Aaditi Tamhankar became vegetarian at age 8 when she realized that the meat from the store in the Saran wrapped package was actually “dying for my meal. My epiphany at eight years old turned me vegetarian for life.” She then turned vegan at age 16.

At her high school, she started the Health and Wellness Club with the goal of organizing her school’s first Health and Wellness Fair. This resulted in over 25 exhibitors, including a gardening stand, Whole Foods giving out samples of fruit smoothies, and representatives from the Vegetarian Society of South Jersey. About 1,000 students attended. Aaditi said, “In my school, almost a quarter of students are on the free or reduced lunch program. Through the event, my peers could see the value and affordability of a healthy vegan lifestyle, and the integral role it plays in disease prevention.”

Aaditi wrote, “On Saturday I volunteered all day with the Vegetarian Society of South Jersey (VSSJ) for a tabling event at the Burlington County Library Maker Fair. I spoke with Steve Fenster, the Vice President of the VSSJ. He informed me that the VSSJ had an educational license to show a special version of the documentary Cowspiracy created for high school and college students.”
 
“Working with my school’s administration, my club advisor, and the VSSJ, I organized a screening for the documentary today. Today was the date of the second annual Health and Wellness Fair that I led with my club members. Before the students attended the fair, they were seated in a large auditorium. The Vice President of the VSSJ came in and showed the documentary to over 600 students. After the documentary, the students got to interact with vendors such as the American Vegan Society and the VSSJ. They also ate delicious vegan date balls from Heartbeet Kitchen (a local vegan restaurant), cold pressed juice from Whole Foods, and black rice, quinoa, and black bean burgers from SuperFoods Culinary Innovations (A local vendor) among others.”

“The documentary really opened the students’ and teachers’ eyes, minds, and hearts to the idea of vegetarianism and veganism as evidenced by the preliminary data coming in through my Google Forms survey. Over 75% of respondents expressed some desire to be a vegetarian or vegan after the day, and a full 80% of students said they tried a new food today. When asked, “What is one thing you learned today?” Many respondents said that they learned about the impact of animal agriculture on the environment.”

Aaditi also founded the vegan club at her high school, which had booths at the local Earth Day festival and 8th grade education night. She and her high school principal met with the directors of food service for the Cherry Hill School District. Aaditi helped organize volunteers for the Vegetarian of South Jersey 30th anniversary event. During the event, Aaditi delivered a speech, greeted attendees, and assisted with clean-up and breakdown. She will be doing an internship with VSSJ this summer.

Aaditi plans to attend the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business. She would eventually like to start social entrepreneurship projects on a global scale to better public health.
The deadline for the next Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship Contest is February 20, 2018.

Please see: http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm
To support Vegetarian Resource Group internships and scholarships, please donate at: www.vrg.org/donate
Join The Vegetarian Resource Group at http://www.vrg.org/member/cabdacae.php

We’ve created a new VRG Parents and Kids Facebook page. It’s 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.

In a previous issue of Vegetarian Journal, we featured an article titled “A Cinco de Mayo Festival,” by Nanette Blanchard. Recipes include:

Jicama and Orange Salad
Sopa de Pasta
Calabacitas (squash)
Green Chilies Stuffed with Frijoles (beans)
Red Chili Sauce
Easy Capirotada (bread pudding)

See the entire article here: Cinco de Mayo Festival

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal, visit:
http://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

The White Castle chain has added a second vegan slider option to their menu. The New Black Bean Slider joins their Veggie Slider menu item.

Previously, The Vegetarian Resource Group reported that the bun used for these sliders is vegan. See:
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2016issue4/2016_issue4_white_castle.php

For more info on the sliders, see:
https://www.whitecastle.com/promotions/black-bean-slider

For information on veggie options at other restaurant chains, see:
http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

If you’re in the mid-Atlantic region, be sure to stop by The Vegetarian Resource Group’s booths at the following events:

BaltimoreVegFest
UMBC College Campus
on Erickson Field
1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250
Saturday May 6th, 2017 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Washington DC Green Festival
Located at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Hall D
801 Mt Vernon Pl NW, Washington, DC 20001
May 13th – 14th
Saturday: 10 AM – 6 PM
Sunday: 10AM – 5PM

By Casey Brown, VRG Intern
 
Paul’s Place is an organization located in southwest Baltimore that serves its community, providing programs and services to empower and support individuals. These include a soup kitchen, food pantry, programs designed for the youth, and health and wellness programs that provide many benefits to this community. Paul’s Place also holds an annual Spring into Good Health Festival, which invites local health organizations to the area. People visiting the festival can hear about these beneficial programs or take part in fun activities like yoga or zumba to support their health.
 
It was my first time visiting this festival, and I was looking forward to it since the other VRG volunteer told me that it had been fun in the previous years. He said the people tended to be receptive to and supportive of our message. I definitely noticed this, as many people recognized our booth and were excited to pick up another copy of Vegetarian Journal. Everybody was so friendly, and many people expressed their interest in going vegetarian or vegan.

We were able to have great conversations with these individuals and address many of their concerns. Numerous people were interested in reducing their consumption of animal products for the health benefits. They found our “Heart Healthy Eating Tips” and “Veganism in a Nutshell” brochures to be especially helpful for addressing their concerns. Others expressed that they had been wanting to move towards a vegetarian lifestyle, but they were having trouble thinking of meal ideas. We were able to share some of our favorite recipes with them, as well as provide them with a copy of Vegetarian Journal, which contains many vegan recipes. They were also interested in signing up for our monthly newsletter, so they could receive additional recipes online.

One man described how he was having trouble finding a good replacement for vegan cheese, but he had given up all other animal products. We shared our favorite vegan cheese brands and discussed some of the stores in the area that might sell these products. He is hoping to find a good replacement, so he can officially remove dairy from his diet. A lady told us that she used to be vegetarian, and she felt much better when she was eating this way. She was planning to go back to vegetarianism, and she was glad she could pick up many of our different resources to help get her started again.

In addition to the conversations we had, we also had many children visit the booth with their parents. They were all excited when they found out we had something fun for them too – “I love Animals and Broccoli” coloring books! While we met with a lot of people interested in the lifestyle, we did meet multiple people who were already vegetarian or vegan. It was really exciting to hear their stories and learn about the reasons and documentaries that inspired their decision.
 
We informed multiple people that we would also be at Baltimore Vegfest next weekend at the University of Maryland Baltimore County campus.

To volunteer to help at other VRG outreach booths, contact Brigette at [email protected]

To support Vegetarian Resource Group education, donate at www.vrg.org/donate

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

Want to learn more about how you can lead a sustainable lifestyle? Shop green at the 13th annual Green Festival May 13-14th 2017. See VRG there!

Green Festival® is a vibrant, dynamic marketplace where companies and organizations come to showcase their green products and services, and where people go to learn how to live healthier, more sustainable lives.

Green Festival offers something for everyone, with the widest selection of products and services to work green, play green and live green from food, fashion and health to energy, construction and design. People can shop and enjoy vegan, vegetarian, organic foods, hands-on demos, educational activities and inspirational speakers.

Come see The Vegetarian Resource Group at the DC GreenFest show and you will receive $5.00 off your ticket when buying tickets using the code XDC17798D here:
https://www.greenfestivals.org/washington-d-c-2017-may-12-14.html#!014

Vegan in Volume is published by The Vegetarian Resource Group and has been greatly received by people working in the food service sector, as well as those that enjoy throwing parties in their own home or simply cooking in volume. This book by Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD offers 125 vegan recipes serving 25. It also offers a lot of helpful advice including A Fast Course in Vegan Nutrition, The Mechanics of the Operation, Food Safety Pointers, and a section on Vegan Ingredients.

The quantity recipes greatly vary depending on the audience you’ll be serving. Nancy includes recipes for breakfast such as Lots of Grains Pancakes and Peachy Keen Breakfast Crumble. A section for kids serves up Squiggly Noodles and “Not-Meatballs.” For dinner parties and elegant dining for adults try French Onion and Olive Tart and Eggplant “Caviar.”

You will also find quantity recipes for special occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, bar/bat mitzvahs, communions, and more. Enjoy Watermelon Gazpacho, Spicy Bean Cakes with Fruit Salsa, Curried Vegetables with Polenta, and Sophisticated Poached Pears. Next, move on to college campuses and try Vegetable Tagine, Two Alarm Four Bean Chili, Jumpin’ Veggie Jambalaya, and Gooey, Chewy Peanut Butter Bars.

Grab and Go Fast Food recipes include Sweet Potato Burgers, Cold Noodles with Peanut Sauce, and Fragrant and Fast Tofu Sandwich. Un-Hospital Food items include Orange and Wild Rice Salad, Sweet Potato Soup, New England Baked Beans, Eggplant Lasagna, and Cinnamony Baked Apples. And a section for senior citizens includes recipes for Chesapeake Corn Chowder, Southwest Tomato Rice, Pasta with Vegetable-Marinara Sauce, and Homestyle Molasses Cookies.

Vegan in Volume can be purchased from The Vegetarian Resource Group Book Catalog:
http://www.vrg.org/catalog/

Written by Julia Mathew

I represented The Vegetarian Resource Group at the Harford County Earth Day Festival in Aberdeen, Maryland along with two other VRG volunteers. The festival was originally scheduled on Saturday, April 22, but was moved to Sunday because of the rain. The event was a great experience!

I talked to many people who were very interested in becoming vegetarian or vegan. The event was very child-friendly, making our I Love Animals and Broccoli coloring books a huge hit. A young girl who appeared to be about 10 years old showed genuine curiosity about going vegan. She expressed her concerns about not eating meat and wanted to learn more about vegetarianism and veganism. I gave her a journal for some recipes, our Vegetarianism in a Nutshell packet, and answered her personal questions.

About 150 people came across our booth, most of which received a copy of Vegetarian Journal. Many people were excited to use our Greater Baltimore Veggie Restaurant Guide, stating that it would be very useful. An enthusiastic, young vegan man stopped by our booth and took some of our materials to pass out to members in his community. He went vegan about two months ago and discussed how life changing the experience has been for him. Another older couple came across our booth and thanked us for the work we were doing. They gave us a donation while we told them more about our Journal. One mother told us that she had recently made her family go vegan after watching the documentary “Forks Over Knives” together. She took some of our nutritional resources and skimmed through a couple of our books. One friendly man stopped by and we discussed a little about the VRG and he ended up signing up for our email newsletter.

We also networked with DineKind Harford, a local vegan group who was also at the event. They were extremely kind and showed us some of the vegan children’s books that they were selling. The group also had a copy of our My Vegan Plate handout on one of their information boards. We discussed how nice it was to have a fellow vegan group at the event also promoting this lifestyle.

Overall, it was really wonderful to interact with the local community in Aberdeen. The weather was beautiful and we met a lot of optimistic people who were genuinely curious about adopting a vegan lifestyle, or at the very least, reducing their consuming of animal products. I think we exchanged a lot of influential information and conversation with the people who stopped by our booth. I’m already looking forward to the next event where I’ll represent the VRG!

On Easter at five years old Samantha Illius looked up from her family meal and complimented the food her mom and grandmother slaved over in the kitchen. Her uncle said, “It’s baby cow.”

“Needless to say, I was sickened by meat and scarred by this event for the remainder of my life,” stated Samantha. After a five year struggle with her family because she had allergies to nuts and soy, Samantha became a strict vegetarian at ten.

In sixth grade Samantha started putting vegetarian brochures into mailboxes and continued in other housing developments throughout high school. She put out information in her church and started a business www.gottahavsoaps.weebly.com selling cruelty-free vegan soap.

Her Vice-Principal said, “I am familiar with her impact on our school lunches. She came to me … and I guided her toward the business director for our district. She took off from there. She scheduled meetings with the director and our head kitchen staff. She persuaded them to provide additional vegetarian selections which proved to be a success. Because of her influence, more and more students are benefiting from vegetarianism.”

Samantha was told by the school district business department that her meatless efforts have had an impact and that over $22,000 of the school’s lunch budgets have shifted over to purchasing non-meat alternatives as opposed to animal products. At her school’s health fair, she requested samples from Dole Food Company, and gave away 720 fruit cups and 480 cans of pineapple juice, as well as materials such as a vegetarian food pyramid.

Samantha has given numerous vegetarian presentations in and out of her city, including over 20 in January of this year. A biased reference stated, “Not only has Samantha stood up in front of hundreds and hundreds of kids, but she sets up every single presentation on her own. She just walks into a school and speaks with administrators, always following up. And you know how hard it is getting around the bureaucracy of public schools…”

Samantha has a long term dream of becoming a writer who inspires open-mindedness and acceptance in others. She states, “With this I hope to make the world a more loving and caring place. In my free time I completed a manuscript after three years and countless drafts, which I’m finally working to garner publication for … I will continue vegetarianism and changing lives as long as I live.”

The deadline for the next Vegetarian Resource Group college scholarship contest for high school seniors is February 20, 2018. For details and information about other winners, see: http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

To support Vegetarian Resource Group internships and scholarships, donate at: www.vrg.org/donate and indicate the purpose.