The Vegetarian Resource Group is an activist non-profit organization that does veggie outreach all-year-long. We table at different events through the USA and also send literature free of charge to other groups/individuals doing educational activities in schools, hospitals, camps, restaurants, libraries, etc. around the country. 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 donor to The Vegetarian Resource Group. Thanks so much for your support.

You can become a monthly or quarterly donor online here:
https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565

The first ever vegan brunch party will be held at The Florida Avenue Grill in NW Washington, DC on Sunday, November 1, 2015 at 11 am in the private space on the second floor above The Grill. Here’s the details for that event and the link to buy tickets (tickets must be bought in advance either in person at The Grill or online): Fand11.eventbrite.com

The Vegetarian Society of Hawaii will be holding a Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner on Friday, November 20, 2015 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
See: http://www.vsh.org/thanksgiving/

Pre-Thanksgiving Vegan Potluck sponsored by The Vegetarian Resource Group and Baltimore Vegan Drinks on Sunday, November 22, 2015 at 5:00 pm in Baltimore, Maryland.
See: https://www.facebook.com/events/1657549214465049/

Northwest Veg is holding their annual Compassionate Thanksgiving Vegan Potluck on Sunday, November 22, 2015 in Portland, Oregon.
For information visit: http://nwveg.org/thanksgiving

The Vegetarian Society of DC is holding their Life-Affirming Thanksgiving Celebration on Thursday, November 26, 2015 in Bethesda, Maryland.
For details see: http://www.vsdc.org/Thanksgiving_Event.html

The Triangle Vegetarian Society is holding their Vegan Thanksgiving Feast on Thursday, November 26, 2015 in Durham, North Carolina.
For information see: http://www.trianglevegsociety.org/thanksgiving/

Florida Voices for Animals is having their Annual ThanksVegan Potluck Feast on Thursday, November 26, 2015 in Tampa, Florida.
For details visit: http://tampavegthanksgiving.com/

Valley Vegfest 2016 will take place Saturday, April 2, 2016 at J.F.K. Middle School in Northampton, Massachusetts.
See: http://www.valleyveg.org/vegfest/

The First Red and Green VegFest in Albuquerque, New Mexico will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016.
For details see: https://redandgreenvegfestabq.wordpress.com/attendees/

The Annual Albany VegFest will be held in Albany, New York on Saturday June 4, 2016. Details will appear in early January 2016 here: www.albanyvegfest.org

Don’t forget to stock up on your favorite veggie products from The Vegetarian Site this month! For the full month of October 2015, The Vegetarian Site will give 10% of their sales to The Vegetarian Resource Group!

The Vegetarian Site sells vegan footwear, belts, wallets, bags, and other accessories, food products, books, personal care items, plus much more. They are always adding new items in their store. For example, see the Women’s PIXIE BOOT by VEGETARIAN SHOES.

Support The Vegetarian Resource Group by shopping online at: www.thevegetariansite.com

Back in September, someone asked if anyone had experience finding veggie food in Iceland. Below are two responses we received.

Vegan eating in Iceland: I was there in fall of 2012. I ate at a very good vegetarian restaurant in Reykjavik – am 99% sure it was this one: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g189970-d2389508-Reviews-Cafe_Gardurinn-Reykjavik_Capital_Region.html Options around the country are definitely limited. I packed a lot of food with me (crackers, peanut butter, nuts/seeds, and dehydrated soups) and we cooked for ourselves every night except for when we were in Reykjavik. We picked up most groceries in Reykjavik because that’s the best selection – in small towns, there tends to be like one small chain food store with limited options – vegetable selection tended to be poor. But we could always find some kind of bean, pasta, etc. Hope that helps! – Heather

I only spent thirty sleepless hours there this summer but I did not starve.
Try https://www.lonelyplanet.com/iceland/reykjavik/restaurants with a veggie filter. – Georg

The Vegetarian Resource Group Book Catalog offers a wide range of vegan books including:

Artisan Vegan Cheese
Vegan Seafood: Beyond the Fish Shtick for Vegetarians
Asian Fusion
Grills Gone Vegan
The Indian Vegan Kitchen
Vegan Brunch
Teff Love
Vegan Soul Kitchen
Viva Vegan!
Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World
The Almond Milk Cookbook
The Gluten-Free Vegan
Food Allergy Survival Guide
The Everything Vegan Pregnancy Book
And so many more….

FREE media mail shipping for orders over $30 in the United States only!
Visit http://www.vrg.org/catalog/ to order books online and support VRG’s outreach at the same time!

At the recent meeting of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, there was a display by Real Food Blends from Chesterton, Indiana. They had an option, which they said contained one serving of fruits and vegetables and was vegetarian.

Their information states:

100% real food, blenderized meals for people on feeding tubes.
Ready to use for bolus (syringe) feeding.
Convenient 12 pack, 9.4 oz. net weight per meal (yields 330 calories in an 8 ounce serving.)
No refrigeration needed! Shelf-stable for 3 years from date of manufacturing.
Ingredients: Water, kale, grape juice concentrate, hemp powder, extra virgin olive oil, quinoa, and cinnamon.
No corn syrup, dairy, soy, or nuts
Real Food Blends meals are 100% real food pureed meals for use in a feeding tube. The three varieties of Real Food Blends meals are meant to complement an enteral formula diet, giving nutritional variety and real food to a tube-fed person. For people that practice a blenderized diet, these meals can be used as a convenient, on-the-go alternative to enteral formulas.

The Quinoa, Kale and Hemp meal contains only seven ingredients: water, kale, grape juice concentrate, hemp powder, extra virgin olive oil, quinoa, and cinnamon. These blenderized meals are made shelf-stable through the same heating process that keeps baby foods on shelves. Real Food Blends meals are thicker than traditional enteral formulas, and are intended to be bolus fed with a syringe. Additional liquid can be added to thin out these meals for use in a feeding tube pump or smaller feeding tubes.

Always consult with your medical professionals before making any changes to your prescribed enteral (tube-feeding) formula, and before starting a blenderized diet.

For more information, see
https://real-food-blends.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/quinoa-meal-multi-pack?_ga=1.221041880.1998332615.1444327858

This has been posted on the U.S. Department of Agriculture blog.

There has been some discussion this year about whether we would include the goal of sustainability as a factor in developing dietary guidelines. (Sustainability in this context means evaluating the environmental impact of a food source. Some of the things we eat, for example, require more resources to raise than others.) Issues of the environment and sustainability are critically important and they are addressed in a number of initiatives within the Administration. USDA, for instance, invests billions of dollars each year across all 50 states in sustainable food production, sustainable and renewable energy, sustainable water systems, preserving and protecting our natural resources and lands, and research into sustainable practices. And we are committed to continuing this investment.

In terms of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), we will remain within the scope of our mandate in the 1990 National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act (NNMRRA), which is to provide “nutritional and dietary information and guidelines”… “based on the preponderance of the scientific and medical knowledge.” The final 2015 Guidelines are still being drafted, but because this is a matter of scope, we do not believe that the 2015 DGAs are the appropriate vehicle for this important policy conversation about sustainability.

See more at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2015/10/06/2015-dietary-guidelines-giving-you-the-tools-you-need-to-make-healthy-choices/#sthash.jLunySef.dpuf

By Brad Scott

This year the Epcot Food and Wine Festival runs September 25 – November 16, 2015 in Orlando, Florida. Gardein no longer has a booth (Terra). All is not lost, though. Apparently Gardein made a deal with Greece to get their product there – see the photo. So, still pretty mainstream, but much less obvious. The last couple of years what Gardein served at their own booth (Terra) was really good. They also have an entrée on the regular menu in “The Land” restaurant; at least they did in March. Each booth does mark the vegetarian items on their menu clearly, which is good.

Lonnae Hickman is a winner of The Vegetarian Resource Group 2015 video contest.
Lonnae stated: “I am interested in a vegetarian lifestyle, because I am vegetarian! Also I just really enjoy how it is a healthier way of eating and feeling. It’s been proven so many times that eating meat is terrible for you. I also don’t agree with how many companies treat and kill their animals. It’s just not ethical or right to not give any animal the life it’s suppose to have. No animal should be locked in a small cage for its entire life and then killed. That is the main reason as to why I’ve been interested in vegetarianism.”
Here are the video scholarship winners: http://www.vrg.org/veg_videos.php
If you would like to support VRG internships or our video scholarship contest, please donate at www.vrg.org/donate
Write the purpose under comments.
VRG also sponsors an annual scholarship contest for high school seniors. See http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

PLANTS 4 LIFE
*Are you confused about today’s food… what’s healthy, what’s not?
*Do you want to know how to incorporate more plants into your diet?
*What’s so great about fiber?
*Do you know why you should not be hungry?
*Do you want some easy tips for good nutrition?
*If you have more fruits, veggies, grains & legumes in your diet will you get enough protein?

If you would like answers to these and many other food questions, come to a Plant-Exclusive Nutrition presentation at the Falls Church Community Center in Falls Church, VA on Saturday, October 10th, 2015 from 4 to 6:30 pm. It is taught by a Registered Nurse with over 24 years of personal experience on a plant-exclusive diet.

There will be 2 food demonstrations, suggestions on how to eat healthy for less, resources you can use in your own kitchen, handouts, and refreshments.

Cost is $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Space is limited
To register, email [email protected] or call 703 898-5135.