Part I
By Amy Dell, VRG Intern

It was a dark and stormy morning. I didn’t think anyone would come to this outdoor event. I was expecting a few people at most to brave the harsh weather to attend the Roots Vegan Fest. As booth staffer Angelique and I arrived at Roots Market, I was shocked to see dozens of other booths getting set-up and a full command central operation under a large tent in front of the store. This event was sponsored by the Roots natural foods store and similar to a marketplace with pop-ups, local artists, tastings, and nonprofits.

We got our table in place and displayed Vegetarian Resource Group materials. We were ready just in time for hordes of people to show up, Roots gift bags in hand. I was amazed. All of these people came out just to support vegan companies and nonprofits. We’re such a strong and dedicated community!

One of the first groups we talked to was an engaged couple who were getting married in a week. They had non-vegan family in town and were excited to have our Greater Baltimore Restaurant Guide on-hand for dining out with their families. We gave out over one hundred of our guides. See Greater Baltimore Restaurant Guide

We then saw a vegan family with a little baby. The mother was interested in raising the baby vegan, so we suggested our “Vegan Nutrition in Pregnancy and Childhood” Brochure (available for download here: Vegan Nutrition in Pregnancy and Childhood) and the Leprechaun Cake and Other Tales recipe book for when he gets a little bit older. This book is very close to my heart because I remember it being one of the first books I ever picked out and bought for myself as a child.

When the crowd died down a little bit, Angelique and I took turns walking around and getting food for lunch. There were so many cool booths to see and so many delicious choices for a meal. Angelique, a vegan volunteer from France had her first ever doughnut, and I got my all-time favorite soup (Maryland Vegetable Soup from Roots).

After lunch, we had a really interesting discussion with a Medical Librarian from Howard County Library. She was looking for new books to add to the library, and for some books for herself. We talked with her about what she was looking for, and had tons of options for her to review. There were books about Diabetes, Weight Loss, Specialty Cookbooks, Allergy Guides, and many more. All of the books can also be purchased on our website, VRG Book Catalog

My best moment of the day was when a new vegan came to our booth and quickly gravitated toward the Protein for Vegans and Vegetarians sheet. I made that handout during my Vegetarian Resource Group internship, so it was so cool to see it actually help someone in their transition to veganism.

I also really enjoyed spending time with Angelique (VRG’s visiting intern from France) and getting to know her better. Overall, it was a really fun day!

Part II
By Angélique Complainville, Vegan Volunteer from France

As soon as we were done setting up, people came to our booth and the outreach began. I met a lot of people who were already vegetarian or vegan but who said that they were always interested in learning more or finding new recipes. I was also really happy to talk with people who knew vegans or vegetarians – whether they were family members or friends. They wanted to learn more about this lifestyle and usually picked out our “Vegan Diets in a Nutshell” pamphlet. A grandmother I talked to was really concerned about her grandson who had just gone vegan and protein he needed to play sports. I gave her a “Protein for Vegans & Vegetarians” handout. I told her that we had vegan recipes on our website, so she took one of our business cards and said that she would use our website to cook her grandson some meals for when he visits her. This experience really touched me because I wish my French grandparents had access to resources like the ones VRG provides.

Because it was a weekend there were a lot of families, so we handed out many copies of our “I Love Animals and Broccoli Coloring Books.” Kids were really happy about it and it was a way to spark up conversations with the parents. Locals were also really pleased for our extensive list of vegetarian and vegan restaurants from our restaurant guide and many people subscribed to our newsletter to get notified about events going on in the area. Some people I talked to said they knew us from our Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Vegan Potluck and were excited to see us here and support us.

Overall, I had a really great time meeting people at the booth, sharing about veganism, and informing people. People were really friendly and interested in what the VRG’s mission was. Most people were really impressed when they found out that the VRG was around since 1982 and wanted to support it whether it was by buying a bumper sticker or a pin, or by buying a book or a journal subscription. This is definitely an experience I look forward to having again because I really felt like it was inspiring people to start or continue their vegetarian lives.

For more information about Roots Market, see Roots Market

To volunteer with The Vegetarian Resource Group, contact gene at [email protected]

For information about internships, see Intern at VRG

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group outreach, donate at Donate to The Vegetarian Resource Group

To join The Vegetarian Resource Group, go to 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. 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 Amy Dell, Vegetarian Resource Group Intern

I was born and raised in Maryland. We have snow down here, I’ll give you that (especially these past few years), but it’s not that bad. And so while it may be difficult to find vegan snow jackets and boots, I haven’t had to deal with that fact until now. I’m moving to Maine for college, so I’ve got to find good quality, cute, practical winter weather clothes. And it would be great if this stuff could cost, like, not a ton of money.

I don’t understand why people continue to manufacture leather, fur, wool, down, and suede products when vegan alternatives work just as well. It’s really frustrating to imagine all the animals that died or were held captive to be used as clothing. Like, get it together, companies.

On my quest for vegan cold weather apparel, I spent months, and yes I mean months, searching for the perfect winter coat. It couldn’t have down, had to be tall (I have long arms), and had to be under $150. I ended up with a jacket from Eddie Bauer that was on clearance. I also snagged an oversized coat from the thrift store for $16. Okay, so that’s my coat. Check.

It occurred to me recently that my hiking boots were wearing a little. I’ve had them for years, a gift from my brother. So I started poking around, looking for non-leather hiking and snow boots. I found a couple of websites, but everything listed was either way too expensive or had terrible reviews. This is where my search got really bad. I looked at REI, Eddie Bauer, and every other outdoor store I could think of, but all of their vegan boots were too expensive or not cute at all. I then started looking on Amazon. With a simple search of “vegan snow boots,” I was flooded with possibilities, and could easily see the price and reviews.

So now I’m looking for everyone else who’s in a similar situation. Whether you’re going camping or traveling to Alaska, I’m determined to find you some gear that’s vegan, not horrible to look at, and relatively cheap.

**Products can change, some could be vegan now, but not be vegan later. If you want to be sure that your purchase is vegan, check with the manufacturer.

Here’s what I found for under $100 (I haven’t bought all of these, so I can’t vouch for their quality). *Prices as of 7/11/18

Winter Boots:
DailyShoes Winter Boot (Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017C2JN0G/ref=twister_B017C2HLGY
$27 – $40
Claims to be vegan in the description of the product

Alrisco Duck Boot (Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/Women-Shearling-Lined-Boot-HK90-Collection/dp/B07F7SS6DV/ref=sr_1_107?ie=UTF8&qid=1531324672&sr=8-107&keywords=vegan%2Bsnow%2Bboots%2Bwomen&th=1&psc=1
$47
Claims to be vegan in the description of the product

DAWGS Winter Boots (Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/DAWGS-13-Microfiber-Shearling-Chocolate/dp/B001KIU3N0/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1531324589&sr=8-8&keywords=vegan%2Bsnow%2Bboots%2Bwomen&th=1&psc=1
– order full size up according to reviews
$22 – $90
Claims to be vegan in name of the product

Gloves/Mittens:
BG Winter Vegan Suede Mittens (Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/Ladies-Winter-Vegan-Mittens-Lining/dp/B077BMVF9G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1531754522&sr=8-1&keywords=vegan+winter+mittens
$10
Claims to be vegan in name of the product

Hats:
HoodLamb (hat variations change frequently)
https://us.hoodlamb.com/
$11.50 – $44
All products vegan according to website

Hiking Socks:
Thorlos LTH Padded Crew Sock (Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009MZW9S/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0009MZW9S&linkCode=as2&tag=vegaoutdadve-20&linkId=LL2GAWKV7K3GTJBE
$14 – $44
Called the company and they said that all non-wool socks are vegan

Winter Coats:
Tommy Hilfiger Down Alternative Coat (Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/Tommy-Hilfiger-Womens-Alternative-Eiffel/dp/B01J9S7U9C/ref=sr_1_49?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1531338062&sr=1-49&nodeID=7147440011&psd=1&keywords=down%2Balternative%2Bcoat&th=1&psc=1
$48 – $80
Emailed Tommy Hilfiger and they confirmed that the jacket is vegan

Madden Girl Insulated Coat (Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/Madden-Girl-Womens-Pocket-Insulated/dp/B01J93T9Q4/ref=sr_1_14?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1531337813&sr=1-14&nodeID=7147440011&psd=1&keywords=down%2Balternative%2Bcoat&th=1&psc=1
$28 – $60
Contacted Steve Madden and they said to contact distributor. Posted on Amazon, a reply to my comment said that the coat is vegan.

Sleeping bags (this isn’t really clothes, but I might need one, and I don’t want it to be down):
Marmot Trestles 30 Sleeping Bag (REI)
https://www.rei.com/product/107476/marmot-trestles-30-sleeping-bag-womens?cm_mmc=aff_AL-_-130369-_-157325-_-NA&avad=157325_cd610a17&cm_mmc=aff_AL-_-130369-_-157325-_-NA&avad=157325_b127c14a9
$99 – $110
Emailed REI and they contacted Marmot and confirmed that the sleeping bag is vegan

For those who want to support vegan companies, we have a list of Vegan Leather Alternatives at VRG’s Guide to Nonleather Shoes, Bags, and More, with work boots, snow boots, coats, jackets, and more.

While staffing VRG booths, Vegetarian Resource Group summer interns noticed that several people were looking for simple information on following a vegan gluten-free diet. Amy Dell created this handy vegan gluten-free guide that you might want to share:
Vegan Gluten-Free Handout

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group’s outreach, please donate at:
Donate to The Vegetarian Resource Group

The review of the Journal article below was written by Liz Tarolli, VRG Voluteer.

In response to the rise in blood sugar after a meal, insulin is released by cells in our pancreas called beta-cells. Insulin works by allowing the sugar in our blood to enter cells in our body and be used for energy. If our body’s cells no longer respond to the effects of insulin (this failure to respond is called insulin resistance), then our blood sugar levels become dangerously high (hyperglycemia) and we develop type 2 diabetes. Besides insulin resistance, another factor in type 2 diabetes is the reduced function of our beta-cells. Some data has shown that beta-cell function may be influenced by diet and exercise.

In a study funded by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, the researchers tested whether a low-fat vegan diet could improve beta-cell function and insulin resistance. They used a randomized, controlled 16-week trial that included 75 adults who were overweight or obese with no history of diabetes. The intervention group was asked to follow a low-fat vegan diet that consisted of 75% of calories from carbohydrates, 15% from protein, and 10% from fat. The participants were not provided with meals; however, they were directed to consume a diet that consisted of whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruit. The control group was asked to make no dietary changes. When the groups were compared, the researchers found that the intervention group had decreased insulin resistance and improved markers of beta-cell function. The intervention group increased their intake of carbohydrates and fiber, while decreasing their intake of cholesterol, protein, and total fat. Additionally, their BMI was reduced significantly. These results demonstrate that individuals who are overweight or obese, but have no history of diabetes, may benefit from a high-carbohydrate, low-fat, vegan diet. The improvements in beta-cell function and sensitivity to insulin that were seen in this study may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Kahleova H, Tura A, Hill M, Holubkov R, Barnard ND. A plant-based dietary intervention improves beta-cell function and insulin resistance in overweight adults: a 16-Week randomized clinical trial. Nutrients. 2018; 10(2):pii: E189.

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 is an activist non-profit organization that does outreach all-year-long. For example, VRG tables at different events throughout the USA and also sends literature free of charge to other groups/individuals doing educational activities in schools, hospitals, camps, restaurants, libraries, etc. Our ability to continue doing this depends on people like you! Your donations allow us to promote the vegan message whenever we’re called upon for assistance. Please consider becoming a monthly or quarterly donor to The Vegetarian Resource Group.

Thanks so much for your support. You can become a monthly or quarterly donor online here: Donate to The Vegetarian Resource Group

Food safety rubber stamp

This was in answer to an inquiry about cross contamination:

Whenever I interview a restaurant chain about the ingredients in its menu items, I always ask about their kitchen protocols. The reason for this is obvious: Even a completely vegan entrée can be prepared with utensils, on cutting boards or in cookware used to make dishes containing animal products.

Keep in mind that the official company response may not always reflect what actually occurs in a specific store on a certain day. Be prudent and always ask a manager to confirm what a VRG review states is standard protocol for a particular restaurant chain. Feel free to share our review as basis for your inquiry.

I assume nothing about kitchen protocols because they vary widely. Neither should you.

In general: The only thing all chains have told me is that there is always the risk of accidental (that is, unintentional) cross contact between meat & vegetable products. They make this statement to avoid legal liability. (If you are concerned, to be on the safe side, you may want to only eat in vegan or vegetarian restaurants.)
Also to protect themselves, chains tell me that their suppliers are subject to change without notice. Animal ingredients could be introduced for a previously vegan-sourced ingredient. This may happen before menus & websites are updated. It may be rare, but if you are really concerned or suspicious, always ask to speak to a manager. Asking to see an ingredient label may be warranted, too.

Furthermore, because definitions of “vegan” and “vegetarian” vary from chain to chain, do not assume that these menu icons guarantee anything about cross contamination.

Incidentally, one corporate chef called my cross contamination questions “trivial” saying that it was “standard procedure” to keep utensils, cutting boards & cookware used for meat products separate from those used for vegetable products. Such comments never dissuade me from asking about all preparation techniques for vegan menu options. In fact, it is precisely those chains that express this sentiment which worry me the most. So I persist in my line of questioning even more.

Some chains color code their utensils, cutting boards & cookware but most do not. In this manner, employees immediately know which utensil, board, pan or storage container is designated “vegetable only” or “meat only” and, hopefully, keep everything separate. Those that do not color code admit that utensils, cutting boards & cookware used for meat products one day could be used for vegetable products the next day. They are quick to point out however that everything is sanitized between uses.

It appears from my discussions with staff at numerous chains that during the sanitizing process itself, all prep tools, specially designated or not, are washed together in the same soapy liquid. If this is a concern because you’re worried about cross contact, inquire of the manager for more details on their washing procedure.

Being neither vegetable or meat (in the traditional sense), dairy falls into a murky area. I would recommend asking specifically about cross contact with dairy especially if you are vegan or have a dairy allergy.

Here are some tips to avoid potential cross contamination of vegetable & meat products at restaurant chains:
• Request that your order be prepared for you in freshly sanitized cookware using utensils that are also clean.
• At a buffet table, request that serving spoons for items you wish to select are exchanged for freshly sanitized ones before you take your portions.
• For grilled vegetables, tofu, tempeh, etc. ask specifically if meats, poultry or seafood are grilled at the same place on the grill or in splatter distance from where the meats, poultry or seafood are prepared. Ask for separate, isolated grilling if needed.
• Fried foods present a unique opportunity for cross contamination. Ask if animal products or those with dairy-containing breading, are fried along with vegan items or in a designated fryer.
• Be sure to have empathy for your server and restaurant employees. Remember that they are busy, may or may not be knowledgeable, and it is hard to meet everyone’s needs.

For more information on restaurant chains, see: https://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php
For information on vegetarian restaurants, see: VRG Online Veggie Restaurant Guide
For ingredient information, see: https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group research, donate at Donate to The Vegetarian Resource Group or join at https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv

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.

People have different viewpoints. Some feel eating vegetarian in non-vegetarian restaurants will promote more vegan or vegetarian options, while others prefer to only patronize vegetarian or vegan eateries. Do what works for you.

By Amy Dell and Hannah Greene, VRG Interns

This is the lesson plan we created prior to our presentation. Comments about the presentation and tips for upcoming presentations are denoted with brackets. The TuTTie’s Place summer camp is a culinary camp for low-income children and teens aged 5-17 in West Baltimore, Maryland. You may want to use parts of this lesson plan in your neighborhood. See:
https://www.vrg.org/family/tutties_place_lesson_plan_2018.pdf

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

We recently reported on plant milks that are not fortified with vitamin B12: https://www.vrg.org/blog/2018/07/10/does-your-favorite-plant-milk-provide-vitamin-b12/.

Here’s a list of products that, as of July, 2018, based on website information and product labels, are fortified with vitamin B12:

•Almond Dream Enriched almond milks
•Almond Dream Pumpkin Spice almond milk
•Bolthouse Farms plant protein milks
•Cashew Dream cashew drinks
•Coconut Dream coconut drinks
•Dream Blends coconut/almond/chia, almond/cashew/hazelnut, and rice/quinoa drinks
•Dream Boosted almond milks
•Dream Boosted coconut milks
•Edensoy Extra soymilks
•Good Karma flax milks
•Milkadamia macadamia milks except Latte da Barrista
•Oatly! oat milks
•Pacific Foods coconut beverages
•Pacific Foods hemp beverages except unsweetened beverages
•Pacific Foods Ultrasoy soy beverages
•Rice Dream Enriched rice milks
•Rice Dream Enriched Sprouted rice milks
•Silk coconut milks
•Silk soymilks
•So Delicious cashew milks
•So Delicious original, unsweetened, sugar-free, vanilla unsweetened, and vanilla coconut milks
•Soy Dream enriched soymilks
•Tempt hemp milks
•Trader Joe’s coconut milks
•Trader Joe’s rice milks
•Trader Joe’s refrigerated soymilks
•Veggemo veggie milks
•WestSoy Plus soymilks
•Wildwood soymilks
•365 almond milks
•365 soymilks
•8th Continent soymilks

This is not an exhaustive list so if you’re aware of other plant milks, please send us a photo of the front of the package and the Nutrition Facts label and we’ll update our listing.

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.

You can read more about vitamin B12 here: Vitamin B12

Summertime is the perfect time to make frozen treats at home. Here’s some previous Vegetarian Journal articles serving up delicious frozen desserts:

Sorbets
Chef Nancy Berkoff provides recipes for Creamy Lemony Sorbet, Mango Sorbet, Seasonal Fruit Sorbet, Banana-berry Sorbet, Fruit-of-the Vine Sorbet, and Sunny Sorbet

Frozen Desserts
Debra Daniels-Zeller serves up these frozen treats: Very Vanilla Soy Treat, Creamy Frozen Maple-Peach Tofu, Banana-Pineapple Frozen Soy Pudding, Strawberry Soysicles, Frozen Chocolate Red Bean Delight, Piña Colada Frozen Dessert, and Frozen Mocha Soy Latte

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal, visit:
Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal