Posted on
September 24, 2019 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Each issue of Vegetarian
Journal features an activist promoting veganism. In our latest column VRG
Intern Emma Giebel interviewed Steven Brill.
“If you find yourself walking
through New York City’s Central Park and notice a man eating the plants
directly from their source, don’t be alarmed. That’s Steve Brill, also known as
the Wildman, and he has been foraging for food in popular parks in the New York
area for three decades.
Brill is a self-taught forager,
having learned from textbooks, and wishes to spread his knowledge.
“I’d like to make
whole-foods veganism and foraging more common,” he said.
He has been giving walking tours
for years and has taught people of all ages about the benefits of a whole-foods
vegan diet. On his tours, he offers guests samples of his vegan recipes that
include the plants he expects he will find on that day. Whole-foods veganism,
which means being a vegan that truly lives off the land to Brill, is one of the
most important aspects of his life. He credits the diet and his passion for
exercise as major contributors to his incredible health at the age of 70.”
Posted on
September 23, 2019 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Recent discussion topics
include:
– This question was posted: Avoiding the processed vegan meat products, what meals that are mostly whole food plant-based have you made that are kid-friendly? Responses included: Beans! Bean burritos, black bean burgers, chickpea salad etc.; Spaghetti, no-meat chili and cornbread, wild rice and cauliflower soup, goulash, burrito bowls, butternut squash & black bean burritos, baked potatoes; Agree regarding grain and bean bowls–throw in a veggie or two and a sauce, yum! Loaded (with veggies) baked potatoes, soups, we also do a mac n cheese with kale, spinach or broccoli using a sauce I make with plain almond yogurt, nutritional yeast, acv and garlic powder; and My 8 year old loves to cook with the thug kitchen cookbook. The recipes are really good but I’m sure half of the excitement comes from reading words she’s not allowed to say!
– A member posted this question: What is your favorite kitchen gadget (brand?) for finely grating carrots? Most of the reviews for graters online reference cheese. Thank you! Someone responded: This one says it is good for finely grating carrots – Cuisipro Surface Glide Technology Deluxe Dual Grater
-Plus more!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRGparentsandkids/ is intended to be a group that offers support for
families raising children on vegan diets and for vegan kids. We envision it as
a place to get advice about a wide-variety of topics: pregnancy, birthday
parties, school lunches, Halloween, non-leather apparel, cruelty-free products,
summer camps, and more. Please use it as a place to share your wisdom, seek
advice, or just find a sympathetic ear. The goal is to offer support.
Consequently, any profane, defamatory, offensive,
or violent language will be removed. Feel free to disagree, but do so
respectfully. Hateful or discriminatory comments regarding race, ethnicity,
religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or political beliefs will not
be tolerated. We expect that posts should relate to vegan diets and lifestyles.
The Vegetarian Resource Group reserves the right to monitor all content and ban
any user who posts in violation of the above rules, any law or regulation,
SPAM, or anything otherwise off topic.
Please share this information
with any veggie families that you know! Thanks.
Posted on
September 23, 2019 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Each issue
of Vegetarian Journal features reviews
of books we feel our readers would enjoy. In the latest Vegetarian Journal we reviewed
several books including VEGAN TALES VOLUME I edited
by Maureen Kingsley which consists of vegan short stories written by vegan
writers from Europe, the United States, and elsewhere. Each tale is written in
a unique fashion and all touch upon vegan values. We also reviewed IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE IN THE GARDEN By
T.A. Kuepper and Illustrated by Brett Bednorz. It’s
a Wonderful Life in the Garden, book 3 of The Adventures of Archie Artichoke
book series with its vibrant, colorful illustrations and fun vegetable
characters who go on a trip, will appeal to children ages 4 to 8, as well as
their parents for important lessons to be learned. Archie Artichoke and his
veggie friends will realize how good their lives in the garden are after their
venture into the dark forest in search of gifts from a magical genie.
Posted on
September 20, 2019 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Photo by Hannah Kaminsky
The latest issue of Vegetarian Journal features a vegan recipe piece by cookbook author and photographer Hannah Kaminsky called “Keep Your Cool! Refreshing No-Bake Desserts.” Recipes include Peaches and Cream Icebox Cake, Orange Dream Ice Cream Bars, Raspberry White Chocolate Macaroons, Root Beer Float Pie, and Bananas Foster Crème Brûlée.
Posted on
September 19, 2019 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Rosh Hashanah starts on the eve of September 29th in 2019. It’s a tradition to eat sweet foods during this holiday. Your family and friends will enjoy the following vegan recipes from The Jewish Lowfat Vegetarian Cookbook. This vegan cookbook features international vegan recipes that you can serve year-round and can be purchased from The Vegetarian Resource Group online: www.vrg.org/bookstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=13 or by sending $21 (including postage/handling) to Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.
Polish Plum and Rhubarb Soup (Serves 6)
1 pound plums, pitted and chopped 1 pound rhubarb, chopped 10 cups water ¼ cup plus 1 Tablespoon apple juice concentrate ¼ teaspoon clove powder 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
Place all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat,
cover pot, and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Turkish Mandarin Salad (Serves 5)
Two 10½ ounce cans Mandarin oranges, drained ½ Spanish onion, peeled and finely chopped ¼ cup pitted black olives, chopped ¼ cup pitted green olives, chopped ½ teaspoon coriander ½ teaspoon paprika Salt and pepper to taste
Toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Chill and serve over a
bed of lettuce.
Romanian Sweet Pasta (Serves 8)
1 pound vegan pasta 12 cups water 1 cup maple syrup ½ cup walnuts, ground or 1/3 cup poppy seeds, ground ½ teaspoon lemon rind, minced 1½ cup raisins ½ teaspoon clove powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cook pasta in boiling water until done. Drain.
Heat maple syrup and walnuts or poppy seeds in a large pot over medium heat
for 2 minutes. Add lemon rind, raisins, clove powder, and cinnamon. Stir and
continue cooking for 3 more minutes. Add cooked pasta. Mix well and serve warm.
Note: You can also pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake at 350
degrees for 20 minutes before serving.
Posted on
September 19, 2019 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Each issue of Vegetarian Journal we review vegan products that we think our audience would want to purchase. In the recent issue we reviewed several items:
Heading out for a hike or need a satisfying snack for work/school?
Savory Wild’s Portabella Jerky fits the bill. These tasty dehydrated strips
come in three flavors: Sesame, Ginger & Korean Chili; Sweet Balsamic &
Golden Fig; and the tester favorite, Roasted Garlic & Black Pepper. www.savorywild.com
You can eat your chickpeas and love them too with Rule
Breaker Blondies and Brownies. www.rulebreakersnacks.com
Bubbies vegan mochi ice cream treats are the epitome of
adorable. Vegan flavors available nationwide include chocolate and strawberry
in self-serve freezer bins at Whole Foods. www.bubbiesicecream.com
Amy’s Kitchen has introduced two quick and easy vegan
entreés: Spinach Ravioli and Asian Dumplings. These are perfect to keep in the
office for days of forgotten lunch, to feed picky kids at home, or indulge in
as a late-night comfort food! You can find Amy’s Kitchen products at major retailers.
www.amys.com
Posted on
September 18, 2019 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By Shannon Borgoyn, VRG Intern
Back in spring 2017, I was considering volunteer opportunities close to home. I was a dietetics student at the University of Maryland, College Park. While it isn’t a requirement for dietetic majors to acquire volunteer experience, it is highly recommended. Experiences in the three fields of community, clinical, and food service makes us well-rounded professionals, broadens our horizons and knowledge, and helps us decide what to pursue in the professional domain.
The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) was an organization I considered because of its focus on veganism and vegan nutrition. I am interested in this because I’m vegan. My first encounter with VRG had been at their booth at Vegtoberfest in fall 2011. At Vegtoberfest, I discussed my interest in nutrition with a volunteer dietitian at VRG’s booth. At the time, I was majoring in pre-dietetics at my local community college. This was the start of my experience with VRG. Throughout that summer, I acted as a volunteer intern and assisted with and created various materials: blog posts, research for articles in Vegetarian Journal, reviewing new food products, and updating VRG’s online restaurant listings. So, I inquired if I could complete my elective rotation with VRG, and they directed me to VRG Nutrition Advisor and dietitian Reed Mangels. Reed has acted as preceptor for many VRG interns before me, so I knew that I was in experienced hands.
Even though my rotation only lasted a week, Reed taught me much. She worked patiently with me every step throughout my week at VRG. First, she provided me with helpful constructive criticism on my projects. Second, she made me critically think about the material in my projects by asking detailed questions. Third, Reed gave me informative articles to read in order to broaden my knowledge and to assist me with my projects. Fourth, she had me create an outline of my projects at VRG. This outline helped me to be organized when working on my projects.
Before I began my rotation with VRG, I was assigned to look through VRG’s website and resources and Vegetarian Journal. I wrote a short paper explaining any topics of interest I found; explaining anything I was curious about; and mentioning anything I would like to learn. The topics I was interested in were the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’s (AND) stance on vegetarian diets; VRG’s many resources; and the Scientific Update section of Vegetarian Journal. For each topic, I discussed their importance and why they were interesting. The subjects I wanted to learn more about were self-labels (like “vegan” vs. “plant-based”) and the rates of veganism in different countries.
The topic I was curious about was vegan flavorings. In my last year of college, I wrote a paper for a project about natural flavors vs. artificial flavors. In my research for that project, I discovered that the FDA had vague legal definitions for its flavors. The FDA was going to address this issue by gathering input from the public to clarify the definitions and their meanings. Unfortunately, this action never came to pass and the definitions remain ambiguous. Artificial flavors are no concern because they are made in a lab, making them vegan. However, specification for natural flavor synthesis is unknown. As it is, flavor ingredients are not specified, but allergens in flavors are required to be on food labels. As per the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, allergens are defined as fish, soy, milk, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, and crustacean shellfish. This list of allergens doesn’t cover possible meat-based flavors and is concerning for vegans and vegetarians. Based on my curiosity about vegan flavorings, Reed encouraged me to draft a persuasive letter to the Executive Committee of the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group (VN DPG) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).
While at VRG, two projects I worked on were handouts on beans and calcium. In my time at VRG, I have learned many lessons. First, I learned how to tailor informative materials to the vegetarian audience and to the general public. Second, I learned organization for a short period of time. Third, I learned to critically think about everything in my work, including grammar; foods most commonly found in supermarkets; and the connotation of certain foods and words. Fourth, I learned some graphic design skills through the use of Canva (a graphic design tool website) in creating handouts.
Even though this was a short experience, I really enjoyed it. It was nice to return to a place where I enjoyed the special challenge of the work. I am grateful to Reed and staff members for their generosity to host me as an intern. I recommend VRG as a volunteer internship or a rotation for a dietetic internship. Veganism and vegetarianism have become more mainstream, but many dietetic students and interns may not fully understand the needs of this population. Vegan and vegetarian diets are supported by the Academy of Nutrition an Dietetics and were briefly touched on in my dietetics courses. However, future dietitians will need to be ready to help a diverse population, vegans and vegetarians included.
One of the takeaways from my dietetics courses was that the American population consumes too much animal protein and not enough fruits and vegetables. Some people may not be able to consume animal products for a variety of reasons (aside from choice): medical conditions (such as kidney dialysis); allergies (to dairy, fish, shellfish, and meat); and lactose-intolerance being a few. Scientific research sent to me in AND’s email newsletters indicates over and over that plant-based diets have more advantages than disadvantages regarding health. Future dietitians need to be prepared to cater to these populations by being aware of numerous alternatives to animal products. Not everybody can consume animal products.
As for me, I will strive to keep learning: about different diets, cultures, mindsets, and scientific studies. Being open to anything and everything will only strengthen me as a dietitian.
Posted on
September 18, 2019 by
The VRG Blog Editor
The Vegetarian Resource Group in the News Vegetarian Resource Group Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, was interviewed about vegan pregnancy and vegan kids for the Plant-Based Superpower Mom Podcast.
VEGAN Education This past spring, we had four interns in the VRG office, including a future vegan engineer, two specializing in environmental studies from Maryland Loyola, and a student who recently completed her bachelor’s in health science fitness wellness, with an eye towards a graduate program in public health. They participated with health coach Marcy at a vegan cooking demo for previously homeless individuals, and worked on a meal plan helpful for low-income Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. Also, this year past interns asked us for recommendations for law school and an RD internship program. Thank you to all our hard-working interns for making a difference. VRG Research Director Jeanne Yacoubou, MS, investigated animal products in toilet paper. VRG conducted our ongoing poll on the number of vegans and vegetarians. Debra Wasserman was invited to speak at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics NDEP Eastern Workshop for Dietetic Educators and Preceptors. Marcy Schveibinz updated our VRG’s Guide to Soymilks. See the entire table at: www.vrg.org/nutshell/Guide_to_Soymilks_2019.pdf
Notes from The Scientific Department is a regular column in each issue of Vegetarian Journal.
The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on veganism and the interrelated issues of health, nutrition, ecology, ethics, and world hunger. We have been helping health professionals, food services, businesses, educators, students, vegans, and vegetarians since 1982. In addition to publishing the Vegan Journal, VRG produces and sells a number of books.
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