440 Multiversity, 800 Bethany Dr, Scotts Valley, CA 95066
Virtual Attendance: via Zoom
More Info & Registration: foodasmedicinesantacruz.org

Following the success of our 2024 event, this year’s conference will once again feature leading voices in the field, including Milton Mills, MD, Doug Lisle, PhD, Vesanto Melina, MS, RD, Debra Shapiro, MD, Maria Jose Hummel, PhD, and more. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the latest research on plant-based nutrition, chronic disease prevention, and practical applications for patient care.

This conference is designed for healthcare professionals, but those passionate about nutrition and wellness are welcome to attend. Earn up to 7 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (for MDs, DOs, RNs, PAs) or 7 CPEU hours (for RDs, DTRs).

The day includes:
-Engaging presentations from top healthcare professionals
-A delicious plant-based breakfast and lunch
-A culinary medicine demonstration
-A resource fair and networking opportunities

Please come visit The Vegetarian Resource Group booth at San Francisco World Fest in California.

For more details on the Festival, see: https://www.sfvs.org/worldveganfest

By Whitney McVerry

We recently tried the mango fruit rolls from BOB SNAIL, and they were a hit with my kids. These chewy, naturally sweet rolls taste like real fruit because that is exactly what they are. The entire BOB SNAIL line is vegan-friendly and made with simple ingredients, which makes them a snack you can feel good about packing.

With zero added sugar and no artificial flavors, they are perfect for lunch boxes and after school treats. BOB SNAIL also makes “stripes,” which are similar to a fruit strip, and gummies all available in many fruity flavors.  

Check out all these flavorful varieties here: https://www.bob-snail.com/products/

The contents of this email, our 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.

by Whitney McVerry

We recently tried Drumroll glazed donuts in the strawberry and vanilla flavors, and they did not disappoint! These donuts are gluten-free, vegan, and low in sugar. With 10 grams of protein per pack of three, they’re both filling and tasty. Kid- and grown-up-approved, they make the perfect snack for road trips, on-the-go adventures, and boxed lunches.

Drumroll also offers a chocolate flavor and bulk packs through their online store: https://eatdrumroll.com/products/plant-based-chocolate-donuts

The contents of this email, our 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 from Freepik

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

In May 2025, the non-profit organization Healthy Babies Bright Futures released a report What’s In Your Family’s Rice? (1). The important findings of this report included:

• 100% of 145 rice samples purchased throughout the United States contained inorganic arsenic, the most toxic form of arsenic.
• More than one-quarter of the products sampled had levels of arsenic above the federal limit for arsenic in baby rice cereal.

Inorganic arsenic is associated with a number of health problems including cancers, heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and neurological harm during development (2). It is especially a concern in pregnancy, infancy, and young childhood (1, 3). The levels of inorganic arsenic found in rice in this study are not likely to cause a problem over a short time period; the concern is with low-level long-term intake of inorganic arsenic (4).

This report also checked the inorganic arsenic content of other cereal products (barley, amaranth, bulgur, quinoa, couscous, farro, buckwheat, millet and spelt) and found that rice had, on average, 28 times more arsenic than these cereal products (1). Rice is unique among cereals in that the rice plant accumulates much more inorganic arsenic than do other cereals (5). Higher temperatures, as we are seeing due to climate change, can increase the amount of inorganic arsenic in rice (6). The inorganic arsenic is concentrated in the bran layer of the rice, meaning that brown rice has more inorganic arsenic than does white rice (4).

What can consumers do to minimize their exposure to arsenic from rice?

• Choose varieties of rice with lower levels of arsenic. The report from Healthy Babies Bright Futures found that white rice grown in California, Thai jasmine rice, and Indian white basmati rice had markedly less arsenic than other kinds of rice (1). Brown rice, white rice grown in the Southeastern United States, and Arborio rice were all higher in arsenic (1).
• Choose one of the following cooking methods:
  • Cook rice with excess water, the same way that you would cook pasta. Cooking rice with a ratio of 1 part of rice to 4 parts of water and draining excess water after cooking reduced the amount of inorganic arsenic in both brown and white rice by 54-58% (7). Others suggest using 6-10 cups of water per cup of rice (1).
  • Parboil rice by boiling 4 cups of water for every cup of raw rice. When the water is boiling, add the rice and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and discard the cooking water. Then, add fresh water to the rice using 2 cups of water for every cup of raw rice, and cook rice, covered, on low to medium heat until the water is absorbed, and the rice is tender. This method removed 54% of the inorganic arsenic from brown rice and 73% from white rice (3). This method can also be used for a rice cooker by parboiling the rice, draining the cooking water and then cooking as usual in the rice cooker (1). You may need to tweak the amount of water.
• Vary your grain choices – try barley or couscous or quinoa or other alternatives in place of rice, at least some of the time.

References

2. 1. Houlihan J, Naumoff K. What’s in Your Family’s Rice? Healthy Babies Bright Futures. https://hbbf.org/sites/default/files/2025-05/Arsenic-in-Rice-Report_May2025_R5_SECURED.pdf. 2025.

    

   2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. IRIS Toxicological Review of Inorganic Arsenic. CASRN 7440-38-2. EPA/635/R-25/005Fc. Integrated Risk Information System, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development. https://iris.epa.gov/static/pdfs/0278tr.pdf. 2025.

    

   3. Menon M, Dong W, Chen X, et al. Improved rice cooking approach to maximise arsenic removal while preserving nutrient elements. Sci Total Environ. 2021;755(Pt 2):143341.

    

   4. Scott CK, Wu F. Arsenic content and exposure in brown rice compared to white rice in the United States. Risk Anal. 2025;45(8):2183-2196.

    

   5. Williams PN, Villada A, Deacon C, et al. Greatly enhanced arsenic shoot assimilation in rice leads to elevated grain levels compared to wheat and barley. Environ Sci Technol. 2007;41(19):6854-6859.

    

   6. Farhat YA, Kim SH, Seyfferth AL, et al. Altered arsenic availability, uptake, and allocation in rice under elevated temperature. Sci Total Environ. 2021;763:143049.

    

   7. Menon M, Nicholls A, Smalley A, et al. A comparison of the effects of two cooking methods on arsenic species and nutrient elements in rice. Sci Total Environ. 2024;914:169653.

To read more about arsenic in foods see: Off to a Good Start with Baby Cereal

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

There are so many different vegan milks on the market today and it’s often hard to decide which one should be used to make a particular vegan dish. Hannah Kaminsky has created a handy guide you can refer to. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue3/2025_issue3_plant_milk.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only at www.vrg.org/member

Diana Goldman has written Plants for You and this book is reviewed in the latest issue of Vegan Journal. You’ll find a wide variety of delicious vegan recipes, as well as many helpful cooking tips. Read our review here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue3/2025_issue3_book_reviews.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only at www.vrg.org/member

Virtua Health hospital in New Jersey features a plant-based menu section for their patients. Though note the choices are not all vegan. Dishes on the menu include vegetarian stir-fry, hummus and vegetable wrap, and black bean burger.

See information on some other hospital experiences:  https://www.vrg.org/blog/2025/05/01/vegan-in-the-hospital/

Foraged & Found has produced pickles made from kelp! They are available in three flavors. Read the product review here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue3/2025_issue3_veggie_bits.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only at www.vrg.org/member