By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Dietary Guidelines for Americans is a document that is produced every 5 years by the U.S. government. It is important because it is used as the foundation for federal nutrition education materials as well as being used by schools, the food industry, and many others. The most recent Dietary Guidelines, released in 2020, endorses “a healthy vegetarian dietary pattern” as one of three recommended dietary patterns. All of the Vegetarian Dietary Patterns call for use of eggs with no suggestions for vegan foods that could replace eggs. We, at The Vegetarian Resource Group would like to see vegan dietary patterns included in Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

A recent study provides evidence that it would be easy to modify the vegetarian dietary pattern in Dietary Guidelines to make it vegan. In this study, the “dairy food group” was replaced with fortified soy milk and fortified soy yogurt. Eggs were replaced with a combination of beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, and soy foods. Vegan patterns were created to be similar in calories to the original Healthy Vegetarian Dietary Pattern. The resulting vegan dietary patterns were analyzed for nutritional adequacy and compared to the original Healthy Vegetarian Dietary Patterns which contained dairy products and eggs.

The vegan patterns were higher in iron, copper, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B12, and vitamin K. Protein was slightly lower but still adequate. Sodium, cholesterol, and zinc were lower in the vegan patterns. Other nutrients were similar in both patterns.

This study only looked at nutritional adequacy for non-pregnant, non-lactating adults. Hopefully, future studies will examine other age and life-cycle groups. Additional studies should examine the use of other fortified plant milks and determine the minimum amount of these products needed and examine the need for supplements if fortified foods are not used as sources of vitamin D, calcium, and vitamin B12.

We hope that the results of these and similar studies will be used to include vegan dietary patterns in the next edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Reference:

Hess JM. Modeling dairy-free vegetarian and vegan USDA food patterns for non-pregnant, non-lactating adults [published online ahead of print, 2022 Apr 29]. J Nutr. 2022.

To read more about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans see:

2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Released

VRG’s testimony about the 2020 Dietary Guidelines and the Scientific Report Underlying the 2020 Dietary Guidelines

By Nadely Requena, VRG Intern

Hi there! My name is Nadely (pronounced like Natalie) and recently, I decided to embark on an adventure! Lately, everything seems to overwhelm me. From little snippets of conversations with others, I’ve realized that I’m not the only one who’s going through it. I find myself procrastinating way too much and the work just never seems to end.

In moments like these, it’s vital that we listen to our bodies. There are internal alarm systems going off and we need to respond. I’ve always found that going on walks provides me with clarity and an overall sense of peacefulness, especially when I go by myself.

In light of how I’ve been feeling, I thought a nice hike and vegan picnic would be a good way to alleviate my anxious thoughts. However, how fun would it be if I took you, a fellow reader, along for the ride? Or at least through some tips and tricks I’ve learned from my numerous hiking trips?

Are you ready? Okay, let’s begin.

First off, you need to make your lunch! I’ve always found it very helpful to prepare meals that are easy to eat and that won’t get your hands dirty. Sandwiches are usually my go-to just because they’re so simple, but super customizable and delicious with every bite.

Vegan Picnic Meal:

• Main: sandwich with 2 toasted bread slices along with lettuce, avocado, and vegan cheese
• Side: leftover tater tots mixed with spring mix (added sriracha for a little spice)
  • *Tip: frozen tater tots can be cooked in the microwave in just 2-3 minutes!
• Snack: roasted peanuts

Now, when it comes to preparing your backpack, you want to make sure your lunch is in a tight, fully sealed container. We don’t want anything to spill — no mini accidents! I also make sure to bring a couple napkins just in case. Additionally, I bring a towel to sit on, whatever book I’m reading at the moment, and my journal to make sure I document my beautiful surroundings.

More Tips & Tricks:

• Bring at least 2 liters of water — I always have my neon lime green Hydro Flask with me wherever I go, but whenever I go on longer walks, I like to prepare by bringing my extra Nalgene bottle (which is also lime green in case you were wondering). Not only are you helping the environment by not using plastic, you are also preparing your future self to not be dehydrated!
• Wear comfortable shoes and clothes — I mean it! There is nothing more horrible than wearing clothing pieces that don’t suit the activity you’re doing. It’s so uncomfortable! On my hiking days, I love wearing my pair of biker shorts, either a baggy t-shirt or a tank top, and some tennis shoes or hiking boots.
• Prepare for the heat by bringing a bandanna — Now, I don’t know what part of the world you’re reading this from, but where I’m from (Texas), the heat loves being the villain in everybody’s day. Bringing a bandanna or some type of cool and washable fabric can come in handy to wipe off sweat.
• Have long hair? Put it up! Your future self will thank you, I promise!

And that’s it from me! Preparing for a hiking trip is pretty easy and once you get into the flow, you can start to modify certain things to best suit your needs.

This weekend, I walked 13.5 miles through luscious greenery at the Barton Creek Greenbelt Trail in Austin, Texas. As I contemplated quietly, a running creek was my companion and I occasionally smiled and greeted fellow hikers who I hope experienced the same amount of contentment as myself.

A gentle reminder: we are only human. Our emotions fluctuate, life happens, and there’s nothing wrong with feeling overwhelmed or out of it at times.

With the constant breaking news, the endless notifications on every device, and the endless stream of work, there needs to be a time to re-energize yourself. Self-care care is a form of self-love. It’s okay to not be okay.

Here’s some picnic and hiking recipes:
https://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/07/17/everything-you-ever-needed-or-wanted-to-know-about-picnics-vegan-style/
https://www.vrg.org/blog/2020/05/14/warmer-weather-is-here-enjoy-some-picnic-recipe-ideas/
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2002issue2/2002_issue2_picnic.php
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2018issue3/2018_issue3_summer_picnic.php
https://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/05/26/portable-picnic-feasts-to-enjoy-memorial-day-weekend/
https://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/07/15/vegan-summertime-picnic/
https://www.vrg.org/blog/2022/05/19/tips-for-vegan-hiking-2/
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2013issue2/2013_issue2_vegan_backpacking.php

Stone fruits are abundant during the summer. Debra Daniels-Zeller previously wrote an article for The Vegetarian Resource Group titled Stone Fruit. Enjoy these recipes:

ANISE POACHED PLUMS AND CHERRIES

COUSCOUS SALAD WITH APRICOTS AND ALMONDS

COOL AND SPICY STONE FRUIT SOUP

GINGER-PEACH SCONES

SPICY PEPPERS AND NECTARINES WITH SEITAN OVER RICE

STRAWBERRY PLUM SAUCE

ALMOND-NECTARINE PUDDING

SAUTÉED BALSAMIC CHERRIES

Find the recipes here: Stone Fruit

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

Recent topics brought up include:

– How do you all explain why your family is vegan to younger children?

– Posted a review of the book Feeding Your Vegan Child that ran in Vegan Journal.

– Shared air-fryer recipes from Vegan Journal.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRGparentsandkids is intended to be a group that offers support for families raising children on vegan diets and for vegan kids around the world. We envision it as a place to get advice about a wide-variety of topics: pregnancy, birthday parties, school lunches, Halloween, non-leather apparel, cruelty-free products, summer camps, and more. Please use it as a place to share your wisdom, seek advice, or just find a sympathetic ear. The goal is to offer support.

Consequently, any profane, defamatory, offensive, or violent language will be removed. Feel free to disagree, but do so respectfully. Hateful or discriminatory comments regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or political beliefs will not be tolerated. We expect that posts should relate to vegan diets and lifestyles. The Vegetarian Resource Group reserves the right to monitor all content and ban any user who posts in violation of the above rules, any law or regulation, SPAM, or anything otherwise off topic.

Please share this information with any veggie families that you know! Thanks.

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

While waiting for my turn at the DMV, I noticed a story about plant-based meats on their television screen.  The headline said something like “Study Reveals Plant-Based Meats Not As Nutritious As The Real Deal.”

I looked into the research, conducted at Ohio State University, which this story was based on. Basically, researchers created a meat alternative from soy and wheat gluten. They cooked pieces of the plant-based meat and pieces of chicken meat, ground them up, and digested them using an enzyme that mimicked the human digestive process.  In other words, both the chicken and plant-based meats underwent something that was similar to what happens in our stomachs. The researchers then used human cells to measure how well the digested proteins from chicken meat/plant-based meat were absorbed.

The proteins in the meat analog were not digested to the same extent as were the proteins in the chicken breast. In protein digestion, protein, which are chains of amino acids, are digested to shorter chains of protein called peptides. The peptides are then digested to amino acids. After digestion, there were more small peptides from the chicken breast than from the meat analog indicating that proteins from the chicken breast were better digested. Peptides from the chicken breast were more quickly absorbed. More essential amino acids from the chicken breast were absorbed by human cells compared to amino acids from the meat analog.

It does not seem possible to extrapolate from these results to what would happen in the human body, so we can’t say x% of the amino acids in a meat analog is absorbed compared to y% of the amino acids from a chicken breast. Although fewer essential amino acids were absorbed from the meat analog, essential amino acids were absorbed which would then be used to create necessary protein in the body.

The relatively small difference in protein digestion and absorption from a meat analog compared to chicken that was seen in this study does not seem important if we look at the bigger picture. People eating enough calories and a variety of healthy foods get enough protein. Most people in the United States, whether nonvegetarian, vegetarian, or vegan, get plenty of protein. Replacing meat products with plant-based alternatives will not lead to widespread protein deficiency.

In some ways, the results of this study are not surprising. Wheat gluten, which was used in the meat analog along with soy protein, is known to be less digestible than either soy or animal protein. Had the researchers altered the ratio of soy protein to wheat gluten in the meat analog, the results may have been different. The researchers did not test commercially available plant meats which may contain ingredients that affect digestion and absorption, either positively or negatively.

We also don’t know if digestion and absorption would be different if it was studied in humans instead of in human cells. Could it be possible that people adapt to plant proteins and are better able to digest and absorb them with time?

All I can conclude from this study is that more research is needed. It seems premature to say, as the headline that originally caught my eye did, that plant meats are not as nutritious as animal meats. In my opinion, this is wording that was chosen for its sensationalism, but the actual study is nothing to get excited about.

Reference

Chen D, Rocha-Mendoza D, Shan S, et al. Characterization and cellular uptake of peptides derived from in vitro digestion of meat analogues produced by a sustainable extrusion process. J Agric Food Chem. 2022;70(26):8124-8133.

To read more about plant meats see:

How Do the Newer Meat-Like, Plant-Based Burgers Compare Nutritionally?

Plant-based Alternative “Meats”

How Many Consumers Purchase Plant-based Meat, Milk, or Dairy in 2019?

Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD has some great tips and ideas to spice up your grilling season! If you’re looking for recipes, food safety tips, or meal ideas, then check out this article! Outdoor Feasts

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA by visiting: Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal

Looking for a healthy dessert? Why not try a dessert smoothie! Ivy Grob (a former VRG intern) shared some of her recipes in a previous issue of our Journal including Strawberry Shortcake, Banana Chocolate, Berry Cobbler, Peanut Butter Cup, Peach Pie, and Apple Pie Smoothies. Read the article here: Dessert Smoothies

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

Taco photo by Hannah Kaminsky

By Nadely Requena, VRG Intern

When I first became vegetarian in 10th grade at the age of 16, I very quickly began to feel disconnected from the people around me and my culture. Growing up in a Mexican household meant that meat was always placed at the center of the table. So, when I chose to not partake in eating meat, it very much felt as if I was leaving my roots and everything I had been taught to follow.

Looking back, 4 and a half years later and now being vegan, my experience and outlook has definitely changed in terms of me feeling connected to my upbringing. My early views were brought upon because I had no guidance, support from my family, and in general, lacked education on alternative diets. I never knew anything other than eating meat because that was the only diet I knew growing up.

As time has continued, I’ve met plenty of people sharing my diet and through conversations, I realized I’m not the only one who encountered these struggles.

Julia Comino, a vegan VRG intern, expressed feelings of disconnection from her Italian family when she became vegetarian at age 13, also dealing with her allergies to gluten and soy. Now, as she’s gotten more comfortable with the cuisine, she’s learned to make alternatives of classic dishes she loves. She continued by saying how cooking alternative Latin American dishes makes her feel more connected to her boyfriend’s Chilean family.

I spoke with VRG volunteer and registered dietitian, Rosemary Lopez, who shared her great love for Latin American cuisine as it makes her feel closer to her family’s traditions. She has been vegetarian for over a year now and continues to find different ways to “veganize” the delicious Mexican dishes she grew up with.

“I feel like eating in the traditional ways that my family (taught me) and (partaking in) the generations (of passing down recipes) … is very meaningful to me,” Lopez said. “I’ve been eating this way since I was little. It’s a whole event. From cooking to putting your ingredients together to actually eating the food. It’s definitely very meaningful to me to be eating these foods every single day.”

Manuel Cortes, the recent winner of The Vegetarian Resource Group’s New York City Scholarship, also expressed his struggles and triumphs with being vegetarian since 6th grade.

“(Cooking Latin American food is even more sentimental) especially with me not being born here,” Cortes said. “I feel like it connects me back (to my Honduran culture) … a lot of the foods that my parents make and my grandparents (are) … years of tradition, which is amazing. But because of me, they get to switch things up and … play around with recipes to cater (to my diet). So, not only does it connect me to my culture, but my family also gets (to try new things and create new memories) because of my lifestyle.”

Hearing just from a few people with alternative diets definitely made me feel like I wasn’t alone with my struggles. It’s natural to not feel the same after doing something for years, but realize that there’s also nothing stopping you from swapping out a couple of ingredients.

Over the years, I’ve learned and experimented with Latin American foods that seemed exotic to me at first. With each dish, I would substitute the animal products or change the measurements depending on the taste. Sometimes it would turn out to be very flavorful, and even better than the original dish, and others, I would just kindly tell myself that we would do better next time.

Given my limited, but valuable, culinary experience I, along with the contribution of others, made a list of our favorite Latin American dishes, desserts, and drinks with possible fillings, substitutions, and combinations. Enjoy!

Main Dishes:

• Tacos & Gorditas (possible fillings)
  • Base: refried beans, squash, zucchinis, mushroom, plant-based meat alternatives, chickpeas, potatoes, jackfruit
  • Toppings: vegan shredded cheese, tomato, lettuce, cilantro, onion
  • Extra: salsa
• Burritos (possible fillings)
  • Base: rice, beans (refried pinto or regular pinto), squash, zucchinis, mushroom, plant based-meat alternatives, chickpeas, potatoes, jackfruit
  • Extra: lettuce, vegan shredded cheese, avocado, potatoes, tomato
• Tostadas
  • Base: refried pinto beans
  • Toppings: vegan shredded cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato
• Quesadillas
  • Flour tortilla
  • Vegan cheese
  • Extra: bell pepper
• Tamales (possible fillings & combinations)
  • Pumpkin
  • Refried beans
  • Black beans and onions
  • Sweet corn
  • Potatoes
  • Refried pinto beans and vegan cheese
  • Jackfruit with tomato, cilantro, and onion
  • Vegan cheese and jalapeños
  • Plant-based meat
• Enchiladas (possible fillings & combinations)
  • Vegan cheese
  • Vegan cheese with spinach
  • Vegan cheese with chickpeas
  • Vegan cheese with refried pinto beans
  • Plant-based meat
  • Toppings: plant based sour cream, avocado, pico de gallo, salsa
• Posole (traditional Mexican stew)
  • Base: vegetable stock, hominy corn
  • Extra: lettuce, cabbage, chili peppers, onion, garlic, avocado, salsa or limes
• Soups
  • Base: beans or lentils
  • Extra: zucchini, carrots, celery, potatoes, cabbage, cilantro
• Chilaquiles (traditional Mexican breakfast dish)
  • Base: tortillas chips (roast or fry), egg substitute (such as Just Egg)
  • Extra: beans, lettuce, avocado, cilantro
• Salad of…
  • Nopale (cactus)
  • Lettuce
  • Spinach
  • Toppings: tomato, avocado, black/pinto beans, chickpeas, corn, shredded vegan cheese, tofu
• Sopa de frijoles (traditional Honduran bean soup)
  • Base: black/pinto beans
  • Toppings: cilantro, tomato, onion, avocado
• Baleadas (traditional Honduran breakfast tacos)
  • Base: flour tortilla, egg substitute (such as Just Egg), refried pinto beans
  • Toppings: avocado, shredded vegan cheese
• Empanadas (traditional baked/fried bread with filling) – (possible fillings & combinations)
  • Tempeh, onion, potatoes, bell peppers
  • Potatoes with bell peppers
  • Sweet potato with black beans
  • Vegan cheese
  • Cashew
  • Jelly (like strawberry) with vegan cream cheese
  • Apple and vegan caramelized milk
• Chalupas (traditional Mexican flat, but heavier taco) – (possible fillings)
  • Base: potatoes, refried beans
  • Toppings: avocado, vegan cheese, tomato, cilantro, lettuce, vegan sour cream
• Arroz con Gandules (traditional Puerto Rican rice and beans)
  • Base: rice and beans (pigeon peas)
  • Toppings: Cilantro
• Arepas (traditional Colombian and Venezuelan cornmeal cake) – (possible fillings)
  • Arepas – naturally vegan, changes with filling
  • Fillings: black/pinto beans, vegan cheese, avocado, cilantro, tomato, corn, plantains, jackfruit
• Mole (traditional Mexican sauce traditionally poured over meat) –
  • Vegetable stock
  • Meat alternatives: mushrooms, jackfruit, sweet or regular potato, plant-based meat
  • Sides: rice

Dips (all naturally vegan, traditional ingredients listed):

• Chimole (traditional Salvadoran salsa)
  • Tomatoes
  • Onions
  • Lime juice
  • Peppers
  • Cilantro
• Pico de Gallo (traditional Mexican salsa)
  • Guacamole
  • Tomato
  • Onion
  • Jalapeños
  • Cilantro
• Sofrito (red or green salsa)
  • Garlic
  • Onions
  • Peppers
  • Cilantro
• Corn or mango salsa
  • Sweet corn/mango
  • Onion
  • Jalapeño
  • Cilantro
  • Lime

Desserts:

• Manjar (traditional Chilean name, but is more known as dulce de leche, or caramelized milk)
  • Alternatives: plant-based milk (it’s popular to use coconut milk), organic brown sugar, coconut cream
• Churros (traditional Latin American fried dough)
  • Alternatives: plant-based milk, egg substitute (such as Just Egg), organic brown sugar or white sugar
• Conchas (traditional Mexican sweet bread roll)
  • Alternatives: plant-based milk, egg substitute (such as Just Egg, aquafaba, chickpea or garbanzo bean juice), organic brown sugar or white sugar
  • Fillings: sweet potato
• Pastelitos de Queso (traditional Cuban cream cheese pastry)
  • Fillings: Miyoko’s cottage cheese, vegan Greek yogurt, hummus, silken tofu
• Pastelitos de Espinaca (traditional Argentinian spinach empanadas)
  • Fillings: vegan cheese, spinach

Drinks (most natural drinks are vegan, listed are most popular ones):

• Agua de horchata (traditional Mexican rice water)
  • Use plant-based milk to make it vegan
• Agua de Jamaica (traditional Mexican and Jamaican hibiscus tea)
  • Use organic cane sugar to make it vegan
• Agua de Tamarindo (traditional Mexican tamarind drink)
  • Use organic cane sugar to make it vegan

You may also be interested in

https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/information_in_Spanish.htm

https://www.vrg.org/journal/CookingAndRecipes.htm#cr-ethnic-cuisine

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and 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.

Have you ever bought miso and lacked ideas on how to cook with it? There’s so much more you can do with miso than make miso soup! Debra Daniels-Zeller previously wrote an article for The Vegetarian Resource Group titled The Many Faces of Miso. Enjoy these recipes:

ORANGE-RASPBERRY MISO SALAD DRESSING

EAST-MEETS-WEST BEAN DIP

SWEET POTATO-MISO FOCACCIA

CREAMY MISO SOUP

MISO MARINADE FOR TEMPEH

SWEET AND SAVORY BAKED BLACK-EYED PEAS AND CORN

MISO MASHED POTATOES

MISO GRAVY

MAPLE-SAUTÉED APPLES WITH COCONUT-MISO SAUCE

Read the article here: The Many Faces of Miso

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

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://youtu.be/Zjd8NkmWhnc

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