By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Thirteen years ago, Vegetarian Sports Nutrition, by VRG advisor Enette Larson-Meyer, was a ground-breaking book about sports nutrition for vegetarians. Now, Dr. Larson-Meyer has teamed up with Matt Ruscigno, a vegan registered dietitian to create the update to Vegetarian Sports Nutrition, newly titled Plant-Based Sports Nutrition.

The authors provide a comprehensive review of sports nutrition topics including building muscle without meat, determining the right amount of carbohydrate and fat, promoting bone health, reducing muscle cramps, managing weight, and choosing food and fluids before, during, and after events. Each topic includes a summary of the latest research as well as practical information. The book ends with a collection of flexible recipes that provide lots of choices for busy athletes.

This extensively updated book should be required reading for athletes of all abilities whether vegan, vegetarian, or considering being vegetarian or vegan. Plant-Based Sports Nutrition could also serve as a great resource for coaches, trainers, and dietitians who work with vegetarian athletes.

Plant-Based Sports Nutrition (ISBN: 978-1-4925-6864-3) is published by Human Kinetics.  It has 334 pages and retails for $24.95. 

Le Pain Quotidien reports they will be adding cashew cream cheese as an offering. On their website, it’s indicated that vegan items are labeled 100% botanical on their menus, their organic breads are vegan (except for brioche), and vegan dishes include the Avocado Tartine, Supergrains Bowl, and Lentil & Avocado Salad.

See: https://www.lepainquotidien.com/us/en/

For information about other restaurant chains, go to: https://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

See a listing of vegan and vegetarian restaurants in the USA and Canada at: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

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.

This memo is from the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service

This memorandum provides guidance on crediting tempeh in the child nutrition programs (CNPs), including the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program. Tempeh is a highly nutritious fermented soybean cake traditionally made from whole soybeans. Although mature beans have traditionally been credited as a meat alternate in the CNPs, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has not previously issued guidance on crediting tempeh. Based on stakeholder feedback, FNS is updating CNP food crediting guidance to explain how to credit tempeh as a meat alternate.

In December 2017, FNS solicited comments on the CNP crediting system through a Request for Information (RFI). FNS sought public input about specific foods, including tempeh, due to high interest. FNS asked whether tempeh should credit, and if so, how tempeh should credit. FNS also invited commenters to provide input on any ingredients, processing methods, or nutrient standards that FNS should consider, and to share their ideas for incorporating tempeh into a reimbursable meal or snack. The comments are available for review at https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=FNS-2017-0044.  

Tempeh is used as a meat alternate in a variety of recipes, including stir-fries, sandwiches, and salads. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (Dietary Guidelines) identify soy products as protein foods, and a good source of copper, manganese, and iron. A key recommendation of the Dietary Guidelines is to consume a variety of protein foods, including seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans and peas), and nuts, seeds, and soy products. As commenters noted, providing a straightforward crediting method for tempeh provides improved access to an additional vegetarian option, allowing program operators to diversify menus to meet the dietary needs of participants with vegetarian preferences or dietary restrictions for cultural or religious reasons.

Program operators now may credit 1 ounce of tempeh as 1 ounce equivalent of meat alternate. This method of crediting applies to tempeh with ingredients limited to soybeans (or other legumes), water, tempeh culture, and for some varieties, vinegar, seasonings, and herbs.

FNS will update the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs to include tempeh in the meat/meat alternates section. To view the Food Buying Guide, please visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/food-buying-guide-for-child-nutrition-programs. 

Varieties of tempeh that include other creditable foods as ingredients, such as brown rice, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seed, and/or vegetables, may also credit as meat alternates, grains, and/or vegetables. Since foods must be present in the minimum creditable quantities (⅛ cup or ¼ ounce equivalents) to credit in the CNPs, documentation must show how much tempeh and other creditable foods these products contain. Thus, to credit these varieties, program operators must obtain a Child Nutrition (CN) Label or a Product Formulation Statement (PFS) from the manufacturer. These varieties may credit based on the ingredient quantities identified in the CN Label or PFS. For more information, please see:

• CN Labeling: https://www.fns.usda.gov/cnlabeling/child-nutrition-cn-labeling-program.
• Manufacturer’s Product Formulation Statement: https://www.fns.usda.gov/cnlabeling/food-manufacturersindustry

FNS remains committed to simplifying menu planning for CNP operators, promoting the efficient use of program funds, and ensuring operators and participants have a wide variety of nutritious and appealing food choices. We recognize that crediting decisions have an impact on schools, child care centers, adult day care centers, day care homes, the food industry, and most importantly, participating children and adults. The agency is committed to staying up-to-date with the evolving food and nutrition environment through continued engagement with a variety of stakeholders. Through these efforts, FNS will work to maximize the availability of wholesome food options while minimizing administrative burden in the CNPs.

State agencies are reminded to distribute this memorandum to program operators. Program operators should direct any questions concerning this guidance to their state agency. State agencies with questions should contact the appropriate FNS regional office.

For more information, see:

The Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/food-buying-guide-for-child-nutrition-programs

Meats/Meat Alternates https://foodbuyingguide.fns.usda.gov/Content/TablesFBG/USDA_FBG_Section1_MeatsAndMeatAlternates.pdf

The Vegetarian Resource Group has been approved for inclusion in the federal government CFC charity list.  The CFC code number 10601. If you are a federal worker, we appreciate your support. If you are not a federal government worker, you can support our veg outreach and education in your workplace campaign. For some workplaces that do matching donations, see  www.vrg.org/donate

According to Disney, all of their major quick and table service restaurants will soon be offering plant-based options at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort, marked by a menu icon Green leaf. They will be made without animal meat, dairy, eggs or honey. Options will include Steamed Asian Dumplings, Shiriki Noodle Salad, Garden Spread made with hummus, Chili-Spiced Crispy Fried Tofu Bowl, and Cashew Cheesecake. 

For more info, see:
https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2019/09/hundreds-of-plant-based-dishes-are-coming-to-walt-disney-world-and-disneyland-resorts/

Through December 31, 2019, you can give a gift membership to The Vegetarian Resource Group (includes a 1-year subscription to Vegetarian Journal) for $16 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  

Here’s a few products we discovered recently at Natural Products Expo East that might be useful to families raising their young children vegan.

Bambo Nature offers a vegan hair & body wash called Bath Buddy, a vegan cream called Love Balm, and vegan body lotion called Snuggle time. See: https://bambonatureusa.com/

California Pure Naturals offers baby lotion, baby sunscreen, and baby gentle foaming cleanser. See: https://californiapurenaturals.com/collections/baby

Little Twig offers detangling conditioner, shampoo, baby wash, baby lotion, and baby powder. See: https://littletwig.com/collections/bath-body

According to the Lightlife website, Lightlife^TM Burger patty is made with:

WATER, PEA PROTEIN, CANOLA OIL MODIFIED CELLULOSE, YEAST EXTRACT, ORGANIC VIRGIN COCONUT OIL, SEA SALT, FLAVOUR, AMINO ACID BLEND (I-METHIONINE, TRYPTOPHAN), POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, BEET POWDER, ONION POWDER, ASCORBIC ACID, SPICE, ONION EXTRACT, GARLIC POWDER, GREEN TEA EXTRACT, ACEROLA CHERRY EXTRACT, VITAMIN AND MINERAL BLEND [NIACINAMIDE (VITAMIN B3), FERRIC ORTHOPHOSPHATE, ZINC OXIDE, D-CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMINE B6), THIAMINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2) CYANOCOBALAMIN (VITAMIN B12)].

Harvey’s says the burger is vegan, but is cooked on a grill where meat is cooked, but they try to segregate the items. Harvey’s states that, “Unlike traditional beef burgers, pink colour inside plant based burgers does not indicate that it is raw. This colour in Lightlife burger comes from the Beet powder ingredient.”

For more information, see: https://www.harveys.ca/

For info on other restaurant chains, go to: https://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

For a list of vegan and vegetarian restaurants in the USA and Canada, go to: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

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 Annals of Internal Medicine sent out a press release about “New guidelines: No need to reduce red or processed meat consumption for good health.” According to Marion Nestle, “the press announcement was accompanied by 5 review papers, a sixth with this recommendation, and an editorial. These are posted on the website of their publisher, the American College of Physicians, implying this organization’s endorsement of this guideline. Collectively, these papers challenge dietary advice to eat less processed meat and red meat on the grounds of inadequate science.”

According to Dr. Nestle, “The studies look at previous studies that compared people who eat meat to those who eat less. The authors excluded studies of vegetarians compared to meat-eaters.” Here is her initial response to the studies. https://www.foodpolitics.com/2019/09/eat-as-much-meat-as-you-like/

Marion Nestle is Paulette Goddard Professor, of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, at New York University, which she chaired from 1988-2003 and from which she officially retired in September 2017.  From 1986-88, she was senior nutrition policy advisor in the Department of Health and Human Services and editor of the 1988 Surgeon General’s Report on Nutrition and Health.

Recent discussion topics include:

– Is there anyone who has a good vegan/plant-based cookbook to recommend for families with young children, in SPANISH?

– Someone posted a photo and the caption: Heading to the Dail Museum for a homeschooling event. That means Box Lunches! This is today’s goodies! (Lunches in photo consisted of: The rolls had artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, capers, beet/basil pesto (vegan of course), roasted red peppers, and broccoli sprouts. Then we had walnuts, cranberries, pepitas, almonds, prunes, and, mangos. Carrots and hummus. And dessert was oat/coconut/chocolate chip squares.)

–Someone asked: Any favorite vegan clothing brands for back to school shopping? People suggested:

Raw Apparel; Mighty Vegan Apparel; Monkee Genes; Save Lands; Herbivore Clothing; Nanen; Little Papaya Co.; PETIT TEMBO; BEETxBEET; Vegan Power; VEGAN Happy Clothing; Brand13; Dharma Love by Anastasia Keriotis; 365vegan

-Plus other topics covered!

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.