photo from Freepik

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

According to the 2020 census, 1 in 6 people in the United States was 65 years old or older (1). Between 2022 and 2040 the number of people in the United States who are age 85 and older is projected to more than double (2). Are there factors that can improve the health and quality of life of older Americans? A recent report, using data from the Adventist Health Study-2, suggests that vegetarian including vegan diets are associated with better health in the oldest old (3).

What is the study?

This study used data from a subset of more than 7,000 participants in the Adventist Health Study-2 who were age 80 or older at the start of the study. The average age of participants in this subset was 84.9 years. The Adventist Health Study-2 is a large-scale study of Seventh-day Adventists living in the United States and Canada. Study subjects completed questionnaires in 2002 about their food choices and their health. This information was evaluated for this study.

The researchers used the participants’ dietary information to categorize participants as vegans (consumed any animal product less than once a month), lacto-ovo vegetarians (no flesh foods; consumed dairy and/or eggs once a month or more), pesco-vegetarians (similar to lacto-ovo vegetarians but ate fish once a month or more), semi-vegetarians (ate flesh foods less than once a week but at least once a month), and nonvegetarians.

What did this study find?

About 8% of women and 7.5% of men were categorized as vegan; 28.5% of women and 30.4% of men were categorized as lacto-ovo vegetarian. The vegans had the lowest average body mass index (BMI) and fewer vegans were categorized as overweight or obese compared to other study participants. Nonvegetarians were more likely to report having hypertension and vegans were least likely to report having hypertension. Vegans, lacto-ovo vegetarians, and pesco-vegetarians were less likely to report having high blood cholesterol levels compared to semi-vegetarians and nonvegetarian. Vegans were least likely to have high blood cholesterol levels. Taken together, these results suggest that older vegetarians including vegans have fewer risk factors for heart disease than do nonvegetarians.

Additionally, about one-third of vegans described their health as “excellent,” more than any other group. Less than 20% of nonvegetarians described their health as “excellent.” More nonvegetarians than any other group described their health as “poor” (20% of nonvegetarians compared to 11.4% of vegans).

Overall, these results in a group who generally avoid smoking and alcohol, support the importance of following a vegan or near vegan diet for successful aging.

References

1. United States Census Bureau. U.S. Older Population Grew From 2010 to 2020 at Fastest Rate Since 1880 to 1890. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/05/2020-census-united-states-older-population-grew.html. 2023.
2. The Administration for Community Living. 2023 Profile of Older Americans. https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/Profile%20of%20OA/ACL_ProfileOlderAmericans2023_508.pdf. 2024.
3. Santos HD, Alabadi-Bierman A, Paalani M, et al. Living longer and lifestyle: A report on the oldest of the old in the Adventist Health Study-2. JAR Life. 2025;14:100010.

To read more about vegan diets for older adults see:

A Senior’s Guide to Good Nutrition

Protein for Older Adults

Vegan Menus for Adults 51+

A Vegan Diet Effectively Supports Muscle Development in Older Adults

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.

In the recent issue of Vegan Journal, Akua Oppong describes her experience as a Vegetarian Resource Group intern. One huge project she accomplished is an article, meal plan, and recipes describing Ghanaian food and culture. Read about her vegan activities here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue3/2025_issue3_vegan_world.php

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

Come meet dietitians from the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group and VRG members. The public is invited. You must preregister. You can pay at www.vrg.org/donate Write in names of attendees and that this is for the Networking dinner.

When: Sunday, October 12, 2025, 6 PM

Where: Sitar Indian Restaurant

Menu (subject to change):

Samosa (potato and pea turnover)
Salad
Papadum (thin and crispy lentil crackers)
Roti (whole wheat bread)
Chutney
Rice
Yellow Dal (lentils)
Chana Masala (chickpeas)
Baingan Bhurtha (eggplant)
Bhindi Masala (okra)
Vegetable Patia (fresh vegetables with sweet and sour mangoes)
Fruit
Tea and Water

Cost: $35 before October 1, 2025. Includes tax and tip. Drinks can be purchased from the restaurant separately.

PLEASE PAY AT   www.vrg.org/donate and write in the Comments: Networking Dinner with the Attendee names. Or call (410) 366-8343. Or mail payment to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203. We look forward to seeing you there.

(Note: This replaces a previous dinner location because of a fire in the area.)

photo from Freepik

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

About 2% of 8-17 year olds in the United States consistently were vegan and 21% sometimes or always ate vegan meals when eating out according to a 2021 poll commissioned by The Vegetarian Resource Group (1). There has been little research done on vegan tweens and teens, so it was intriguing to see a recent study of Austrian 10-19 year olds (2).

What is the study?

The study was conducted online and involved almost 8,700 students in Austria. The study subjects completed a questionnaire which asked about their nutrition habits, the motivations for their dietary choices, their physical activity levels, and their use of alcohol and tobacco. Participants were between 10 and 19 years old with the average age of 15.1 years. The researchers used a combination of the students’ description of their diets and reports of the food that they ate to designate them as vegan (no animal products or ingredients), vegetarian (no meat, poultry, fish or shellfish but ate eggs and dairy products), or nonvegetarian/omnivorous.

What did this study find?

Among the study participants, 142 or 1.6% were vegan, 5.6% were vegetarian, and the remainder (92.8%) were nonvegetarians. Vegan and vegetarian diets were more common in females than in males and in middle schoolers compared to high schoolers.

Health, sports performance, and animal welfare were the main motivations for those choosing vegan diets; animal welfare, personal health, and taste/preference were the top three motivations for vegetarians; and health, taste/preference, and no specific reason were the main reasons given for following a nonvegetarian diet.

Vegans were more active than the other two groups based on the number of days per week they participated in physical activity, sports, and exercise. More than 80% of vegans ate fruit daily which was significantly higher than either vegetarians (72%) or nonvegetarians (65%). More than 80% of both vegetarians and vegans ate vegetables daily; this was significantly more than nonvegetarians, 62% of whom ate vegetables daily. Vegans and nonvegetarians were less likely to consume alcohol than vegetarians were.

The study researchers conclude, “following a vegan diet during childhood and adolescence is associated with more advantageous health behavioral choices.”

Ideally, studies similar to this will be conducted in other countries to provide further insights into the health behaviors and motivations of vegan students.

References:

1. Stahler C, Mangels R. How Many Youth in the U.S are Vegan? How Many Teens Eat Vegetarian When Eating Out? The Vegetarian Resource Group asks in a YouGov Poll. www.vrg.org/nutshell/Yougov2021youthteenwriteup.pdf. 2021.
2. Wirnitzer KC, Tanous DR, Drenowatz C, et al. Difference in motives and basic health behavior of 8799 children and adolescents aged 10-19 years following a vegan, vegetarian, or omnivorous diet. Curr Dev Nutr. 2025;9:107498.

To read more about vegan teens see:

Teen FAQs

Vegan Nutrition for Teenagers

The Vegan Teen Athlete

photo from Sol Simple LLC

In every issue of Vegan Journal, we review vegan products that we especially like. In our recent issue we review Simple Dried Fruit from Sol that comes in several varieties. 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

photo from La Combi-gotes

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: www.vrg.org/restaurant

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:

Aliado Bar & Aperitivo, 68 Calle de San Francisco, San Juan, PR 00901

Aliado’s small plates (Aperitivos) are intended for sharing and include Sopa de Frijoles Negros with organic black turtle beans, local pumpkin, breadfruit, ginger, and herbs; Olivia featuring Italian Castelvetrano olives, emulsified cashew cream, EVOO, and dehydrated seed crackers; Pickled Beet and Ricotta Toast showcasing Chioggia and Detroit red beets from Aibonito, pepita ricotta, tomato marmalade, microgreens, and sourdough from Panoteca San Miguel. In addition, they offer a daily special which serves as a main course such as Pasta Fresca fresh made Tagliatelle, with cultured creamy pesto, local mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, and dried parmesan. Their vegan cheese is tree nut based. They thank you for your patience, noting their dishes are made from scratch.

Aiso, 4068 18th St., San Francisco, CA 94114

Aiso offers diverse, tropically-inspired Tapas such as Oyster Mushroom Skewers with Tamari and coriander, Yuca Sticks with Passionfruit Mustard, Heart of Palm Fritto with Watercress Aioli, Garlic butter Udon with Macadamia Nut, Beet Tartare with Wasabi Crème Fraiche, cucumber, and sesame, Mango Gazpacho with fresh brunoise, spicy Roasted Cauliflower with Sikil pak (a Mayan pumpkin seed based dip), and sour orange onion to name a few dishes.

El Veganito, 5500 Grossmont Center Dr., La Mesa, CA 91942

El Veganito strives to craft creative dishes with locally sourced ingredients and to offer a “…celebration of food, health, and sustainability…” To name a few, Tacos include Carnitas showcasing Jackfruit, or Adobada with soy protein—both with cilantro, onion, and lime; Phish featuring Baja style fishless fillets, cabbage, tomato, cilantro, chipotle cream, and avocado; as well as Tacos de Papa offering crunchy rolled potato taquitos, topped with onion, tomato, lettuce, cilantro, cheese, avocado, and sour cream. Burritos/Bowls offer many similar fillings, some with rice and beans and some where they may be added. Poncho’s Burrito includes freshly marinated, grilled vegetables, rice beans, Pico de Gallo, and avocado. Machaca Burrito features scrambled Jackfruit, tofu, bell pepper, onions, and tomato. El Reuben showcases thin sliced Tempeh, 1000 Island, cheese, and sauerkraut on grilled rye bread. Sopes serves up Veracruz style corn Masa, black beans, onion, sour cream, cilantro, avocado, and their Cashew Cotija cheese. They offer lots of sides too.

La Combi-gotes, 111 N. Bishop Ave., Dallas, TX 75208

The vegan food trailer serves up vegan Mexican dishes such as Beefless Fajitas, Chickenless Flautas, Veggie Burritos, quesadillas, Mexican bowl, and burgers.

Missionary Chocolates, 2712 NE Glisan St., Portland, OR 97232

Missionary Chocolates are crafted in small batches by a naturopathic physician and are dairy-free and gluten-free. Besides their first truffle flavor, 8 time award winning Meyer Lemon Explosion, they offer a myriad of Truffle choices like Sweet Raspberry, Simply Espresso, Local Lavender, Smoked Cherrywood Salted Caramel, inot Noir Salted Caramel, Whiskey, Peach Habanero, and more! A few are seasonal. They’re even open to custom crafting flavors. Chocolate Bars include GF Pretzel Bits Bar and more, as well as Sugar-Free Ginger, Peppermint, Vanilla or Cacao Nibs Chocolate Bars sweetened with monk fruit and stevia. Other confections are Chocolate Covered Snacks like Cherries, Marshmallow Barrels, Figs, Cinnamon Bears, Coffee Beans, and so many more—some organic, all chocolate covered! Talk about community support—on their website you can see the generous list of charities to which Missionary Chocolates has donated chocolate. And yes, they offer samples to visitors!

Mr. Charlie’s, 262 26^th St., Santa Monica, CA 90402

Here, you will find timeless American classics with a plant-based twist, such as “frowny meals,” “not a double double,” “not a cheeseburger,” not a chicken sandwich,” “not chicken nuggets,” and everyone’s favorite, french fries!

Sensible Edibles, 30-30 47th Ave., Long Island City, NY 11101

Sensible Edibles is a gluten-free and vegan bakery and café focused on bringing wholesome, organic, and sustainable baked goods. They also have online ordering available across the US, and provide custom gluten-free and vegan cakes.

CHARLOTTESVILLE VIRGINIA VEG FEST, Sunday September 14, 2025

Please come by our booth and say hello to our booth coordinator Elsa. For more info see: https://www.cvillevegfest.com/

Immy Lucas’s book The Conscious Kitchen is reviewed in the latest issue of Vegan Journal. This cookbook focuses on how to reduce food waste in your kitchen. Recipes are included. 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

photo from Freepik

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

It’s exciting for new vegan parents to imagine their baby starting to eat solid foods. There will be adorable photos of the baby after a meal, with more of the meal on the baby than in the baby’s stomach. There will be the thrill of the baby’s first taste of a strawberry or broccoli or another new food. How can parents know when it’s appropriate to introduce solids?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be introduced to foods other than breast milk or infant formula when they are about 6 months old and that introducing solid foods before 4 months is not recommended. Introducing solids earlier than 4 months appears to increase the risk of childhood obesity. Breast milk or infant formula meets a baby’s nutritional needs for the first 6 months and generally there is no nutritional need for solids before age 6 months. Around age 6 months is when babies typically are ready to develop the skills needed to eat solid foods. Each baby is different, of course, and it’s more important to consider signs of readiness for solids than to only look at the baby’s age.

Some signs that a baby is ready to start solid foods include:

• The baby can sit up in a high chair, a feeding seat, or an infant seat with little or no support and can control their head and neck. This means the baby can lean forward when they want food or pull back or turn away when they’re no longer hungry or interested.
• Being interested in what others are eating. They may watch others eating, reach for food and open their mouth when you try to give them food.
• When they are given food, they swallow it (or at least some of it) instead of pushing the food out of their mouth with their tongue.
• The baby tries to grasp small objects and brings objects to their mouth.

If your baby’s doctor approves starting solid foods but the baby does not seem interested, wait a few days and then try again. Breast milk or infant formula will still meet the baby’s nutritional needs as they begin to eat solid foods.

To read more about feeding vegan babies see:

Feeding Vegan Kids

Vegan Nutrition in Pregnancy and Childhood

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.

Often people stereotype vegans. In their latest Note from the Coordinators in Vegan Journal, the Vegetarian Resource Group Coordinators describe how varied vegans actually are after analyzing results from VRG’s latest national YouGov poll. Read the column here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue3/2025_issue3_note_coordinators.php

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