Akua Oppong (left) and Kat Power (right) in front of VRG booth at FNCE

By Akua Oppong

I had the pleasure of attending the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE) with The Vegetarian Resource Group in Minneapolis, Minnesota. FNCE is a yearly conference that hosts dietitians, nutrition professionals, food companies, and organizations to discuss progress in the nutrition and food community, network, and brainstorm new ideas. My experience was memorable, offering professional insights and personal growth. When I first got there on Saturday, we went to where the expo was being held and I helped set up the VRG booth, which gave me a behind-the-scenes view of exhibiting. The VRG staff shared valuable tips on setup and strategy, and as we explored the expo hall, they pointed out the rise of vegan food companies attending over the years. This growth was exciting to hear about as it demonstrated the increasing mainstream interest in vegan nutrition.

Networking was a highlight, especially at the First-Time Attendee Reception. I met dietitians working across various fields, including Head Start and Sodexo, which reminded me of the diversity of nutrition careers. The reception’s friendly atmosphere eased me into the conference, preparing me to continue having insightful conversations with people.

Later that afternoon I attended the opening session, which was impactful as I listened to a speech by Livleen Gill and Dr. Evelyn Crayton, current and former presidents of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). They both shared their inspiring journeys including how Dr. Crayton started from “humble beginnings” and was able to push boundaries to become the Academy’s first African American president. Her speech was electrifying and hopeful and could be felt around the room as people cheered for her. Livleen Gill shared her story about how she grew up in India, unexpectedly became interested in nutrition, loved it, and became a registered dietitian. She also expressed the widespread sentiment among dietitians that more work should be done for them to be respected in the health field, and for them to be primary sources of information for nutrition, as a lot of misinformation spreads on the internet and among other health professionals. Dr. Rishi Manchanda, the keynote speaker, talked about health equity. He explained the public health parable and the significance of addressing upstream issues like food insecurity before they become downstream health problems that are harder to fix, such as diabetes and heart disease. It was nice to see how nutrition was incorporated with public health, as it is a powerful tool for preventing and reversing disease. I also got a nice review of core public health principles as a public health student.

In between sessions and helping at the VRG booth, I had the chance to sample various vegan foods at the expo, such as California strawberries and LightLife’s tempeh, which they used to make a flavorful vegan tuna salad. I also got to sample Beyond Burger’s vegan avocado oil burgers made with their new formula with natural ingredients such as yellow pea protein, brown rice protein, and red lentil protein (beyondmeat.com). It was interesting to see how they took consumer’s feedback to create a healthier burger with more whole-food ingredients. I also got to try some delicious vegan muffins, popsicles, and yogurt from Red Plate Foods, Good Pop, and Nature’s Fynd. The Red Plate Foods muffins were satisfyingly rich and decadent. GoodPop’s dairy-free orange popsicle was nice to have as a cool and refreshing treat as I walked around the expo, and Nature Fynd’s yogurt was especially interesting as it is fungi-based, made using fungi from Yellowstone National Park (naturesfynd.com). It was exciting to try a vegan yogurt with a significant amount of protein (8 grams) that is still smooth and creamy.

As I browsed through the tables at the expo, I came across the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a nonprofit I learned about at an event called Planet Maryland that I attended with Nadely, another VRG intern, during my Vegetarian Resource Group internship in the summer. From PCRM, I got ahold of some great resources to take with me, such as the African Heritage Power Plate, a vegan guide for traditional African foods. I was excited to see this as I am also interested in teaching people in the African community that they can eat healthily and vegan using their traditional foods.

On Sunday, I looked at some interesting poster presentations and attended a session by Reed Mangels PhD, RD, VRG’s Nutrition Advisor. Her presentation was called “Exploring the Rewards and Challenges of Vegetarian Diets: A Fresh Look at the Academy’s Position (on veg diets). That evening, I attended the National Organization of Blacks in Dietetics and Nutrition (NOBIDAN) meet and greet reception. I am very happy that I was able to squeeze this in because I ended up sitting at a table with a dietetics student who I told about my interest in promoting vegan nutrition among the African community, and she told me about an organization called Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture (WANDA). I am very grateful that I talked to her and she told me about this organization because after that I researched WANDA some more and found out about a conference they were having in DC that I was able to attend.

Later that evening, I went to a vegan dinner that VRG hosted at Sawatdee, a Thai restaurant. A variety of people that VRG has worked with and conference attendees from the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group were there including students and dietitians. The food was delicious, including peanut tofu curry, noodles, rainbow spring rolls, mock duck, and brown rice. I was especially excited to fly to Minnesota so I could have the mango sticky rice that I saw on the menu. I first tried it at the Planet Maryland event I attended in Bethesda, and was eager to try it again. It definitely did not disappoint and I was happy to take some leftovers with me. Interestingly, the peanut tofu curry tasted exactly like the Ghanaian peanut soup I eat at home with tofu. Everyone at the dinner was very inviting, and I met many great people who expressed their passion for veganism and talked about their experiences including advocacy efforts. I had the chance to introduce myself and talk about the vegan Ghanaian meal plan and recipes I did with Reed during my internship, and they all seemed excited to talk to me about them.

Attending FNCE reinforced my desire to continue my education and consider graduate programs in public health and nutrition. I left feeling inspired and excited about my journey ahead. I am very grateful for the encouragement from everyone I met, including The Vegetarian Resource Group. I cannot thank them enough for all of the support they have provided me over the past few months, as they recognize my goals and passions and help me strive towards them. Thank you VRG! It has been a blessing to be part of such a nurturing organization.

For information about VRG internships, see www.vrg.org/student/index.php

To support VRG internships and outreach, please donate at www.vrg.org/donate