Each issue of Vegetarian Journal has a column called Vegetarian Action. Here we feature individuals that have been promoting veganism in many different ways. The latest issue of Vegetarian Journal takes a look at the terrific work Vesanto Melina has been doing for decades.

VRG Intern Casey Brown interviewed Vesanto and states, “Among the many professions Melina has held throughout her life, she has found time to co-author 10 books, including Becoming Vegan, Cooking Vegan, and Becoming Raw. She has worked with co-author and Registered Dietitian Brenda Davis for the past 23 years. Their books are widely available in numerous languages, and both the comprehensive and express editions of Becoming Vegan have been recognized for multiple awards. These books are essential to health professionals and everyone else hoping to learn more about nutrition on a plant-based diet. While they have received strong support and recognition for these books, they have also faced opposition. Following the release of their first book, Becoming Vegetarian in 1994, a 45-page booklet was written in opposition to their publication. Luckily, they were able to counter this booklet and as a result, they ended up with even better book sales! Davis and Melina currently teach courses on vegan nutrition, which are available in California and online.”

You can read the complete article here: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2017issue2/2017_issue2_vegetarian_action.php

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal, go to:
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Sunday, October 22, 2017 at 6pm

The Vegetarian Resource Group will host a vegan dinner at LYFE Kitchen in Chicago (at Fairbanks and Ontario) on Sunday, October 22, 2017 during the annual meeting of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Meet VRG advisors Reed Mangels PhD, RD, Catherine Conway MS RD, Charles Stahler, Debra Wasserman, and vegetarian dietitians from around the country. The public is welcome.

MENU
Edamame Hummus
Kale and Cranberry Salad
Ancient Grain Stir-Fry Bowl with stir-fried vegetables, beefless tips, quinoa, black rice,
cilantro, and sweet chili-ginger sauce
Vegan Thai Red Curry Bowl with garlic-lime tofu, broccoli, eggplant, peppers, peas,
whole grain wheatberries, Thai basil, and coconut curry sauce
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie
Tea or Coffee
The meal will be served family style. Note: Seating is limited!

TO RESERVE
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-5pm Mon.-Fri. EST to charge over the phone. Or pay at www.vrg.org/donate and write Chicago Dinner in the Comments.

 # Attending X $35/person = $_____
Donation towards professional outreach: $_____
Total enclosed: $_____

Names of attendees:
Address:
Email:
Phone:

Have you ever wondered how much water is used to make a vegan burrito versus a meat-based burrito? Figuring out the answer to this question is not as easy as you might think. VRG Research Director Jeanne Yacoubou, MS, spent a lot of time investigating this topic and shares her findings in the recent issue of Vegetarian Journal.

The article can be read here:
Burrito on My Plate: The Water Footprint of a Vegan Versus a Meat Burrito

And here is a one page infographic comparing how much water is needed to produce a Vegan Burrito without Tofu, a Vegan Burrito with Tofu, and a Beef Burrito:
http://www.vrg.org/environment/BurritoOnMyPlate.pdf

To support research such as this, consider donating to The Vegetarian Resource Group at:
Donate to VRG

The Vegetarian Resource Group is an activist non-profit organization that does outreach all-year-long. For example, today we are giving a several hour presentation on veganism to 10 University of Maryland Dietetic Interns (all of whom are not vegetarian and will soon be practicing dietitians). 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: vrg.org/donate

Each issue of Vegetarian Journal has a column called Veggie Bits. Here we review vegan products that we think readers would want to know about.

We reviewed these items:
Rigoni di Asiago’s Hazelnut Spread
Pure Genius Brownies (40 percent made from chickpeas!)
Back to the Roots Cereals
Hippies Organic Chickpea Puffs
Sabra Spreads (packaged in squeeze bottles!)
Yuve Protein (Chia Seeds and Cocoa flavor)
Edward & Sons (Let’s Do…Organic) Banana Flour and Heavy Coconut Cream

Click here to read the most recent Veggie Bits!

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

Two Vegetarian Resource Group interns (Casey Brown and Sasha Keenan) spent several weeks comparing vegan cheeses sold today. This was a huge project and the recent issue of Vegetarian Journal shared some of their findings. See: Guide to Vegan Cheese

The authors state: “Generally speaking, non-dairy cheeses contain no cholesterol and are lower in saturated fat than dairy cheeses. Non-dairy cheeses are a reduced fat alternative to dairy cheeses. For example, a slice (19 grams) of Go Veggie brand Vegan Cheddar Slices contains 35 calories, 1 gram of protein, 2 grams of fat, 5 grams of carbohydrates, and 0 grams of saturated fat, while a slice (21 grams) of Kraft Deli Deluxe Cheese for comparison contains 70 calories, 4 grams of protein, 6 grams of fat, 0 grams of carbohydrates, and 3.5 grams of saturated fat.”

Due to space constraints in the magazine, we also have a more thorough version of this article on our website. To see a complete list of vegan cheese brands and purchasing options, as well as characteristics of the various vegan cheese brands and more comparison tables, visit: http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/Public/VeganCheese2016.pdf

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

To support our internship program, consider donating to The Vegetarian Resource Group at: Donate to VRG

In the recent issue of Vegetarian Journal, Mary Finelli shares information on the plight of fish. She mentions “Fishes are far more sentient and perceptive than most people realize or, until recently, than even science has credited them with being. They have complex social interactions and can recognize other fishes by subtle facial markings. They can also differentiate human faces from one another. They learn by watching others and pass knowledge from generation to generation, which is the basis of culture. There are fishes who use tools, which scientists consider to be a sophisticated behavior. Some fishes are known to communicate and cooperate with other species. There are fishes who build nests for their young, vigilantly caring for them and valiantly protecting them. Some even incubate their babies in their mouths! These and many other characteristics are explored in the recently published book, What a Fish Knows, by Jonathan Balcombe.”

The author also states, “Fishes are, in fact, gateway animals to animal abuse. What other animals are considered not only acceptable to kill but admirable to torture? That’s what fishing is: torturing fishes. They are impaled, hauled through the water by a hook, manhandled, suffocated and/or killed in some other inhumane way. Even if released, many perish as a result of the injury and trauma they’ve suffered. It’s not a sport; the fishes are victims, not willing participants. Children are taken fishing to introduce them to nature, but instead of learning to respect it they are taught to harmfully exploit nature and are praised for abusing animals.”

If you or someone you know still eats fish, you might want to share this article on why you should not consume fish: Fishes

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

The latest issue of Vegetarian Journal features an article called Portable Picnic Feasts. Here Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, Rd, shares many recipes including:

Salsa Five Ways (including numerous variations)
Baked Spinach Rice
Salad Niçoise
Picnic in a Bread Bowl
Seven Layered Salad in a Jar
Caesar Salad

Have a terrific Memorial Day Weekend!

Read this article here:
Portable Picnic Feasts

Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal by visiting:
Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal

Recently, we had the opportunity to represent The Vegetarian Resource Group at the Green Festival in Washington D.C. This is a nationwide event that promotes green living and sustainability, and it features many exhibitors including vegan product companies and animal welfare organizations. We were pleasantly surprised by the number of vegans and vegetarians that were present at this festival. It was exciting to learn that several of these individuals were long-time members of The Vegetarian Resource Group. There were also many non-vegans who came to our table with open minds, and were ready to be educated on the many benefits of a meat-free lifestyle. They left with several copies of The VRG’s Vegetarian Journal, informative flyers and brochures, and a fresh new perspective and consideration for this lifestyle.

We both really enjoyed this event because we were able to have some great conversations about a wide variety of topics relating to veganism. We spoke with many people that were interested in transitioning to veganism or vegetarianism. Most of these individuals had similar concerns and were either not sure what to cook or how to remain healthy on a vegan/vegetarian diet. We were able to provide them with recipes found in Vegetarian Journal and our ‘Multi-Veggie Burger’ recipe card. A number of people also found our recipe books interesting, specifically our Meatless Meals for Working People cookbook, which provides simple and quick recipes that are perfect for busy lifestyles. One lady stopped by to show her friend our book, Vegan in Volume, which she used to distribute to hospitals, so they could prepare vegan options in large quantities.

In terms of health, a number of people were curious as to where vegans receive their protein. We were able to inform them of the abundance of plant protein sources and provide them with a copy of our “Veganism in a Nutshell” brochure, which lists plant sources of many common nutrients. A few parents also stopped by to learn more about vegan nutrition and cooking for their children and found the “Pediatric Manual of Clinical Dietetics” vegetarian chapter and our “Vegan Nutrition for Teenagers” brochures to be very helpful. One student stopped by and was excited to receive a copy of the Vegetarian Journal since it featured an article about being vegan in Thailand. She explained that she is going to be studying abroad in Thailand next year, so she was excited to learn more about how she could remain vegan while she was there.

Although this event was held in Washington D.C., our Baltimore Veggie Dining Guide was very popular among this crowd. Many people were interested in learning more about veg-friendly dining in the area, and we were also pleased to inform them that a complete restaurant guide, covering the U.S. and Canada, can be found on our website: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php. One family mentioned that they found our restaurant guide to be extremely helpful during their recent vacation in Colorado.

We also spoke with other organizations including individuals who held summer camps and were interested in having the VRG come speak to the kids to teach them about the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle. As usual, children loved receiving our “I Love Animals and Broccoli” coloring books, and they were very excited that we had something fun for them. One child also picked up our “Be Kind to Animals, Don’t Eat Them” sticker, and stated that he agreed with the message. It was exciting to see future generations already being so conscious of their decisions.

We both had a great time connecting with new people and spreading the message of veganism at this event. Next, you can find us at the Central Pennsylvania Vegfest in Lancaster, PA on Saturday, June 3rd.

VRG will be at the Ft. Lauderdale Green Festival Saturday and Sunday, December 2 and 3, 2017. See: http://www.greenfestivals.org/ft-lauderdale-2017-dec-2-3.html#!ahnesti

To volunteer at The Vegetarian Resource Group booths, contact Brigette at [email protected]

To support VRG outreach, donate at www.vrg.org/donate

Or join at http://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

The latest issue of Vegetarian Journal features our Vegan Cooking Tips column on Quinoa Dishes. Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD, shares numerous ideas on how you can prepare quinoa-based dishes easily.

Some of her ideas include the following:
“Quinoa stands well on its own or works as a team player. If you have some half-containers of Israeli (also called “pearl”) couscous, yellow split peas, lentils, and quinoa, you can mix them together to make your own grain blend — colorful and tasty. Prepare it just as you would any grain, by steaming with a small amount of liquid, or if you have the time and would like a little more flavor and texture, toast quinoa in a frying pan before steaming. You can do this in a dry pan, or use a small amount of vegetable oil spray. Toast and stir until the quinoa kernels seem to separate (no more than a minute or two). Some of the kernels may even pop! Quinoa cooks quickly, depending on the amount, in about 15 minutes or less. Some package directions tell you to turn off the heat once the liquid boils and you’ve stirred in the quinoa. You will know when the quinoa is done because it will look like it has popped, with the inner germ exposed; and of course there is the taste-test. If it is as tender as you like, it’s done! To remove the guesswork, try preparing your quinoa with a rice cooker, using the same directions as you would brown rice. Once cooked, fluff up the cooked quinoa to separate the grains and provide a soft texture.”

Other suggestions include:
“It’s a good idea to “over prepare” quinoa, as your “leftover” cooked quinoa can be stirred into muffin or pancake batter, cake batter (think: carrot, banana or zucchini-quinoa bread) or cookie dough, mashed potatoes, steamed rice, cooked corn or simply reheated, with maple syrup and raisins for breakfast or with chopped onions and garlic for dinner. You can also create a quinoa lasagna, shepherd’s pie, or tamale pie by layering quinoa with your ingredients of choice and then baking until heated. One of our friends, “on purpose,” over-ordered some Chinese food, and created a layered casserole with the leftover layers of stir-fried veggies, quinoa, fried rice, shredded cabbage, and crunchy noodles. Another of her creations was “quinoa tamale pie” with layers of quinoa, chopped tomatoes, chopped peppers and chilies, cooked corn, and shredded tortillas.

Quinoa is not just for hot, but also for cold dishes. Try quinoa salad instead of macaroni salad. You can also add quinoa to green or other grain salads or combine quinoa and fresh green beans or snap peas. You can even purée cooked quinoa as a base for salad dressings or quinoa “hummus.””

Read the entire article here:
Vegan Cooking Tips: Quinoa Dishes

Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal by visiting:
Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal