According to CNN, Senator Ted Cruz said liberals want to turn the state of Texas blue. “They want us to be just like California, right down to tofu and silicon and dyed hair.” Cruz added that his wife, Heidi Cruz, was “a California vegetarian.”

Whether you are blue, red, or green, for information on over 120 completely vegetarian or vegan places to eat in Texas, see Veggie Restaurants in Texas

Whole Kids Foundation: School Garden Grant Program
The Whole Kids Foundation is dedicated to supporting schools and inspiring families to improve children’s nutrition and wellness. The Foundation’s School Garden Grant Program provides support for edible gardens at K-12 schools in the U.S. and Canada. These grants of $2,000 are awarded to schools and nonprofit organizations working in partnership with schools. Consideration is given to new or existing garden projects at any stage of development that help children engage with fresh fruits and vegetables. Applications are due October 15, 2018 for both U.S. and Canadian projects. Visit the Foundation’s website to learn more about the program:
https://www.wholekidsfoundation.org/landing-pages/school-gardens-landing

Each issue of Vegetarian Journal has a column titled Scientific Update. In our recent issue, topics covered include:

Prostate Cancer and Alpha-Linolenic Acid: An Update
Bean Biofortification
Medication Use and Cancer Screening Practices of Vegetarians and Meat Eaters
Italian Vegetarian Food Guide Includes Information for Pregnant and Lactating Women

If you are interested in reading previous Scientific Updates that we’ve run in Vegetarian Journal over the years, be sure to visit our website here:
http://www.vrg.org/journal/ScientificDepartment.htm

Please subscribe to Vegetarian Journal here:
Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal

Have you ever wished that your local school offered vegan food? If so, you will find a very helpful article authored by Amy Hamlin in the latest Vegetarian Journal titled “Getting Vegan Food into Schools.” As Amy states, “Despite the updated school meal standards that began in 2012 and the updated snack standards that began in 2014, schools are still full of unhealthful food.” She then goes on to explain in detail how you can work with your local school to add vegan options.

The article can be found here:
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2018issue3/2018_issue3_elementary_schools.php

You can subscribe to Vegetarian Journal by visiting:
Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal

Move over Baltimore, Philadelphia, PA is now offering a Vegan Restaurant Week September 16-22, 2018. A portion of the proceeds from the week will be donated to the Peace Advocacy Network http://www.peaceadvocacynetwork.org/, a Philadelphia-based organization that supports people in their journey toward a peaceful, vegan lifestyle.

For information on which Philly restaurants are participating, see:
https://www.phillyvrw.com/
https://www.facebook.com/phillyveganrestaurantweek/

What can you do with cucumbers besides slicing them for a salad? Chef Nancy Berkoff shares some suggestions in Vegetarian Journal including puréeing cucumbers in a blender or food processor, mixing them with lime juice, and adding chili powder if you like. Freeze the mixture as ice cubes for beverages or white wine, or use it as a refreshing sorbet or individual popsicles.

You can read the entire article here:
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2018issue3/2018_issue3_cooking_tips.php

Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal:
Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal

By Kalie Ganem, VRG Intern

On August 25, 2018, I along with ten thousand others, had the pleasure of attending Baltimore’s Vegan Soulfest https://www.vegansoulfest.com, a festival of vendors, organizations, and performers all coming together to celebrate veganism. The Vegetarian Resource Group set up our booth there in order to answer questions, distribute recipes, sell merchandise, and spread interest for veganism. I, along with other volunteers Julia, Marcy, Davin, and Matt, spoke to a wide variety of people from all different walks of life, all with one thing in common: a passion for veganism.

We passed out editions of our quarterly magazine Vegetarian Journal, which includes recipes and tips, to everyone who passed by, most of whom took it with enthusiasm at the prospect of new dishes to try. I spoke to many people who were struggling with the diet and needed faith that it was worth the trouble, including the mother of a teenager with an eating disorder, a worried father of vegan children, and a woman trying to add gluten-free to her long list of dietary restrictions. Many asked about alternative sources of protein, to which I responded with a laundry-list of plant-based protein sources they could try. One man revealed that he ran for office and had to hide his vegetarianism from the public for public relation reasons. One woman who particularly struck me was a physician seeking help on selling a plant-based diet to her meat-loving, but consequently sick patients. She talked about frequently hearing how her patients could never give up the taste of a fatty meat diet, and how they had convinced themselves that plants were not healthier so they would not have to change their ways. How were her patients supposed to believe that a change of diet would save their health when organizations that are supposed to be health conscious were recommending meat-loaf as a heart healthy recipe? We discussed how there is so much more work to be done in getting the word out about how good for the body and planet veganism really is, but events like this very festival were taking huge steps in the right direction. We gave her a stack of copies of our Vegetarian Journal to give to her patients to help inform them of the power of veganism.

This experience really touched my heart in so many ways. Other than my own parents, I had never seen anyone besides teenage girls trying these diets, but this festival really opened me up to the large community of vegans. I had gone in with the expectation that I would inspire others to make the change to or further their belief in veganism, which I believe I accomplished on many occasions. What I did not expect is that I myself would be so inspired by the very people I was trying to help. Hearing all their different stories and backgrounds really reminded me why I chose and continue to choose this lifestyle every day. It reaffirmed for me the positivity of both body and soul that comes from eating from the earth. Even though I had been standing and talking in the hot sun all day, I came back from the festival not fatigued, but energized, excited to try the free products I got and inspired by those around me.

To volunteer at future Vegetarian Resource Group outreach booths, contact Donate to The Vegetarian Resource Group

Or join VRG at Join The Vegetarian Resource Group

A recent Vegetarian Journal article by John Westerdahl, PhD, MPG, RDN, FAND, features information on Lenna Frances Cooper, co-founder of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association). Not many people know that she was vegetarian and a pioneer in vegetarian nutrition and dietetics.

Lenna achieved much in her nutrition and dietetics career. To give structure and professionalism to the field of dietetics, she was the first to propose the formation of and co-founded the American Dietetic Association (now known as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics) in 1917. She became the Academy’s first vice president and later served as the fourteenth president in 1937. During World War I, she was the first Supervising Dietitian for the U.S. Army (1918-1919). In 1929, as a charter member, she became the first president of the Michigan Dietetic Association. Lenna served on the staff of the U.S. Surgeon General and created the Department of Dietetics at the National Institutes of Health. Her greatest renown came as senior author of Nutrition in Health and Disease, used as a textbook for 30 years in dietetic and nursing programs throughout the world.

You can read the complete article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2018issue3/2018_issue3_nutrition_dietetics.php

Please subscribe to Vegetarian Journal by visiting:
Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal

By Marcy Schveibinz

On their website https://www.target.com/c/wellness-icon-glossary/-/N-gduk0 Target says, “Our icon system makes it easier to make the right choice. To receive an icon, the item has to meet its category’s minimum requirement. If it meets the minimum requirement, the item is awarded icons that highlight what you want to know—so you can easily find what you’re looking for.”

Target’s vegan icon description states, “A product that carries an unqualified independent, third-party certification or on-pack statement relating to the product being 100% vegan.” So it seems Target does not have their own standards, and they rely on the manufacturer.

When I attempted to get further information about Target’s own brand, this is the response I received:

“Thanks for contacting us about follow up for food labeling. We evaluate all claims made on packaging to comply with FDA and USDA regulations and it is our commitment to make claims that are truthful and not misleading. We do not have any information to share at this time in regards to that specific claim.”

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

The Vegetarian Resource Group received the following request:

Hi, we’re hoping you can help us out with a psychology study we are conducting. We are doing an anonymous survey (20 min or less) about being a vegetarian. Any help spreading the word about the study would be greatly appreciated.

Participants over the age of 18 are eligible to win a $50 Amazon gift card (chances of winning are 1 in 100, draw entries will be confidential and not associated with survey responses).

You can take the survey online at:
https://tamuc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6nYet2okoD8e3mB

The survey will be open until September 16th, 2018.

Thank you!
Dr. Courtney Plante, Department of Psychology, MacEwan University, [email protected]
Dr. Stephen Reysen, Department of Psychology & Special Education, Texas A&M University-Commerce, [email protected]