photo from Freepik

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

I was recently invited to participate in a panel at a conference for health care providers. The conference, Food as Medicine, featured speakers, most of whom were MDs, describing the health benefits of plant-based diets that include a variety of whole foods. The panel discussion, which took place at the end of the day, was titled Food For Thought: Improving Patient Health and Nutrition Through Collaboration. The panelists were Michael Klaper, MD, a primary care physician; Rak Jotwani, MD, a primary care physician; Debra Shapiro, MD, an obstetrician/gynecologist; Martha Sandoval, MD, a family medicine physician; and me. All panelists were passionate about the health benefits of plant-based diets.

We were each asked to speak on the importance of collaboration—especially from personal experience—with professionals from various fields to enhance patient health through a focus on nutrition. As the only non-physician on the panel, I decided to describe the skills and training that registered dietitians have and to promote collaborations between RDs and other members of health care teams who are working to encourage use of plant-based diets. Here’s an excerpt from my talk:

Registered dietitians or registered dietitian/nutritionists, such as myself, are health professionals with expertise in food and nutrition. RDs or RDNs have completed at least a master’s degree (so 5-6 years at least of nutrition-related coursework), a supervised practice requirement (typically 1,000 or more hours), and passed a national exam. We are required to continue professional development throughout our careers. Registered dietitians may specialize in areas ranging from sports nutrition, to diabetes, to pediatrics, to functional medicine, to vegetarian and vegan nutrition, and more.

     RDs and RDNs can play key roles on the health care team because of their training and their knowledge of both the theoretical and the practical aspects of food and nutrition. They do nutrition assessment and counseling for inpatients and outpatients though one-on-one sessions, group sessions, and classes. They may develop educational materials. They educate other members of the health care team about nutrition so that the dietitian’s message can be supported and amplified. In turn, they can provide important information and support for the recommendations of other health care providers.

     Dietitians are uniquely able to work with individuals who often have strong food preferences and cultural practices, a variety of cooking skills, have more or less money to purchase food, have time constraints, have a myriad of health issues, and have varying motivations. We are keenly aware that one size doesn’t fit all and that a single sheet of paper describing a diet is not likely to result in true change.

     Dietitians work in a variety of settings – traditionally in hospitals and clinics but now, more and more, in private practice, as part of a private practice or health care system, in gyms, in industry, in academia, non-profits, etc.

     My personal work has been in academia and in the non-profit sector. I’ve had opportunities to collaborate with nurses, physicians, and others with a goal of developing reliable, evidence-based materials, especially those related to vegan/vegetarian nutrition.

The other members of the panel spoke of the joys and challenges associated with working with other health care professionals including other physicians, nurses, dietitians, physical therapists, and health coaches. They described how wonderful it was to have a group of providers all working together to promote healthy plant-based diets, exercise, stress management, and other components of a health-supporting lifestyle. Each team member would use their skills and training to support clients/patients and other providers. They also described the challenges of working with providers who were not aware of the health benefits of plant-based diets and who provided out-of-date information or questioned the physicians’ recommendations.

We agreed that it was important to seek out like-minded colleagues and to work to educate our colleagues about plant-based/vegetarian/vegan nutrition. I thought about VRG’s work, for at least the past 35 years, to provide reliable, evidence-based information about vegetarian/vegan nutrition to  dietitians and to develop much-needed educational materials that can be used by dietitians and other health care professionals.

To read more about registered dietitians see: Becoming a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Debra Daniels-Zeller’s article Perfect Pears provides recipes for Reisling-Braised Kale and Pears With Basmati Rice; Sweet And Spicy Yams And Pears With Toasted Pecans; Maple-Sautéed Pears; Creamy Rosemary, Acorn Squash, and Pear Soup; Coconut-Cranberry-Pear Sauce Hazelnut-Orange Asian Pear and Beet Salad; Pear Crisp With Cranberries; Pear-Walnut Bread; and Berry-Poached Pears. She also explains the differences between popular varieties of pears. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2004issue3/2004_issue3_perfect_pears.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Cynthia King Dance Studio offers the CKDS ballet slipper with canvas uppers and synthetic leather soles in adult and children’s sizes and various colors. Visit https://cynthiakingdance.com/veganballetslippers

Very Fine Shoes offers a wide variety of custom made vegan dance shoes. Visit www.veryfineshoes.com/veganshoes

Basic Meringue Cookies

Perhaps you’ve heard about Aquafaba. The liquid you’ve been draining from your beans all these years is actually surprisingly similar to raw egg whites and can be used for baking in much the same way. The liquid can be baked, whipped to make meringue, turned into marshmallows, or used to create uncanny cheese substitutes.

Laura McGuiness shares her experience baking with aquafaba in a past issue of Vegetarian Journal. She explains, “Aquafaba is still largely a mystery, even to scientists. The proteins and starches in the bean juice appear to mimic the proteins in egg whites, but the exact science leaves something to be desired. What we do know from an analysis by The Norwegian Food Research Institute is that aquafaba is mainly composed of starch and proteins. Because of the high starch content, aquafaba is able to form stable gels, which may aid in its ability to emulate egg whites.”

You’ll find the following recipes in this article along with photos of some of the baked items:
Basic Meringue Cookies
Baked Alaska
Lemon Apocalypse Pie
Chocolate Mousse
Walnut Fudge
Lemon Dacquoise

The article can be found here: Aquafabulous

To subscribe to Vegan Journal, visit: http://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

There are so many varieties of apples available in markets these days; but do you know what to do with them? Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD, shared some creative ideas in her previous Vegan Cooking Tips column in Vegan Journal. From apple curry to apple salsa to homemade applesauce, you’ll never run out of ways to prepare apples. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2020issue4/2020_issue4_cooking_tips.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only at https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

photo by Heather Jo Flores

By Jeanne Yacoubous, MS

As the climate crisis unfurls wildfires and floods all over the world, traditional agriculture is under threat. People everywhere are already feeling the sting of higher prices for several popular foods including coffee and chocolate. Increasingly low crop yields in numerous countries mean food security about basic dietary staples such as wheat, rice, and corn is becoming a major concern.

In fact, scientist Kai Kornhuber and colleagues warned in research published in 2023: “Synchronized crop failures due to simultaneous weather extremes across multiple breadbasket regions pose a risk to global food security and food system supply chains.”

One way to alleviate food worries as well as mitigate your reliance on grocery stores is to grow at least some of your own food. The VRG’s recent article on veganic gardening offers lots of helpful tips for new as well as experienced gardeners.

Here, we focus on perennial vegetables (PVs) as an undiscovered, nutritional treasure that can expand your culinary horizons while they sequester carbon continually for years – if not decades – and produce abundant yields.

Perennial vegetables as a climate solution

Scientists have reported for decades that anthropogenic (human-caused) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by fossil fuel burning create the climate crisis which will continue to intensify as long as emissions continue to increase. To curb the heatwaves, wildfires, flooding, extreme drought, and sea level rise, fossil fuel burning must be drastically reduced – or end completely.

Although emissions from transportation and home heating represent the largest share, agriculture also contributes significantly to total GHG emissions. By one estimate, food production and the land use changes it requires, such as deforestation to make way for cattle grazing or farmland to grow more animal feed, are responsible for 28% of global GHG emissions.

Unfortunately, research published in September 2024 indicates that agriculture’s portion of global GHG will grow. Lead author Yi Yang and colleagues write: “Climate change will likely exacerbate the already large environmental impacts of agricultural production…agriculture’s response to climate change could create a powerful positive GHG feedback loop through multiple pathways…”

So, solving the climate crisis must involve several lifestyle changes, including dietary modifications.

The carbon footprints of food are a metric used to describe the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of that food. Animal foods have the largest carbon footprints while plant foods have the smallest. People who would like to lower their climate impact may do so by choosing foods that have lighter carbon footprints.

Another strategy to mitigate the climate crisis is to draw down greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, from the atmosphere and sequester them in soil. Growing perennial vegetables in your garden for food is one way to accomplish this.

 What are perennial vegetables?

According to Eric Toensmeier et al., perennial vegetables (PVs) are woody, herbaceous, or vining plants that are among “613 cultivated perennial vegetables, representing 107 botanical families from every inhabited continent…Perennial vegetables (PVs) are a neglected and underutilized class of crops with potential to address crises of crop biodiversity, climate change, and nutrient deficiencies. ”

As a functional definition of PVs, the investigators propose these criteria:

1. Lives for 3+ years
2. May be woody, herbaceous, or vining
3. Could be a perennial fruit eaten like a vegetable
4. Compatible with no-till perennial production systems

Perennial vegetables that are best at sequestering carbon

All plants do not sequester carbon equally. Perennial plants – those that regrow each year instead of dying off after the first frost – sequester carbon longer than annual plants because their ability to store carbon is longer in roots that continually grow deeper and wider for years if not decades.

Edible perennial plants are known as perennial foods. Here, we’ll focus on growing perennial vegetables (PVs).

To the best of our knowledge, there is not a complete list of perennial vegetables ranked by carbon sequestration ability, but a 2020 article by Eric Toensmeier et al. provides useful information. Based on numerous articles on certain tree or plant species which have included experimentally calculated carbon sequestering abilities, the investigators found that woody perennial vegetables sequester the most carbon compared to herbs and vines. They expressed this value in terms of tons of carbon per hectare per year.

More specifically, Toensmeier and colleagues found “the average rate for woody PVs is 3.7 tC/ha/yr, while that of perennial vines and herbs is 0.43 tC/ha/yr/.”

For a complete listing of the 613 cultivated, perennial vegetables identified by Toensmeirer and colleagues and additional tables of their nutritional profiles, see the supplementary information at the end of their 2020 article.

Long-rooted perennial vegetables

Generally, the nonprofit Plants for a Future writes that perennial plants with long, wide roots store more carbon, for longer, in deeper carbon pools in soil. So, we looked for perennial plants that are edible and have the deepest roots. Here are a few deep-rooted perennials:

1. Cardoon. According to Oregon State University, “The young tender leaf mid-ribs and immature flower stalks are used. The plant hearts are sometimes blanched like celery stalks (maturing in September).” Oregon State University Extension Service
2. Stinging Nettle. According to the Oregon State University Extension Service, “Roots, seeds, stems, and young, tender leaves are all edible.”
3. Dandelion. According to the Michigan State University Extension Service, “Nearly the entire plant can be consumed in one way or another. The only inedible part is the stem, which contains a very bitter, milky substance.”
4. Moringa. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization: “All parts of the moringa tree – bark, pods, leaves, nuts, seeds, tubers, roots, and flowers – are edible.”

Perennial vegetables

You’re probably familiar with asparagus, rhubarb, and globe artichoke, and may have even eaten or cooked with them. Do you know that they are all perennial vegetables?

If these vegetables already have a place in your garden, then introducing more perennials will only further complement the annuals – such as tomatoes, zucchinis, and cucumbers – that last only one season. With perennials, you can easily extend your harvest to all four seasons without replanting. Ever.

Unlike most garden annuals that require full sun and well-drained soil to thrive, the majority of perennials grow well in full shade, water-logged soil, or without fertilizer or irrigation (except under extremely arid conditions). Perennials are low-maintenance to grow. However, years-long neglect would likely result in their becoming weedy, so it’s important to harvest frequently.

Although many perennials are most suited to warmer regions, several do well in cold areas as annuals. In future parts of this series, we’ll discuss those perennials for Northern gardeners as well as many others that will succeed in warmer locales.

Types of perennial vegetables

By way of a general introduction to the wide variety of perennial vegetables hailing from all corners of the globe, here’s a sneak peek at some of the most interesting, highlighting their edible parts as described in Eric Toensmeier’s classic book titled Perennial Vegetables.

Edible leaves

Most perennial vegetables, including those from trees, shrubs, and woody vines, have edible leaves, stems, and leafstalks.

Example: water celery. Thriving in a water garden or on land (sunny or shady), water celery is a leafy green that really tastes like celery.

Edible shoots

Perennial vegetables with tender, new growth emerging in spring as shoots are edible.

Example: asparagus. Considered the classic harbinger of spring, asparagus is served as a fine delicacy the world over.

Edible fruits eaten like vegetables

Tomatoes and eggplants are annual fruits prepared and eaten like vegetables. Some perennials fit this category as well.

Example: chayote. Fruits grown on a vine, chayote are used like zucchini.

Edible pods and beans

Perennial legumes often yield edible pods and beans.

Example: scarlet runner bean. Easily yielding for two decades, these beans succeed in a few North American regions.

Edible flowers and buds

Perennial vegetables could be the flowers or flower buds of plants, analogous to broccoli and cauliflower.

Example: globe artichoke: Like the perennial asparagus, globe artichoke is gourmet but can grow in your garden.

Edible roots

Some perennials are root crops that form vast, underground colonies that persist for decades.

Example: sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke). With a name similar to its sunflower relative, sunchokes have sweet and crispy roots.

Airborne roots

Perennial vegetables may be tubers (like yams) growing above ground on vines.

Example: air potato. No digging required to get to this root crop! Sized like a medium potato, air potatoes grow on climbing vines and can be picked just like apples or pears.

Perennial gardening books

To learn more, check out:

A Global Inventory of Perennial Vegetables by Eric Toensmeier

Global Gardening: Increasing the Diversity of Plants in Your Own Garden While Feeding a Hungry World by Hank Bruce and Tomi Jill Folk

Gourment Gardening: 48 Special Vegetables You Can Grow for Deliciously Distinctive Meals by Anne Halpin

Plants for a Future: Edible & Useful Plants for a Healthier World by Ken Fern

How to Grow More Vegetables: And Fruit, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops than You Even Thought Possible on Less Land than You Can Imagine

by John Jeavons

Perennial plant seed companies

There are not too many places that sell perennial vegetable plants and seeds. Many listings are outdated. Here are a few that are currently operational and have online sales:

Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization (ECHO)

Fedco Seeds

Triple Brook Farm

photo from MooShoes

Are you searching for a pair of vegan boots? Below is a list of online retailers selling vegan boots in the USA, Canada, and Europe.

USA

Bhava Studio Offers women’s boots.

Mooshoes Offers both men and women’s boots out of New York City, NY.

Vegan Chic Online store out of Los Angeles, CA offering boots for men and women.

The Vegetarian Site Online store selling boots for men and women.

CANADA

Native Shoes Canadian company offering shoes for kids, men, and women.

EUROPE

Ethical Wares Online store out of Wales selling a wide variety of men’s and women’s boots. They deliver worldwide.

Green Laces Online store out of Sweden selling boots for men and women.

Nae This Portuguese online store offers both men’s and women’s boots. Ships worldwide.

Noah Shoes Boutique German shop and online store offers women’s and men’s boots.

Veganline British online store offering boots for men and women.

Vegetarian Shoes British online store selling men’s and women’s boots.

Wills Vegan Store This UK online store offers men’s and women’s boots. They deliver to the USA as well.

World Vegan Day is celebrated on November 1^st each year! World Vegan Day first occurred on November 1st, 1994 as a way of commemorating the 50th anniversary of the United Kingdom Vegan Society and the term Vegan. Consider treating a non-veggie friend or co-worker to a delicious vegan meal today. This way you support vegan establishments while showing others how wonderful vegan food can be.

Visit The Vegetarian Resource Group online guide to veggie restaurants in the USA and Canada: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

Root veggies are in season in the USA. Debra Daniels-Zeller offers a variety of recipes featuring root vegetables in her previous Vegetarian Journal article titled Vegan Roots. Enjoy these recipes: Rosemary Roasted Roots; Orange-Marinated Beets; Carrot-Rutabaga Coleslaw; Tomatoes and Lentils with Carrots, Turnips, and Kale; Mashed Celeriac-Potatos with Roasted Garlic; Jerusalem Artichokes with Caramelized Onions; Curried Parsnip Soup; and Sweet Potato Dip. Find the article here:

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2008issue4/2008_issue4_vegan_roots.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Special thanks to Arnie Alper, MD for staffing The Vegetarian Resource Group booth at the Food as Medicine Conference held in Santa Cruz, CA. About 100 people attended the event which brought together healthcare professionals, researchers, and experts from various fields to explore the latest scientific findings, clinical applications, and practical insights related to plant-based diets.