We’ve seen Alternative Baking Company vegan cookies sold at Smoothie King in Maryland and other states. These delicious cookies come in several varieties including Colossal Chocolate Chip, Luscious Lemon Poppyseed, Phenomenal Pumpkin Spice, and other flavors.

You can also purchase these cookies online at:
https://www.alternativebaking.com/order-online/

Smoothie King also offers vegan options. See:
https://smoothieking.com/menu/smoothies/take-a-break-blends/

Co-sponsored by the Health Sciences Division and Wellness Center at Howard Community College
Sunday, November 4, 2018, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Howard Community College
Smith Theatre, Horowitz Center
Campus Drive,
Columbia, Maryland

Take charge of your health! Join for a fun, informative day-long event to learn how to make the transition to a delicious, healthy, rewarding new lifestyle!

Event Details
8:30 sign-in and networking
9:00 – 5:00 speaker program

Enjoy delicious whole-food, plant-based lunch provided by GreenFare Organic Café (from Herndon, Virginia)

Featuring presenters such as Neal Barnard MD, Joel Furhman MD, Dana Simpler MD, Brenda Davis RD, Sharon McCrae, and Chef AJ.

Cooking demonstration with samples

Mini-fitness breaks with Stephanie Dignan from The Boot Camp Girl

Meet and network with other health-conscious individuals

Handouts, recipes, coupons

Door prizes

For details and to register, go to:
http://eatwell-staywell.com/event/eat-well-stay-well-2018-one-day-immersion/

This time of year, it’s easier to find fresh pumpkin to make vegan dishes. We have pumpkin recipes that previously appeared in Vegetarian Journal that you might want to try out:

See: Must Pumpkin Always Be Pie?
Patti Bess shares recipes for Lemony Lentils with Pumpkin, Pumpkin with Black Beans, Braised Pumpkin, Cream of Tomato and Pumpkin Soup, and Stuffed Pumpkin

Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal here:
Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal

If you are a Federal government employee, you can support The Vegetarian Resource Group through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). Look for us under Health & Medical Research Charities of America.

Please also remember The Vegetarian Resource Group in other workplace fund drives, matching gifts, etc. See http://www.vrg.org/support.htm for other ways you can donate to VRG.

Thanks for your support!

Intro to Veganism
By NeCole Hilton

No cheeseburger, leather car interior, or milkshake is worth the immense suffering we systematically inflict upon billions of sentient beings in the 21st century. With a growing array of plant based alternatives that don’t involve the avoidable and agonizing theft of someone else’s life, compassion to animals is a moral imperative. There is no “humane” way to needlessly reduce someone else’s life and value to their exploitation, dismemberment & death. Veganism is the best and most effective moral, ethical, economic, environmental, and compassionate stance against needless exploitation, abuse, and killing of other sentient beings. By being vegan, I am contributing toward a more peaceful and tranquil future for all Earthlings, and wish to educate others so that they may join me and the thousands of other vegans globally in fighting for the fundamental rights of animals, the conservation of the environment, and the peace between each other. See:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds0GcxNJzzE&feature=youtu.be

The deadline for the next VRG video contest is July 15, 2019
See: VRG Video Contest

View winners of the video contest at:
http://www.vrg.org/veg_videos

For information about VRG’s College Scholarship Contest (One $10,000, two $5,000 awards), see: VRG Scholarship Contest

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group scholarships and internships, donate at www.vrg.org/donate
or The Vegetarian Resource Group, Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203

Video scholarships have been given in honor of W.M. Zahn, who was a great mentor.

We received the information below from the head of PR for Tourist Japan. https://touristjapan.com

With veganism and plant-based diets gaining popularity globally, travelers and locals in Japan are finding more suitable vegan options than ever before. Vegan Travel is becoming more recognized and is made accessible by the global vegan community.

Vegan travelers in the past have been wary to visit Japan but recently have been traveling more than ever, as vegan awareness and understanding of vegan diets have gained more attention in the region. While traditional Japanese cuisine inherently offers vegan-friendly dishes with a focus on fresh produce, soy-based dishes like edamame beans and tofu as well as many noodle and rice dishes, there is often fish (like dashi, fish stock) or egg products found within the dishes making it difficult for vegans. However, with more attention and understanding of vegan and plant-based diets many restaurants, cafes and shops in Japan are taking note of the importance of plant-based diets and welcoming vegan travelers eager to explore Japan.

Travel experts at Tourist Japan have seen a rise in vegan travel in Japan in recent years. According to Kylie Goldstein, travel writer for Tourist Japan and a long-time vegan herself, “It can be tricky to travel in a foreign country, in a different language where it can be difficult to read labels and signs indicating vegan-friendly options”. She continues to explain that, “Vegan travelers are seeking tours from all vegan cruises to lengthy group package tours focused on eco-friendly and compassionate travel. Vegan travel often requires extensive pre-trip planning and preparation to ensure that vegan-friendly options which abstain from all animal products including dairy and eggs are available”. It is with this notion in mind, that more vegan travelers are recognizing the expansion of vegan awareness in Japan.

With increased awareness and demand, more vegan-friendly establishments are appearing all over Tokyo. Wendy Werneth, the founder of The Nomadic Vegan, a site committed to empowering vegans, providing extensive vegan information and uncovering hidden vegan gems in unexpected places says, ”In the past few years, veganism has definitely become more popular in Japan. Plenty of new fully vegan or vegetarian restaurants have opened up, and mainstream restaurants are also adding vegan options to their menus”.

Places like T’s Tantan http://ts-restaurant.jp/ is one of the most popular among the vegan community, a well-known hub of vegan activity found inside the Tokyo Station serving up vegan ramen, soy meat, karaage and dumplings, and even take-home instant soup packets to enjoy vegan ramen at home or while traveling. The well-known international vegan chain Loving Hut http://lovinghut.jp/, has a Tokyo location offering a vegan lunch buffet and dinner with cuisine that is a fusion between Japanese and Taiwanese cuisine. Nagi Shokudo https://www.happycow.net/reviews/nagi-shokudo-tokyo-13435 invites vegan and non-vegan diners, serving traditional Japanese cuisine with a vegan twist in a comfortable and cozy atmosphere. There is also Hiroba http://www.crayonhouse.co.jp/shop/pages/restaurant_en.aspx, found underneath the CrayonHouse bookstore, Hiroba is an organic vegan restaurant and vegan grocery store.

Vegan hacks such as traveling with individual packets of soy sauce make it easy for vegan diners to eat street food and kindly ask the vendors to leave the sauce off the dish. Traveling with your own vegan condiments while in Japan opens the possibilities to vegan street dining. Another shared tip among vegan travelers is printing out helpful phrases in Japanese and English to clearly communicate to restaurants that they do not eat animal products. Vegan travelers can use printable cards from Just Hungry http://www.justhungry.com/japan-dining-out-cards to easily and clearly indicate dietary restrictions. Another perk for vegan travelers is that Japanese cuisine offers many soy-based dishes including soy milk, soy ice cream and soy donuts making it easy to find non-dairy alternatives.

Werneth also shares an insider tip about traditional Japanese food that happens to be vegan-friendly. “Onigiri filled with umeboshi plums or other pickled fruit and vegetables are a handy vegan snack, and they are found all over Japan in convenience stores and markets. Inarizushi (sushi rice packed inside a pocket of tofu) is another common snack found in convenience stores”.

Vegan travel involves compassion, awareness, activism, and creativity. As vegans know, it can sometimes be an uphill battle, but as more and more parts of the world understand and recognize the value of plant-based eating, the potential for expansion is endless. There is still room for improvement in Japan, but Tokyo is quickly becoming a very friendly vegan-friendly city thanks to the support of the global vegan community.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is soliciting public input to answer the following questions:

How do you use plant-based products?
What is your understanding of dairy terms like milk, yogurt and cheese when they are used to label plant-based products?
Do you understand the nutritional characteristics of plant-based products? Do you know how they’re different from each other? Do you know how their nutritional qualities compare with dairy products?

Over the next year, the FDA will be looking at next steps, which will include issuing guidance for industry. This would clarify FDA’s thinking regarding the labeling of plant-based products with names that include the names of dairy foods while giving manufacturers adequate notice about any changes.

To submit electronic comments, go to
https://www.regulations.gov/searchResults?rpp=25&po=0&s=FDA-2018-N-3522-0001&fp=true&ns=true
Click on Comment Now.

For more information, see
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FDA-2018-N-3522-0001

Vegetable Chowder is a perfect meal during fall. Chef Nancy Berkoff shares several different types of vegan chowder recipes including:

Southwestern Green Bean and Red Pepper Chowder
Carrot, Pear, and White Bean Chowder
Brunswick Stew à la Vegan
Marrano Chowder
Potato and Kale Chowder
Lentil Chowder

According to Nancy, chowders are flavored with whatever is in season or whatever could be canned from last season. They vary from region to region and generally are “chunkier” than most soups…Chowders were originally meant to be one-pot meals. They were “built” in layers, with ingredients tossed into the pot according to the amount of cooking time required. Served with crackers or a hunk of bread, chowders were the main meal of the day. Enjoy some chowder today!

The vegetable chowder recipes can be found here:
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2000sep/2000_sep_vegetable_chowders.php

Join The Vegetarian Resource Group Today!
Join The Vegetarian Resource Group

The Vegetarian Resource Group will host a vegan dinner at BUSBOYS AND POETS in Washington, DC (About three blocks from the DC Convention Center) on Sunday, October 21, 2018 during the annual meeting of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Meet VRG advisors Reed Mangels PhD RD, Catherine Conway MS RD, Mark Rifkin, MS RD, Debra Wasserman, Charles Stahler, and vegetarian dietitians from around the country. All are welcome.

MENU
APPETIZERS:
BBQ Vegan Chicken Bites
Crispy Brussels Sprouts (Brussels sprouts with shallots, agave vinaigrette)
Tabbouleh (Quinoa, parsley, tomatoes, green onions, lemon juice)
ENTRÉE: Beans and Wild Rice (black beans, fresh guacamole, pico de gallo)
DESSERT: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie
Fountain Drinks and Iced Tea included

MUST PAY AND RESERVE IN ADVANCE: Send $35 per person (includes tax and tip) with names to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

Call (410) 366-8343 9am to 5pm Mon-Fri ET. Or pay at www.vrg.org/donate and write DC Dietitian Dinner in the Comments.

NAME:
# Attending X $35/person = $
NAMES OF ATTENDEES:
Address:
City/State/Zip:
Email:
Phone:

Donation towards professional outreach: $
Total enclosed: $

By Brigette Dumais

I had the pleasure of cooking and eating Sunflower Family brand “Sunflower Mushroom Stew.” The stew is perfect for busy vegans because it was simple to make and it took just under twenty minutes to prepare. Additionally, the stew is great for broke and frugal vegans, as I was able to get several meals out of it.

There is a suggested recipe on the box, which I embellished a bit to fit my personal taste preferences. First, I sautéed mushrooms and onions with fresh sage. I used more mushrooms than the box recipe calls for because I enjoy chunky stew. Next, I added two cups of water and two cups of coconut milk to the sauté mixture to make it creamy. Then I sprinkled in a Tablespoon of nutritional yeast. Finally, I added the sunflower and spice mix and stirred it all together. I then kept it on the heat for about ten minutes so the flavors could mix. Once everything was blended, I garnished the stew with fresh parsley. For my first meal, I ate the stew as a soup on its own. The next day I mixed the leftover stew with rice, which is why I was able to get so many servings out of it.

Before this, I had never had or thought to add sunflower to anything other than putting sunflower seeds on salads and occasionally cooking with sunflower oil. I am glad I had the opportunity to taste the unique flavor of sunflower in this stew! I’ll definitely be making “Sunflower Mushroom Stew” again in the future.

To order this product online, see:
https://www.sunflowerfamily.us/product/mushroom-stew/