By Odette Olivares, VRG Intern

Latin American gastronomy is the result of traditional indigenous cuisine enriched by ingredients that Spaniards, Africans, Portuguese, French, and people from other cultures brought on their arrival to Latin America. The diet of indigenous people used to be rich in plant foods with moderate quantities of insects, fish, and meat. They did not use to consume milk, cheese, or other dairy products, yet they were apparently able to get enough calcium from their diets.

Thanks to the climate of Latin America, this region has provided the world with an abundant variety of plant foods high in calcium. In addition, indigenous people from the region that is now Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, enriched Latin American gastronomy by developing a cooking technique called nixtamalization, which enhances maize (corn) flavor while improving its nutritional properties.

Some traditional Latin American dishes made with good sources of calcium are shown in the table in this article. To see article, go to:

https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/foods_calcium.htm

Each issue of Vegetarian Journal features a column titled Nutrition Hotline. In the latest issue guest writer Camryn Bell addresses the question: What do I need to do to make sure I can continue to follow my vegan diet in the five days that I will be in the hospital?

Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2020issue4/2020_issue4_nutrition_hotline.php

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php You can also subscribe to the Kindle version of Vegetarian Journal in the USA and United Kingdom. In the USA, visit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LBY2Y7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544727482&sr=8-1&keywords=B07LBY2Y7K  In the United Kingdom, visit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07LBY2Y7K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1544731957&sr=8-1&keywords=B07LBY2Y7K

By Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD

It’s the time of year to bring nature inside, to perk up the air and the indoor scenery. Parsley is an easy way to do this. Place a few pots of these perky plants around the house to cleanse the air and the palate. Parsley can be displayed as a spritely bouquet, mixed with other fresh herbs (such as basil, rosemary, or sage), or with dried flowers or grasses, or as a potted plant.

There are two main types of parsley: flat and curly leafed. Curly parsley, when stored properly, is very crisp. This crispiness adds texture and color when added to dishes just before serving. Curly leafed parsley holds its shape best under refrigeration, when wrapped in a damp towel. Flat parsley is the “flavor” parsley.  Flat parsley is one of the essential ingredients in the classic bouquet garni, or packet of herbs and spices used to flavor broths and just about any savory dish. Combine flat parsley with tarragon, chives, and chervil, and you have the traditional French flavoring blend of  “fines herbes,” or fine herbs, which can be cooked with or sprinkled on steamed, grilled, or roasted vegetables, potatoes, mushrooms, and grains.

Chopped and added at the last possible second, parsley perks up sauces and salads. There is very little that does not spiff up with the addition of parsley: think rice dishes, vegetables, scrambled or grilled tofu, pasta, or seitan steaks. Parsley can serve as a back-up to basil in pestos. Deep-fried for a split second, curly leaf parsley makes an even curlier garnish. Think of a cuisine, such as Middle Eastern, Eastern European, Central American, or South East Asian, and parsley is there.

Persillade and gremolada are two well-known sauces which have parsley as one of the main ingredients. Persillade, a French sauce, is a sautéed mixture of finely chopped parsley and fresh garlic. Persillade is used as a finishing touch for grilled foods. Gremolada is a Milanese condiment made of sautéed parsley, garlic, lemon, and orange zest. This mixture can be spread over veggie burgers or roasts just a few minutes prior to removing from the grill or oven, or used with breads (as in garlic bread), soups, or sauces. If you are watching your sodium intake, try a parsley blend of finely minced dried parsley, marjoram, and thyme.

Parsley is mentioned often throughout history, and not only for its culinary and medicinal properties. The early Greeks made crowns of parsley to bestow upon the winners of sports competitions, in the same wat that bay wreaths honored the Roman Olympians. Parsley is used in the Jewish celebration of Passover as a symbol of spring and rebirth. Parsley is mentioned as one of the plants in the gardens of Charlemagne and Catherine de Medici. Rumor has it that Medici is responsible for popularizing parsley when she brought it back to France from its native Italy. As far back as Hippocrates, the “first” physician,” parsley was used in medicinal recipes as a general “good for what ails you” tonic.

Parsley is rich in vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamins A and C, and in antioxidants. The high chlorophyll content seems to act as a breath freshener. Researchers have isolated a compound, apiol, which is now used in medications to treat kidney ailments and kidney stones.

Parsley is best used fresh, but can also be used frozen or dried. If you have an abundance of fresh parsley, you can freeze for later use by washing, patting dry, and freezing, leaf and stem, covered, in a single layer. Parsley may be dried by washing, patting dry, removing stems, spreading on a baking sheet, and drying in a low oven, around 200 degrees. Store dried parsley in an air-tight container. With so many ways to use parsley in the kitchen, it might be nice to grow a pot or two of each variety.

Recent topics brought up include:

– A veggie book for children.

– Sharing a veggie cooking video and vegan recipes.

– A vegan friendly cartoon for Thanksgiving, as well as a vegan-friendly commercial for Christmas.

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. 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

When I was teaching undergraduate nutrition, I asked students to plan a one-day menu for a 5-year old vegan. Note, that these were non-vegetarian dietetics students. Here’s what one of them submitted:

Breakfast        

English muffin sandwich with scrambled tofu and veg sausage, soymilk

Lunch

Soy yogurt with granola, soymilk, apple, baby carrots with soy butter

Dinner

Stir-fry with edamame, tofu, and broccoli; brown rice; soymilk; soy-based frozen dessert

Snack

Smoothie with soymilk and strawberries

My comment? This menu seems over-focused on soy. Because of the student’s apparent misunderstanding that vegans need a lot of soy to get adequate protein, the menu lacks variety. If we were to replace every serving of soy with a hamburger, or with a banana, or with a glass of cow’s milk, it would still be a menu that lacks variety. There’s just too much of one kind of food. I suggested some changes – replace the yogurt at lunch with a hummus dip or a bean burrito; try hash-browns or fruit with breakfast instead of “sausage”; add more vegetables to the stir-fry in place of some of the tofu and/or edamame; have a fruit-based dessert likes a wedge of watermelon or apple cake instead of a soy-based dessert; make the smoothie with another fortified plant milk. All of these changes will add variety. It’s not that there is something inherently wrong with soy – it’s just too much of a good thing in a menu like this.

Some parents and caregivers wonder if children should eat soy at all and have questions about soy safety. The short answer – research supports the idea that soy is safe for children and that it may offer short-term and long-term health benefits. In addition, soy foods can add variety if used in moderation. Of course, children with a soy allergy should avoid products containing soy.

Soy foods are an excellent source of protein and essential amino acids; they are also low in saturated fat, free of cholesterol, and high in unsaturated fat. Soymilk is often fortified with calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12; some brands of tofu are good sources of calcium and may be fortified with vitamin B12; tofu-based veggie “meats” may be fortified with iron, zinc, and vitamin B12.

Women who ate moderate amounts of soy foods in childhood and adolescence, appear to have as much as a 60% lower risk of breast cancer later in life.^1-4 This is especially the case when soy foods were eaten in childhood.

Another advantage of soy is its versatility. For children who want to fit in, veggie “bologna” sandwiches and tofu “hot dogs” can make their lunchbox look like that of their classmates’. Concerns about the safety of soy for children appear to be unfounded. There is really no scientific support for claims like soy having a feminizing effect or producing adverse hormonal effects in children in amounts typically eaten.^5-8 Based on intakes of traditional societies, a couple of servings of soy appears to be safe during childhood.

References

1. Korde LA, Wu AH, Fears T, et al. Childhood soy intake and breast cancer risk in Asian American women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009;18(4):1050–1059.

2. Shu XO, Jin F, Dai Q, et al. Soyfood intake during adolescence and subsequent risk of breast cancer among Chinese women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2001 May;10(5):483-488.

3. Wu AH, Yu MC, Tseng CC, et al. Dietary patterns and breast cancer risk in Asian American women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Apr;89(4):1145-1154.

4. Lee SA, Shu XO, Li H, et al. Adolescent and adult soy food intake and breast cancer risk: results from the Shanghai Women’s Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Jun;89(6):1920-1926.

5. Messina M, Rogero MM, Fisberg M, Waitzberg D. Health impact of childhood and adolescent soy consumption. Nutr Rev. 2017;75(7):500-515.

6. Wada K, Nakamura K, Masue T, et al. Soy intake and urinary sex hormone levels in preschool Japanese children. Am J Epidemiol. 2011 May 1;173(9):998-1003.

7. Maskarinec G, Morimoto Y, Novotny R, Nordt FJ, Stanczyk FZ, Franke AA. Urinary sex steroid excretion levels during a soy intervention among young girls: a pilot study. Nutr Cancer. 2005;52(1):22-28.

8. Zung A, Shachar S, Zadik Z, Kerem Z. Soy-derived isoflavones treatment in children with hypercholesterolemia: a pilot study. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2010;23(1-2):133-141.

Reed Mangels, PhD, RD is a Nutrition Advisor for The Vegetarian Resource Group.

By Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD, EdD

To mold or shape rice for an elegant or fun presentation, select short-grained rice. Pack cooked rice into an oiled mold, oven-proof cookie cutters, muffin tins, or individual baking cups. Place the mold in an oven-safe dish with 2 inches of water, open-side up. Bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes or until set. Allow to cool and unmold.

     If you’d like to create rice balls, to use as hot entrée or cold snack, cook a batch of short-grained, sticky/glutinous, or sushi rice, and allow to cool. Select one of the blends listed here, and mix with rice. Roll and pat larger balls for an entrée, smaller balls for a snack. To heat rice balls, wrap in plastic wrap and microwave for several minutes on medium heat, or place in a steamer and heat for a few minutes.

Savory:

Green bell pepper, chopped tomatoes, chopped parsley, and chopped walnuts

Chopped parsley, breadcrumbs, and lemon juice

Chopped green bell peppers, onions, celery, pimentos, mushrooms, cayenne, and paprika

Cooked wild rice, minced garlic, sautéed onions and mushrooms, and dry sherry

Red bell peppers, soyrizo, paprika, oregano, and shallots

Scallions, water chestnuts or jicama, cilantro, and soy sauce

Chopped fresh parsley, minced garlic, curry powder, and olive oil

Forest blend mushrooms and sherry

Sweet:

Pineapple and organic brown sugar or date sugar

Roasted chestnuts or chestnut purée, cinnamon, and ginger

Minced dried apricots, raisins, and almonds

Shredded coconut, organic brown sugar, nutmeg, and cloves

By Rissa Miller, Vegetarian Journal Senior Editor

1/4 cup Ener-G Egg replacer powder

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup dried cranberries, minced

Zest and juice of one orange

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Pinch ground clove

Pinch salt (optional)

1 cup chilled vegan margarine (we used Country Crock Plant Butter)

2 cups organic sugar

1 cup vegan eggnog or plain vegan creamer

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon orange extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together Egg Replacer powder and warm water until it’s frothy and there are no lumps. Set aside to allow time to combine.

     In a small bowl, soak chopped cranberries with orange juice and zest. Set aside.

     In a medium bowl, whisk or sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, clove, and salt. Set aside.

     In the bowl with the frothy Egg Replacer, add margarine, sugar, eggnog,and extracts. Using an electric mixer, beat wet ingredients until smooth and evenly blended, about 2 minutes (wooden spoon works too, but requires more time.)

     Pour dry ingredients into wet and beat again until just combined. Do not overwork or the cake will be tough. Well mixed, fold in the cranberries and orange zest/juice. Set aside while preparing the pan.

     Using additional vegan margarine and flour, coat the inside of a bundt pan first with margarine, then with flour. Shake out excess flour. Pour cake batter into the prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour, rotating half way through baking. Test with a toothpick for doneness in the middle and add more time if needed in 2-5 minute increments.

Allow to cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto a cake plate and serving.

Despite the present pandemic, The Vegetarian Resource Group continues to be very busy on a daily basis. Below are some examples of successes and activities. Your support is greatly appreciated! You can donate to VRG at
www.vrg.org/donate

Here’s a sampling of some of our accomplishments and outreach:

● Over 1,200 registered dietitians visited The Vegetarian Resource Group virtual booth at the national Food and Nutrition Conference & Expo. Many requested information for themselves or to use with clients.

● Vegetarian Resource Group Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, did an interview for Fitbit on vegan athletes, an interview with Nutrition Action Health Letter about antinutrients, and an interview with the New York Times about vegan babies and children. Reed also spoke virtually about The VRG and vegetarian children at the Maryland Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Meeting.

● The Vegetarian Resource Group sent in testimony to the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Committee, care of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, encouraging the committee to continue to stress the benefits of vegan and vegetarian diets, to expand the discussion about benefits of these diets, and to continue to identify these diets as healthful eating patterns. Helpful references included in the comments are here: vrg.org/blog/2020/06/19/the-vegetarian-resource-group-sends-in-testimony-concerning-the-2020-dietary-guidelines

● Reed Mangels PhD, RD supervised a vegan dietetic student in helping her to complete her internship require­ments towards her registered dietitian certification, when her hospital placement was shut down because of COVID-19. We were able to refer a dietitian to a source of information she needed on a vegan diet for a cancer patient. We found assistance for a person from Argentina who had technical questions on tempeh production. VRG researcher Jeanne Yacoubou, MS, added to our ingredient list (whether vegan, vegetarian, or non-vegetarian) Yellow Prussiate of Soda. See: vrg.org/blog/2020/07/07/yellow-prussiate-of-soda. Jeanne also researched: How Sustainable is Vegan Leather? See: vrg.org/blog/2020/06/18/how-sustainable-is-vegan-leather

● VRG donated Vegetarian Journal subscriptions to participants in a 10-Day Vegan Challenge sponsored by the Black Vegetarian Society of Maryland. We sent 50 Vegan My Plates and 50 Vegan in a Nutshell brochures for tabling at Easton, PA Vegfest and vegan information to 45 prisoners. Finally, VRG hosted 12 virtual interns over the summer and 12 High School and College interns this fall. A new batch of interns will start in January 2021. They all worked/will be working on a number of exciting projects!

This is just a small sampling of what we are doing at VRG every day. Thank you so much! We couldn’t do this without your support.

You can donate directly to VRG at www.vrg.org/donate

You can also mail donations to The Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203 or call in your donation to (410) 366-8343 Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm EST.

Each issue of Vegetarian Journal features reviews of products we really like. The latest issue features reviews of High Peaks Vegan Sausage and Fresh Gourmet Crispy Peppers, and Bright Bars.

Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2020issue4/2020_issue4_veggie_bits.php

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

You can also subscribe to the Kindle version of Vegetarian Journal in the USA and United Kingdom. In the USA, visit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LBY2Y7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544727482&sr=8-1&keywords=B07LBY2Y7K  In the United Kingdom, visit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07LBY2Y7K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1544731957&sr=8-1&keywords=B07LBY2Y7K

Are you looking to put a new spin on your New Year’s Eve/Day meal? If so, a previous Vegetarian Journal article by Anna Lam serves up a number of creative Southern-style ideas including Cornbread Flapjacks with Jalapeño-Mayhaw Jelly, Hoppin’ Johns, Turnip Greens, and Seitan Ham.

Find the recipes here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2017issue4/2017_issue4_new_year.php

Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA only by visiting https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

You can also subscribe to the Kindle version of Vegetarian Journal in the USA and United Kingdom.

In the USA, visit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LBY2Y7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544727482&sr=8-1&keywords=B07LBY2Y7K In the United Kingdom, visit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07LBY2Y7K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1544731957&sr=8-1&keywords=B07LBY2Y7K

And have a healthy 2021!