Hello VRG. It’s been really great at culinary school so far. Everyone in my class is professional and kind. I am the youngest student in our class of eleven. One of my classmates already owns her own restaurant. I’m learning a ton about running a restaurant and vegan cooking methods. The plant based program I’m in started with a class on restaurant operations where we all learned food safety and got certified to become food safety managers. The certificate looks really cool and is kind of a big deal. We also learned how to cost out recipes, design a theme for a menu and make a menu. Now we have been in the kitchen for almost 6 weeks and I get to practice cooking and learn new techniques every day. It’s a lot of fun. Up until now I’ve been taught how to sauté, make soup, make the perfect rice every time, cook grains and lentils properly, fry, make stock, make sauces, make risotto, and make really good veggie burgers. Not everyone in my class is fully vegan but they all eat mostly vegan now because they are learning how to make good vegan food instead of not so good vegan food. “It makes people not miss the meat because they are getting something better” – Chef John Percarpio, my chef teacher. I think I got the quote right he says it a lot in class. A really great outing my classmates and I took together was to The Vegan Holiday Market in Boulder, Colorado. I treated myself to a special vegan hot sauce.

I honestly think that so many more people would eat vegan if they could get past the mindset that all vegans are rude or the what do vegans even eat mindset. If only they knew that we can eat a whole lot better and healthier than them with only the knowledge of how to cook properly. My first chef, Chef Jesper, likes to remind us all the time during classes how we eat better than the traditional classes he teaches. It’s really cool how into the plant-based eating and lifestyle my Chefs are even though for most of their lives they haven’t been vegan or vegetarian and even thought same way other people do before they tried it.

Honestly I wouldn’t have been able to be in the apartment I’m in with my new roommate friends if it wasn’t for the VRG scholarship. It’s definitely helping me through school which has been exhausting. We have to get up at 4:45am! My grades have been As and A-s so far and I’m proud of that. Next week I am applying for jobs though since I feel I have a good grasp on the flow of my courses and living away from home. I even got to drive to the meet the pigs at the sanctuary run by the man I met at the Denver VRG networking dinner. I’m attaching photos of some of the best things I’ve made in class. My favorite was the burger bar! The picture of the sushi is from a volunteer gig I got with the school being the assistant chef for the Escoffier Home cook classes they offer to the public. I get to learn what they learn, eat all the food and all I have to do besides help during class is all the dishes after. I’ll continue this volunteer gig in the new year.

Thank you again for trusting me with this scholarship.

Gratefully, Coda Blue Spier

To apply for The VRG College Scholarship. go to https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

To support VRG scholarships and internships, donate at www.vrg.org/donate

Chef Nancy Berkoff serves up several vegan tempeh recipes in a previous Journal article published by The Vegetarian Resource Group. Try making Breakfast Tempeh, Tempeh Sausage, Tempeh Noodle Soup, Grilled Tempeh Salad with Peas and Pineapple, Tempeh in a Roll, and Tempeh on Toast.

The complete article with recipes can be read here:
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2016issue1/2016_issue1_cooking_tempeh.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only visit:
https://www.vrg.org/member/

Do you know exactly what nutritional yeast is? An article in a previous issue of VRG’s Journal answers this question and also provides the following vegan recipes containing nutritional yeast:
Lemon Rice Soup
Tempeh Mushroom Casserole
Mushroom Gravy
Tofu Pimento Spread
Spicy Nacho “Cheese” Dip
Tofu Dip
Baked Lima Beans

Read the article here:
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2017issue3/2017_issue3_nutritional_yeast.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal by visiting: https://www.vrg.org/member/

Below is a list of some of the vegan chicken-style products available today.

Alpha Foods offers Original Chik’n Nuggets Sizzlin’ Spicy Chik’n. Chick’n Strips, Crispy Chick’n Patties, and Sizzlin’ Spicy Chik’n Patties. For more details, see: https://www.eatalphafoods.com/products#NUGGETS

Better Chew offers Fried Chicken Nuggets. See: https://eatbetterchew.com/

Beyond Chicken offers Beyond Chicken Tenders, Nuggets, Fillets, and more. For details, see: https://www.beyondmeat.com/en-US/products/beyond-chicken-tenders

Daring Foods produces Plant-Based Chicken Pieces in several varieties including Original, Breaded, Cajun, and Lemon & Herb. For information, see: https://www.daring.com/

Field Roast sells Classic Nuggets and Buffalo Wings. See: https://fieldroast.com/products/#appetizers

Gardein offers Ultimate Plant-Based Chick’n Tenders, Chick’n Fillets, and Chick’n Nuggets. They also offer Crispy Chik’n Sliders, Chick’n Patties, Golden Chick’n Nuggets, Nashville Hot Chick’n Tenders, Spicy Gochujang Style Chick’n Wings, and Chipotle Georgia Style Chick’n Wings, Chick’n Strips, Teriyaki Chick’n Strips, Seven Grain Crispy Tenders, Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick’n, Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Wings, Chipotle Lime Flavored Chick’n Tenders, and Lightly Seasoned Chick’n Scallopini. For details on all these products, see: https://www.gardein.com/chickn-and-turky

Hungry Planet produces Chicken Pattie sand Chicken Chipotle Patties. Visit https://www.hungryplanetfoods.com/ for information.

 Impossible Foods sells Chicken Nuggets, Tenders, and Patties. See: https://impossiblefoods.com/products/chicken

Jack & Annie’s offers Nuggets made from Jackfruit. See: https://www.jackandannies.com/our-products/nuggets/

Lightlife produces Smart Tenders. See: https://lightlife.com/our-food/?active_filter=chicken

LikeMeat offers Chick’n Wings, Grilled Chick’n, BBQ Chick’n, Chick’n Pieces, and Chick’n Nuggets.
See: https://likemeat.com/us/products/

Lily’s Vegan Pantry offers Ginger Chicken, Chicken Bites, Gong Bao Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken, Lemon Chicken, Smoked Drumsticks, Chicken Nuggets, Whole or Half Chicken, and Chicken Legs. See: https://www.lilysveganpantry.com/Vegan_Chicken_s/1516.htm

Morning Star Farms offers MorningStar Farms® Veggie BBQ Chik’n Nuggets; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Chik’n Nuggets; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Buffalo Chik Patties®; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Original Chik Patties®; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Zesty Ranch Chik’n Nuggets; and MorningStar Farms® Veggie Sweet Mustard Chik’n Nuggets. For details on these products, see: https://www.morningstarfarms.com/en_US/products/chikn.html

Skinny Butcher offers Crazy Crispy Chick’n Tenders and Nuggets. See: https://skinnybutcher.com/

Sweet Earth sells Frozen Vegan Mindful Chik’n. See: https://www.goodnes.com/sweet-earth/products/mindful-chikn/?tag=10951&category=8381

Tofurky sells Chick’n in several flavors including Lightly Seasoned, Thai Basil, Sesame Garlic, and Barbecue. For more information, see: https://tofurky.com/what-we-make/chickn/

VFC Foods offers Chick’n Fillets, Popcorn Chick’n, and Chick’n Bites. See: https://vfcfoods.com/en-us/

Share this handy poster with family and friends. You can also print it out and post it on your refrigerator. See: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/VeganDietsinaNutshellPoster.pdf

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Hearing loss becomes more common as people get older. Close to 80% of people in the United States age 70 and older have hearing loss in at least one ear (1). In addition to difficulty communicating, according to the National Council on Aging, hearing loss can increase the risk of dementia, depression, and falls which can negatively affect quality of life.

A specific type of hearing loss, called age-related hearing loss, is the gradual loss of hearing that is associated with aging. Most commonly, it is due to a degeneration of inner ear structures. There are many possible explanations for this deterioration including reduced blood flow due to diabetes or hypertension, inflammation, oxidative stress, and exposure to excess noise (2).

Initially, hearing loss results in difficulty hearing higher pitches and the realization that sounds are quieter and spoken words are distorted. As time goes on, hearing becomes more difficult overall (3).

Nutrition may play a role in reducing the risk of age-relating hearing loss. For example, one study found that, in women, an overall healthier diet reduced risk of hearing loss (4). I wasn’t able to find any studies that reported on age-related hearing loss in vegans; however, healthy vegan diets are likely to include many factors that are associated with a reduced risk. For example, higher intakes of fiber and nutrients found in abundance in plant foods such as beta-carotene, folate, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium have been associated with a lower risk of hearing loss (5-8). In contrast, diets high in cholesterol have been associated with an increased risk of hearing loss (9). Diets with a high glycemic index and frequent use of sugary foods have also been associated with an increased risk of hearing loss (7,10).

Higher intakes of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA were associated with a lower risk of hearing loss (11). Vegan omega-3 fatty acid supplements derived from microalgae are available.

What can you do to reduce your risk of age-related hearing loss? We don’t know for sure but eating an overall healthy vegan diet with generous amounts of whole plant foods has many health benefits and could possibly reduce your risk. Taking a vegan omega-3 fatty acid supplement may help but more research is needed. Despite your best efforts, you may develop age-related hearing loss since other factors such as genetics, noise exposure, lack of physical activity, and chronic diseases may affect your risk (12). Still, a healthy vegan diet offers benefits for human health, for the animals, and for the environment.

References

1. Goman AM, Lin FR. Prevalence of hearing loss by severity in the United States. Am J Public Health. 2016;106:1820-1822.
2. Chen HL, Tan CT, Wu CC, Liu TC. Effects of diet and lifestyle on audio-vestibular dysfunction in the elderly: A literature review. Nutrients. 2022;14:4720.
3. Chern A, Golub JS. Age-related hearing loss and dementia. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2019;33:285-290.
4. Curhan SG, Wang M, Eavey RD, et al. Adherence to healthful dietary patterns is associated with lower risk of hearing loss in women. J Nutr. 2018;148:944-951.
5. Curhan SG, Stankovic KM, Eavey RD, et al. Carotenoids, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and folate and risk of self-reported hearing loss in women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;102:1167-1175.
6. Choi YH, Miller JM, Tucker KL, et al. Antioxidant vitamins and magnesium and the risk of hearing loss in the US general population. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;99:148-155.
7. Gopinath B, Flood VM, McMahon CM, Burlutsky G, Brand-Miller J, Mitchell P. Dietary glycemic load is a predictor of age-related hearing loss in older adults. J Nutr. 2010;140:2207-2212.
8. Lampignano L, Quaranta N, Bortone I, et al. Dietary habits and nutrient intakes are associated to age-related central auditory processing disorder in a cohort from southern Italy. Front Aging Neurosci. 2021;13:629017.
9. Gopinath B, Flood VM, Teber E, et al. Dietary intake of cholesterol is positively associated and use of cholesterol-lowering medication is negatively associated with prevalent age-related hearing loss. J Nutr. 2011;141:1355-1361.
10. Sardone R, Lampignano L, Guerra V, et al. Relationship between inflammatory food consumption and age-related hearing loss in a prospective observational cohort: Results from the Salus in Apulia Study. Nutrients. 2020;12:426.
11. Curhan SG, Eavey RD, Wang M, et al. Fish and fatty acid consumption and the risk of hearing loss in women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;100:1371-1377.
12. Tang D, Tran Y, Dawes P, Gopinath B. A narrative review of lifestyle risk factors and the role of oxidative stress in age-related hearing loss. Antioxidants (Basel). 2023;12:878.

The contents of this website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and Vegan 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.

photo from Marrygold Restaurant

If you happen to live on Long Island or be visiting there, you may want to check out Marrygold Restaurant in Wantagh, NY. MarryGold offers vegetarian takes on traditional Chinese dishes, such as Lo Mein, General Tso’s, Orange Plant Chicken, and Sweet & Sour Plant Protein; as well as other east Asian favorites like Edamame, Roti Canai, and Malay Curry Noodle Soup. The restaurant is located across the street from Triangle Park. For more information, visit www.marrygoldny.com

You or someone else you know may be looking to shed some pounds. With that in mind, we’re sharing an article we previously ran in VRG’s Journal that will help you lose weight on a vegan diet. Dietitians Reed Mangels, PhD, RD and Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD offer a lot of helpful advice including a chart listing lowfat vegan foods to meet your nutritional needs, a sample vegan menu, and vegan recipes. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2006issue1/2006_issue1_weight.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal please visit: https://www.vrg.org/member/

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Oldways, a food and nutrition non-profit, has partnered with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) to develop The African Heritage Power Plate. The African Heritage Power Plate was developed using Oldways’ African Heritage Diet Pyramid and PCRM’s Power Plate. The vegan African Heritage Power Plate features fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans and a source of vitamin B12. It minimizes foods with added sugar, salt, and fats. It includes foods that were staples in traditional African diets.

A downloadable African Heritage Power Plate booklet includes recipes for Jollof Rice and Beans, Hoppin’John Salad, and Yuca Fries.

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

In our recent article on the climate footprints of vegan pizza v. meat pizza, we began by noting two astounding facts about animal agriculture:

• 77% of all soybeans grown in the world is for livestock consumption.
• 74% of the global corn crop is animal feed.

Underlying these statistics is another one of even greater importance concerning land use that we didn’t touch on in our carbon footprints article:

• Livestock takes up 77% of all land suitable for agriculture on the planet. This includes grazing land plus land used to grow the crops they eat.

You may think that if livestock took up more than three quarters of the world’s agricultural land, it would at least produce the most food calories and protein available for human consumption. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth.

For all that land use, raising livestock contributes merely 18% of the world’s calories and only 37% of total protein according to an analysis by Our World in Data based on the work by Poore & Nemecek. This is a very inefficient way to feed over 8 billion people.

By contrast, if everyone in the world were vegan, we could reduce the amount of agricultural land needed to feed people a nutritious diet by 75% concludes that analysis. Since it takes almost 100 times as much land to produce a gram of protein from beef versus tofu, you can see how the land savings would quickly add up when everyone converts to veganism.

However, predicting greater meat consumption with an exploding population of nearly 10 billion by 2050, the World Resources Institute calculates feeding them will require 600 million more hectares of land for grazing and feed crops.

On an already crowded planet, where is this land supposed to come from? Deforestation.

According to the World Resources Institute, rates of primary forest loss are still increasing despite the declaration of 145 countries in 2021 to halt and reverse deforestation by the end of this decade. In 2022, 4.1 million hectares were lost. That’s the equivalent of 11 soccer fields per minute and 2.7 gigatons of carbon emissions.

Along with this habitat loss, continued deforestation plunges the world’s biodiversity further into crisis. Experts refer to the current loss as the sixth mass extinction. Currently, one million species of animals and plants are at risk of extinction in the next few decades.

Forests contain the most species diversity of any ecosystem:

• 60,000 tree species
• 80% of amphibian species
• 75% of bird species
• 68% of mammal species

Ecologists warn that the rapid loss of biodiversity is a death knell for human civilization, even more so than the climate crisis. Although the problems humanity are facing threaten human existence, system change can reverse course.

Ending animal agriculture by switching to veganism will remove the need for more deforestation to supply cropland and grazing areas necessary for livestock. Instead, the restoration of natural ecosystems (rewilding) on unused agricultural land can occur – barring more urban development. And with more intact nature, biodiversity will surely rebound.

Everyone wins in that situation.

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Or join at www.vrg.org/member/cabdacae.php