I'm getting braces in a couple of weeks. My orthodontist gave me a booklet about what to eat when my mouth hurts and there's not much I can eat (I'm vegan). What do you suggest?

• Soy yogurt
• Mashed potatoes (make these easily by microwaving a potato, removing the peel, mashing it with a fork, adding unsweetened soymilk until it's a consistency you can eat, and flavoring it with soy margarine and salt and pepper to taste. Try this same idea with a sweet potato.
• Applesauce
• Canned peaches or pears
• Smoothie made with soymilk, silken tofu, soft fruit (like berries), and frozen bananas. You can add maple syrup or another sweetener or peanut butter to taste. See what flavor you can invent!
• Soups – try Amy's canned soups or homemade lentil, vegetable, or other soup. Many non-veg soup recipes can be adjusted to use vegetable broth or stock in place of animal broth, soymilk in place of cow's milk, and beans or tofu cubes in place of meat.
• Soft pasta or couscous
• Scrambled tofu
• Hummus or other bean dips (eat with a spoon instead of dipping crackers or raw veggies until your mouth feels better)
• Refried beans
• Vegetarian baked beans
• Oatmeal or other hot cereal
• Juice pops (freeze juice in small cups with a popsicle stick holder)
• Frozen desserts
• Pudding – look for a simple pudding recipe where you can substitute soy or rice milk for cow's milk; instant pudding mix does not seem to work with soymilk
• Fruit or vegetable juice
• Ramen noodles (look for a brand without animal-ingredients). Add small cubes of tofu and/or frozen mixed vegetables to the cooking water.

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Click here for more Teen FAQs.

Click here to see this entire lesson plan.

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
© The Vegetarian Resource Group

Purpose: To evaluate surface water quality of samples collected from a recreational use area and those from areas used for farming or animal-based agriculture. Samples will be compared over the period of one day, one week, or one year, as time and resources permit. Possible parameters to be examined:

• pH
• temperature
• turbidity
• nitrate concentration
• phosphate concentration
• fecal contamination
• antibiotic contamination
• dissolved oxygen (DO)
• biological oxygen demand (BOD)

Objectives: As a result of this investigation, students will be able to:

• identify multiple measures of water quality;
• collect environmental water samples and assess their composition and quality;
• display and interpret data in tabular and graphical forms;
• apply computational, analytical, and scientific reasoning skills to make comparisons and contrasts concerning water quality;
• propose ways to mitigate human-influenced negative effects on water quality.

Lesson Background:

Teachers may look at the United Nations’ 2006 report titled Livestock’s Long Shadow available at http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a0701e/a0701e00.htm. Chapter IV deals with water pollution due to animal agriculture. Both national and global issues are discussed. The major conclusion of this Report is that livestock production is a leading source of environmental damage including climate change; water and air pollution; land degradation; and loss of biodiversity. The Report suggests that a human diet that is plant-based would prevent much of the environmental damage caused by animal agriculture, including the feedcrop production associated with it.

Click here to see this entire lesson plan.

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

This article originally appeared in Vegetarian Journal Issue 2 2009.

Vitamin D has been in the news a lot lately. Researchers are looking at whether it plays a role in a multitude of diseases ranging from multiple sclerosis to depression to cancer. Vitamin D has long been known to be important for bone health and is being added to foods like orange juice and to many brands of calcium supplements. Vitamin D has always been looked on as an unusual vitamin because, unlike any other nutrient, our bodies can actually make a substantial amount of vitamin D. Add in the fact that it acts more like a hormone than a vitamin, and you can see why there’s a lot to know about vitamin D.

We’ve recently heard from several readers who have had their blood checked for vitamin D and were surprised to learn that they were considered vitamin D deficient. They wrote asking us about vegan sources of vitamin D, the role of sunlight exposure, and what kind of supplements to use. We realized that it’s a good time to answer some questions about vitamin D.

What Does Vitamin D Do?

Vitamin D is best known for its role in bone health – it helps our body absorb calcium. When vitamin D is deficient, we absorb very little calcium. That’s the main reason that calcium supplements often also contain vitamin D. If calcium is not absorbed due to a vitamin D deficiency, the result is weaker bones that are more likely to fracture.

More recent studies also suggest that older people with lower blood levels of vitamin D are more likely to lose their balance and fall, possibly because of vitamin D’s role in promoting muscle function.¹ Higher blood levels of vitamin D have been associated with a lower risk of colon and breast cancer in some age groups.²

In addition, lower rates of heart attacks, strokes, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and depression have also been reported in people with higher blood levels of vitamin D.^2,3

Where Do We Get Vitamin D?

Vitamin D comes from two places – we take it into our bodies in foods and supplements, and our bodies produce it after sunlight exposure. Vitamin D is found naturally in only a few foods like fatty fish (for example, cod liver oil) and egg yolks. Because there are so few natural dietary sources, vitamin D is added to foods such as fortified soymilk, fortified juice, fortified breakfast cereals, cow’s milk, and margarine. (Vegan spreads like Earth Balance do not have vitamin D added.) Typically, soymilk is fortified with vitamin D2, the vegan form of vitamin D, while cereals, juice, and margarine are fortified with vitamin D3 derived from sheep’s wool. If the label on a fortified food doesn’t say what form of vitamin D is used to fortify the food, you can contact the company.

Recently, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists reported that mushrooms that had been exposed to ultraviolet B light for 5 minutes had very high levels of vitamin D, close to 3,500 International Units (IU) in a 1-cup serving.⁴ These vitamin D-containing mushrooms are expected to be commercially available in the next few years and will be a plantbased source of vitamin D.

Besides vitamin D from food and supplements, our bodies are able to make vitamin D when our skin is exposed to ultraviolet B rays from sunlight under certain conditions. It doesn’t take much sun to stimulate vitamin D production, just 5 to 30 minutes on arms and legs twice a week. However, this sunlight exposure only works at certain times of day and in certain seasons above certain latitudes (or below certain latitudes if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere). Vitamin D production is highest when the sun’s rays are most intense – between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. during the summer months. In locations above 42 degrees north latitude (Chicago, Boston, and Portland, Oregon, for instance), vitamin D production does not occur from late October through early March. Even as far south as Atlanta (about 35 degrees north latitude), vitamin D production doesn’t occur from November to February.²

Factors like sunscreen use, darker skin pigmentation, clothing, pollution, and aging can reduce the amount of vitamin D we produce. Because of this and because of concerns about sun exposure leading to skin cancer, many people feel safer relying primarily on foods or supplements for vitamin D.

How Much Vitamin D Do We Need?

The current recommendation for vitamin D is 200 IU per day for children and adults up to 50 years old, 400 IU for 51-70 year olds, and 600 IU for those age 71 years and older.5 These recommendations are more than 10 years old. Because of more recent research on the role of vitamin D, experts are suggesting intakes of 800 IU or more per day for the average adult and 400 IU for children, with higher intakes recommended to treat deficiency.^2,6

Can We Get Too Much Vitamin D from Food or from Supplements? Will Our Bodies Make Too Much Vitamin D?

It is possible to get too much vitamin D, especially by overdoing supplements. Excess vitamin D can cause the body to absorb too much calcium and can lead to kidney damage. The highest safe level of vitamin D for people to take is controversial, with some researchers using up to 10,000 IU per day without seeing problems.² A conservative recommendation is to stay below 2,000 IU per day.⁷ If you have had kidney stones, check with your health care provider before going above 1,000 IU per day.⁷

Don’t worry about producing too much vitamin D following sun exposure because your skin stops producing it once you’ve had enough. It’s still a good idea to limit sun exposure, however, because of the link between sun exposure and skin cancer.

Is Vitamin D a Special Concern for Vegans?

A vegan diet can be planned to provide adequate amounts of vitamin D through use of fortified foods like fortified soymilk. Any person, whether vegan or not, who does not include good sources of vitamin D in his or her diet or take vitamin D supplements can be at risk for not getting adequate vitamin D, especially if sunlight exposure is limited. Some studies have found that vegans have lower vitamin D intakes than do lactoovo vegetarians or meat-eaters.⁸ This may be because cow’s milk (a source of vitamin D) is a more common part of the daily menu for non-vegans than vitamin D fortified foods are for vegans.

What Happens If Someone Doesn’t Get Enough Vitamin D?

A vitamin D deficiency leads to nutritional rickets, a condition that causes weak and deformed bones in babies and children. Symptoms can include a delay in learning to walk, low height-for-age, and bowing of the legs and arms. Rickets rarely occurs in the U.S., but a recent outbreak of cases has raised concerns that children are not getting enough vitamin D.

In adults, not getting enough vitamin D can increase risk of osteoporosis and other diseases.

What’s The Difference Between Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3?

Two different forms of vitamin D are used in supplements and fortified foods. Vitamin D2, also called ergocalciferol, is manufactured through the ultraviolet irradiation of a substance called ergosterol that comes from yeast. Vitamin D2 is vegan.

Vitamin D3, also called cholecalciferol, is made by the ultraviolet irradiation of a substance derived from sheep’s wool. Some research suggests that vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 are absorbed equally well,⁹ although other studies suggest that vitamin D3 is better absorbed.¹⁰ If you are treated for a vitamin D deficiency, you may find that your health care provider recommends taking a higher dose of vitamin D2 than of vitamin D3 to compensate for possible differences in absorption.² This is an area of active research that we will continue to follow.

What About Vitamin D For Breast-fed Babies?

Breast milk is the ideal food for infants. Human milk, however, contains little vitamin D. If a nursing mother is vitamin D-deficient, her breast milk will be even lower in vitamin D than usual. To prevent vitamin D deficiency in breast-fed babies, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that breast-fed babies be given a 400 IU/day vitamin D supplement beginning within the first few days after birth.⁶

Another possible way to prevent vitamin D deficiency in a breast-fed infant is for the mother to take a vitamin D supplement daily containing up to 4,000 IU of vitamin D.¹¹ High-dose vitamin D supplements, used by the lactating mother, have been shown to markedly increase breast milk vitamin D content.^11,12 While there is some possibility that a baby will be able to make adequate vitamin D following sunlight exposure, there are many factors that interfere with vitamin D production (skin pigmentation, pollution, season, amount of clothing, location, and sunscreen). This is why supplemental vitamin D is recommended.

Vitamin D Sources for Vegans

These products are examples of foods and supplements that contain vitamin D. Because product formulations change, check labels to get the most recent information. Vitamin D on a label is expressed as a percent of the Daily Value for vitamin D. The Daily Value is 400 IU, so a product that contains 25 percent of the Daily Value for vitamin D would contain 100 IU of vitamin D.

References:

1. Dawson-Hughes B. 2008. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and functional
   outcomes in the elderly. Am J Clin Nutr 88:537S-40S.
2. Holick MF. 2007. Vitamin D deficiency. N Engl J Med 357:266-81.
3. Peterlik M, Cross HS. 2005. Vitamin D and calcium deficits predispose
   for multiple chronic diseases. Eur J Clin Invest 35:290-304.
4. Calvo MS, Garthoff LH, Feeney MJ, et al. “Light exposed mushrooms:
   From development to market of naturally enhanced plant sources of
   vitamin D.” Proceedings of the 5th International Congress on Vegetarian
   Nutrition. Loma Linda, CA; March, 2008.
5. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference
   Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride.
   Washington: National Academy Press, 1997.
6. Wagner CL, Greer FR, and the Section on Breastfeeding and
   Committee on Nutrition. 2008. Prevention of rickets and vitamin D
   deficiency in infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatrics 122:1142-52.
7. Liebman B. Are you Deficient? Nutrition Action Healthletter Nov.
   2006; 23:1, 3-7.
8. Davey GK, Spencer EA, Appleby PN, et al. 2003. EPIC-Oxford:
   lifestyle characteristics and nutrient intakes in a cohort of 33,883 meat-eaters and 31,546 non meat-eaters in the UK. Public Health Nutr
   6:259-68.
9. Holick MF, Biancuzzo RM, Chen TC, et al. 2008. Vitamin D2 is as
   effective as vitamin D3 in maintaining circulating concentrations of
   25-hydroxyvitamin D. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 93:677-81.
10. Armas LAG, Hollis BW, Heaney RP. 2004. Vitamin D2 is much less
    effective than vitamin D3 in humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab
    89:5387-91.
11. Kovacs CS. 2008. Vitamin D in pregnancy and lactation: maternal,
    fetal, and neonatal outcomes from human and animal studies. Am
    J Clin Nutr 88(suppl):520S-8S.
12. Basile LA, Taylor SN, Wagner CL, et al. 2006. The effect of highdose
    vitamin D supplementation on serum vitamin D levels and milk
    calcium concentration in lactating women and their infants. Breastfeed
    Med 1(1):27-35.

Today we are featuring an entry from our Guide to Food Ingredients, which is available online as well as in print.

Carmine
Commercial source: animal (insect).
Used in: confections, juices, "New Age"beverages, pharmaceuticals, dairy products, baked goods, yogurt, ice cream, fruit fillings, puddings.
Definition: A food coloring derived from the dried bodies of female beetles.
Non-Vegetarian

Your support allows us to continue this ingredient research and make updates as new information arises. Please consider making a donation.

Franck is from France and taking time off from his professional
career so he can learn about vegetarianism in America, as well as improve
his English. His goal is to use his skills and the knowledge learned from
volunteering to promote veganism in France.

Well, this was my first exhibition with The Vegetarian Resource Group. I
was quite anxious about my capacity to be understood by all these people.
The familial atmosphere and the sunny weather sure helped.

Our booth was located just next to one selling vegan pastries…What a
coincidence. And it’d been (extremely) difficult to resist all the day.

A lot of people stopped by our booth. Many were already vegetarian or
vegan. Some who weren’t vegetarian at all used to have a friend or a
relative that was. Or they thought with reason that they could lose weight
and get healthier that way. With Ann-Marie, we tried to comfort them and to
emphasize that they should aim for a few vegetarian meals a week first, and
of course check the vrg.org site to find information and recipes.

There were many people that were interested in what we were doing and even
upon arrival in the morning, the Baltimore HampdenFest coordinator said how
excited everyone was that VRG was setting up for today. There were many
festival-goers that stopped, veg*n and not, that wanted more information
and support, and we were able to provide that. Most of them were
Baltimoreans who wanted to get involved with VRG in one way or another.

Most of the question were about recipes and the activities of VRG. The
books, brochures and especially the guide to the vegetarian restaurants
were incredibly successful. More than 40 people subscribed to our email
list.

Unfortunately, but this was predictable, we had no questions about ethics
nor environment and only a very few about nutritional facts (protein myth,
B12).

It was overall a great day and we look forward to the next HampdenFest!

If you would like to volunteer to help with vegetarian outreach, please
e-mail Jack at [email protected].

Julia Driggers, RD, shares a recipe for Breakfast Tofu Links.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

14 oz Extra Firm Tofu
¼ Cup Canola Oil
¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 TBSP Maple Syrup
1 TBSP Agave Nectar
1 ½ TBSP Soy Sauce
1/3 cup Cold Water

Directions

Cut Tofu into thin, 2 inch strips. Set aside. In shallow Tupperware or 9 X 9 baking pan add Canola oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, agave nectar, soy sauce, and cold water. Mix together to make an evenly mixed marinade. Place pre-cut tofu into long thin rectangular cubes. Cover tofu with marinade. Place Tupperware top or plastic wrap over container and put in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hrs (okay to set overnight!). Preheat oven to 375 degrees and pre-grease a baking sheet. Once tofu is marinated, place tofu strips on greased baking sheet. Place in oven for 15-17 min. When tofu golden, remove baking sheet from oven, and turn tofu to other side. Replace pan back in oven for additional 15-17 min. When golden, remove sheet and let tofu cool for 2-3 minutes.

Enjoy your tofu links beside pancakes, waffles, tofu scramble, or eat alone! It’s a savory breakfast treat!

Nutritional Information

Calories: 208 kcal
Fat: 15 gm
Protein: 11gm
Fiber: 2gm
Sodium: 267 gm
Sugars: 7gm
Calcium: 45 % DV
Iron: 10% DV

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

The VRG recently received an email from a London reader asking about
L-cysteine in Domino’s pizza. He reported to us that Domino’s UK told
him that the L-cysteine used in the United Kingdom “is made
synthetically” and wondered if this were true for the United States.

We contacted Domino’s Quality Assurance Department and posed the
question as we did in 2007 when we were told that Domino’s L-cysteine
in its Hand-Tossed Crust, Breadsticks, the Cheesy Bread and the Cinna
Stix is “not animal-derived.” This time the same individual told us
that “We still use L-Cysteine in our Hand Tossed dough, Bread for
Sandwiches and Pasta, Breadsticks, and Cinna Stix.” Upon further
questioning, our contact informed us that “the source is non-animal.”

Although The VRG has attempted by phone and email to get more detail
on “non-animal” and “synthetic,” Domino’s has not supplied us with any
further information at this time.

Readers may wish to note that Domino’s Brooklyn Crust also contains
L-cysteine. Its Deep Dish Crust contains dairy-derived ingredients (as
do the Hand Tossed and Brooklyn crusts). The Crunchy Thin Crust
appears to be all vegetable-based. The pizza sauce at Domino’s,
according to the ingredient listings on Domino’s website, is
plant-derived as well.

The below is excerpted from the article Donating Stock To The VRG by Roger Lowe.

The purpose of this article is to encourage you to consider creative ways to donate to The Vegetarian Resource Group or other nonprofits for outreach projects. It is not intended to be used for financial, tax, or legal advice. Each person’s financial and tax situation is unique, and the information in this article may not apply to your situation. Please note that there are numerous proposed tax laws that may change, or may have changed as of the printing of this article.

Before donating stock to The VRG or any other nonprofit, you may want to consult with a financial or tax professional to discuss how such actions may affect your tax liabilities.

Donating Stock May Increase The Size of Your Gift

Many people who think they have little in the way of disposable income may have considerable stock holdings that they’ve acquired through inheritance or regular contributions to a mutual fund. Perhaps they have accumulated stock through an employee stock ownership plan, or through stock options that some companies offer employees in lieu of larger salaries.

These stockholders may not have large salaries or substantial amounts of cash on hand. Perhaps they are very committed to The VRG and its mission, and would like to make a donation, but a large cash gift, for whatever reason, is unfeasible.

For example, let’s consider the Smiths, an imaginary family of four, whose annual household income is $50,000. The Smiths are very committed vegetarians and live frugally. Their $50,000 income must cover a mortgage, child care, health insurance, contributions to a 401(k) plan, and savings for future expenses. The Smiths donate $1,000 to The VRG every year for promotion of vegetarian options in restaurants and other food service venues. They would love to be able to make a larger gift of $10,000, but their other obligations make that seem impossible.

However, ten years ago Mrs. Smith inherited 1,000 shares of stock in Yummy Veggie Dinners Inc. The shares are in the Smiths’ brokerage account. Since her inheritance, these shares have increased in value from $2,000 to $10,000, an impressive $8,000 gain.

While she would like to make a substantial gift to The VRG, it has never occurred to Mrs. Smith to donate stock. Yet by doing so, she can make that $10,000 gift she could not otherwise afford.

Even though the Smiths could never manage a cash gift of this magnitude, once they consider their stock holdings, their giving capacity increases significantly. They are now able to help The VRG, while leaving their 401(k) and savings plans untouched.

Substantial Tax Savings

Consider the Smiths’ case. If they sell their 1,000 shares of stock and donate the proceeds, they would have to first pay tax on the $8,000 profit. With a capital gains rate of 10% (for example), the Smiths would owe $800, leaving them with only $9,200 to donate to The VRG, instead of the $10,000 they’d planned.

The Smiths would be much happier if they could give the entire $10,000 to The VRG. Donating the stock directly allows them to do this.

Another tax advantage comes with the Smiths’ itemized deductions. If they sell the stock, pay the 10% capital gains tax, and donate the remaining $9,200, they can deduct that $9,200, yielding an income tax savings of $1,380 (assuming a 15% tax bracket). However, by donating the stock directly to The VRG, the full $10,000 can be deducted, for an income tax savings of $1,500. Both the Smiths and The VRG benefit from this arrangement.

When Not To Donate Stock

Generally, you should NOT donate stock if it has decreased in value since you bought or inherited it. If you do this, you can only deduct its current value, not its original value. Usually it makes better tax sense to sell the stock, use the loss against other capital gains, and then donate the money.

If you have owned a stock for less than a year, the rules are different. For example, your deduction may be limited to your purchase price, and profit is treated as ordinary income, likely at a different tax rate than capital gains. If you’ve recently acquired the stock, you should consult with a tax and/or legal specialist to discuss your options.

How To Donate Stock

Generally, you should NOT donate stock if it has decreased in value since you bought or inherited it. If you do this, you can only deduct its current value, not its original value. Usually it makes better tax sense to sell the stock, use the loss against other capital gains, and then donate the money.

If you have owned a stock for less than a year, the rules are different. For example, your deduction may be limited to your purchase price, and profit is treated as ordinary income, likely at a different tax rate than capital gains. If you’ve recently acquired the stock, you should consult with a tax and/or legal specialist to discuss your options.

Recently we were reflecting on VRG’s history and the wonderful things we’ve been able to do, with your help, in the past almost 30 years. To support VRG’s projects such as the ones below, click here.

Organization Timeline
A Sampling of Accomplishments

1982:

• In September Charles Stahler (activist), Debra Wasserman (activist), Ernie Kopstein (vegan medical doctor), Audrey Fluke (nurse), and Norris Fluke (Master's swimmer) met and started Baltimore Vegetarians (BV), which later becomes The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG).
• In November we hold our first pre-Thanksgiving vegetarian potluck dinner, which has been an annual event since the beginning and in December we sponsor an alcohol-free and smoke-free vegetarian New Year's Eve party and receive great publicity in newspapers and on the radio and TV.
• Our first newsletter was a 4-page typed written publication.

1983:

• Hold a highly successful Tofu Cooking Demonstration with a standing room crowd.
• Sponsor signs on buses in Baltimore promoting vegetarianism.
• Continuing our innovative campaign to get the word out, the group set up an activity at a local Children's Fair where kids prepare their own healthful snacks. We also spoke at a high school, sponsored our first World Vegetarian Day Conference, gave a cooking demonstration in the plaza next to City Hall, donated food to a local soup kitchen, performed cooking demos at local health foods stores, hosted camping trips, organized booths at the Baltimore City Fair, and distributed information at a community college.
• Another great success was when, on October 1, 1983, our local
  Mayor proclaimed World Vegetarian Day in Baltimore. Since then, many localities have followed suit.
• We published the cookbook Vegetarianism for the Working Person – Quick and Easy Recipes, which later is renamed Meatless Meals for Working People.

1984:

• Started writing "Beyond Carrot Cake," a vegetarian column for a free community-based newspaper in Baltimore.
• We also had mentions in publications such as What's New in Home Economics and Women's Circle Home Cooking.
• We published the Healthy Holidays cookbook and produced "Be Kind to Animals-Don't Eat Them" and "Vegetarians Are Sprouting Up All Over" bumper stickers, as well as vegan recipe postcards.
• VRG's first annual essay contest was mentioned by the National Science Teachers Association.
• Debra Wasserman served on the consumer board of the local Giant supermarket chain.
• A mention of our cookbook Vegetarianism for the Working Person – Quick and Easy Recipes in Changing Times magazine resulted in over 800 orders for this book, which launched VRG as a publisher.
• We have a street-level vegetarian window display at the main branch of the Pratt Library in Baltimore city for 6 weeks.
• Baltimore Sun runs editorial called "Eating Less Meat," which promotes our group.

1985:

• Researched and produced our first "Guide to Fast Food," which answered questions such as "Which Fast Food Chain(s) Doesn't Fry Their French Fries in Lard?" This piece earned mentions in USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, and by the Copley News Service, to name a few. Requests for the guide and our other materials came from the American Heart Association, Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Mayo Clinic, Vogue magazine, the Captain of the RMS Queen Mary, the Arkansas Democrat, People Weekly, Self, Shape, and even the Camp Fire Girls.
• Ruth Ransom, our first volunteer Registered Dietitian, helped us create a 4-week vegetarian meal plan and an alternative version to the four food groups, which interestingly was very similar in concept to the Food Pyramid promoted many years later by government and health professional organizations.
• Sponsor weekend vegetarian camping trip in Lebanon State Forest, NJ.
• Because of having members around the country, started using the name Vegetarian Journal on our newsletter.

1986:

• We sent information for distribution at the American Dietetic Association (ADA) annual meeting.
• Our newest dietitian, Suzanne Havala, produced a "Guide to Vegetarian Weight Loss," a "Hospital Survival Guide," and "Osteoporosis: Beyond a Simple Answer."
• We continued our commitment to educating teachers, children, and parents by giving a presentation on vegetarian diets at an in-service for home economics teachers in Baltimore County Public
  Schools.
• We receive $500 grant from the Ahimsa Foundation, which was significant to us.
• Exhibit at Baltimore City Fair. Volunteers build a booth for us to use.

1987:

• VRG's Nutrition Advisor, Suzanne Havala, was chosen to be the primary author of the ADA position paper on vegetarianism, which accomplished the following: 1) Put health advantages in perspective with health risks; 2) Abandoned the complementary protein myth; 3) Updated information on B12; 4) Set the record straight concerning vegetarians and calcium; and 5) Reiterated that the daily requirements for protein can be easily met in a vegetarian diet. The position paper increased health professionals' acceptance of vegetarian eating patterns.
• VRG Co-Director Debra speaks at the Toronto, Canada Vegetarian Society Vegetarian Festival on the waterfront.

1988:

• Gave assistance to Child Magazine (among others) for a story on vegetarianism, and offered our materials in the program of the Society for Nutrition Education annual meeting in Toronto, Canada.
• We exhibit at The American Dietetic Association Annual Meeting for the first time.
• We sponsor a World Vegetarian Day Convention in Baltimore.
• We exhibited at the Natural Products Expo East show.

1989:

• Had outreach booths at the annual conferences of the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers.
• Vegetarian Times said about The VRG's work: "Holding their own within the mainstream — not just working against it — is part of the secret of their success… VRG quickly outgrew its local status to become one of the largest, most well-run vegetarian resource bases in the country."
• We produced our Vegetarianism in a Nutshell poster and our first brochure titled Vegetarianism in a Nutshell.
• We sponsored our first summer weekend conference held in Ocean Grove, NJ.
• Exhibit at Children's Fair in Baltimore sponsored by the Children's Theater Association.

1990:

• Baltimore Vegetarians officially becomes The Vegetarian Resource Group.
• Sheila Schwartz of the Humane Education Committee in New York City created a lesson plan to go along with our newest handout, I Love Animals and Broccoli Coloring Book. She distributed both to NYC school teachers.
• The VRG's contact information was given in the New York Times, resulting in over 300 phone calls in two days. As soon as the phone stopped ringing, we were deluged by over 1,500 letters requesting information.
• Debra Wasserman, Charles Stahler, and Reed Mangels, PhD, RD did an 8-minute CNN television segment, which aired five times in a three-day period.
• We sponsored a weekend gathering at the shore in Spring Lake, NJ.

1991:

• VRG publishes Simply Vegan – Quick Vegetarian Meals, which includes a great nutrition section by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD. At the time, it was extremely rare to see the word "vegan" on a book cover.
• Reed Mangels, PhD, RD appeared on CNN and spoke about our "Teenagers and Vegetarianism" brochure.
• At the Annual Meeting of the American Home Economics Association, we gave a presentation on "Tofu, Tempeh, and TVP."
• We published 30 quantity vegan recipes in servings of 25 for use by food services.
• VRG also ran an Adopt-A-Classroom Program this year and was able to send materials to over 75 classrooms.
• VRG sponsors a one-day conference in New York City with over 700 attendees. We also sponsor a one-day conference in Baltimore, MD.

1992:

• Debra had a letter to the editor published in The New York Times headlined, "Chefs in US: Must Recognize Demand for Vegetarian Cuisine," and it offered information and quantity recipes. The letter was prominently boxed off and it brought us a lot of attention in the food service industry. Inquiries for our materials have ranged from a US Air Team requesting advice concerning a proposal for serving vegetarian foods, to the Food Service Director at Gallaudet University, to the Omaha Steaks company.
• VRG sponsors a Vegetarian Conference in the Pocono Mountains,
  PA July 23rd-26th.

1993:

• Due to a feature in Parade magazine, we received thousands of requests for vegetarian information. Mentions in the consumer publication Workbasket and the employee wellness periodical The Hope Heart Newsletter, resulted in similar responses.
• VRG had a booth at the American School Food Service Association's (ASFSA) annual meeting in Boston and thanks to several generous donations we were able to hand out 1,000 of our Quantity Vegan Recipe Packets for free.
• In November, The Vegetarian Resource Group had a booth at the American Heart Association's Annual Conference held in Atlanta, Georgia. Thirty thousand people attended this convention, including 13,000 doctors. There were several hundred booths displaying surgical equipment and/or pharmaceutical products. We were one of only a handful of booths promoting diet and prevention of heart disease.
• VRG creates computer software game called The Vegetarian Game.
• VRG starts publishing Vegetarian Journal's Foodservice Update.
• We also publish Vegetarian Journal's Guide to Natural Food Restaurants in the U.S. and Canada.
• VRG sponsored a vegetarian conference and day-long canoe trip in Luray, VA July 8th-11th.

1994:

• VRG publishes The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cooking — Healthy Traditions from Around the World, by Debra Wasserman.
• VRG sponsored a one-day event of cooking demos and natural foods samples in Baltimore.
• Debra gave a vegan cooking demonstration on Good Morning America in September.
• Published Simple, Lowfat & Vegetarian — Unbelievably Easy Ways to Reduce the Fat in Your Meals, in February. This 368-page book was written by Suzanne Havala, M.S., R.D., with lowfat vegan recipes by Mary Clifford, R.D., and a foreword by Dean Ornish, M.D.
• VRG exhibited at the USDA NET (Nutrition Education and Training program) Promoting Healthy Habits for Our Children conference.
• VRG exhibited at the American Academy of Family Practitioners annual meeting.
• The Vegetarian Resource Group had an exhibit again this year at the annual meeting of the American School Food Service Association (ASFSA), held this year in St. Louis, Missouri. VRG was also invited by ASFSA to present two sessions on vegetarianism for conference attendees. Julie Hoskins, M.S., R.D., presented a two-hour session on incorporating vegetarian items into school menus, and Suzanne Havala, M.S., R.D., gave an hour-and-a-half lecture on the health and nutritional aspects of vegetarian diets.
• VRG commissions a Roper Poll to find out how many adults are vegetarian and/or vegan. At this time about 1% of the US adult population is vegetarian.
• VRG sponsors vegetarian conference in Western Maryland July 7th-10th.
• VRG publishes two new brochures: Vegan Diets in a Nutshell and Una Dieta Vegetariana (Spanish).

1995:

• Brad Scott, a VRG volunteer, sets up VRG information on Envirolink.
• The Vegetarian Resource Group presented two poster sessions at the Annual Meeting of The American Dietetic Association. The first session, titled "Creating Vegetarian Nutrition Education Materials in Conjunction with a Supermarket Chain: A Unique Collaboration," highlighted the vegetarian nutrition brochure which was co-produced by the VRG along with Wegmans' supermarket chain. The second session was entitled "Vegetarian Nutrition Online," and it focused on the VRG's continuing efforts to provide information on vegetarianism on the Internet.
• The Vegetarian Resource Group conducted a Roper poll of 8- to 17-year- olds to find out the number of young vegetarians in the United States. Almost two percent of 8- to 12-year-olds say they don't eat meat, fish, or fowl. A little over one percent of teens are vegetarian.
• VRG publishes Leprechaun Cake and Other Tales, which is a vegan children's story-cookbook. We also publish a second kid's handout called I Love Animals and Broccoli Shopping Basket.

1996:

• In 1996 Vegetarian Journal's Guide to Natural Foods Restaurants in the US and Canada was mentioned in The New York Times.
• VRG publishes Guide to Vegetarian Restaurants in Israel, as well as a Spanish version of its Heart Healthy Eating Tips brochure.
• VRG publishes Vegan Handbook, which includes the best articles from previous issues of Vegetarian Journal.
• VRG Nutrition Advisor Suzanne Havala works with the national Meals on Wheels program to create menu alternatives for its clients. Cathy Conway, RD tests quantity recipes for VRG in various settings in New York City. Menus are released the following year.
• VRG starts VRG-News, our online newsletter.

1997:

• Jeanne Bartas completed Vegetarian Journal's Guide to Food Ingredients. Jeanne's year of detailed research took her beyond dictionary definitions. By contacting food companies, and then their suppliers, she played detective as she tracked down the actual commercial sources of the ingredients.
• Seven 4-H interns worked in The VRG office for two days. Most were from cattle ranches. We had the interns taste-test and write an article about various soy ice creams. It was a great learning experience for all of us.
• Our website www.vrg.org went live in January, 1997. The Tufts University Nutrition Navigator awarded the VRG website one of their highest rankings for a nutrition website.
• VRG commissions a Roper Poll to find out how many adults are vegetarian and/or vegan. At this time about 1% of the US adult population is vegetarian.
• VRG publishes Conveniently Vegan.
• VRG is now listed on the combined Federal Campaign National List.

1998:

• VRG Food Service Advisor Chef Nancy Berkoff gave a vegetarian presentation at the annual meeting of the National Association of College and University Food Service.
• VRG's Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, authored a chapter titled "Nutrition Management of the Vegetarian Child" in the Pediatric Manual of Clinical Dietetics, published by the American Dietetic Association.
• Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD, becomes our Foodservice Advisor.

1999:

• Nancy and Debra gave a culinary demonstration at the ADA's Annual Meeting concerning the introduction of vegetarian foods into institutions.
• VRG sponsors a Zogby poll to find out how often restaurant customers were ordering vegetarian meals. 5.5% of adults said they always order a vegetarian meal when dining out; 11.7% said they often order a veggie dish; and 40.8% said they often order a veggie dish. 38.9% said they never order a veggie dish when dining out.
• VRG hosts an intern from Japan for 6 months.

2000:

• VRG commissions a Zogby Poll to find out the number of adult vegetarians. Defining vegetarians as those who never eat meat, poultry, or fish, Zogby arrived at the figure 2.5% of the statistical population who can be considered vegetarian. .9% are considered vegan.
• VRG also sponsored a Roper Poll to find out how many kids are vegetarian. 2% of kids between the ages of 6 and 17 are vegetarian.
• VRG publishes Vegan in Volume, which contains quantity recipes for institutions. Many university and restaurant chefs use this book.
• VRG starts an online vegetarian parent's group through Yahoo for parents to exchange ideas and help one another.

2001:

• VRG published another update of its Guide to Fast Food and Quick Service Chains, which was quoted in the book Fast Food Nation and Atlantic Monthly magazine, referencing our information about natural flavorings in McDonald's French fries.
• VRG's Nutrition Advisors Reed Mangels and Suzanne Havala are awarded Awards of Excellence in Service and Leadership from the American Dietetic Association's Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group.
• Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD, EdD gave a lecture titled "Implementing Vegetarian Menus into Food Service" at the American Dietetic Association's annual meeting.
• VRG starts offering an Online Course on Vegetarianism taught
  by Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD, EdD
• VRG publishes Vegan and Vegetarian FAQ book. We also print vegetarian placemats.
• VRG publishes Vegan Meals for One or Two.
• The VRG is featured in an article on vegetarianism in the National Education Association magazine reaching two million educators.
• VRG featured on Tofurky package.

2002:

• Thanks to a generous donor, VRG begins offering two $5,000 scholarships annually to graduating High School Seniors promoting vegetarianism in their school/neighborhood. The first award was given in spring 2003.
• At the Natural Products Expo West trade show for the health food industry, Nancy gave a demo on Meeting the Needs of Your Vegan Customers.

2003:

• Vegetarian Resource Group Harris Interactive survey of adults — 2.8 percent of those surveyed said they never eat meat, poultry, or fish/seafood. A majority of the vegetarians said they never eat meat, poultry, fish/seafood, dairy products, eggs, or honey. Thus, over half the vegetarians can be classified as vegans.
• VRG's Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, is co-author of the American Dietetic Association's new Position Paper on Vegetarianism.
• VRG publishes Vegan Microwave Cookbook.
• VRG's Co-Directors Charles Stahler and Debra Wasserman are inducted into the North America Vegetarian Society's Vegetarian Hall of Fame.

2004:

• VRG Co-Director Charles Stahler is interviewed by the Associated Press concerning the impact Mad Cow Disease has had on the vegetarian movement. The resulting article sent reader's nationwide to VRG's website www.vrg.org
• VRG publishes Vegan Menu for People with Diabetes.
• VRG's nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, co-authored The Dietitian's Guide to Vegetarian Diets: Issues and Applications 2^nd edition. This is a textbook.
• VRG sends testimony to the USDA about revising the Food Guide Pyramid.
• Fantastic Foods sponsored VRG so we could give Meatless Meals for Working People to 1,000 dietitians at the annual meeting of the American Dietetic Association.

2005:

• VRG commissions Harris Interactive® poll of youth — 3 percent of 8- to 18-year-olds are vegetarian (that is, they say they never eat meat, poultry, or fish/seafood.)
• VRG publishes the 4^th edition of Vegetarian Journal's Guide to Natural Foods Restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. We also publish the 4^th edition of
  Meatless Meals for Working People, which we has sold over 90,000 copies.
• VRG exhibits at the School Nutrition Association Convention.

2006:

• VRG publishes a second vegan Passover cookbook called Vegan Passover Recipes.
• VRG researcher Jeanne Yacoubou does an article for Vegetarian Journal called "Vegetarian Certifications
  on Food Labels " What do They Mean?"
• VRG's Foodservice Advisor Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD, presented 8-hour culinary education workshops at American Culinary Federation's regional conferences.
• VRG publishes the 4^th edition of Simply Vegan.
• Thanks to generous donors, VRG establishes The Eleanor Wolff Intern Scholarship that allows VRG to offer a paid summer internship for a student in need including housing.
• VRG commissions Harris Interactive® poll to find out how many adults are vegetarian or vegan. 2.3% are vegetarian and about half of these vegetarians are vegan.
• VRG publishes a full-color version of our Vegan Diets in a Nutshell for tabling.

2007:

• VRG celebrates its 25^th Anniversary with a special edition of Vegetarian Journal.
• VRG researcher Jeanne Yacoubou writes an article for Vegetarian Journal on Egg Labels and Certifications: What do they Mean?" to point out that free-range chickens do not have to go outside to be labeled free-range, beak-trimming is acceptable under organic law, etc.
• VRG exhibits at the American Academy of Family Physicians Scientific Assembly.
• VRG volunteer Mark Rifkin, RD starts offering Call-a-Dietitian Day from the VRG office every other month.

2008:

• VRG publishes Vegan Seafood: Beyond the Fish Shtick for Vegetarians.
• VRG conducts a Zogby Poll to find out How Many People Order Vegetarian Meals When Eating Out. 6.7% of American adults always order a veggie meal when dining out.
• VRG's online vegetarian course is accepted by the American Culinary Federation for chefs completing their continuing education credits in nutrition.
• VRG did a survey to determine which are the top mainstream restaurant chains offering vegetarian options.
• VRG publishes a full-color updated version of its Heart Healthy Eating Tips brochure.

2009:

• VRG commissions Harris Interactive® poll of adults: In the survey, 3% of U.S. adults indicated they never eat meat, poultry, and fish/seafood. They were classified as vegetarian. About 1/3 to 1/4 of the vegetarians (one percent of the U.S. adult population)
  also never eat dairy, eggs, and honey, and were classified as vegan.
• The American Culinary Federation asked VRG Food Service Advisor Nancy Berkoff to do an 8-hour seminar for culinary educators.
• VRG's Nutrition Advisor speaks at the American Dietetic Association's annual meeting.
• VRG's researcher Jeanne Yacoubou writes a Vegetarian Journal article titled "The Vegetarian Solution to Water Pollution."
• VRG exhibits at Green Festivals.
• VRG publishes a full-color Vegan Nutrition in Pregnancy and Childhood brochure.
• VRG's Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, is co-author of the American Dietetic Association's new Position Paper on Vegetarianism.
• VRG hosts interns from Utah, Ohio, and Japan.
• VRG mailed Vegetarian Journal to 1,000 doctors in Colorado.
• Over 150,000 people per month continued to visit the VRG website.

2010:

• VRG commissions Harris Interactive® poll via its YouthQuery^SM online omnibus service. In the poll, 3% of U.S youth indicated they never eat meat, poultry, and fish/seafood. They were classified as vegetarian. About 1/3 of the vegetarians (1% of the U.S. youth population) also never eat dairy, eggs, and honey, and were classified as vegan. One-third of the vegetarians (1% of the U.S. youth population) were vegan, except for honey.
• VRG volunteer Heather Gorn helps redesign VRG's website www.vrg.org
• VRG's Co-Director writes Vegetarian Journalarticle on organic farmers.
• VRG publishes full-color brochure titled "Save our Water."
• Reed Mangels, PhD, RD co-authored a new edition of the "Dietitian's Guide to Vegetarian Diets" textbook.
• VRG's updated Guide to Food Ingredients placed on line at www.vrg.org.
• VRG's updated Guide to Naturals Foods Restaurants in the U.S. and Canada placed on line at www.vrg.org.
• VRG presents an abstract at the American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference and Exhibition concerning Vegetarian and Vegans staying vegetarian.

Two interviews with VRG Nutrition Advisor, Reed Mangels, have been published on the web recently.

The first, from babble.com’s The Family Kitchen blog is called Happy and Healthy: Ten Tips to Raising Vegetarian Children. Reed offers 10 tips for raising healthy vegetarian children.

The second is the September 2010 online edition of Today’s Dietitian. Defending Vegan Diets — RDs Aim to Clear Up Common Misconceptions About Vegan Diets