By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

We recently received a question from a “senior person, longtime vegan” who had noticed that they were gaining weight. They asked, “Is there anything you can recommend to recharge my metabolism at my age?”

Others may have similar questions about changes in metabolism with aging, so we are sharing an edited version of our response.

A slowing of metabolism is a part of aging.  As people get older, the composition of their body gradually changes. The proportion of fat increases and the proportion of muscle decreases. This change slows metabolism. The amount of muscle that a person has affects how many calories they need.  Muscle tissue uses calories, even when you’re not exercising. If you have less muscle, your calories needs are lower. This means that older people often need fewer calories to maintain their weight than do younger people.

Exercise builds muscle and can slow or stop muscle loss. It helps you burn energy – that means you need more calories. If you’re wondering about how much exercise you need, you may want to check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s recommendations for physical activity for older adults. They suggest at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week (for example, 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week) and including muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days a week.  According to the CDC, these recommendations are for those who are “65 years of age and older, are generally fit, and have no limiting health conditions.”  Examples of moderate-intensity aerobic activity include brisk walking, water aerobics, dancing, and bicycling. Examples of muscle-strengthening activity include lifting weights, working with resistance bands, and some forms of yoga. There is more information about possible activities on CDC’s website.

In addition, some research suggests that older adults need a somewhat higher protein intake than younger adults. This somewhat higher protein intake, especially when combined with muscle-strengthening activities can build muscle in older adults.  We’ve recently written about this on VRG’s blog. This post gives more information about what amount of protein is recommended and how to get it on a vegan diet.

You may see claims on websites or in print that certain supplements or specific foods will boost your metabolism. There doesn’t seem to be any evidence that these products offer significant benefits.

Check with your health care provider if you are concerned about your weight or your metabolism to make sure that there is no medical cause for your slower metabolism. You can also discuss your physical activity plans with your health care provider.

(Makes 1 loaf; 6 servings)

The following recipe is by Debra Daniels-Zeller and previously appeared in Vegetarian Journal. This version of soda bread is a bit sweeter than the traditional Irish soda bread.

Juice and zest of 1 orange
Vanilla rice milk or soymilk to make 1 cup (when added to orange juice)
3 Tablespoons canola oil
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup unrefined organic sugar
1 cup fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup lightly toasted, chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment paper. Combine juice and zest of orange with the soy or rice milk to make 1 cup. Add oil and whisk together with a fork. Set aside.

Blend flours and baking soda together, stirring to make sure there are no small lumps of soda. Mix in sugar, fresh and dried cranberries, and walnuts, if desired. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring until a stiff dough is formed. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead a few turns. Shape into a round loaf and place on the prepared baking sheet. With a sharp knife cut an X across the top about ½-inch deep (to allow for dough expansion when baking). Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is browned.

Remove to cooling rack. Cool 10 to 15 minutes before slicing—if you can wait that long!

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

Vegan Journal Senior Editor Rissa Miller is appearing on Unchained TV’s Naijha Speaks segment today at 11am ET. Watch Rissa make these savory Red Curry Rolls and learn more about her role at the magazine, as well as Baltimore Vegan Drinks and other vegan adventures! Hosted by @Naijha Wright-Brown — the co-owner of Land of Kush.

LIVE on the below links on St Patty’s Day at 11am! Join the fun!

The interview will stream to the following Facebook Pages:
@naijhaspeaks,

@janevelezmitchell (aka UnchainedTV),

@mdveganeats,

@blackvegsociety

As well as Naijha’s other social media links –

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCboOtSXcbsqqt6pv5zXNgNQ
https://www.linkedin.com/in/naijha-wright-brown-58633150/

https://twitter.com/naijhaspeaks

Join Vegan Journal Senior Editor Rissa Miller as she talks with Greg Skirboll, the owner of Mexitaly Brick Oven & Brewhouse, about how to get the most from your vegan dining experience in restaurants and cafés. See: https://youtu.be/3xSkmQJ22Qo

Be sure to check out VRG’s online guide to restaurants in the USA and Canada with vegan and vegetarian options, so you can enjoy dining out wherever you may be! See: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

By Ruby Sturm VRG intern

Steven Sturdivant from the US Environmental Protection Agency has a Zoom series talking about universities that are making sustainable food choices. I watched one of the lectures in the series, which was presented by Jan Stoop, an Economics Professor at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The presentation was interesting. Professor Stoop wanted to change food options for the faculty meals. He explained how the idea of “free choice” had always been important for the faculty meals. But he believed the model wasn’t organized in the right way. Instead of prioritizing nutrition and environmental interests in meal options, the university was valuing price above all. Under the current catering plan, faculty who wanted a vegan or vegetarian meal needed to fill out a special request form. Dr. Stoop proposed flipping the switch–to make the healthier and more environmentally friendly vegan meals a default, and make employees fill out a request form if they wanted meat or dairy meals. He said people needed a “nudge” in the right direction, not just throwing them straight off of a cliff. And because humans always tend to choose the easier option, a whole lot of people wouldn’t specially request anything. Instead they would go with the default option.

Dr. Stoop thought about how to make a good argument. He didn’t want to talk about animal rights or health. He thought the animal rights argument unfortunately would just make people feel guilty, and he couldn’t convince people with a health argument because he wasn’t a doctor. So he focused on the idea of “equality.” The university has a diverse faculty body, and in many religions certain meats and even dairy are prohibited. For example, in Islam and Judaism you don’t eat pork, and Hinduism prohibits eggs, fish, poultry, and beef. There are also people with food allergies to things like dairy, gluten, and eggs. There were also Asian teachers at the university who were lactose intolerant. If you think about it, it seems pretty unfair to serve chicken wraps or pepperoni and cheese sandwiches at a university with people who can’t even eat what you give them doesn’t it? On the other hand, everyone can eat vegan. Another main point Dr. Stoop made is that a university should be a role model. There are a lot of things that are out of our hands, but when we find something we can actually do, we should do it.

After Professor Stoop had a good argument, he reached out to popular and important members of the university community and asked them to sign a petition of support. When he went to the Dean, he showed the petition and could say, ‘Look at all of the names on this list!’ The Dean supported Dr. Stoop’s idea. The final step would be to have a tasting and look at catering options. Professor Stoop went to the university secretaries, because they were the ones who ordered the food. He got the catering company to order a vegan lunch, and all of the secretaries came to try it. Instead of the bland food the secretaries expected, everything was bursting with color and flavor. It was also easy to prepare, so the kitchen staff learned quickly. The food was ordered from the Netherlands version of the Better Food Foundation. BFF is a nonprofit that has connections throughout the food industry, and are able to help you get better food for the same price as terrible food. The new catering program got a lot of publicity and Erasmus University decided to expand it to all departments. However, they thought that a “Vegan Nudge” might be too extreme and decided that a vegetarian default meal would be better. Vegan and meat meals could still be ordered as an option. Dr. Stoop was disappointed about this because he thought vegan meals were much better for the environment than vegetarian meals.

This Environmental Protection Agency lecture series highlights new vegan meal programs at universities around the USA and the world. As an 8th grader, who is worried about the food choices I’ll have when I enter high school in the Fall, I feel a little envious. Vegan food seems to be becoming popular everywhere except in K-12 schools. It doesn’t matter whether the schools are public or private, cafeteria meals for K-12 students is the same food they serve in prisons. I am homeschooling this year, but I still remember the overcooked mac and cheese that was disintegrating in my bowl, old green beans, and the tasteless square pizza that were sometimes a vegetarian option at the Catholic school I used to attend. I remember trying to get the school to offer vegan hot dogs at their school “hot dog social,” but it somehow never worked out. I even bought some and brought them to school, but no one bothered to put them on the grill. It’s great to see that universities are getting a “vegan nudge,” but K-12 cafeterias still aren’t.  Vegan kids are stuck with sugary, packaged pbj’s and pesticide-filled watermelon as their only option. Until more schools receive help from organizations, kids will be stuck with something like prison food until they graduate high school.

For more on foodservice, see https://www.vrg.org/fsupdate/index.htm

9The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian/Vegan 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.

Below is a vegan recipe for Hamentashen from The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook, by Debra Wasserman. Hamentashen is the popular baked treat served during Purim, which starts the evening of March 16th in 2022. If you are unable to purchase prune or poppy seed filling in your local supermarket, simply purée a few pitted prunes with a little fruit juice. You can also use puréed apricots as a filling.

Hamentashen
Serves 15

1-1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup water
½ cup applesauce
3 Tablespoons orange juice
5 Tablespoons prune or poppy seed filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all the ingredients, except the filling, together in a large bowl. Knead dough for a few minutes. Separate into 3 balls. Cover balls of dough with a slightly damp towel and refrigerate for about 3 hours. Remove from refrigerator and roll balls of dough out to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out approximately 15 four-inch rounds. Place 1 teaspoon prune or poppy seed filling in center. Form a triangle out of the rounds of dough by folding in edges, but still leaving some space in the middle of the dough for the filling to remain mostly uncovered.

Lightly spray a baking pan and place the hamentashen on the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until dough is brown. Serve.

The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook is a vegan cookbook published by The Vegetarian Resource Group and can be purchased here: VRG Book Catalog

For information, see: https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/ihop-adds-plant-based-sausage-sandwich-nyc

Have you had the opportunity to enjoy all the vegan dining options in Maryland? If not, Maryland Vegan Restaurant Week(s) is the perfect time to enjoy different types of vegan cuisine including soul food from Land of Kush in Baltimore (we recommend their combo platter so you can try several dishes); Koshary in Clarksville serving up Egyptian street food including soups, salads, and bowls; Harmony Bakery in Baltimore caters to the gluten-free market with delicious baked goods and savory dishes; Stem + Farm and Kitchen located in RHouse in the Remington neighborhood of Baltimore offers healthy bowls, salads, fresh juices, and more; Dodah’s Kitchen in Baltimore and Mount Rainier serves waffles, mac n ‘cheese, lasagna, vegan crab cakes, and other dishes; and Sweet 27’s vegan menu includes gluten-free items such as Orange Tofu, Garlic Tomato Tofu, Cauliflower Manchurian, and Ginger Cilantro Tofu.

See: https://www.mdveganeats.com/

Try this simple vegan Blueberry French Toast Casserole for your next brunch or breakfast gathering. Using bananas as the base, it pulls together in minutes and can rest in the fridge overnight, all ready to bake the next morning. And just wait until your guests smell the lovely aroma of French Toast Casserole as you pull it from the oven! A wonderful way to begin the day.

See video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjd8NkmWhnc

Get the recipe at https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2019issue3/2019_issue3_blueberry_recipes.php

Buddha Veggie Bowl from Milton Menu – PB J Bar – Vegan Restaurant in PA

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Here are some recent vegan restaurant additions. The entire guide can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

To support the updating of this online restaurant guide, please donate at: www.vrg.org/donate

Here are some new additions to VRG’s guide (Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many are doing take-out and/or delivery now):

• Baba, 5938 US Rt. 209, Kerhonkson, NY 12446

Baba is a mobile food truck that serves 100% seasonally fresh food at The Starlife motel in Kerhonkson. The menu includes pizza margherita, jerk tofu sandwich, BABA burga, dumplings, and much more.

• La Vegana Mexicana, 4th Street Market, 201 E. 4th St., Santa Ana, CA 92701

La Vegana Mexicana is a plant-based Mexican food eatery located in a food court offering tamales, tostados, and pombazo. No soy or mock meats are included in the menu. Both savory and sweet tamales are available including black bean and mole tamales and peaches and cream tamales with amaranth. Popular tostados include cauliflower ceviche tostadas and shrimp cocktail tostadas made with heart of palm and jicama.

• PB & J Bar, 21 Broadway St., Milton, PA 17847

Enjoy dishes such as Chickpea Croissant, Fresco Burger, Buddha Wrap, Falafel, Avocado Toast, Greek Salad, and more.

• Planta, Bethesda, 4910 Elm St., MD 20814

Planta’s Bethesda location offers a carefully curated experience in a modern, bright, elegant ambiance with plenty of plants. Even the utensils have been carefully selected for aesthetics, and their kitchen practices are also thoughtful, with menus selected to take account of seasonality and available local produce, and a commitment to operating a paperless and reduced-waste environment. Food includes inventive sushi such as mushroom bacon inari; salads; pasta dishes; pizzas; and snack and share options like steamed dumplings. They also have a separate brunch menu and an extensive drinks list (including “free spirits anti-intoxicant tonics” like matcha mojito as well as cocktails and wines).

• The Baba Bodega, 5938 US Rt. 209, Kerhonkson, NY 12446

The Baba Bodega serves 100% seasonally fresh food at Kerhonkson’s Starlife Motel. Baba Bodega offers grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, and local vegan snax, among other things.

• The Vegan Restaurants, 15550 Okeechobee Blvd., Loxahatchee, FL 33470

The Vegan Restaurants serves port burgers, palm toona, patty palm cake sandwich, curry chicken burger, falafel pasta salad, and much more. They are located on a farm and grow some of their food used in dishes.

• Yuan Su Vegetarían, 11140 SE Powell Blvd., Portland, OR 97266

Yuan Su Vegetarian is a vegan restaurant offering Chinese and Asian cuisine. Their all-day menu includes appetizers, soups, fried rice, and plant-based dinner platters with vegan chicken, beef, seafood, and pork. Favorites include veggie teriyaki chicken, veggie shrimp and sea cucumber, and veggie spareribs with sweet and sour sauce. Dinner platter combinations with an appetizer and entrée are also available such as veggie ham-fried rice, veggie General Tso’s chicken, veggie fried shrimp, and fried wantons. Clay pots and sizzling platters are also available including veggie pork belly with taro in hot pot and sizzling veggie beef with black pepper sauce.

• Xochitl Vegan, 2806 E. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90023

This vegan taqueria offers tacos, burritos, mujlitas, nachos, and more.