On Sunday, November 24th, 2019 The
Vegetarian Resource Group hosted our 38th Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Vegan Potluck
Dinner at the North Baltimore Mennonite Church on Roland Avenue in Baltimore,
MD.
Imagine all of the camaraderie and
food associated with the holiday without the turkey and fixin’s. Imagine all
that food – and it was all wonderfully VEGAN. Was this what vegan heaven looks
like? It’s certainly represents a step toward heaven. You should have been
there! Make plans to join us next year, you owe it to yourself – and to the
turkeys.
Save the date: VRG’s
pre-Thanksgiving potluck in Baltimore, MD is on the Sunday before Thanksgiving
each year!
Duckweeds (also known as water
lentils) are plants that grow on lakes and ponds and that are eaten by ducks,
geese, and swans. Some species of duckweed have been traditionally eaten by
people in Asian countries. For example, in Thailand, duckweed is used in salads
and vegetable curries and is found in vegetable markets where it may be called
khai nam, kai-pum, or kai nhae (1).
Duckweed has been recently investigated
as a source of nutrients including protein (1). Questions have arisen about
duckweed’s vitamin B12 content. So far, only one peer-reviewed study has
examined this. Researchers reported that a dish made from Mankai duckweed
contained vitamin B12 (2). No details were provided of the method used to
analyze vitamin B12 which is concerning since some methods measure inactive
vitamin B12 analogs (3, 4).
When questioned about their
methodology (3), the researchers said that they used a method that does not
distinguish between active vitamin B12 and vitamin B12 analogs (5). They also
said that they did another kind of test that found that there was some active
vitamin B12 in the duckweed although no details were provided about how much
active vitamin B12 was present (5).
Unless a food has consistently been
shown to improve vitamin B12 status in humans, as measured by reducing blood
levels of methylmalonic acid, it cannot be considered a reliable source of
vitamin B12 (4). There are no published reports in peer-reviewed scientific
literature of duckweed improving human vitamin B12 status.
The bottom line: More research needs
to be conducted and subjected to peer review, before duckweed (or water
lentils) can be considered a reliable source of vitamin B12 for humans.
1. Appenroth KJ, Sree KS, Bog M, et
al. Nutritional value of the duckweed species of the genus Wolffia (Lemnaceae)
as human food. Front Chem. 2018 Oct 29;6:483
2. Kaplan A, Zelicha H, Tsaban G, et
al. Protein bioavailability of Wolffia globosa duckweed, a novel aquatic plant
– A randomized controlled trial. Clin Nutr. 2019 Dec;38(6):2576-2582. doi:
10.1016/j.clnu.2018.12.009.
3.
Jahreis G, Appenroth KJ, Sree KS, Dawczynski C. Letter to original article by
Kaplan et al. 2018 – Protein bioavailability of Wolffia globosa duckweed, a
novel aquatic plant, A randomized controlled trial. Clin Nutr. 2019
Oct;38(5):2463. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2019.07.007.
5. Kaplan A, Lapidot M, Sela I, Shai
I. RE: Protein bioavailability of Wolffia globosa duckweed, a novel aquatic
plant, a randomized controlled trial. Clin Nutr. 2019 Oct;38(5):2464. doi:
10.1016/j.clnu.2019.08.007
The contents of this posting, 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.
Study Nonviolence and Jainism in India. International Summer School for Jain Studies (ISSJS) is currently accepting applications for three, four, and six week study programs in India. See: www.isjs.in
Loving Hut is an international vegan chain with over 200
restaurants in 35 countries. We recently visited the Loving Hut Falls Church,
Virginia (USA) location. The service was excellent and the food was delicious.
We ordered Tofu & Brussel Sprouts, Spicy Sweet Potato
Curry, Super Kale, and a vegan Brownie with vegan Ice Cream for dessert. Each
dish had its own unique flavor and we greatly enjoyed our meal.
You can also search for veggie restaurants on The Vegetarian
Resource Group’s online guide for the USA and Canada here: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php
Odd Robert by Will Lowrey is a story about two
curious young boys who lived in a small village surrounded by a great forest
called Elkin Forest. They love to go on adventures in the forest to discover
new things. They rescue a creature that is mysterious to them and the
villagers. All they know is that the creature was injured and needed to be
taken care of just like any other living being. The readers eventually will
learn the identity of Odd Robert and see the desperation and passion for his
welfare by those who lost him and those who found him. Due to this passion on
both sides, there are several parts of the story that have graphic descriptions
of violent images.
The animal rights theme is conveyed throughout the story in an unconventional, obscure way. Lowry’s use of the written word makes it easy for the
reader to imagine being right there with the boys on their adventures through
Elkin Forest.
Odd Robert by Will Lowry is a 139-page paperback
book. It is published by Lomack Publishing and is available for retail on
Amazon in paperback and kindle editions. This book may be suitable for ages 16
to adult.
According to engadget, the Impossible Sausage will be tested at 139 Burger King restaurants in five test regions: Savannah, Georgia; Lansing, Michigan; Springfield, Illinois; Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Montgomery, Alabama. See: ImpossibleSausageinBurgerKing’sbreakfastcroissants.
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.
Baby Nanya: baby and toddler shoes. The shoes’ exterior is made of microfiber, while the inner part is made of cotton. They also have rubber sole grips. https://babynanya.com/
Clamfeet: Offers adorable baby shoes and matching shoes for mothers. They have an eco canvas exterior, organic cotton lining, and rubberized grip sole. They are washable. https://clamfeet.com/
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:
Angelhearts Diner
401 East State St., Ste. G2, Ithaca,
NY 14850
Angelhearts Diner aims to offer every
customer, vegan or not, a delicious comfort food experience. They have holiday
specials, but also have consistent menu items like soy mozzarella sticks, vegan
buttered biscuits, and a beet burger salad. The diner is decorated with a
black, white, and blue palate and each customer can recognize the classic
checkered floor tile pattern that decorates Angelhearts Diner.
Gay4U
380 15th St., Oakland, CA 94612
Serves dishes including a
chickpea-seitan burger, bowls, mac n’ cheese, nachos, hand-cut fries, and more.
Also enjoy weekend brunch items including waffles and desserts.
Grenville Kitchen
311 W Ashley St., Ste. 1,
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Comfort food, grown naturally and
used to create a nutrition packed vegan meal. Menu offers many options
including Lasagna, Mac n Chz, Chickn’ and Waffle to Crispy Fried Jackfruit and
salads. Specials include pholourie, a spiced dough ball and pelau, a rice dish.
Be sure to save room for one of the sweet treats of sliced cake or take a whole
one to go!
Hungry Angelina
6400 CA-1, Long Beach, CA 90803
Hungry Angelina is another restaurant
from Matthew Kenney Cuisine, located in Long Beach with a view of the marina.
Their diverse menu includes a lengthy wine, beer, and cocktail list, along with
options like sushi, flatbreads, burgers, and noodles. Customers rave about the
atmosphere and the Pineapple Express Cocktail. They also can’t believe the
Matcha Cheesecake is vegan. For those with allergies, their menu clearly shows
soy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free options, so that customers with any dietary
need feel welcome.
Vegan on Rivers
4245 Rivers Ave., North Charleston,
SC 29405
Vegan on Rivers offers a small menu
featuring soul food that changes daily. Customer favorites include fried green
beans, pineapple upside-down cake, and a sea moss smoothie. Customers applaud
the staff, saying they’re the friendliest staff you’ll encounter. The
restaurant also has a small shop for clothing, and one of a kind finds that add
to the welcoming atmosphere.
Vegan Town
1805 W. State of Franklin Rd., Ste.
800, Johnson City, TN 37604
Enjoy fresh juices, smoothie bowls,
quesadillas, salads, mixed berry toast, and more. Food is also gluten-free.
Vegans Are Us
636 E. Landis Ave., Vineland, NJ 08360
Friendly staff where soulful music
blends with a cozy relaxed vibe. Featuring rich, homey meals with a savory
twist. Breakfasts offer JUST Egg, a variety of vegan breakfast meats, and
organic grits. Additionally, a good variety of vegan cheeses are available as
well as shakes and smoothies. The lunch and dinner menu offers a great
assortment of burgers and sandwiches like meatball subs, Philly v-steak, and
vegan tuna salad and no meal would be complete without a side of delicious
vegan mac and cheese!
– I’m new to this group but a long-term (30+ years)
vegetarian and recent vegan. I…homeschool a 6th grade, vegetarian daughter who
is an aspiring animal rights activist. Part of the reason we homeschool is so
that we can focus on progressive and sustainable topics, for self-directed,
liberal arts inspired education. We have gotten to know a few more vegetarian
and vegan families who homeschool in Baltimore. I wonder if there are any more
vegetarians /vegans out there who are
homeschooling. I am interested in developing a research /writing group for
homeschooling middle and high school students. We belong to a Baltimore area
homeschool co-op (BRANCH) that holds classes on Fridays and has use of a log
cabin space at a local nature center. Whether it’s a “virtual”
discussion group, or a local group that meets monthly or even weekly, I think
that this would be a wonderful network to build. The students could strengthen
their research and writing skills while following their interests in
sustainability and animal rights.
-Shared an article on
vegan lunch options for kids written by a VRG intern.
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.
When most people think of pancakes in the USA, they visualize the pancakes served at breakfast time often with syrup on top. Pancakes, however, can be created as a savory item. In fact, pancakes are often a savory dinner item in other countries.
In her Vegetarian Journal article, Debra Daniels-Zeller offers recipes for Asian Noodle Pancakes with Sweet and Sour Sauce; Tomato-Garlic Chickpea Pancakes with a Salsa Spread; Millet-Vegetable Pancakes with Wild Mushroom Sauce; Carrot-Risotto Cakes with Quick Marinara Sauce; Mushroom-Sage Potato Pancakes; Sun-dried Tomato Polenta Cakes; and Scottish Oat Cakes.
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.
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