Posted on
February 26, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By Odette
Olivares, VRG intern
Are you
trying to find websites with accurate and complete calcium information for
vegans, which include information geared towards Latinos? Are you looking for
in-depth information? Do you want help distinguishing updated scientific
information from myths and outdated ideas?
We have
prepared a selection of the best websites with calcium information for you.
This selection includes websites and YouTube channels prepared by Registered
Dietitians, doctors, health coaches, and fans of veganism. Twenty-four sites
were selected after evaluating them with a rubric. You can find websites with
very extensive calcium information and sites that manage to summarize calcium
essentials in reads less than 5 minutes. Find the site that best fits your
needs!
Posted on
February 25, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
The Vegetarian Resource Group is a vegan activist non-profit
organization that does outreach all-year-long. For example, VRG responds to the
public’s questions every day and sends 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 or quarterly donor to The Vegetarian Resource Group.
During these challenging times, thanks so much for your support.
You can donate online here: vrg.org/donate
Posted on
February 25, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By Amy Burger, VRG Intern
Video-sharing app TikTok launched in the US in 2016 and
its popularity has grown steadily since, especially as Americans stayed home
due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to viral dance routines and
challenges, the platform is a great source for vegan recipe inspiration,
notably from these five creators:
@eat_figs_not_pigs: Ashley Hankins has combined her interest
in food with her passion for veganism, which she shares through recipes like
her sticky baked Korean barbecue tofu bites. Hankins recently published a
cookbook, Make it Vegan, and has frequently appeared on Fresno-area
morning show “Great Day Kitchen” to show off her cooking.
@iamtabithabrown: Tabitha Brown’s soothing narration and
catchphrases including “like so, like that” and “because that’s my business”
are her signature on the app, where she shares creative original recipes. After
her carrot bacon video took her viral, Brown was featured in magazines and on
television; she now has her own show, All Love, on the Ellen Digital
Network.
@plantcenteredprep: Ashley Kitchens was raised on a beef
farm, and after becoming a Registered Dietitian, transitioned to a plant-based
lifestyle. Her TikTok videos educate viewers about the basics of vegan
nutrition using evidence-based research, and she shares tips for healthy meal
planning. Her epic breakfast wrap is a simple, yet tasty recipe that’s easy to
customize.
@thekoreanvegan: Joanne Molinaro is a lawyer by day, but
she’s known on TikTok for beautifully-narrated videos in which she pairs
personal anecdotes with vegan recipes. Molinaro’s stories cover her family’s
origins in and escape from North
Korea and Molinaro’s own personal life,
while her recipes show veganized Korean entrées as well as baked goods like her
easy blueberry lemon muffins.
@veganjenni: Jenni Poole’s TikTok account chronicles her
vegan lifestyle. Videos show how to shop vegan, tips for transitioning to
veganism, recipes (a recent post showed how to make vegan mozzarella sticks),
and her activism work. Poole
also highlights the work of other vegan content creators, and recently started
a vegan book club.
While these five creators consistently post outstanding
TikTok videos, they all have a presence on Instagram, and most also have
websites and Facebook pages, for those who don’t want to commit to yet another
social media platform. Their content is definitely worth watching, and I’m
looking forward to seeing what else they do next.
Posted on
February 24, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Nothing beats a simple graphic to get the vegan message out!
The Vegetarian Resource Group created My
Vegan Plate to display on outreach tables at various events. If you live in
the United States, you can request copies of this handout to distribute by
emailing us at [email protected]
Posted on
February 24, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
In this article, The Vegetarian Resource Group highlights
several recent (2015 to the present) scientific reports that reveal the
relationships between dietary choices and our climate crisis.
Background on Our Climate Crisis
and Current State of the Emergency
In November 2019, 11,000 scientists from 153 countries
declared a climate emergency in an article published in BioScience.
The emergency is driven by fossil fuel burning releasing greenhouse gases
(GHG), especially carbon dioxide, that began in the early 1800s with
the rise of industry. The burning has accelerated rapidly since then. Life as
we know it on a habitable Earth is at stake.
In January 2021, scientists
reported new calculations that reveal the underestimation of earlier
predictions about the degree of temperature increase already locked in
from past and current fossil fuel use.
According to the new research, an increase of 2.30C
is guaranteed, but can be delayed if measures are taken now to
significantly reduce or eliminate burning of coal, oil, and methane gas.
Note: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
stated in a 2018 report that limiting
temperature increase to 1.50C above pre-industrial levels will avert
the worst case scenario of extreme weather and sea level rise. The Paris
Climate Accord of 2015 is a voluntary agreement among nations to reach this
goal.
Emphasizing the gravity and urgency of the matter, 19
scientists wrote in a January 2021 article published in Frontiers in
Conservation Science:
“The scale of the threats to the biosphere and all its life forms—including
humanity—is in fact so great that it is difficult to grasp for even
well-informed experts.”
To better grasp the problem and propose solutions, ecologist
William Ripple and several other scientists in January 2021 developed a 6-step
plan to reduce or eliminate fossil fuel use. Of interest to vegetarians and
vegans, three of the six points are directly related to dietary choice.
Short-lived
pollutant reductions. The
authors target methane, the greenhouse gas 84
times more powerful than carbon
dioxide. A major source of methane is animal agriculture, especially beef
production. (Note: Inaccurate assessment of methane
leaks from fracking and from thawing
permafrost are not considered in making this statement because these data
are only estimates right now. When confirmed, agriculture’s contribution to
total methane production would be lessened but still present.)
Habitat
destruction reductions.Deforestation to
make room for livestock grazing or planting livestock feed is a major concern.
So, too, is cutting down mangrove
forests and peatlands especially for rice paddies and palm oil
plantations. Palm oil ingredients are found in hundreds of food and cosmetic
products.
Fewer
animal foods and more plants in human diets. Waste food less. Not only an important way to reduce water and land use
to produce food, significant reductions in greenhouse gases
result.
Scale of Animal Agriculture Impact on Climate Change: Carbon
Emissions
How much does animal agriculture contribute to our climate
crisis?
The World
Resources Institute assembled the latest available data (2016) from
credible sources including the International Energy Agency and concluded:
Total
annual world emissions was 49.4 GT CO2eq. (73% carbon dioxide CO2,
17% methane CH4, and 6% nitrous oxide NO2)
The
top three carbon polluters: China
(26%), USA
(13%) European Union (8%)
The
breakdown of major emissions by sector: Energy in transportation (16%); Energy
for electricity/heating (30%); Energy for manufacturing/construction (12%)
Agriculture
(12%)
Made up of 6% livestock/manure and 6% from soils. Manure is a
major source of methane and nitrous oxide (another extremely potent greenhouse
gas). Fertilizer is a major source of
nitrous oxide.
Land
use change, forestry 7% (burning 4%)
In a July
2019 report published by the World Resources Institute, the World Bank
Group, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the United Nations
Development Programme, further information is given about livestock’s
contributions to environmental use and greenhouse gas emissions: “Ruminant
livestock (cattle, sheep, and goats) use two-thirds of global agricultural land
and contribute roughly half of agriculture’s production-related emissions.”
Despite the enormity of the carbon pollution stemming from
livestock, the authors do not clearly recommend a switch to a vegan diet as a
way to mitigate the impact of livestock on our climate emergency. They mention
only “…shifting the diets of high meat consumers toward plant-based foods”
and “plant-based beef substitutes.”
In a 2019 special report
titled Climate Change and Land, the IPCC mentions “dietary choices” in
reference to how climate change can be curbed, but does not specify vegan or
vegetarian diets.
From the report: “Balanced diets, featuring plant-based foods,
such as those based on coarse grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables, nuts and
seeds, and animal-sourced food produced in resilient, sustainable and
low-greenhouse gas emission systems, present major opportunities for adaptation
and mitigation while generating significant co-benefits in terms of human
health.”
Other notable points from this document:
70% of
freshwater is used for agriculture
25-30%
of all food is wasted (responsible for 8-10% of all emissions).
Recent Scientific Reports on Carbon Emissions and Animal
Agriculture in Relation to Plant-based Diets
The Vegetarian Resource Group looked closely at the
environmental consequences of animal agriculture with its 2009
article on the United Nations’ report titled Livestock’s Long Shadow.
In that piece, the focus was on water pollution caused by livestock.
Since that time, many researchers have analyzed the carbon
emissions associated with raising animals intensively for food. Here are
brief summaries of some of their reports.
“The climate
mitigation gap: education and government recommendations miss the most
effective individual actions”
1. In 2017, Seth Wynes and Kimberly A Nicholas published an article that quantified the effects of lifestyle
choices in terms of tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, tCO2eq
(taking into account methane, nitrous oxide and other chemicals that have
substantial global warming potential) produced when people engage in certain
activities. They concluded that individuals would contribute the greatest
reduction by:
Having
fewer children (58.6 tCO2eq saved every year per child)*
Going
car-less (2.4 tCO2eq saved per year)*
Avoiding
flying (1.6 tCO2eq saved per round transatlantic trip)*
Buying
green energy (1.5 tCO2eq saved per year)
Buying
a more efficient gasoline-powered car (1.19 tCO2eq saved per year)
Buying
an electric car (1.15 tCO2eq saved per year)
Choosing
a plant-based diet (0.8 tCO2eq per year)*
According to the authors, all of the above actions are
considered “high-impact (i.e., low-emissions).” The four which are asterisked
are recommended as the most important you can take to lower your
personal fossil fuel footprint. Although they do not use the word “vegan” to
describe the “plant-based diet,” it appears from the writing that a vegan diet
is implied. The VRG has reached out to the authors on this point, but have not
yet received a response.
“Calculation of external climate costs for food highlights inadequate pricing of animal products”
2. A report published in December 2020
conducted life cycle assessments of
various agricultural products in Germany. The most significant
finding was that there is practically no difference between the carbon
emissions resulting from organic versus conventional beef production. Organic
chicken fared worse than conventionally raised chicken in terms of its
contribution to greenhouse gases. Organic and non-organic cow’s milk had
similar carbon emission profiles.
By contrast, organic plant foods are responsible for 50% less
emissions than plant foods treated with chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
All plant production resulted in significantly less carbon emissions than
animal foods.
“Substituting beans for beef as a contribution toward US climate change targets”
3. A study
published in 2017 compared the
environmental costs of beef versus beans. It concluded: “Our results demonstrate
that substituting one food for another, beans for beef, could achieve
approximately 46 to 74% of the reductions needed to meet the 2020 GHG target
for the US.
In turn, this shift would free up 42% of US cropland (692,918 km2).”
“The environmental cost of protein food choices”
4. An earlier look at this topic from some of the same
researchers in 2015
concluded: “To produce 1 kg of protein from kidney beans required approximately
eighteen times less land, ten times less water, nine times less fuel, twelve
times less fertilizer and ten times less pesticide in comparison to producing 1
kg of protein from beef. Compared with producing 1 kg of protein from chicken
and eggs, beef generated five to six times more waste (manure) to produce 1 kg
of protein.”
“Food in the Anthropocene: the
EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems”
5. The EAT-Lancet
Commission (2019) published an extensive review of the environmental
consequences of food choices. Its major conclusions echoed many of the findings
noted here from other researchers.
Additionally, this report showed changes in food production
practices (such as using feed additives, manure management, better feed conversion ratios) could decrease total greenhouse gas
emissions by only 10%. However, dietary changes that increase plant
foods could decrease emissions by 80%.
EAT-Lancet also divided up agriculture’s greenhouse gas share
in this manner (top three listed here):
“Which Diet Has the Least Environmental Impact on Our Planet? A Systematic Review of Vegan, Vegetarian and Omnivorous Diets”
6. A 2019
review article from the journal Sustainability compared many studies
looking at environmental impacts of vegan, vegetarian, and omnivore diets. Some
of the relevant points included:
“Livestock
farming uses 70% of agricultural
land overall and a third of arable
land. As such, it plays a major role in CO2 release and
biodiversity loss from deforestation.”
“Many vegans replace animal-based products
with processed plant-based meat and dairy substitutes (e.g., seitan burger and
soy yoghurt) instead of consuming the unprocessed, plant-based nutritious
foods…The vegan diet may not have a lower environmental footprint than the
lacto-ovo vegetarian diet. The reason for this is that vegans tend to replace
animal-based products in their diet by industrially, highly processed
plant-based meats and dairy substitutes.”
“The
reviewed studies indicate the possibility of achieving the same environmental
impact as that of the vegan diet, without excluding the meat and dairy food
groups, but rather, by reducing them substantially.”
Takeaways on Plant-based Diets, Climate, and Environment
Agriculture (12%) and the burning of forests (4%) to plant
feed crops or graze cattle are responsible for approximately 16% of all
greenhouse gas emissions. This is comparable to the carbon emissions from the
transportation sector.
A July 2019 joint report from several major international organizations
stated: “Ruminant livestock (cattle, sheep, and goats) use two-thirds of global
agricultural land and contribute roughly half of agriculture’s
production-related emissions.”
As a rough estimate using the information of the two
paragraphs above: 2/3 x 12% = 8% of all emissions from ruminant production + 4%
from burning = 12% out of the total 16% from agricultural emissions is due to
ruminant production alone.
There are ways to reduce significantly animal agriculture’s
contribution to our climate crisis by switching to a vegan or vegetarian diet.
In fact, the EAT-Lancet
report in 2019 stated that dietary changes which increase plant foods in
human diets could decrease carbon emissions (from the agricultural sector) by 80%.
Unfortunately, major international organizations and
mainstream media do not clearly make the recommendation to switch to a vegan or
vegetarian diet for climate change mitigation.
Individual actions, including switching to a vegan or
vegetarian diet, to curb the negative effects of our climate crisis matter by
reducing personal fossil fuel footprints. They also have a bigger impact in
that they serve
as examples for others to emulate.
However, systemic change – notably the drastic and immediate
reduction or elimination of fossil fuel use – is needed to prevent worst case
scenarios of extreme weather and sea level rise from happening even more than
they already are.
Note from the Editor:
See other environmental articles from The Vegetarian Resource Group at:
Posted on
February 23, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Support local veggie
restaurants and non-veggie establishments in Maryland offering special vegan menus this
month. Find participating restaurants here: https://www.mdveganeats.com/
Some of the dishes you can
order online and pick-up include a delicious vegan Cuban Panini sandwich from
Roland Park Bagels in Baltimore City; vegan
“beef brisket” style bbq sandwich topped w/ vegan slaw & jalapeño
bread & butter pickles, on vegan brioche style bun and house fries
at Johnny Rads in Baltimore City; vegan and gluten-free baked goods and savory
dishes from Harmony Bakery in the Hampden section of Baltimore City; organic
vegan cuisine from Great Sage in Clarksville, MD; vegan burgers and sides at
PLNT Burger in Columbia and Silver Spring, MD; and fresh cold-pressed juices
from Revive in Frostburg, MD.
Posted on
February 23, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Vegetarian Journal
Senior Editor Rissa Miller was interviewed on the Be Kind Podcast out of Pennsylvania. We thought
you would enjoy listening to this recording:
Posted on
February 22, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By Rissa Miller, Vegetarian
Journal Senior Editor
(Serves 6)
Pre-made hummus is a standby for sandwiches, wraps, and
dipping, but it’s also a wonderful ingredient for other meals. Many companies
like Sabra, make a wide variety of hummus flavors and are wonderful to adapt to
hot meals such as this pasta dish.
3 roma tomatoes
1 large red onion
5 cloves whole garlic, peeled
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
16-ounce package of pasta, your favorite
2 cups fresh arugula
10-ounce container of hummus (I used Sabra Roasted Garlic)
Juice from 1/2 fresh lemon
2 green onions, chopped
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with
parchment paper and set aside.
Slice tomatoes and red onion into wedges. Toss
tomatoes, red onions, and garlic in olive oil and salt/pepper, then spread into
a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40
minutes, until veggies are roasted and slightly browned.
When about ten minutes remain on the timer for the veggies,
prepare pasta according to box directions. Drain and toss with arugula and
all the hummus in a large serving bowl. As soon as veggies are done, fold
gently into the hummus. Serve warm, topped with lemon juice and chopped green
onions.
Posted on
February 22, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
You can now read the latest issue of Vegetarian Journal on Kindle. Some of the articles in this issue
include Flat Out Flavor (a wide variety of sheet pan meals); Breakfasts to
Savor (savory breakfast recipes); Nutrition Hotline: Understanding
Evidence-Based Research; Scientific Updates; Product Reviews; More Harris Poll
Results: What Veggie Products Will American Adults Purchase?; Prisoner’s Rights
and Vegan Meals in Prison; Vegan Lunch Bag Ideas; and More!
Posted on
February 19, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
Although we usually think of
cholesterol as coming from animal products, plants contain very small amounts
of cholesterol.1 The cholesterol content of plants is estimated to
be hundreds to thousands times less than that of animals.2 These low
levels of cholesterol mean that plants’ contribution to dietary cholesterol
intake is extremely small. We were only able to find estimates of cholesterol
amounts in plant oils but not in whole plant foods. Corn oil, for example, is
reported to have 55 milligrams of cholesterol in a kilogram of oil.1
This works out to less than 1 milligram of cholesterol in a tablespoon of corn
oil. In contrast, one egg yolk has 184
milligrams of cholesterol.
Plants contain much higher amounts of
substances similar to cholesterol but with a slightly different structure
called phytosterols or plant sterols. Manufacturers use plant sterols to make
cholesterol which is sometimes used in pharmaceuticals.
Vegans and lacto-ovo vegetarians have
higher mean intakes of phytosterols than do nonvegetarians.3 This
may be a benefit of a plant-based diet since higher consumption of plant
sterols is associated with lower blood cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol
levels.4,5
References
1. Behrman EJ, Gopalan V.
Cholesterol and plants. J Chem Educ.
2005; 82:1791–1793.
2. Sonawane PD, Pollier J,
Panda S, et al. Plant cholesterol biosynthetic pathway overlaps with
phytosterol metabolism. Nat Plants. 2016;3:16205.
3. Jaceldo-Siegl K, Lütjohann
D, Sirirat R, Mashchak A, Fraser GE, Haddad E. Variations in dietary intake and
plasma concentrations of plant sterols across plant-based diets among North
American adults. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2017;61(8):10.
4. Andersson SW, Skinner J,
Ellegård L, et al. Intake of dietary plant sterols is inversely related to
serum cholesterol concentration in men and women in the EPIC Norfolk
population: a cross-sectional study. Eur
J Clin Nutr. 2004;58(10):1378-85.
5. Klingberg S, Ellegård L,
Johansson I, et al. Inverse relation between dietary intake of naturally
occurring plant sterols and serum cholesterol in northern Sweden. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;87(4):993-1001.
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.
The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on veganism and the interrelated issues of health, nutrition, ecology, ethics, and world hunger. We have been helping health professionals, food services, businesses, educators, students, vegans, and vegetarians since 1982. In addition to publishing the Vegan Journal, VRG produces and sells a number of books.
Sign up for our newsletter to receive recipes, ingredient information, reviews of new products, announcements of new books, free samples of products, and other VRG materials.