Thanks to generous donors, in 2025 The Vegetarian Resource Group will be awarding $50,000 in college scholarships! Deadline is FEBRUARY 20, 2025.

We will accept applications postmarked on or before FEBRUARY 20, 2025. Early submission is encouraged.

Applicants will be judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegan diet/lifestyle. Payment will be made to the student’s college (U.S. based only). Winners of the scholarships give permission to release their names to the media. Applications and essays become property of The Vegetarian Resource Group. We may ask finalists for more information. Scholarship winners are contacted by e-mail or telephone. Please look at your e-mail.

If you would like to donate to additional scholarships or internships, go to www.vrg.org/donate

Applications

Please click here to download a PDF of the application. However, applicants are not required to use an application form. A neatly typed document containing the information below will also be accepted as a valid application.

However, applicants are not required to use an application form. A neatly typed document containing the information below will also be accepted as a valid application.

Please send application and attachments to [email protected] (Scholarship application and your name in subject line) or mail to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

If emailing, please put your essay in a separate attachment with your first name and last initial. A PDF or Word document is preferred, but if you send a Google document, make sure permission is given so readers can access it. For more information call (410) 366-8343 or email [email protected].

Hodo is known for their tofu; however, they have now unleashed a new line of soybean-based dips to shake up your snacking and dining routine. Read about their new dips that come in several flavors here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue4/2024_issue4_veggie_bits.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: https://www.vrg.org/member/

Parents searching for a vegan-friendly book for their child will absolutely enjoy I Dance and I Eat Plants. Read our review in Vegan Journal: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue4/2024_issue4_book_reviews.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: https://www.vrg.org/member/

photo from FreePik

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Think of a pro football player. What words come to mind? Perhaps muscle, strength, power, speed. Depending on their position, players are estimated to require between 5,300 calories per day for a quarterback and 6,350 calories per day for an offensive lineman. Protein needs are high. The International Olympic Committee recommends that high-performance athletes get 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram body weight per day in order to maximize strength and muscle mass (1). That’s 0.73 grams of protein for every pound that a player weighs. Thus, a 315 pound offensive lineman would need 230 grams of protein daily.

Not surprisingly, football players are commonly encouraged to eat meat, lots of meat, along with other animal-based protein sources (2). Also, not surprisingly, cardiovascular diseases (conditions that can lead to events like heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure) are the most common cause of death among former NFL players (3). What if there’s another, healthier way to meet nutritional needs that doesn’t involve lots of meat and other animal products but that supplies recommended amounts of calories and protein and other nutrients?

Can a vegan diet be planned to meet the nutritional needs of professional football players? Researchers used existing data about NFL athletes to calculate calorie needs of pro football players (2). They then used information on the dietary intakes of vegans and scaled up the amounts of food these vegans ate to develop theoretical vegan diets that would meet the calorie needs of pro football players. When they did this, the resulting diets easily met or exceeded recommended protein intakes for pro football players. The theoretical vegan diets also supplied the recommended amount of leucine, an amino acid, for those wanting to maximize muscle development. The diets met recommendations for all nutrients. Fortified foods or supplements are needed to meet recommendations for vitamins B12 and D.

Vegan diets can be used by athletes with high nutrient and calorie needs like professional football players. They can also meet the needs of recreational athletes and less active individuals.

References

1. Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, et al. IOC Consensus Statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2018;28:104-125.
2. Goldman DM, Warbeck CB, Karlsen MC. protein requirements for maximal muscle mass and athletic performance are achieved with completely plant-based diets scaled to meet energy needs: A modeling study in professional American football players. Nutrients. 2024;16:1903.
3. Nguyen VT, Zafonte RD, Chen JT, et al. Mortality among professional American-style football players and professional American baseball players. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2:e194223.

To read more about vegan diets for athletes see:

Athletes & Vegan/Vegetarian Diets

Vegan/Vegetarian Athlete’s Plate®: A Visual Guide Developed by the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

photo by Hannah Kaminsky

Who doesn’t love vegan sushi? In a previous issue of Vegan Journal, Hannah Kaminsky shared all you need to know from Basic Sushi Rice to Eggplant Unagi Nigiri; Spicy Tu-Not Temaki; Chia Caviar Gunkan; California Temmari; to Sweet Dragon Maki.

You can find these recipes and more here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue1/2024_issue1_vegetable-sushi-renaissance.php

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

photo from Cotton Creations

Read our review of Cotton Creations delicious cornbread mix in the latest issue of Vegan Journal: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue4/2024_issue4_veggie_bits.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: https://www.vrg.org/member/

Each issue of Vegan Journal includes a column called “Scientific Update” written by Reed Mangels PhD, RD. In the latest issue we cover the topics Dietary Protein, Especially Plant Protein, Is Associated with Better Odds of Healthy Aging in Women, as well as Calcium Absorption from Vegan Foods. Read these scientific paper reviews here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue4/2024_issue4_scientific_update.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: https://www.vrg.org/member/

Through December 31, 2024, you can give a gift membership to The Vegetarian Resource Group (includes a 1-year subscription to Vegan Journal) for $15 each. Offer is valid in the USA only!

This is a terrific way to share the vegan message, as well as support VRG outreach. Gift subscriptions can be done online by simply typing in your message and the name and address of each gift recipient in the comments field. Go to: www.vrg.org/donate

Smashed Potato and Vegetable Bake photo by Linda Tyler

Linda Tyler’s Casseroles piece in a previous issue of Vegan Journal serves up the following recipes: Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole, Succotash Gratin, Green Bean Casserole, Smashed Potato and Vegetable Bake, Sesame Soy Curls with Rice, and Millet à la Puttanesca. Start cooking today!

Find the recipes here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2022issue4/2022_issue4_casseroles.php

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

In the latest issue of Vegan Journal, we’re so proud to feature the five young adults that won scholarships to college in 2024 from The Vegetarian Resource Group. Read about all their incredible accomplishments here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue4/2024_issue4_scholarship_winners.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: https://www.vrg.org/member/