Give a holiday gift that lasts all year long: a $25 gift membership to The Vegetarian Resource Group! We’ll also send a free Vegans Know How to Party book ($24.95 value) along with the quarterly Vegetarian Journal.

Go to http://www.vrg.org/donate

Under comments, write in the recipient of the gift, his/her address, any message you want us to include with the gift, and mention to send the free Vegans Know How to Party book.

Your gift membership is a great present and helps us continue vegan and vegetarian projects. Give four memberships and the fifth one is free.

You can also place your order by calling us at (410) 366-8343 Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, Eastern Time.

A reader asked about her vegetarian teen daughter doing a summer exchange program in Cost Rica. One program told her it would be hard to accommodate a vegetarian.

For information on a vegetarian student in Costa Rica, see
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2012/06/01/can-an-exchange-student-live-on-a-vegan-diet-in-costa-rica/

Sarah Alper, a VRG volunteer who is a sophomore in college and is planning to study in Latin America next year, writes:

I’m not sure that I know any vegans who’ve studied abroad in Costa Rica, especially through programs for high school students. The main program that comes to mind as being a possibility is Living Routes (http://www.livingroutes.org/), which focuses on sustainability and has semester programs in CR as well as summer programs in Brazil, Peru, and Australia. I know they accept gap year (before college) kids; I am not sure about students under 18. From their website, it sounds like they’re very amenable to vegan participants:

“Q. What is the food like on the programs?
A. Almost all meals are included in the cost of the program, and consist of healthy vegetarian fare made from local ingredients. There are vegan options and a good deal of the food is organically grown in the host communities. Homestay families make an effort to accommodate special dietary needs as well.”

The School for Field Studies (http://www.fieldstudies.org/) has a summer program in Costa Rica, but I think it’s intended for undergrads–perhaps something to keep in mind for the future. According to their website, vegan students have successfully participated in the past:

“Student Dietary Preferences, such as a vegan or vegetarian diet may be accommodated, but the variety of food may be limited due to the location of the program, travel schedules, etc. Due to the group nature of the SFS experience, the cooks are unable to prepare individual meals. Although past vegan students have found our meals to be both delicious and sufficient, please be prepared to bear any additional costs associated with veganism or any special dietary requirements.”

Based on what I know about the typical Costa Rican diet, which includes lots of rice and beans, as well as fresh fruit, as opposed to that of other countries in Latin America where meat is more central, it seems relatively easy to follow a vegan diet in Costa Rica.

“Where do you get your calcium?”

While you may not hear it as often as the ubiquitous protein question, nevertheless, calcium and dairy products are inextricably linked in the minds of most people. Fortunately, there are a wide variety of calcium rich foods that don’t come from a cow. VRG’s newly-updated article Calcium in the Vegan Diet contains a list of vegan sources of calcium, as well as sample menus that provide more than the recommended 1,000 mg per day.

Calcium in the Vegan Diet is excerpted from the newly released 5th Edition of Simply Vegan. For a limited time, we’re offering 50% off the cover price when you order 5 copies from our online bookstore. For more information about vegan nutrition, visit the Nutrition section of our website.

The Vegetarian Resource Group relies upon the generosity of our supporters. Please Donate so we can continue to provide vital nutrition information like this.

Thanks to VRG volunteer Alan Polster for converting this update into HTML!

We recently sent to the printer the fifth edition of Simply Vegan. VRG’s nutrition advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, has completely updated the nutrition section, with information about Protein, Fat, Calcium, Iron, Vitamin B-12, Sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Pregnancy and the Vegan Diet, and more.

Plus we’ve added the new four color My Vegan Plate (VRG’s vegan version of the U.S.D.A. My Plate) to the center of the book.

Simply Vegan also features 160 vegan recipes that can be prepared quickly, sample menus, and an updated cruelty-free shopping list.

With 100,000 copies in print, the pioneering Simply Vegan was one of the first popular vegan cookbooks. It’s so gratifying to us the number of vegan business owners in their 20’s and 30’s who tell us how much Simply Vegan helped them when they first became vegan. This updated edition should continue to be of assistance to thousands of people who are interested in becoming vegan, but need simple recipes and easy to understand nutrition information.

If you order five copies of the updated 224-page Simply Vegan, we will send them to you at half price. We pay shipping in the U.S. For orders form outside of the U.S. please email [email protected] to inquire about additional postage cost. These books make a great gift for friends and relatives. Or sell them to your clients or give away at group meetings. ($40 for five books; $16 for one copy).

Your purchase of Simply Vegan supports VRG outreach and promotes vegetarian diets in a totally positive and healthy way. Thank you.

• Click here to order Simply Vegan from our online bookstore.
• Click here to order the Simply Vegan – 5 Pack.

By Gianna Mautone, VRG Intern

As a senior at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore, I have seen our dining services transition over the past four years toward a more student-oriented menu. As a vegetarian myself, and conscious about eating healthy, well-balanced meals, I have learned to be creative when purchasing meals on campus to suit my dietary preferences. Loyola Dining implements surveys and student forums in order to hear students’ voices about what they desire for meal options at school. There is also a student dining committee that all students are invited to join. I have found that Loyola’s dining services truly try to make accommodations based off of student input and preferences.

Loyola does not have a mandatory meal plan like some colleges, but rather, all items are a la carte (paid for individually). This option can be an advantage for students with special dietary preferences because students are able to pick and choose items from various dining establishments on campus, without feeling restricted to buy from a set location or to use up dining ‘points’ for the day.

Dining options on campus include a number of chain establishments such as Moe’s Southwest Grill, WoW Cafe and Wingery, Boar’s Head Deli, Starbucks, and Red Mango. Other dining locations include Vocelli Pizza, Savor (homestyle cooking), Ikigaii Sushi, Iggy’s Market (offering packaged market and convenience items) and Iggy’s Express (offering homestyle meals), as well as a pasta bar, salad bar, Bagels & Spreads counter, and Simply To Go items. Each dining establishment on campus offers vegetarian options, though finding vegan options may require more creativity. It is possible to dine on campus as a vegan, though, and there is always a possibility to have your voice heard in order to implement further changes to Loyola’s dining options.

Below is a sampling of the vegetarian and vegan options available across Loyola’s campus for each meal of the day.

Breakfast:

• In the morning, Loyola’s dining cafe offers fresh oatmeal with vegan toppings. Some vegetarian breakfast items such as pancakes are also available, though not much on the vegan front.
• Starbucks offers soymilk as a vegan option in drinks. Starbucks’ oatmeal, which is made with water and served with a choice of nuts and/or dried fruit makes for a satisfying vegan breakfast.
• Packaged granola bars and energy bars are also always available for purchase, including ‘Cliff’ bars (most of which are vegan).
• ‘Simply To Go’ fresh cut fruit cups offered daily.
• ‘Naked’ juices (most of which are vegan, besides “Protein Zone” smoothies, which contain Whey, a milk-derived protein).

Lunch & Dinner:

• Loyola’s salad bar offers an extensive selection of vegetarian options, and is priced by weight. Vegan toppings include a variety of fresh greens, raw veggies, tofu, beans, hummus, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, fresh fruit, pita bread, etc. There are also soups offered daily, usually one of which is vegetarian.
• Savor is a homestyle cooking option that offers a rotating menu. Each day should include vegetarian options such as, Mediterranean Vegetable Pita, Mediterranean Vegetable Burger, Falafel, and Polenta Stuffed Pepper. Roasted vegetables, couscous barley salad, potatoes and Mediterranean salad are some of the veggie sides available.
• Moe’s Southwest Grill serves burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, quesadillas, etc. No matter which Southwestern variety you select, the individual toppings/fillings are up to you, making it easy to customize a vegan meal. An example vegan option would be rice, beans, guacamole, tofu, salsa, lettuce, and tomato served in a bowl. Filling, satisfying, and vegan!
• Ikigaii Sushi – Our sushi bar hand-prepares rolls every day. Vegetable sushi, spring rolls (wrapped in rice paper), and fresh seaweed salad are delicious vegan options.
• Iggy’s offers prepared foods, with a more home-cooked feel. While the menu offerings are always changing, there should consistently be vegetarian options available. I enjoy the roasted, seasoned veggies from Iggy’s. Other vegetarian options may include rice, couscous and barley dishes with veggies, baked beans, chickpea salad, and polenta. Iggy’s is also an on-campus market where packaged items, snacks, and bulk bins are available.
• Boar’s Head Deli offers a variety of vegetable toppings and cheese that create a substantial sandwich or wrap. The cheese can be left off for a vegan sub, though this is not a very substantial meal option.
• Vocelli’s Pizza offers Italian cuisine, with vegetarian options including vegetarian ciabatta, Mediterranean salad, and veggie pizza. Vegan options are limited, aside from pasta with marinara sauce and a Mediterranean salad, without cheese.
• Bagels and Spreads – Bagels are a quick vegan option, though peanut butter and jelly are probably the only vegan spreads available.

Nearby off-campus locations that are vegan/vegetarian friendly do accept the student ‘Evergreen’ cards (from which money is deducted with each purchase). Off-campus dining is a convenient option that allows you to mix up your meals while also getting the opportunity to enjoy the surrounding community. Often, there will be formal dinners on campus for student groups, organizations, or awards ceremonies. For these catered events, students and staff always have a vegetarian and vegan option. Be sure to communicate your dietary preferences, because the catering staff is equipped to meet students’ needs.

While it is not difficult to find vegetarian options at Loyola, I have yet to see extensive vegan options (such as vegan desserts and dairy-alternatives) on campus. As I previously mentioned, Loyola’s Dining Services are accommodating to student feedback, so inquiring and getting your voice heard is important if there is something more that you wish to see on campus.

By Shelby Jackson

My Eleanor Wolff Internship with the Vegetarian Resource Group has been wonderfully inspiring and informative. Charles and Debra were warm and welcoming and made sure that I experienced all the fun Baltimore had to offer. Debra’s kindness never failed to put a smile on my face, and Charles thought-provoking banter exercised my mind and challenged me to think in new ways. As a vegan from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, I had never spent much time with many vegans, especially vegan adults. My coworkers and all those involved in the VRG, as well as the many individuals I met at conferences, proved to be reaffirming on many different levels.

The variety of skills and talents my coworkers brought to the table helped me realize the many different tasks that keep the VRG running smoothly. I began to contextualize the vegetarian and animal rights movement in new, more enlightened ways. The wide variety of organizations and causes are the nuts and bolts that hold things intact just as the ideas, passion, and commitment from all the individuals within the movement fuel it forward. There is a place in the movement for every individual interested in vegetarian advocacy, one that they must personally seek. I learned that I have a definite place; although I do not know exactly what it is yet, I am comforted by the fact that it exists, and that with time, it will become clearer to me.

Working the VRG table at the Taking Action For Animals, School Health Interdisciplinary Program, and Animal Rights conferences, I was forced out of my comfort zone. I began to comprehend that crossing such a threshold, and taking advantage of experiential learning and face-to-face interaction is an effective way to carve your place and truly engage in the world. This sort of engagement is essentially what the entire movement hinges on, and I would have been deprived of many understandings had I not immersed myself in the conversations taking place at the conferences.

Sitting in the VRG office typing away on a computer often made it difficult to grasp the tangible effects I was attempting to bring forth. Often, I felt disconnected from the world that I was presumably working to better. Then I began to realize that results are not always that which you can see, and that certain types of advocacy and real world work are very different than the work that is done in college. Unlike college, you will not get a pat on the back or an A for your hardest, most challenging work. In the real world, you must learn to give credit to yourself by identifying the relation of your work to the larger scheme of things. My work at the VRG helped me discern this difference, and I now realize that the work I engage myself in beyond college must be, like the work I have done for the VRG, personally meaningful. I must remember that not everything is visible, and that as long as I am working for the greater good, and motivated by genuine passion, my efforts will bring happiness.

Click here to learn more about interning with us!

Are you a frustrated vegan or vegetarian who loves shoes, but can’t find any decent non-leather options? Our Guide to Leather Alternatives tells you where to get non-leather shoes, bags, belts, and wallets. Don’t forget hiking and work boots. We even answer those special questions like where to find ballet shoes, baseball gloves, biking gloves, bowling shoes, motorcycle gear, orthopedic shoes, skate shoes, tool belts, and more.

Click here to view our 2012 update to the Guide to Leather Alternatives!

Thanks to VRG volunteer Alan Polster for converting this update into HTML!

By D.A. Colvin

Organic Vegan Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
( Serves 8 )

• 8-10 large Russet Idaho Baking Potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch-sized pieces
• 1 Cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread
• ½ Cup Bragg Liquid Aminos
• 3 teaspoons Goya Adobo Seasoning, without cumin and pepper
• 3 teaspoons onion powder
• 3 teaspoons garlic powder

Fill a medium-sized stainless steel pot halfway with water. Bring the water to a rapid boil. Reduce heat to medium and gently pour in the cut potatoes. If necessary, add more water. Stir the potatoes a bit so they can cook evenly. Check them occasionally with a fork. When the potatoes are soft and tender, turn off the heat and drain them in a colander in the sink. When the potatoes are well drained, return them to the pot or put them in a dry clean bowl. Mash the potatoes thoroughly until there are no lumps. Gently stir in the seasonings and mix thoroughly and evenly until the potato mixture is creamy. This makes a wonderful delicious Thanksgiving dish! Serve and enjoy!

Organic Vegan Gravy to serve with mashed potatoes above

• 1 envelope Hain vegan gravy
• 1 Cup boiling purified water
• 1 heaping Tablespoon Earth Balance Buttery Spread
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 3 Tablespoon Bragg Liquid Aminos

In a medium-sized stainless steel pot, bring 1 Cup water to a rapid boil. Gently slowly pour in the gravy mix, stirring evenly and rapidly. Reduce heat to medium or low, continue stirring until gravy mix thickens, then add remaining ingredients. Remove from heat and pour over mashed potatoes (see above recipe).

Salad Dressing

This dressing is wonderful and delicious in any garden salad or salad of greens. It’s very versatile.

• ½Cup or 6 Tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos
• ½Cup Olive Oil
• 3 Tablespoon Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder

Mix well in the salad until all the seasonings are evenly mixed and the delicious pungent flavor is well balanced.

Delicious Sandwich of Organic Vegan Thanksgiving Leftovers

• 2 slices of your favorite organic vegan bread, lightly toasted
• 1 thick slice of Thanksgiving Tofurky Roast
• Mashed potatoes and gravy (see above recipes).

Serve Tofurky Roast covered with mashed potatoes and gravy on toasted bread and enjoy!

D.A. Colvin is a social and environmental issues freelance writer and is an active environmental advocate and animal rescue advocate. She and her husband live in the SW of the USA and are the happy proud parents of an adorable beautiful 8 month old sweet baby boy. They also share their sweet loving home with two adorable, wonderful, sweet cats, their babies. D.A. Colvin can be reached via e-mail at: [email protected]
and her blog at: http://bodyearthself.blogspot.com.

For more Thanksgiving recipes, visit: http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vegan_thanksgiving.php

Today there are so many vegan mock meat/bird products available for Thanksgiving! Here are some you may want to add to your menu:

Celebration Roast and Hazelnut Cranberry Roast en Croute from Field Roast
http://www.fieldroast.com/products/

Tofurky Freast and Savory Gravy from Turtle Island Foods
http://www.tofurky.com/tofurkyproducts/holiday_products.html

Vegan Whole Turkey from Vege USA
http://www.vegeusa.com/VegeUSA/products/vegan_turkey.html

Holiday Roast from Gardein
http://www.gardein.com/products.php?t=frozen&p=67

If you’re looking for some fantastic recipes to prepare for Thanksgiving consider purchasing these books from The Vegetarian Resource Group:

• Vegans Know How to Party, by Nancy Berkoff
• Vegan For the Holidays, by Zel Allen

You can also find many recipes here: http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vegan_thanksgiving.php

If you’re in Baltimore this weekend, we’d love you to join us at our 31st Annual Vegan Pre-Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner!

Sunday, November 18, 2012
5:00 P.M.
North Baltimore Mennonite Church
4615 Roland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21210

Admission is $4 per adult and children under the age of 16 are admitted free. Please bring a vegan dish that serves four as a contribution from each member of your party. A vegan dish is made without meat, fish, fowl, dairy, eggs, honey, or other animal-derived ingredients. Write the ingredients of your dish on a 3 x 5 card to accommodate guests with special diets. Also, please bring a serving utensil for each dish. Paper plates, cups, napkins, and plastic utensils will be provided; however, we suggest participants please bring their own reusable dishes and utensils in order to reduce waste.

If you are unable to cook, you may bring a prepared vegan dish for four from a local natural foods store or restaurant. We also encourage you to bring a non-perishable vegetarian canned food item to donate to North Baltimore Mennonite Church, who will distribute it to those in need.

Need recipe ideas? Check out our Vegan Thanksgiving page.

To volunteer or for more information email [email protected] or call (410) 366-8343.

We look forward to seeing you there!