Posted on
August 12, 2013 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Are you a high school student graduating in 2014? Don’t forget about our annual college scholarship!
Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, each year we give two awards of $5000 in college scholarship money to graduating U.S. high school students who have promoted vegetarianism in their schools and/or communities. For more information and to apply: see
http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm.
To see a video on Kitty Jones, a previous Vegetarian Resource Group scholarship winner, visit:
http://www.girlwholovedanimals.com/girlwholovedanimals/index.html
Category
Scholarships
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0
Posted on
August 09, 2013 by
The VRG Blog Editor
If you are a federal government employee, you can support The Vegetarian Resource Group through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). Look for us under Health & Medical Research Charities of America.
Please also remember VRG in other workplace fund drives, matching gifts, etc.!
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Uncategorized
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0
Posted on
August 06, 2013 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
Coconut milk seems to be the new darling of the plant milk world. With a mild flavor and relatively few calories, coconut milk can be used to replace other plant milks in recipes or as a beverage. Note that we’re talking about aseptically packaged or refrigerated varieties rather than canned coconut milk. Beverages like So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage and Silk Pure Coconut are based on coconut cream with water added so that they are lower in calories and fat. The coconut milks that we’re referring to have 100 calories or less per cup (somewhat more in specialty flavors) compared to over 400 calories in a cup of canned coconut milk.
Coconut milk serves mainly as a source of calories, fat, and carbohydrate. Some vitamins and minerals may be added. Coconut milk is not nutritionally equivalent to soymilk (or cow’s milk) and would not be a good choice as a main beverage for someone with higher protein needs unless they are meeting their protein needs from other foods.
We were able to find close to 20 different varieties of coconut milk on grocery aisles and in the refrigerated section of grocery stores. Look for more information about coconut milks and other plant milks in an upcoming issue of Vegetarian Journal.
To see detailed information about the nutritional content and ingredients in coconut milk from Dream Blends, Silk, So Delicious, and Trader Joe’s, take a look at this chart: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/milk_alternatives/coconut_milks_table.pdf
Thanks to VRG interns Candice Kalinski and Gabrielle Rapsis for helping to collect product information.
To support VRG research, donate at www.vrg.org/donate
Category
Nutrition
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2
Posted on
July 30, 2013 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By Laura McGuiness
Chipotle is breaking new ground with their completely vegan product, Sofritas. Essentially shredded organic tofu braised with chipotles, poblanos, and a variety of different spices, Sofritas is a vegan option for both herbivores and carnivores. It is served to you in either a traditional burrito, burrito bowl, crispy or soft taco, or salad. Topped with your choice of guacamole, salsa, black beans, cilantro-lime or brown rice, and fresh vegetables, you can customize your Chipotle meal to satisfy your taste buds.
Originally, Chipotle had only released this product in California. Being a proud Californian, myself (born and raised in San Jose!) I rushed out with my omnivorous mother to try Sofritas! Both my long-term vegan self and my meat-loving mother were more than satisfied – and full!
I ordered a burrito with cilantro-lime rice, hot salsa, black beans, and Sofritas. My mother got a burrito as well, but one with brown rice, mild salsa, black beans, and Sofritas. The burritos were huge! I ate about half, gave up, and saved it for my dinner later, but even just the half I initially ate was filling. Both of us thought Sofritas was a hearty and filling substitute, making a normally banal vegan burrito exciting and substantial.
I liked Sofritas so much, that I actually went searching for it during my stay here in Baltimore before I realized it was not available on the East Coast, yet. Not to fear, East Coasters, Chipotle is expanding the product to the entire Northwest region, including Calfornia, Oregon, Washington, and Vancouver. This product is so delicious, it’s bound to make it over here soon! In the meantime, if you know of anybody in the North West region, tell them to go support Sofritas! It will only make the trip to the East Coast faster with the help of your North West friends.
For more information see: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/chipotle-offers-vegan-sofritas/story?id=19807489
Category
Fast Food & Quick Service
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3
Posted on
July 29, 2013 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Vegetarian Journal Issue 2, 2013 is now online!
Articles included in this issue are: Cooking with Fresh Herbs; Vegan Backpacking; Starting a Vegan Food Manufacturing company. Ed Coffin, RD, shares his experience using a co-packer.; Living Among Coconuts; A Vegan in China, Part 2; Which Ingredients are Acceptable to Vegans?; Dietary advice for hot flashes during menopause.; Vegan Cooking Tips ; Quick Breakfast in a Mug or Travel Cup, by Chef Nancy Berkoff; Jim Dunn’s Work with Neglected Youth, by Whitney Blomquist; Which Sugars Aren’t Processed with Bone Char?
For more back issues, visit: http://www.vrg.org/journal
Subscribe to the Vegetarian Journal to receive current issues in print! To subscribe and to support vegetarian research and outreach, either:
- join online with $25 USA; $35 Canada/Mexico; $45 other countries
- call (410) 366-8343 and order by phone with your Mastercard® or Visa®
- or complete this form
Category
Uncategorized
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0
Posted on
July 26, 2013 by
The VRG Blog Editor
A reader asked about taking B12 in excess of what we mentioned in our My Vegan Plate. Here’s the response from Reed Mangels, PhD, RD:
Our MyVeganPlate page suggests taking 25 micrograms of vitamin B12 daily if you don’t regularly use foods fortified with vitamin B12. It can be difficult to find a low-dose vitamin B12 supplement. It would be fine to take a supplement that has 100 micrograms of vitamin B12 daily. We’re able to provide a bit more detail on our website (http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/b12.php) and in the newest edition of Simply Vegan where we suggest taking a daily vitamin B12 supplement of 25-100 micrograms or a twice weekly vitamin B12 supplement of 1000 micrograms. The more vitamin B12 you take, the lower the percent that your body absorbs. So, if you take a high dose supplement, the vitamin B12 that is not absorbed simply passes through your intestines and is excreted.
The contents of this 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.
Category
Nutrition
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0
Posted on
July 23, 2013 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Are you in the 51+ age category? If so, you might find these vegan menu plans helpful: four different calorie levels – 1600,1800, 2000, and 2200 – are outlined in order to meet the needs of 51+ age men and women of varying activity levels and budgets.
In general, a 1600-calorie diet should meet the needs of an inactive older female; an 1800-calorie diet should meet the needs of an active older female; a 2000-calorie diet should meet the needs of an inactive older male; and a 2200 calorie diet should meet the needs of an active older male.
See: http://www.vrg.org/seniors/veganmenusfor51+.pdf
The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications, including the 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 employees or company statements. Information does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best judgement about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.
Category
Uncategorized
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0
Posted on
July 19, 2013 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By Kitty Jones, VRG Intern
Everyone is different and thus the way in which you approach people will always be situational. There are so many reasons to adopt a vegan lifestyle and your decision to be vegan has a ripple effect on those around you. It is estimated that if someone goes vegetarian they will be saving 30 animals each year, if they go vegan they save 100 (these are not perfect numbers and depend on the individual’s eating habits). These tips can apply to both your friends and family.
Most people haven’t thought of going vegan because they simply don’t know about the issues. The first step is to educate your friends about why this is an important switch to make. Sometimes it can be frustrating or difficult to explain why veganism is important. Documentaries can be very helpful in conveying the vegan message. Throughout the years I’ve shown my friends Peaceable Kingdom, Earthlings, Forks Over Knives, Vegucated, Fowl Play, and short videos like Meet your Meat and 10 Billion Lives. I feel these videos have a profound effect on people’s perceptions about veganism and their responsibility to change the way they eat.
Consider where a person is at and try not to overwhelm or preach to them. When I first went vegan I could hardly stop talking to everyone about it. This is a stereotype about vegans and can be a huge turn off for potential vegans. You don’t want to inundate your friend with too much vegan information or too many vegan rules. It may be less intimidating for your friend if you stick to the basics instead of quickly going in to ingredients like honey, lactic acid, or shellac.
Make and eat vegan food with your friends and lead them by example. The way to one’s heart is often through their stomach. Try adapting their favorite dishes by replacing the animal product ingredients with vegan ones. This works with most meals and helps people realize that their life doesn’t have to turn upside down when they change to a plant-based diet. I often host vegan potlucks at my house, where vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters alike get together and enjoy vegan food. You may also try taking your friend grocery shopping with you and showing them what kinds of food they can buy when eating vegan. For extra encouragement you can give your friends recipes or cookbooks to take home and try out. Having recipes in their kitchen gives them incentive to use them!
I often host vegan bake sale fundraisers and potlucks. I have my friends on various diets help me cook and bake vegan goodies, because that in and of itself is a form of activism. Those people are physically making vegan food and it’s becoming more normal to them.
Encourage them but don’t alienate them. You don’t want to make people feel like they have to be vegan or else they’re not cool or a part of some elite club. That kind of pressure can backfire and make people resent veganism. It can also push people away if they feel like veganism is all or nothing. It sounds elementary, but everyone slips up sometimes and if your friend does, remind them that it’s okay and to try again. Every time we eat we’re making a choice. If your friend accidentally eats something with dairy or eggs in it, they can simply make sure to avoid that product at their next meal.
Introducing your friends to the idea of vegan living is definitely planting seeds in their lives. For those interested in going vegan, the best thing you can do is to lead by example. Be patient; share what you know and your food.
Category
Family
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0
Posted on
July 17, 2013 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Our next Call-A-Dietitian Day will be Saturday, July 20, 2013, from 12 Noon to 3 PM EST. Appointments are in 15 minute increments.
If you have general nutrition questions, Ed Coffin, RD will be available by telephone. To reserve a 15-minute time slot, please email the VRG office at [email protected] or call (410) 366-8343. There is no charge, but if you do commit, please call on time. Otherwise you are taking someone else’s spot.
Ed Coffin holds a bachelor’s degree in clinical nutrition and is a registered dietitian. He has clinical experience from a variety of facilities such as Women Infants and Children and Veteran’s Affairs. Ed has worked in nearly every part of the natural and organic foods sector from logistics to packaging and production.
Please be advised that these sessions are not individualized nutritional counseling. Such advice should only be provided through direct in-person contact with a qualified health professional.
Category
Uncategorized
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0
Posted on
July 12, 2013 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Category
Employment
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6
