Posted on
December 21, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Photo from Frey Vinyards
By Emilio Gironda, The Vegetarian Resource Group Volunteer Coordinator
While wine contains mostly vegan friendly components – grapes, yeast, and (sometimes) sulfites – the processing of wine involves ingredients of concern to both vegetarians and vegans alike. Here are some links to various articles on the issues presented, a list of American Wineries than only sell Vegan Wines, and links to listings of Vegan-friendly Wines. Cheers!
The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including The 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.
We noticed
that the VG Classic menu item featuring a Beyond Burger®
at Veggie Grill had different nutritional values for the patty alone
than those posted on the Beyond Meat (BM) website for the Beyond Burger patty.
Veggie Grill
(VG) is a fast-casual vegan restaurant chain currently in New York,
Massachusetts, Illinois, California, Oregon, and Washington that has been
enjoyed by VRG staff and volunteers. See https://www.veggiegrill.com/
Using Veggie
Grill’s online nutrition calculator, https://www.veggiegrill.com/nutrition-calculator.html
and eliminating all condiments, the Beyond Meat Beyond Burger®
patty in their VG Classic menu option received the following nutritionals:
[VRG note:
To see the nutrition facts for the patty itself on the Beyond Meat website,
click on the leftmost label (there are four) below the large photo of the trial
pack from the link above.]
The VRG
noticed that the Veggie Grill website calculator did not list a patty weight.
Beyond Meat’s website label stated it was 4 oz. Thinking that a
difference in serving size weight, cooking method, different ingredients – or
some combination – created the discrepancies, we contacted both Beyond Meat
and Veggie Grill for more information.
Initial
Response from Beyond Meat Customer Service
The Customer
Care Team at Beyond Meat, quickly replied in May 2020 by saying:
“…when our
products are in restaurants, the restaurant does have the liberty to cook and
serve our products as they wish – this is the same for U.S. and international
restaurants. Therefore the nutritional information for our retail burger and
the one at Veggie Grill may be slightly different depending on size. We hope
this clears things up!”
Beyond Meat also
told us, “Our nutrition information is for our products uncooked, we don’t have
information to offer for after cooked.”
Response from
Veggie Grill Customer Service
We received a
reply to our inquiry using the Veggie Grill website contact request form.
“…We have
followed up with our culinary team and confirmed that we receive a proprietary
patty that is different than what can be purchased at the store. This would
explain why the nutritional information is different than what is listed on
their website.”
The VRG
followed up by asking about whether the patty nutritional values were for a
cooked or uncooked patty. We also wanted to know how much it weighed.
Veggie Grill
responded that “A representative from Beyond Meat will contact you shortly to
answer all of your questions regarding the Beyond patties we use at our
locations. We believe this will be the best solution as they will have all of
the answers for you as the patty that we use is not the exact same as what can
be purchased in a store.”
Later
Responses from BM
We received
an email from Beyond Meat and learned:
There is a retail Beyond
Meat patty and a food service (FS) patty.
Veggie Grill receives
a foodservice patty from Beyond Meat.
Consumers purchase
retail Beyond Meat patties in the store.
There is less fat in
the retail product than in the foodservice patty.
The added fat (in
this case, coconut oil) is there to prevent the patty from drying out until
it’s served to a restaurant guest.
Both the retail patty
and the foodservice patty have the same proteins (that is, pea proteins and
brown rice) but in different amounts.
Veggie Grill receives
a 4 oz. patty.
Beyond Meat then sent us specification sheets for the retail and foodservice burgers. Specification sheets, also known as spec sheets, give information – including nutritional data – about products. They are intended for wholesale customers, although general consumers can request to see them.
Here is the relevant information from the spec sheets:
Retail BM patty (4 oz.)
Food Service BM patty (4 oz.)
Calories: 260
Calories: 280
Sodium: 350 mg
Sodium: 390 mg
Satd. Fat: 5 g (Total fat: 18 g)
Satd. Fat: 6 g (Total fat: 20 g)
Here is the
ingredient statement for the food service patty:
Water, Pea
Protein Isolate, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Refined Coconut Oil, Rice Protein,
Natural Flavors, Mung Bean Protein, Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Apple
Extract, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vinegar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sunflower
Lecithin, Beet Juice Extract (for color), Pomegranate Fruit Powder, Lycopene
Color (from Tomato).
Here is the
ingredient statement for the retail patty:
“Water, Pea
Protein, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Refined Coconut Oil, Rice Protein,
Natural Flavors, Cocoa Butter, Mung Bean Protein, Methylcellulose, Potato
Starch, Apple Extract, Pomegranate Extract, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vinegar,
Lemon Juice Concentrate, Sunflower Lecithin, Beet Juice Extract (for color).”
The
specification sheets created more questions, since the values from Veggie
Grill’s online calculator (shown above) were different from both of the
spec sheets. These are responses from Veggie Grill to additional questions we
asked.
“We do not
add any oil to the flat top when cooking the burgers because the burgers
contain enough fat in them.
Depending on
what style we are doing, sometimes seasonings are added (those are included in
the nutritionals we post). All of our burgers have sauces, garnishes, breads,
etc. added. Any ingredient we use on our
burgers is included in the nutritionals. It will never be JUST the patty
nutritionals.”
The last
reply implies that something else beside the patty is included in the
stated nutritional values given above for the Veggie Grill patty since they are
greater than those of the foodservice patty.
In reply to
our additional questions, Beyond Meat said, “Also, the reason you are seeing a
discrepancy in spec sheet info is most likely due to the fact we are constantly
innovating and improving our products so our spec sheets are constantly
changing.”
September
Follow-up from Veggie Grill
Here is
additional information we learned from our phone conversation with Veggie Grill:
The patty Veggie
Grill uses from Beyond Meat is “smaller in terms of ounces” than the retail BM
burger.
No salt is added to
the burger.
The burger isn’t grilled
in oil.
“…Some of the confusion may be in that we are in the
process of doing a 90% overhaul to our menu and so over the past few months,
our burger skus have changed slightly as we’ve perfected the menu items. [VRG
Note: SKU, or stock-keeping unit, is a unique identifier for an item sold by a business. Businesses
create their own codes based on various characteristics of their merchandise. This allows
vendors to track inventory. Each business has its own definitions of skus for
internal use, unlike other identifiers of a product, which are the same for all
businesses. A Beyond Burger at one chain would have a different SKU than at another
restaurant chain.]
Also within that time, Beyond Burger switched their
formula. So the actual nutritionals have changed a few times, although we try
to keep up with those changes in all portals as they happen…We are extremely
committed to and conscious of the need for transparency in our nutritional
information. Our menu items change frequently, and the vendors we use also make
changes. It is common for nutritionals to change on menu items even though the
overall item may not appear to change for the guest.”
VRG had observed on Beyond Meat’s foodservice spec sheet
and a NFP (nutrition facts profile) sent to us stating that it was “the
nutritional statement from Beyond Meat.”
Here is that NFP (nutrition facts profile):
Upon seeing the 3.7 oz serving size, The VRG learned that
Beyond Meat has several different formulas. Their standard is 4 oz., but Veggie
Grill uses a 3.7 wt oz. patty.
It was at this time, when we checked the Veggie Grill website,
that the Nutrition Facts Profile for the Beyond Meat patty alone on the Veggie
Grill nutrition calculator no longer showed the April 2020 values (shown
above). Now the values were:
Calories: 260
Sodium: 370 mg
Saturated Fat: 6 g
These were
the same values shown on the Nutrition Facts Profile (above) and attributed as
coming from Beyond Meat.
The VRG performed a proportional analysis of Beyond Meat’s
and Veggie Grill’s values using the numbers listed on the Beyond Meat spec
sheet (sent to us by Beyond Meat) for the food service patty and those now
appearing on Veggie Grill’s calculator, taking into account weight differences:
Assuming
there may be slight discrepancies due to rounding, the proportional analysis
indicates that website differences are due – at least in part – to the patty
size difference (4 oz. vs. 3.7 oz.)
Veggie Grill
confirmed it does not grill the patty in any oil. Therefore, the difference in
calories between the Veggie Grill and Beyond Meat websites is not due to
cooking. Veggie Grill also confirmed no sodium was added before serving,
during, or after cooking. If so, sodium would be included in the nutritionals.
General
Conclusions on Veggie Grill’s VG Classic made with Beyond Meat’s Beyond
Burger
Based on
information from Beyond Meat and Veggie Grill, we know that:
The nutritional
values for the uncooked retail burger appear on the Beyond Meat site.
The VG Classic
burger values are based on a cooked patty made by Beyond Meat for food service
(that is, restaurants, hospitals, schools, etc.)
The Beyond Meat
patties (food service and retail) are listed on their respective specification
sheets as 4 oz. each uncooked. Beyond Meat told us this on several
occasions, too.
Veggie Grill reports
that the patty sold to them by Beyond Meat is listed as being 3.7 oz.
A proportional
analysis of the nutritional values confirms, notwithstanding minor rounding
discrepancies, that the 0.3 oz. weight difference (4.0 oz. – 3.7 oz.) accounts
for differences in calories and sodium between the two patties.
No differences in
saturated fat amounts were observed. Beyond Meat told us that the foodservice
patty has “added fat” – more than the retail burger ounce for ounce.
(See chart above.) Since the Veggie Grill food service patty is smaller, (3.7
oz.), its saturated fat content should be slightly less than the
saturated fat content in a 4 oz. food service Beyond Meat burger – according
to proportional analysis. A possible explanation for this apparent anomaly
may be due to rounding.
Veggie Grill states
that the nutritional values for the Beyond Meat patty used in their VG
Classic, currently appearing on their online calculator, are the identical
values reported to them by Beyond Meat.
Thank you to Beyond Meat and Veggie Grill for all your
assistance in answering these questions.
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.
Which of the following, if
any, best describes your eating behavior?
-I never eat meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs. -I never eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry. -I never eat meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs when eating out or getting takeout, but eat one or more of these foods at home. -I never eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry when eating out or getting takeout, but eat one or more of these foods at home. -When eating out or getting takeout, I sometimes eat meals without meat, fish, poultry, dairy, or eggs. -When eating out or getting takeout, I sometimes eat meals without meat, fish, or poultry. -None of these.
We considered those that
never eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry; plus those that never eat meat,
fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs, as vegetarian. We classified that
second category of vegetarians who don’t eat dairy or eggs also as vegan.
Because we use the word “never” and don’t just ask if a person considers
him/herself vegetarian, our numbers may be lower than others. Be wary of
comparing to polls in other countries that ask if you are vegetarian or vegan,
since people may self define differently. We did not ask about honey.
More than half of the U.S. adult population (54%) always
or sometimes eats vegetarian (including vegan) meals when eating out. One
fourth (25%) of U.S.
adults always or sometimes eats vegan meals when eating out. Six percent of
American adults are vegetarian (including vegans) all the time, and half of the
vegetarians are also vegan (three percent of American adults).
Looking at the number of vegetarians
(including vegan) by race/ethnic group shows few differences across the groups,
which reflects information we have found in other polls we have conducted. Six
percent of Latinos and Asians were vegetarian, while 5% of Blacks were
vegetarians, all of which is pretty close to the U.S. total for all adults.
However, of the 5% of Blacks that are vegetarian, included are 4% vegan and 1%
not vegan. From our experience, vegetarians from India often have a hard time
giving up dairy which is a part of their culture, so it makes sense that vegan
was such a small percentage of Asian vegetarians (6% vegetarians including
vegans – with less than 1% vegan.)
Black
1% Vegetarians (not including vegans)
5% Vegetarians (including vegans)
4% Vegans
55% Eats vegetarian meals including vegan sometimes or always when eating out
27% Eats vegans meals sometimes or always when eating out
Most important when making food choices: taste (58%); personal health (43%); cost (37%)
Latino
3% Vegetarians (not including vegans)
6% Vegetarians (including vegans)
3% Vegans
64% Eats vegetarian meals including vegan sometimes or always when eating out
30% Eats vegans meals sometimes or always when eating out
Most important when making food choices: taste (49%); cost (38%); personal health (35%)
Asian
6% Vegetarians (not including vegans)
6% Vegetarians (including vegans)
<1% Vegans
59% Eats vegetarian meals including vegan sometimes or always when eating out
23% Eats vegans meals sometimes or always when eating out
Most important when making food choices: taste (55%); cost (40%); personal health (36%)
Total
3% Vegetarians (not including vegans)
6% Vegetarians (including vegans)
3% Vegans
54% Eats vegetarian meals including vegan sometimes or always when eating out
24% Eats vegans meals sometimes or always when eating out
Most important when when making food choices: taste (57%); cost (38%); personal health (36%)
In 2016, we asked what the
main reason you eat/you would eat meals without meat, fish, seafood, or poultry.
Top reasons that black individuals eat/would eat meals without meat, fish,
seafood, or poultry were health (38%) and cost (11%). For Latinos it was
health reasons (31%), cost (5%), animals (5%), and inability to obtain animal
products that are organic, GMO-free, or labeled humane (5%). Taste was not a
choice. We can’t compare the poll questions directly since they were different
questions. See: 2016 poll at https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/Polls/2016_eating_out.htm
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of The Vegetarian Resource Group from June 22-24, 2020 among 2,074 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For survey methodology, please contact [email protected]. Please note that this poll was taken during the Covid-19 pandemic. We do not know what influence, if any, that may have had on the survey answers. See: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/faq.htm#poll for more poll information
Posted on
December 17, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Through December 31, 2020, you can give a gift membership to The Vegetarian
Resource Group (includes a 1-year subscription to Vegetarian Journal) for $15 each. Offer is valid
in the USA only!
This is a terrific way to share the vegan message, as well as support VRG
outreach. Gift subscriptions can be done online by simply typing in your
message and the name and address of each gift recipient in the comments field.
Go to: www.vrg.org/donate
Posted on
December 16, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
A Vegetarian Resource Group member wrote that she purchased a hair product in a rush, saw the “cruelty-free” bunny, and assumed it was vegan. “Get home and read the ingredients and it has silk protein in it. Don’t be fooled by the little bunny… it doesn’t mean it’s vegan.”
According to Leaping Bunny FAQs, “To assist shoppers looking for vegetarian or vegan cruelty-free products, we ask our brands to let us know if they have some products which qualify and have included a refined search option on our website.” So though these products don’t involve experimentation on animals, they are not necessarily vegetarian or vegan.
Companies may be certified by PETA under one of two designations:
Global animal test–free recognizes companies and brands that have verified that they and their suppliers do not conduct, commission, pay for, or allow any tests on animals for their ingredients, formulations, or finished products anywhere in the world and that they will never do so in the future.
Global animal test–free and vegan recognizes companies and brands that meet the same requirements and whose entire product line is free of animal-derived ingredients. These companies are truly cruelty-free.
And a company can put their own bunny on a label. So always make sure to read ingredients.
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.
Posted on
December 16, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By Emilio Gironda, VRG Volunteer Coordinator
As of January 1, 2019 the California Health and Safety Code requires all licensed health facilities to “make available wholesome, plant-based meals of such variety as to meet the needs of patients in accordance with their physicians’ orders.” Also as of January 1, 2019 the California Penal Code mandates prisons provide “ food of such variety as may be most conducive to good health and that shall include the availability of plant-based meals…on an overall cost-neutral basis.” Both statutes define vegan/plant-based meals as “…entire meals that contain no animal products or byproducts, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy, or eggs.”
The last major cases before the US Supreme Court concerning prisoner rights were Burwell v. Hobby Lobby in 2014 and Holt v. Hobbes in 2015. Following in the shadow of those two cases, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (New York) in Williams v. Annucci from 2018 remanded a case back to the lower court because the burden placed on the State to provide for the prisoner’s religious dietary restrictions, which consisted partly of a vegetarian diet, was not met. The case went on to settle. Interestingly, the court expressed disappointment with New York State’s stalling the case for 7 years while the prisoner was “forced to cobble together sufficient food to eat while adhering to his protected religious diet.”
Posted on
December 15, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Spring rolls, fried rice, and Thai strips from Trash Panda Vegan food truck
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):
EastSide Local
offers a variety of ethical vegan foods, from ‘bites’ to drinks to desserts.
The ‘bites’ feature a variety of options ranging from salads to breakfast bowls
to sandwiches. The drinks include a variety of smoothie options, as well as
teas and coffees served hot or cold. The desserts section specializes in
cheesecakes and brownies, but also offers a wide variety of other desserts. The
restaurant has a lot of positive reviews, notably about the experience of
eating there with patio dining. They also have many events throughout the year
that are worth checking out!
New Public Foodtruck, Bellingham, WA
98225
New Public Foodtruck
is veganizing all of your favorite comfort foods. They have anything from
Reubens, All American burgers, and breakfast tacos to tater tots. You even have
the choice to make any order a “McConaughey Style,” which involves adding a
drizzle of cashew sour cream and chipotle mayo.
Sage Against the Machine, 1213½
Cornwall Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225
This food truck is
hard to miss with its green exterior. Sage Against the Machine views their
vegan food as part of a lifestyle and not a diet. That is why their menu
includes craveable and indulgent dishes. Some popular ones are the BBQ
Jackfruit Sandwich smothered in homemade barbeque sauce and topped with potato
chips. Also, the Loaded Mac and No Cheese’s are to not be passed up. Flavors
include Reuben Mac, Chili Mac, SW Chipotle Mac, and more. There are also
salads, grain bowls, “Not”chos, “frankfurters”, and other delicious street
foods. All items are made from scratch and the owners are very friendly and
provide great customer service.
Sestina, 9725 Culver Blvd., Culver
City, CA 90232
Sestina by Matthew
Kenney offers a vegan pasta menu, sustainable wines, and delectable desserts in
an elegant and classy environment, perfect for a night out. An online
marketplace and meal kit program is also available if you prefer to cook at
home using high quality vegan ingredients. Some of the delicious pasta
offerings include ravioli which contains spinach, soybean pancetta, and leek
potato filling, and also the traditional cavatelli made with market vegetables,
summer beans, and pistachio pesto. For dessert, you can try “Ganache,” an
almond sorbet and strawberry tart, or “Zeppole,” which are chocolate and
hazelnut mini Italian donuts.
Solar Energy, 1461½ Sunset Blvd., Los
Angeles, CA 90026
Solar Energy is an
incredibly unique cake shop that makes raw, vegan, and organic cakes. Their
beautiful cakes are made with almonds and cashews, and have intricate designs
created with all-natural plant food colorings. They emphasize how sacred the
food is that they use, which is portrayed through their cakes. You will
definitely enjoy picking one of these up for your next event – try a slice of
the Strawberry Rose Cacao, Lemon Lavender Blueberry, or Matcha Coconut. It will
be a delightful treat!
Street Beet, 4626 3rd Ave., Detroit,
MI 48201
Making vegan
versions of classic comfort foods such as chicken nuggets and fries, the owners
of this vegan pop-up strive to allow people with various dietary preferences to
experience vegan versions of meat-based American classics. They have
consistently drawn large crowds with their vegan versions of popular fast food
items from chains such as Taco Bell and McDonalds. They are currently located
at 3rd Street Bar.
Sun Burger Vegan Cuisine, Charlotte,
NC 28227
Sun Burger Vegan
Cuisine, a unique food truck in the Charlotte area, is serving up incredible
vegan food to the community. Besides their famous burgers, try out their others
African & Caribbean fusion meals, such as the Sweet & Sour Chick’n,
Portobello Pepper Steak and Yellow Split Pea Dahl. For a drink, grab a Sun
Elixir, which is hibiscus tea with cloves, pimento, ginger, and agave. Their
use of fresh and healthy ingredients shows, as one of their customers said, “It’s
so refreshing to see true food cooking from Mother Nature”. Their motto, Eat
Well Live Well, embodies their delicious offerings which are sure to have you
coming back for more!
Trash Panda Vegan, Phoenix AZ 85040
Trash Panda Vegan
offers customers a variety of vegan comfort foods and “is a multiracial and
multicultural food concept born out of a love for the planet, health and
community.” This food truck updates social media regularly with new dishes and
locations where one can stop by to order tacos, burgers, tater tots, and more!
Urban Vegan, 1601-1603 W. Montrose
Ave., Chicago, IL 60613
Urban Vegan serves
an extensive menu of entirely vegan Thai cuisine. They provide many different
dishes such as banana spring rolls, Hawaiian puffs, red chili dumplings, papaya
salad, panang curry, and so much more.
Posted on
December 15, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By Julia Stanitski,
VRG Intern
My internship at The
Vegetarian Resource Group was incredible. I originally reached out to VRG
because I have been so interested in veganism and health promotion. I had heard
of VRG before, but never really knew much about the organization. After talking
with Charles Stahler, who I was in contact with about the experience, I knew I
would love the activities it would entail. I began the internship in early
September, and continued until December, learning a lot along the way.
I began the internship by assisting with
the restaurant guide on the VRG website. Debra sent me general information on
how to complete summaries/write-ups for new vegan restaurants that popped up
across the USA and Canada. This was so fun for me, as I got to view and learn
about new places opening up. It was great to see what types of vegan food and
cuisine are available nowadays! I also got to review a Delaware vegan
restaurant for the VRG E-mail Newsletter. This was awesome! My friends and I
went to Daily Veg, a 100% vegan restaurant in Newark, Delaware, to try a
variety of their offerings. I had never written a food review before, but it
was fun getting to taste the foods, take photographs, and write about it
afterwards.
Next, I created a blog post about vegan
snacks for dancers. This was very personal to me as I have danced for my entire
life. Since I have only been vegan for around three years, my eating habits
have definitely changed throughout my life. I really got to think about the
best snacks for athletes and dancers, in particular, which I really enjoyed.
The second blog post I wrote was about vegan food available at my college. I
loved doing this, because there are tons of vegan options at the University of
Delaware! I really got to explain how I was able to find vegan food and I did
not go hungry during the day because of my dietary restrictions.
The third blog post I wrote was about
favorite vegan foods of various college interns. I was able to connect with the
other interns at VRG and ask them what vegan foods they enjoy at their own
schools. If the interns were in high school, I asked them what foods they would
like to see at the future college they attend. I loved this because I got to
email with people all around the country that are similar in age to me, and learn
about where they went to school and what they like. After this, I finally wrote
a post regarding Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding parents, teens,
and veganism. This was my favorite blog post I got to write. It hit home to me
because I started going vegan when I was 17/18-years-old. As my parents are not
vegan or vegetarian, it was difficult changing my way of life and how I ate
when I was at home with them. I had to explain a lot about veganism to them,
and have a ton of confidence in myself regarding my decisions. I think this FAQ
will be very helpful for teens that either are vegan, or are thinking about
going vegan in the near future.
Next, I got to help another VRG intern
that goes to Loyola University with one of her projects. I really liked this
because I got to see what the types of projects were that she was working on. I
assisted her on a specific project by sharing my opinions on commercials &
advertisements of vegan products. She then put my opinion and the opinions of
other interns into a big blog post for the website. It was great!
One of the most valuable things I got to
do in this internship was make a list of companies and positions that
interested me for future jobs. For each, I put their requirements, links to
their applications, and the general gist of the employment opportunity. This
really got me thinking about types of jobs I could see myself working in in the
future. Especially since I am unsure of the specific job I want, it was great
to see the options out there and what I would actually like doing after reading
their descriptions. I am now able to keep this and look back on it throughout
my senior year of college while I begin to search for jobs.
Lastly, I was able to review two vegan
food products. These were GoodPops (organic freezer pops made from juice) and
soy filets. These were fun because I got to taste two different products I had
never purchased before on my own. I enjoyed writing a little blurb about the
positives of each and where to find them at stores.
Overall, this internship experience was
great for me. I really learned a lot about veganism in the real world, how
companies have been promoting the lifestyle, and how much vegan-related media
and products have grown in the past few years! I loved working with VRG and
want to continue to stay connected with vegan health promotion and media. I
would definitely recommend this internship to any high school or college
student interested in vegetarianism, veganism, or just a healthier lifestyle.
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.
