Come visit VRG’s booth at these events!

• Naperville-Chicago Veggie Fest – Naperville, IL – 8/12-8/13
• HampdenFest – Baltimore, MD – 9/10
• Natural Products Expo East – Baltimore, MD – 9/22-9/24
• VRG’s Vegan Indian Dinner – San Diego, CA – 9/25
• American Dietetic Association Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo – San Diego, CA – 9/24-9/27
• DC VegFest – Washington, D.C. – 9/24
• NY’s Capital Region Vegetarian Expo – Albany, NY – 10/1
• San Francisco VegFest – San Francisco, CA – 10/2-10/3

The article The Market for Vegetarian Foods has been updated and is now available here: http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/market.htm#market. You can read the whole article here.

The Market for Vegetarian Foods
By Caryn Ginsberg

Vegetarian eating is higher profile than ever. Movies, books, articles, and celebrity interviews tout how vegetarian foods reduce disease and obesity. More and more people are aware of how standard American fare not only hurts our health but also harms the environment and supports cruelty to animals.

It’s easier to eat vegetarian or vegan now than ever. Specialized products have expanded from natural foods stores to mainstream grocers, discount chains, and club stores. From fast food to five-star restaurants, vegetarian options are becoming more commonplace.

Exciting times do not ensure successful business ventures, however. Competition is intense. Experts estimate the failure rate for new products of all types may exceed 80 percent. As many as 60 to 80 percent of new restaurants may close (Bloomberg Business Week, 2007).

Given that the trends driving interest in vegetarian eating appear likely to continue, savvy businesspeople can not only profit by catering to this need but also build demand by offering delicious, convenient, and affordable plant-based foods. Both would-be entrepreneurs and established professionals can benefit from understanding the market and competition to determine the best opportunities for success.

This article begins by identifying the consumers seeking more vegetarian food of all kinds, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat and dairy alternatives. After exploring the implications for restaurants and non-commercial food service, the analysis narrows to meat and dairy alternative products, investigating market data, and trends.

Read the rest of the article here.

by Jessica Friend

My name is Jessica Friend and one of my first assignments as a VRG summer intern was to attend a community event that VRG participated in to advocate vegetarianism.

Mary Hebranson, the Community Outreach Director at VRG, asked me if I would be interested in attending EcoFair in Reisterstown, MD. The fair was only about 15 minutes from my home in Owings Mills, so of course I would go.

Driving on to the grounds for EcoFair, I had no idea what to expect but I had lots of questions. Would it rain? Would there be lots of people? How would the VRG booth look? Turning the corner, I was pleasantly surprised. Kayam Farm, where the fair was held, sits on several acres of green pastureland. I could see a big pavilion in the center of the grounds. Underneath, various vendors were set up on picnic tables.

As I approached the pavilion I spotted the VRG table pretty quickly because it was definitely one of the more colorful booths there. An array of pamphlets showcased fruits and vegetables from every color of the rainbow. Red tomatoes, orange squash, yellow bananas, green peppers, blue blueberries and purple eggplants. Displayed on the left side of the table were several of the books that VRG publishes including Meatless Meals for Working People and Simply Vegan. On the right side of the table there was a display dedicated to educating people on the effects of eating meat on the environment.

I walked around the table and introduced myself to Mark Rifkin. Mark is one of the dietitians that work with The Vegetarian Resource Group. He would be overseeing the booth that afternoon.

Right away, Mark informed me that one of the most important rules of tabling is … “Don’t be afraid to speak to the people!” Mark noted that most people who approach a table won’t ask any questions without a little prompting. So a nicely placed “Do you have any questions?” is an icebreaker. Throughout the afternoon, I put Mark’s insightful tip into practice.

Some of the visitors to the VRG table included; a woman who inquired about tips for feeding a picky vegetarian baby, Mark suggested she try different textures of tofu; and a man who approached the table looking for recipes, explaining that he had just gone vegetarian several months ago. I handed him a pamphlet of four easy to make vegan recipes that Mark had brought and a copy of the restaurant guide that VRG publishes. Some people were just interested in receiving literature on vegetarianism or copies of the Vegetarian Journal.

The fair had live entertainment, and a buffet lunch which included chicken, French fries, cookies, brownies, lemonade, but also a vegan option, salad and an assortment of wraps.

Towards the end of the day, the traffic at our table slowed and I took advantage of this to take a look around the fair. I visited the MOM’s organic market table for free samples of their chocolate chip cookies, tried a vegan smoothie at the buffet and visited a few other vendors’ tables including Save The Bay and Parks and People.

If you’re in the Maryland area, I encourage you to check out EcoFair 2012.

To volunteer at VRG booths around the country, e-mail [email protected].
To support VRG outreach, you can make contributions at https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565

Pregnant or planning for pregnancy? Check out this recent article by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, VRG nutrition advisor, and co-author of VRG’s brochure, Vegan Nutrition in Pregnancy and Childhood.

Excerpted from Starting Right: What to Eat When You’re Hoping to be Expecting, published on http://www.onegreenplanet.org:

2. Make sure you’re eating a variety of vegan foods with an emphasis on whole, unprocessed foods.

Pre-pregnancy is a great time to clean up your plate. Eating a variety of foods – beans, grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds – makes it more likely that you’re getting the nutrients you need and that will support your baby’s growth. You’ll be a role model for your child for many years. It’s a lot easier to promote fruits and vegetables if your child sees you eating these healthy foods.

In addition to choosing whole, unprocessed foods often, be sure you mix things up. If you usually eat soy products as entrees, try adding some other kinds of beans or seitan. If you take fruit for lunch, eat seasonally – peaches in summer, pears in the fall, strawberries in the spring rather than only eating apples or bananas. Greater variety in your food choices makes it more likely that you’re getting all of the nutrients you need.

3. Start taking a supplement of folic acid and decide if you need to use supplements to insure adequate vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D, iron, and iodine.

Folic acid is an important vitamin during early pregnancy because of its role in the development of the nervous system. Adequate intakes of folic acid have been linked to a reduced risk of birth defects like spina bifida. Since the baby’s brain and spinal cord begin to form very early in pregnancy, before you may even know you’re pregnant, the CDC and other government agencies recommend that all women who may become pregnant either take a supplement containing 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid or eat cereal fortified with folic acid. Few, if any, vegan cereals are fortified with folic acid, so it’s probably easiest to take a supplement of folic acid or, if you use a multi-vitamin, check to see if it has 100% of the Daily Value (DV) for folic acid.

Vitamin B12 is another vitamin that’s needed for development of the nervous system. Vegans get vitamin B12 from fortified foods (some brands of soy or other milks, cereals, energy bars, etc) and from supplements. Be sure that you have a reliable source of vitamin B12 that you use every day before and during pregnancy and when you’re breastfeeding.

Requirements for calcium and vitamin D do not go up in pregnancy. It’s still important to meet recommendations for these nutrients, either by choosing good food sources or by using a vegan supplement.

Iron needs are quite high in pregnancy because extra iron is needed to make the baby’s blood. If you start pregnancy with adequate amounts of stored iron, there’s less likelihood that you’ll become anemic during pregnancy. You can build up your stores of iron before pregnancy by eating iron-enriched foods (pasta, cereal, bread, some brands of fake meat) and foods high in iron (dried beans, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, nuts). Even with adequate stores of iron, your health care provider may recommend an iron supplement.

Iodine plays an important role in brain development. Iodized salt is an easy way to add iodine to your diet. If you don’t use iodized salt and rarely use sea vegetables (another source of iodine), either choose an iodine supplement or a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement that supplies iodine.

Read the whole article here »

Our Guide to Food Ingredients is now available – for free – on Windows Phone 7!

Click the download icon to install. You’ll have to have (or download) Zune to view this. Or, you can take a look at this website: http://www.windowsphoneapplist.com/ingredients_guide-a25008.html.

Perfect for deciphering ingredient labels while you are on the go, the Guide lists the uses, sources, and definitions of 200 common food ingredients. It also states whether the commercial source of the ingredient is vegan, typically vegan, vegetarian, typically vegetarian, typically non-vegetarian, or non-vegetarian.

Many thanks to Techark Consultancy for developing the app!

Print copies of the Guide are available here.

The online version is available here.

iPhone version is available here.

Editor’s note: The purpose of our food ingredient research is intended to educate people to enable them to make informed decisions about the foods that they choose to eat. Vegetarians and vegans will draw their own lines at what they will or won’t eat. Do what you feel is appropriate for your circumstances. The guide should not be used to criticize others or feel overwhelmed. We live in an imperfect world and do the best we can.

The contents of this blog, 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.

Are you a vegan or vegetarian college student? We want to know what your top 5 favorite campus foods are!

Below is the link to our survey.
www.surveymonkey.com/s/5L839K8

Thanks,
Jessica Friend/Lindsey Siferd
VRG Interns

Planning a summer vacation? Our online guide to vegetarian/vegan restaurants in the USA and Canada is a great resource for traveling, or just discovering a new place to eat nearby! Visit: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

Excerpted from:

Vegans Know How to Party
OVER 465 VEGANS RECIPES, INCLUDING DESSERTS, APPETIZERS, AND MAIN DISHES
By Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD
Purchase a copy for $25.00 here

Savory Summer Peach and Avocado Salsa
Serves 10

2 cups diced fresh, ripe, pitted peaches (not peeled)
2 cups diced fresh, ripe, pitted, peeled apricots
2 Tablespoons minced fresh chilies (you choose the heat!)
1/2 cup diced, peeled, ripe avocado
1/4 cup diced fresh red bell pepper
1 Tablespoon minced red onion
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tablespoons peach nectar or orange juice

In a non-reactive bowl, combine ingredients. Allow salsa to chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Total Calories Per Serving: 45
Total Fat as % of Daily Value: 2%
Protein: 1 gm
Fat: 1 gm
Carbohydrates: 8 gm
Calcium: 8 mg
Iron: 0 mg
Sodium:
1 mg
Dietary Fiber: 2 gm

Two of our summer interns are working on an article about being a vegan student in college, and they have some questions that they would like to ask current students. If you or someone you know is a vegan student in college who is interested in contributing to the article, please e-mail Lindsey or Jessica at [email protected] Thank you so much!

If you’re in the Baltimore area, check out Marti Kheel’s talk about her book Nature Ethics: An Ecofeminist Perspective.

Monday June 27, 7pm
Red Emma’s (800 St. Paul’s St, Baltimore, MD 21202)

More about the event: http://www.redemmas.org/event/2413/

People can also RSVP at the Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=214978431867348

Marti Kheel is currently a visiting scholar at the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (ESPM), University of California, Berkeley. For more information, please visit http://martikheel.com