VRG internships can be conducted long distance. Responsibilities depend on background, major if in college, and interest of applicant. Tasks may include research, writing, and/or community outreach. Internships are especially helpful for students working towards journalism, English, and nutrition degrees. Business majors can obtain experience related to the business aspects of a non-profit organization. Activists can learn new skills and gain a broader knowledge, as well as share their expertise. Positions are open throughout the year for all ages (including high school students). Let us know if you need credit for high school volunteer or service learning work or college credit, plus the amount of hours you need. Internships are unpaid. If you would like to apply for a VRG internship, please email a resume, writing sample, and cover letter detailing your interests, skills, goals, and vegetarian knowledge to [email protected], or send by mail to:

The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203

See what previous VRG interns have done here: vrg.org/student/

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

On June 29, 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a list of topics that they intend to issue guidance on over the next year. One topic on the list was “Labeling of Plant-based Milk Alternatives; Draft Guidance for Industry.” These “plant-based milk alternatives” include products like soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, and other beverages based on legumes, nuts, grains, and other plant foods.

In 2018, the FDA asked for public comments on the “Use of the Names of Dairy Foods in Labeling Plant-Based Products.”  At that time, the FDA wanted to hear from consumers about how they use plant-based products and how they understand terms such as, for example, “milk” or “yogurt” when included in the names of plant-based products. They also wanted to know if consumers are aware of and understand differences between the basic nature, characteristics, ingredients, and nutritional content of plant-based products and their dairy counterparts. VRG submitted comments at that time and, in 2020, asked survey respondents what they expected from a beverage labeled soy milk.

If FDA requests public comments as they develop guidelines for labeling plant milks, we will post instructions for responding to their request on VRG’s blog.

For VRG’s comments on  Use of the Names of Dairy Foods in Labeling Plant-Based Products see: https://www.vrg.org/blog/2018/11/21/vrg-sent-these-comments-to-the-food-and-drug-administation-fda-in-response-to-fda-asks-for-input-on-use-of-the-names-of-dairy-foods-in-labeling-plant-based-products/

For information about VRG’s poll on consumer expectations from a beverage labeled soy milk see: https://www.vrg.org/blog/2020/10/30/what-do-american-adults-expect-from-a-beverage-labeled-soymilk-questions-asked-by-the-vegetarian-resource-group-in-a-national-poll/

For FDA’s list of Foods Program Guidance Topics see: https://www.fda.gov/food/guidance-documents-regulatory-information-topic-food-and-dietary-supplements/foods-program-guidance-under-development

By Shantika Bhat, VG Intern

Shantika Bhat is interested in neurological diseases and how to care for patients. She interviewed Cathy Conway, a registered dietitian who works with patients who have developmental and intellectual disabilities. 

Playing the role

Something that always comes up in the medical field is that fear of preconceived notions of a doctor’s role. Some patients will be scared that the doctor will be telling them what to do or that the doctor doesn’t want to listen to them. Oftentimes it’s not talked about how intimating a title can be for patients and so Cathy wants to break down those feelings by playing her role in a manner that’s focused on active listening.

“It is really important to respect an individual and hear what they are saying,” says Conway.

As a registered dietitian she gets patients all the time who will believe that she will be telling them what to eat and what not to do, however, she doesn’t. She listens and asks them “What do you think?”

“I call it peeling an onion. You want to get to the real issue by asking the questions and repeating what my patients tell me.” For example, Conway had a patient who had Type 2 Diabetes and their A1C was high. Conway asked the patient questions and made the patient realize what they were doing that wasn’t healthy without directly saying it. I learned from Conway that making your patients realize what they did wrong is more effective than telling them what they did wrong. At the end of the day it’s the patients who make the decision so you have to make sure they realize what they need to fix.

Working with Intellectual and Developmental patients: Patient-Centered Care

I thought when working with patients who have intellectual disability that health professionals would need extra training. My perception has changed a little bit after talking with Conway. I went into this thinking that there must be extra training for many disabilities; however, Conway says she learned the most from experience over time. I knew that with a spectrum of all of these disabilities that a training will not be enough for you to be able to provide the best care for them. It is all case by case which is why Conway treats her patients using Patient Centered Care. The Institute of Medicine’s article Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century defines patient–centered care as “Providing care that is respectful of, and responsive to, individual patient preferences, needs and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions.”

“You can’t put everyone in a box,” says Conway.

Active listening is so important because it helps to really connect to the patient so that the dietitian or doctor can help them best. Active Listening is a technique used to connect and engage the speaker and listen in conversations. Conway recommends that everyone going into the healthcare field learn Patient-Centered care and active listening.

 Diets

Conway advocates for diversity and trying something new. In New York they passed Bill S1471A/A4072, which requires hospitals to make plant-based meals and snacks containing no animal products or by-products that are nutritionally equivalent to other menu items available to those that request them. The bill also requires hospitals to list the plant-based options on all written materials and menus. One of Conway’s patients was in the hospital for a week and got to try the menu with these foods he wouldn’t have tried elsewhere. And now this patient orders plant-based foods such as quinoa on a regular basis on his outings.

“You should try different foods so that new foods can be added to your regular diet. The more exposure the better,” said Conway

For information that may be helpful to food services, see: https://www.vrg.org/fsupdate/index.htm

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):

Double Zero, 414 Light St., Baltimore, MD 21202

Located near the Baltimore Harbor area. Pizza and “Not Pizza” menu. The pizza is prepared in a wood burning stove and some of the options are Pesto Pizza, Artichoke Pizza, and Truffle Pizza. Most pizzas can be made nut and/or gluten free with Gluten-free Crust and Rice Cheese. “Not Pizza” items sound especially inviting including Pasta Bolognese with a Walnut Mushroom Ragout and Pizzaiola, which consists of Cauliflower, Oregano, Roasted Garbanzo and Chili. Dessert items offered are Chocolate Budino and Tiramisu. Reservations suggested.

El Grifo, 97 Calle Betances, Caguas, PR 00725

Check out El Grifo to try fully vegan dishes like loaded supreme nachos, chili cheese burger, cocopao, and more! El Grifo emphasizes zero waste, slow food, and whole food plant based commitment.

Green Door Café, 92037, La Jolla, CA 92037

At this café, you get to choose from breakfast, salads, raw & soups, the main event, tapas & sides, and desserts, smoothies, and more. Some examples are Sambusa Trio (three sambusas, lentil, potato curry & spinach with sweet chili sauce), Red Velvet Pancakes (GF) (three dense blueberry filled cakes, topped with cashew cream sauce, fruit compote & seasonal fresh berries, organic agave & powdered sugar), and Vegan ‘Caesar Pleaser’ (GF) (locally sourced romaine lettuce tossed in a fresh cashew & almond based dressing, topped with pepita parmesan & gluten free croutons served with gluten free coconut buttered bread). They are located next to South La Jolla State Marine Reserve.

Houston Sauce Kitchen, Houston, TX 77004

Black-owned all-vegan food truck serving a huge variety of comfort food made from fresh ingredients, including Cauliwings, a range of burgers and sammiches, cajun fries, and Crunchy Boudain Sushi Roll.  Many of these dishes are complemented by specially crafted sauces, from Asian zang to sunnyside lemon pepper, which can also be found at many restaurants and stores in the Houston area (including their Sauce Co Shoppette storefront and the Houston Saucepit BBQ food truck), and online.  Follow them on social media @houstonsauceco to see their rotating weekly menu and daily chef specials, in addition to their schedule and location that week. Generally found at the Green Zone food truck park on Almeda near Wheeler, with outdoor picnic table seating and WiFi, but also at pop-up events around the area.

Lagusta’s Luscious commissary, 11 Church St., New Paltz, NY 12561

Lagusta’s Luscious commissary is a part of Lagusta’s Luscious, an artisanal vegan chocolate company that sources its ingredients from ethical and local sources to make delicious chocolates. The commissary offers coffee, tea, and various meals for breakfast lunch and dinner—like the Creamy Ramen or Mac + Chz Casserole. They also carry a variety of jarred items, such as sauces, spreads, and oils. And of course, they sell their handmade chocolates— like their Peanut Caramel Bar or Strawberry & Cream Bark.

Littleburg Vegetable Kitchen, 3 Marble St., Stoneham, MA 02180

Brand-new menu released every Monday at noon. Serving the Greater Boston area, meal delivery occurs on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays—day/time dependent on city where delivery is requested. Pick-up from the kitchen is available midday on Saturdays. The brand-new menu released every Monday features 14 to 18 main dishes, sides, sweets, and other bites, all of which are meant to celebrate the flavors of vegan Mediterranean food, rather than trying to make vegan food imitate non-vegan food. Try the Deluxe Mac & Cheese; a stuffed flatbread; handmade pasta; or the Build-Your-Own Gyro kit. 

Philly Vegan, 1126 Hull St., Richmond, VA 23224

Menu includes specialties, sandwiches, sides, egg rolls, desserts, beverages, plus a legit-kid’s menu. Among the mouth-watering options are Double Lentil Burger with Cheese + Mama C’s PB Blondies.

Trio Plant-Based, 610 W. Lake St., Minneapolis, MN 55402

Enjoy plant-based soul food at this restaurant. Appetizers include BBQ jackfruit fries, cauliflower wings, and nachos with cheeze sauce and walnut taco meat. Favorite main dishes include the Mac attack burger with buffalo mac and cheeze and the boolin buffalo cauliflower-based chicken wrap. The dessert menu includes the Trio big chocolate cookie, vanilla cake with strawberry sauce, and sweet potato pie. A kid’s menu is also available.

Vegan City, 760 Kapahulu Ave., Honolulu, HI 96816

Menu items include entrées such as loco mock made with Beyond Burger, avo, and quinoa; sandwiches with 2 sides (buffalo cauliflower delicious), poutine, and desserts. They offer brunch all day and cinnamon rolls made in house. You’ll also find kombucha on tap.

The Vegetarian Resource Group is a vegan activist non-profit organization that does outreach all-year-long. For example, VRG has been participating in numerous virtual events throughout the USA by providing speakers on a wide variety of vegan topics. We also send literature free of charge to other groups/individuals doing educational activities in schools, hospitals, camps, restaurants, libraries, offices, etc. Our ability to continue doing this depends on people like you! Your donations allow us to promote the vegan message whenever we’re called upon for assistance. Please consider becoming a monthly, quarterly, or single-time donor to The Vegetarian Resource Group.

Thanks so much for your support. You can make a donation online here: vrg.org/donate  

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

There are very few studies of vegan children, so it was exciting to see that German researchers had recently published results from the VegChi Youth Study. This study, from three study centers in Germany, provides an interesting look at vegan children’s growth and diet. The study subjects were all German children and adolescents, 6-18 years old. There were 115 vegans, 149 vegetarians, and 137 nonvegetarians. The children and teens seemed to be growing normally and there was no significant difference in height, weight, or BMI among the groups.

     The vegans seemed to be aware of the need to have reliable sources of vitamin B12. Close to 90% of them used a vitamin B12 supplement. This was reflected in lab results. Approximately 8% of the vegans were categorized as likely deficient in vitamin B12 compared to 13% of vegetarians and 4% of nonvegetarians.

     All three groups of children had adequate median protein intakes. In contrast, all groups had median calcium intakes below German recommendations with the vegan group having the lowest intake. The median calcium intake of the vegan children was less than half of what is recommended. 

     On average, the vegan children had the lowest blood cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations. They also had the highest intakes of iron, zinc, vitamin C, and folate and the lowest intake of added sugars. These results suggest that a vegan diet can meet the nutritional needs of children and teens.

Reference:

Alexy U, Fischer M, Weder S, et al. Nutrient intake and status of German children and adolescents consuming vegetarian, vegan or omnivore diets: Results of the VeChi Youth Study. Nutrients. 2021;13(5):1707.

For more about vegan children and teens, see: https://www.vrg.org/family/kidsindex.htm

For more information about calcium in a vegan diet, see: https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.php

A reader passed the following along to VRG in reference to an inquiry into some of the ingredients in Advil Caplets.

“I got this today and am passing it along in case it’s useful.”

Thank you for contacting GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare regarding Advil Caplets requesting for the below information:

Thank you for your enquiry on Advil Caplets marketed by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSKCH) in the United States.

Please note that Advil film coated tablets are no longer available and are discontinued from the market.

The ingredients in Advil Caplets include: Ibuprofen 200mg, acetylated monoglycerides, colloidal silicon dioxide, corn starch, croscarmellose sodium, methylparaben, microcrystalline cellulose, pharmaceutical glaze, pharmaceutical ink, povidone, pregelatinized starch, propylparaben, sodium benzoate, sodium lauryl sulfate, stearic acid, sucrose, synthetic iron oxide, titanium dioxide, and white wax.

Stearic Acid is not animal derived and unfortunately, we cannot state the exact source of the stearic acid as it is considered proprietary by the manufacturers of the material.

Please note that Polysorbate 80 is not present in Advil Caplets. However, please be informed that Polysorbate 80 used in some of our Advil products is produced by a chemical synthetic process and is not animal or pant derived.

Prior to using a product, we recommend you to always check the list of ingredients printed on the product pack and follow the usage instructions. If you are unsure whether a product is suitable for you, kindly consult your physician or healthcare professional prior to use.

Yours sincerely,

GSK Consumer Relations Healthcare

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

By Shantika Bhat, VRG intern

A recently published study examined close to 210,00 men and women to determine whether subjects whose diets included more plant foods had a lower risk of strokes. To evaluate the quality of the participants’ food intake the researchers used three different indices: the plant-based diet index (PDI), the healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI), and the unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI). Healthy plant foods included whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. Plant foods categorized as unhealthy included sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, potatoes, and sweets/desserts. They used the participants’ scores on these different indices to look at any association with their diet and risk of strokes (total, ischemic, hemorrhagic).  Ischemic strokes are due to a blood clot blocking blood flow to the brain while hemorrhagic strokes are caused by a weakened blood vessel rupturing and bleeding into the brain.

They found that a better score on the hPDI, indicating a more healthful plant-based diet, was associated with a 10% lower total stroke risk and marginally lower ischemic stroke risk. Also, those who had higher animal product intakes had a higher risk of strokes compared to those whose diets were lower in animal products. A higher score on the uPDI, indicating a more unhealthful plant-based diet was associated with a greater risk of stroke. Although most study subjects were not vegetarian, the study included about 1700 lacto-ovo vegetarians. Vegetarians tended to have higher scores for the PDI and hPDI because they ate more whole grains, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and legumes compared to non-vegetarians. There seemed to be no overall effect of the vegetarian diet when it came to the risk of stroke although the small number of strokes in vegetarians made it difficult to draw conclusions. Overall, eating healthy plant-based diet is associated with a lower risk of strokes.  

Baden MY, Shan Z, Wang F, et al. Quality of plant-based diet and risk of total, ischemic, and hemorrhagic stroke. Neurology. 2021;96(15):e1940-e1953. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000011713

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

By Julia Comino, VRG Intern

Having grown up in a small, southern town in Mississippi, I had never experienced being a part of a community of individuals who were as passionate about plant-based living and environmental justice as I was until I began my internship with The Vegetarian Resource Group. Within my first week of virtually interning with The VRG, my relationship with advocacy and how I view my choice to be a vegetarian evolved immensely. After just a few email exchanges with Charles Stahler, the co-founder and co-director of The VRG who I worked with closely throughout my internship, I found myself re-evaluating how I viewed veganism and vegetarianism. When I made the decision to switch to a vegetarian diet four years ago, I did so rather nonchalantly. I saw this decision as a simple switch toward a more sustainable lifestyle. I stand by my reasoning for my initial choice, but now, after learning about the history of the veganism movement, discussing the positive effects of vegan and vegetarian diets on one’s health and the environment, and becoming a part of a community of plant-based individuals during this internship, I value my vegetarian lifestyle so much more.

     I can say in all honesty that I have enjoyed every assignment I have worked on throughout my internship. The first project that I worked on was writing a review of a restaurant in my town that served vegan options. I chose Petra Café  a small Mediterranean and Greek restaurant in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Not only was the food I ordered delicious, but my first experience of writing for The VRG Blog was invigorating. As someone who hopes to pursue a career in journalism, I appreciated this chance to not only view but experience the editing process and gain a better understanding of what it takes to compose a well-written and well-researched published piece.

     In my second week of interning I had the opportunity to participate in The VRG’s Zoom seminar with Professor Phyllis McShane’s class of University of Maryland dietetic students. I able to listen in on Dr. Reed Mangels’ (The VRG nutrition advisor and registered dietitian), Charles Stahler’s, and others’ riveting presentations on veganism and nutrition, and I also had the chance to speak about my experience as a plant-based teenager. After joining in for the day of presentations, conversation, and sharing information on veganism, I wrote about this experience in The VRG Blog.

     However, my writing skills are not the only ones this internship has improved. Over the course of my internship, I’ve improved my baking skills and spoiled my friends and family with sweet treats while testing out vegan recipes for the Vegetarian Journal like the Cold Brew Coffee Cake, my high school mock trial team’s favorite that became highly requested, and Hot Cocoa Brownies. Whether it be creating info-graphics to reviewing vegan products for Veggie Bits, working with Rissa Miller, the senior editor of Vegetarian Journal magazine, was always a joy because of her cheerful personality that showed even over email.

     One of the characteristics of this internship that I appreciated the most was the freedom and creativity that I was allowed to have with the projects I worked on. While working with Dr. Reed Mangels for the TEEN FAQ blog, I was able to not only write an article sharing my experience of eating vegan as a low-income teenager but also was encouraged to create other forms of media. I designed a graphic for The VRG’s social media as well as created a video that would share this information. I worked with The VRG staff to write an outline, choose recipes, and research low-cost foods for this visual presentation before setting up my phone camera and going to film. I was able to share tips on how to make eating plant-based diets affordable while showcasing some of my favorite cheap recipes like peanut butter banana oatmeal and my fruit cobbler in a mug.

     Writing for the VRG Online Restaurant Guide has been one of my favorite responsibilities of this internship. I learned how to effectively and quickly gather information through skimming websites, reviews, and Facebook pages or when this online snooping was not enough I turned to contacting restaurants myself. Writing short, catchy snippets on vegan restaurants, from taco dive bars to youth-owned vegan bakeries, was not only very fun, but surprisingly productive as my researching skills have definitely improved. I loved the feeling of accomplishment I had every time I would send Debra Wasserman, the Co-Coordinator of The Vegetarian Resource Group, a finished snippet on a restaurant. I also had the chance to work with Debra when writing a review on The Student Vegan Cookbook. I, again, was able to improve both my writing and my skills in the kitchen with this project as I tried out the recipes for Carrot Cake Oatmeal and Cilantro Kale Salad.

     I also had the chance to collaborate with another intern, Shantika Bhat, during my internship. Shantika, a senior in high school from Baltimore, Maryland, and I worked together on interviewing past VRG interns for next year’s 40th-anniversary edition of the Vegetarian Journal. Not only did this experience teach me how to work with others in a virtual setting, but I also gained a new friend in Shantika. Through two of my projects for The VRG Blog, The Favorite Inexpensive Vegan Foods of 2021 Summer Interns, and The VRG 2021 Interns Favorite Vegan Foods, I was able to connect with the other summer interns. Although our conversations were conducted over email, I was able to learn about and befriend several of the interns I interviewed for this project. Although my internship was conducted remotely, without ever having met any of The VRG staff or the other interns in person, I have still been able to have productive and interesting conversations ranging from veganism to dialects as well as form long lasting relationships.

     I am truly sad that my internship with The VRG is coming to an end, but I can’t help but be overwhelmed with gratitude for all that I have learned while interning. My time interning with The VRG has not only improved my skills as a writer but also as an advocate. As I pursue an education in Journalism and Political Science at American University this fall, I know I will take all I learned from this experience with me!

For information about The Vegetarian Resource Group internships, see https://www.vrg.org/student/index.php

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

Or join at https://www.vrg.org/member/cabdacae.php

See some of Julia Comino’s projects at:

https://www.vrg.org/blog/2021/06/07/vrg-hosts-dialogue-on-veganism-with-university-of-maryland-students-studying-nutrition/

Bon Appétit Management Company announced a climate change policy to reduce emissions by 38%, per calorie of food, by 2030. They said, “In tandem, Bon Appétit is also introducing a set of tools to assist clients in meeting their own emissions reduction goals. As a food service management company with operations on the sites of colleges and universities, corporate offices, and cultural institutions in 33 states, Bon Appétit’s food purchases represent the vast majority of its total emissions. The processes of growing, transporting, packaging, and refrigerating food culminate in one-third of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.”

Bon Appétit stated, ”

• Bon Appétit will continue to track red meat and cheese consumption through the Food Standards Dashboard, as it has done since 2007, and has set an aggressive target of less than 1-ounce-per-guest-per-meal for beef and less than 2.5 ounces for all meat, poultry, and seafood.  
• Bon Appétit’s Plant-Forward Culinary Collaborative – a working group of chefs tasked with creating plant-forward resources for the company’s culinary staff – will work together with the company’s wellness team to conduct regional plant-forward trainings, helping to skew menus away from carbon-intensive meat and cheese, and toward plants.”

For more information, go to: