Bergen New Bridge Medical Center (formerly Bergen Regional Medical Center)
230 East Ridgewood Avenue
Paramus, NJ 07652
(201) 967-4073
Rehabilitation, Nursing Home, Hospice, Memory Care, Long-Term Care
This facility provides an Indian cultural program with an all-vegetarian kitchen. Example dishes include Kankoda Methi, Toor ni Kadi, and lentil curry. Vegetarian meals outside the Indian program are only available by specifically requesting a vegetarian diet. Outside the Indian program, vegetarian options include pastas and veggie burgers.
 
For more senior facilities offering vegetarian meals, see https://www.vrg.org/seniors/senior_vegan.php

If you know of other senior facilities offering vegetarian meals, please email information to [email protected]

If you would like to volunteer to research for more places to add to the list, please email [email protected]

By Lauren Capano, Dietetic Intern, College of Saint Elizabeth

Sodium, specifically low-sodium foods and diets, is a popular subject in health and wellness. You may have seen sodium mentioned everywhere from the grocery aisles to restaurant menus to your doctor’s office. What exactly is sodium, what makes a food low-sodium, and how much sodium should you really be eating? The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine is a non-profit organization that provides expert advice to help inform the public on pressing matters of science and medicine. This includes publishing objective, high-quality nutrition advice. In 2019 they updated their previous 2005 sodium and potassium recommendations, taking into account all of the latest research on how these nutrients affect our health.

Sodium and potassium are two nutrients that are essential, or necessary, for human health. The National Academies have looked at them together because their functions are related, and they both have an effect on blood pressure. Knowing this information is important because high blood pressure is a risk factor for chronic disease, particularly cardiovascular disease. The National Academies 2019 recommendations for sodium and potassium intake are intended to promote health and reduce chronic disease risk in the healthy, adult population.

The new recommended sodium intake for healthy adults aged 19-50 is the same as it was in 2005. The recommendations for adults age 51 and older have been increased to match that of the younger adult population. The National Academies report that 1,500 milligrams per day is adequate. We need sodium to balance the fluid in our bodies, send nerve signals, and help with muscle contraction. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults limit their sodium intake to below 2,300 milligrams per day. The National Academies recommends that if you are eating more than that amount every day, that you should try to decrease your intake. This will help to lessen your risk for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease. However, many US adults are eating far more than that amount. Keep in mind that 1 teaspoon of table salt provides 2,325 milligrams of sodium, which is your recommended maximum amount. Sodium is found in very high amounts in processed foods such as bread, pizza, cheese, soups, fast food, and prepared foods. Ready-made vegan foods, such as frozen vegan entrees and canned soups, can have upwards of 1,000 milligrams of sodium in a serving. Even “sodium-conscious” brands tend to have at least 600 milligrams of sodium per serving. Reducing your sodium intake will require you to pay a little more attention to the nutrition labels on foods that you purchase. Foods with less than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving are considered low-sodium foods, and foods with more than 300 milligrams of sodium per serving may be difficult to include on a low-sodium diet. Another great way to lower your sodium intake is to try preparing meals at home with whole, fresh ingredients. You can use herbs, spices, and citrus to add flavor to your food instead of using a lot of salt while cooking, and then add whatever salt you need at the table. The Vegetarian Resource Group has some low-sodium menus you can check out for ideas and recipes here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2005issue4/2005_issue4_lowsodium.php

The recommended potassium intakes have been lowered and are now more applicable to the healthy adult population. The recommended intake was originally established to prevent salt-sensitive rises in blood pressure in specific populations, but it now reflects the needs of the general, healthy, adult population.  Adult females should consume at least 2,600 milligrams per day and adult males should consume at least 3,400 milligrams per day. There is no upper limit for potassium intake, so it is safe to consume more than these amounts. We need potassium because, much like sodium, it helps regulate our body fluids, muscle contractions, and nerve signals. It also promotes bone density and helps to lower blood pressure. High potassium foods such as potatoes, apricots, lentils, prunes, adzuki or white beans, and tomatoes are just a few food choices that you can include in your diet to get these benefits. Consuming a diet rich in a variety of fruits, vegetables, and legumes will not only help you reach your potassium goals, it will also provide you with other vitamins, minerals and fibers that promote health.

Sodium and Potassium Recommendations

Potassium Food Sources

Sources:

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. 2019.

Heart Failure Nutrition Therapy. Nutrition Care Manual. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Nutritioncaremanual.org. 2019.

Potassium. Fact sheet for professionals. National institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfessional/#h2 2019.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015 – 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015.

Sodium: How to tame your salt habit. The Mayo Clinic. Mayoclinc.org. 2016. Accessed May 2019. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/sodium/art-20045479

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 will host a vegan dinner at Su Xing, about a six minute walk from the Pennsylvania Convention Center, on Sunday, October 27, 2019, during the annual meeting of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Meet vegetarian dietitians from around the country. The public is invited.

MENU
APPETIZER: seitan on stick with BQ sauce
SOUP: (choice of): hot and sour soup or tofu and vegetable soup
MAIN DISHES:
chow fun (rice noodle dish)
tofu with black bean sauce
stir-fried spinach
stir-fried string beans
rice
DESSERT: fruit
BEVERAGES: tea and water

MUST RESERVE AND PAY IN ADVANCE
Send $25 per person (includes tax and tip) with attendee names to The Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203. Call (410) 366-8343. Or pay at www.vrg.org/donate and write “Philadelphia VRG Dinner” and attendee names on the “Comments” box.

The Vegetarian Resource Group is a vegan activist non-profit organization that does outreach all-year-long. For example, VRG tables at different events throughout the USA and also 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.

Thanks so much for your support. You can become a monthly or quarterly donor online here: vrg.org/donate

The Vegetarian Resource Group has an extensive section on their website in Spanish. Feel free to share this information: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/information_in_Spanish.htm

Sample topics included are:

Recetas Veganas – Vegan Recipes

La Dieta Vegana – Vegan Diet and Nutrition

Vegetarian Journal has ran two articles on vegan grilling that you might find helpful:

Gourmet Grilling by Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD includes grilling tips as well as recipes for Grilled Eggplant, Mediterranean Grilled Portobellos with Pine Nuts, Curried Barbecue Tempeh, Roasted Pepper and Eggplant Dip, Pineapple Peach Salsa, Japanese-Style Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Sweet Peaches, and Roasted Corn. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/2002issue3/2002_issue3_gourmet.php

Nancy also wrote another article titled Outdoor Feast and it includes vegan recipes for the grill including Tofu and Potatoes Kebobs, Vietnamese “Beef” Salad, Lime and Chili “Steaks,” and Grilled Pineapple. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2015issue2/2015_issue2_outdoor_feasts.php

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

The VRG received an email inquiry from a European reader about the amount of water needed to produce one bag of potato chips listed in our Save Our Water the Vegetarian Way brochure: http://www.vrg.org/environment/water_brochure.php. The Vegetarian Resource Group’s Research Manager, Jeanne Yacoubou, MS, answers this question in detail here: https://www.vrg.org/environment/potato_chips_water_footprint.htm

To support this type of research, please consider donating to The Vegetarian Resource Group: www.vrg.org/donate

The recent issue of Vegetarian Journal features quick and easy suggestions for preparing dishes containing watermelon. Chef Nancy Berkoff starts off by stating, “Watermelon isn’t just a juicy warm-weather treat. This fruit contains potassium and vitamins A and C. Humans have been feasting on watermelon for centuries. Although native to Africa, watermelons have been known in India since prehistoric times. The first recorded watermelon harvest took place 5,000 years ago in Egypt. Pictures of the fruit were found in paintings on the walls of ancient buildings.

We never get much beyond slicing watermelon and offering it as a terrific accompaniment to summer meals. Watermelon is a “total utilization” fruit, though. You can use the interior, the juice, the seeds, and the rind! It is perfect with sweet (cereal, vegan yogurt, baked goods) or savory (grilled veggie dogs or burgers, pasta salad) foods.”

Some of Nancy’s suggestions include: To go savory with your watermelon, you can use watermelon cubes to “tame the heat” in curries and chilies, in veggie salad with onions and garlic, and in stir-fries or sautés (add small watermelon cubes at the last minute), or use as a garnish. Try a “watermelon steak” (a thick slice of watermelon, rind removed) topped with slices of ripe avocado and shredded jicama, chopped parsley, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. If you would like to get adventurous, do some web searches for a watermelon curry recipe, popular in Caribbean and South Asian cuisine.

You can read the entire column here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2019issue2/2019_issue2_bonjour_vegan.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

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

A reader had a question about B12 for their one-year-old. They supplemented B12 during pregnancy, breastfed exclusively for 6 months, and after that used a soy-based formula. At 6 months they started introducing solid foods, and currently use about 12-24 ounces of formula, with limited breastfeeding.

The RDA for vitamin B12 is 0.5 micrograms per day from age 6-12 months and  0.9 micrograms from 1-3 years. Formula provides some vitamin B12. The label should tell you how much is in the formula. Since the child is consuming limited breastmilk, we can’t count on that to provide much vitamin B12. As the child moves away from formula, I’d suggest adding in a vitamin B12-fortified soymilk. You can see how much vitamin B12 is in 8 ounces of a number of brands of soymilk on our website at  https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/Guide_to_Soymilks_2019.pdf
Read labels to confirm the amount in the brand you buy.

Most fortified soymilks have at least 0.9 micrograms in 8 ounces so as little as 1 cup a day should meet the one year old’s needs for vitamin B12. You can also add some nutritional yeast fortified with vitamin B12 (Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula is one brand) to foods to provide additional vitamin B12.

Most children’s multivitamins supply vitamin B12 and are a simple way to meet vitamin B12 needs. Look for a multivitamin that supplies at least the RDA for vitamin B12.

There’s no real advantage to taking a large dose of vitamin B12. You may need to smash the vitamin and mix it with food or look for a liquid multivitamin to avoid choking issues.

Here are some multivitamins that appear to not contain animal products and that provide vitamin B12:

Freeda Chewable Vitalets – 1 tablet has 3 mcg of vitamin B12

Yummy Bears – 3 bears have 3 micrograms of vitamin B12

VegLife Vegan Kids – 1 chewable – 5 micrograms of vitamin B12

Country Life Baby Care – 1 tsp – 2 mcg of vitamin B12

Rainbow Light Kids – 1 tablet – 1 mcg of vitamin B12

There is some evidence that it’s better to get vitamin B12 a couple of times a day so you may want to break the multivitamin in half and give half in the morning and half later in the day (or have fortified soymilk a couple of times a day).

From age 1-3 years the RDA for calcium is 700 milligrams per day. Most calcium-fortified soymilks provide at least 250 milligrams of calcium in a cup. Other good sources of calcium are listed on our website: https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.php

To share experiences and questions with other parents, you may want to join our Vegan Parents Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRGparentsandkids/

This information may also be helpful: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/kids.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.

According to a survey by the International Food Information Council Foundation, about one-third of people that heard of plant based diets (32%) say plant based is a vegan diet that avoids all animal products, including eggs and dairy. A similar percentage (30%) define it as a diet that emphasizes minimally processed foods that come from plants, with limited consumption of animal meat, eggs and dairy. Twenty percent believe it to be a vegetarian diet that avoids animal meat. Eight percent say it is a diet in which you try to get as many fruits and vegetables as possible, with no limit on consuming animal meat, eggs and dairy.

For more information, see International Food Information Council Foundation 2019 Food and Health Survey: https://foodinsight.org/thanks-for-your-interest-in-the-ific-2019-food-health-survey/

For more information on the meaning of plant based, see
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2018issue4/2018_issue4_plant_based.php