Vegetarian Journal January 1994
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Contents:
These items were originally published in the January/February 1994
issue of the Vegetarian Journal, published by:
The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463, Dept. IN
Baltimore, MD 21203
(410) 366-VEGE
For questions or comments on this article, please contact Brad Scott at
[email protected]. This article may be reproduced for non-commercial use
intact or with credit given to The Vegetarian Resource Group. The
contents of this article, as with all The Vegetarian Resource Group
publications, is not intended to provide personal medical advice.
Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional.
Reaching Out to Doctors
This past November, The Vegetarian Resource Group had a booth at the
American Heart Association's Annual Conference held in Atlanta, Georgia.
Thirty thousand people attended this convention, including 13,000
doctors. There were several hundred booths displaying surgical equipment
and/or pharmaceutical products. We were one of only a handful of booths
promoting diet and prevention of heart disease.
A doctor described The Vegetarian Resource Group's exhibit this way:
"Your small 10 foot by 10 foot booth is a warm spot amongst all the
coldness in here." Indeed, we were extremely crowded during the four-day
show. One cardiologist after another eagerly picked up our materials,
requested handouts for their patients, and ordered books.
Why all the interest? Well, it seems that many doctors agree that Dr.
Dean Ornish's lowfat, primarily vegan, approach to reversal of heart
disease is scientifically sound. Unfortunately, many of these same
physicians feel that it's too difficult for patients to follow a 10%
lowfat vegetarian diet. It seems that unless society makes it easier for
people to consume a lowfat vegetarian diet, patients will choose drugs
and surgery over dietary changes. This is where readers of Vegetarian
Journal can take an active, supportive role.
The Vegetarian Resource Group is releasing its new book called, Simple,
Lowfat & Vegetarian, by Suzanne Havala, M.S., R.D. which contains lowfat
vegan recipes by Mary Clifford, R.D. (See pages 30-31 in this issue of
Vegetarian Journal.) This book shows you how to reduce fat in meals both
at home and when eating out by following simple steps. In other words,
readers are taught how to change their dietary patterns without
completely giving up activities they enjoy such as dining in restaurants,
going to the movies, traveling on cruise ships, trains, or planes, etc.
This is the perfect book to give to local health professionals to use as
a reference book for patients. It's also a perfect gift for someone you
know that needs to change their diet.
For the past five years The Vegetarian Resource Group has had a huge
impact on registered dietitians by exhibiting at The American Dietetic
Association's annual meeting. It is now time to reach out to the medical
establishment. With your support, The Vegetarian Resource Group hopes to
exhibit at other conferences attended by doctors. Any donations are
appreciated. They can be sent to The Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box
1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.
Debra Wasserman & Charles Stahler
Coordinators of The Vegetarian Resource Group
New Book Published by The Vegetarian Resource Group
The Vegetarian Resource Group will be releasing its latest new title,
Simple, Lowfat & Vegetarian -- Unbelievably Easy Ways to Reduce the Fat
in Your Meals, in February, 1994. This new 368-page book, written by
Suzanne Havala, M.S., R.D., with lowfat vegan recipes by Mary Clifford,
R.D., and a foreword by Dean Ornish, M.D., will retail for $15.
Vegetarian Journal readers are invited to take advantage of our
pre-release offer of $12 per book (including postage). This offer is good
through February 28, 1994. Send checks to VRG, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD
21203.
Simple, Lowfat & Vegetarian shows you how easy it is to reduce the fat in
meals eaten away from home, as well as while you're dining at home. Tips
are given for reducing the fat content in meals consumed at salad bars,
pizza parlors, Italian, fast food, Mexican, Natural Foods, Indian, and
Chinese restaurants; in cafeterias, amusement parks, movie theaters,
school and office cafeterias; as well as on planes, trains, and cruise
ships.
At home, readers are supplied with weekly and monthly shopping lists
suitable for lowfat menu planning. Quick and easy suggestions for lowfat
meals are offered and 30 days of quick meals are provided. Finally,
readers are given suggestions on how to reduce fat in their diets by
changing habits, keeping a food diary, etc. A quiz is introduced in this
book to allow readers to evaluate their own eating habits to determine
where changes are needed. All this is followed by delicious lowfat vegan
recipes for soups, entrees, side dishes, desserts, etc. All the recipes
have a nutritional breakdown. Try dishes including Spinach Salad with
Sherried Raisins, Ginger-Roasted Vegetables, Puffed Sweet Potatoes,
Rosemary-Scented Polenta, Vegetable Stuffed Pizza, Dreamy Orange Tapioca,
and more.
The following is excerpted from the chapter referring to cruise ships.
Not only can you find vegetarian food on many cruise lines today, but by
following these suggestions you can also enjoy lowfat vegetarian dining
throughout your excursion.
Cruise ships vary in the extent to which their menus accommodate
travelers on lowfat diets. Some have menus which clearly differentiate
the lowfat choices from all of the others. Some ships have separate
vegetarian menus from which to order. Even those ships that do not
obviously cater to people on special diets can usually accommodate
special requests. Since most of the food is prepared to order, and since
there is so much food on hand, it's not much of a problem for most people
to get a menu item altered to suit their individual needs or to find an
acceptable substitute. Also, cruise ships frequently serve meals buffet
style, which in some ways can make it easier for many passengers to get
what they want. On a buffet line, you can pick and choose items that look
low in fat and piece together a great meal.
Here are some suggestions:
As always, check with your travel agent or the customer services
representative for the cruise line you are con-sidering to ask for food
service details. If you are really concerned about your meal options, or
if you want to plan ahead, you may want to write to the cruise line and
request sample menus and other meal information. Your travel agent may
also be able to request this for you, or ask for it at the time you make
your reserv-ations. The following information is what was avail-able from
various cruise lines at the time of writing.
Vegetarian lunch and dinner menus are being introduced aboard the
nine-ship fleet. Currently, the Monarch of the Seas has separate
vegetarian menus in place, and these will be gradually extended to the
other ships. Meanwhile, menus on the other ships include meatless
options, and several menu items are flagged as lowfat on each menu. The
vegetarian options may include dairy and/or egg, but many can be
modified, and there are many other items that are totally free of animal
ingredients.
Sample vegetarian items found on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's meatless
luncheon menus include melon cocktail, chilled strawberry bisque, fresh
vegetables, vegetable soup, cauliflower garden salad, tropical fruit
platter, sherbet, tortellini calabrese, Hawaiian croissant sandwiches,
pie, and beverages.
Sample vegetarian dishes on their meatless dinner menus include spaghetti
Alfredo style with julienne of fresh vegetables, grilled plum tomatoes,
steamed broccoli, chilled cantaloupe soup, tempura fried broccoli and
eggplant garnished with snow peas, and Oriental noodles served with a
sweet and sour sauce, fresh fruit, and beverages. For further information
call (800) 852-3268.
Two vegetarian options are noted on their dinner menus but not for
breakfast or lunch. Special dietary requests must be made at least two
weeks prior to departure. Travelers are also advised to talk to their
waiter about special instructions for preparing menu items. Lowfat menu
items are flagged on each menu.
Vegetarian selections included on their regular breakfast menu are
juices, baked apples, dry cereal, pancakes, and French toast. Vegetarian
items on their regular lunch menu include juice, cream of tomato and
coconut soup, and a mixed green salad with dressing. No meatless entree
option is listed -- items would have to be modified and vegetable side
dishes ordered.
The vegetarian dinner menu on Carnival Cruise Line includes pear nectar,
cream of asparagus soup, sliced cucumber and Belgium endive in lemon
dressing, vegetable brochette on pilaf rice, vegetable accompan-iments,
assorted cheese, Napoleon, and beverages. For information contact
Carnival Cruise Lines at Carnival Place, 3655 NW 87 Avenue, Miami,
Florida 33178.
No special menus are offered to vegetarians, but this cruise line can
accommodate almost any special dietary request with at least thirty days'
notice prior to depar-ture. The Golden Door Spa menu denotes items that
are low in fat but not necessarily vegetarian.
Sample luncheon items include juice, spinach ravioli, fresh fruit salad,
and fresh herb omelet. Sample dinner dishes include chilled apricot soup,
Mexican omelet with crisp vegetables, sorbet, sautied mixed vegetables,
leeks with mushrooms, and cucumber with yogurt and mint salad. For
further information call (800) 223-0764.
There is no separate vegetarian menu; however, vegetarian options for
lunch include fruit and vegetable juices, spring vegetables vinaigrette,
chilled zucchini bisque, salad of red beans, chickpeas, and white beans
on a bed of lettuce, white and green noodles with tomato sauce and basil,
spinach omelet or vegetarian quesadilla with guacamole and pico de gallo
sauce, banana bread, fresh fruit, etc.
Sample vegetarian items available during dinner include broiled
grapefruit with rum and raisins, chilled banana and papaya soup, mushroom
and barley soup, mixed green salad with dressing, vegetable pojarksy
(breaded, mixed vegetable patty) with cheese sauce, spinach flan with
cream sauce, assorted vegetables, fresh fruit, plus more. Call (800)
527-6200.
There is a vegetarian menu, which changes daily. Sample entrees include
vegetable strudel, vegetables tempura, vegetarian casserole in puff
pastry with cheese sauce, and pasta with vegetables. For further
information call (800) 437-6111.
Cruise ships are notorious for offering abundant meal service nearly
round-the-clock. Vegetarians should have little trouble finding
delicious, lowfat options. The only problem may be resisting all the high
fat offerings. Even when a vegetarian menu is available, some
modifications may be needed to suit your needs.
Don't forget to take advantage of our special pre-release price of $12
per copy of Simple, Lowfat & Vegetarian. Offer valid through February 28,
1994.
Eating During Pregnancy
A new guide to eating while pregnant is available. Written by Bridget
Swinney, M.S., R.D., the book is titled, Eating Expectantly -- The
Essential Eating Guide and Cookbook for Pregnancy (Fall River Press,
Colorado Springs, CO, 1993). This book is not vegetarian per se, but it
contains a good chapter on vegetarian diets during pregnancy.
While nutritionists debate whether it is better to reduce dietary fat to
10%, 20%, or 30% of calories, Americans appear to have disregarded advice
to reduce fat. As a group we are eating the same high-fat diets we were
eating in the mid-2011s. Information from Boston University's Framingham
Study (summarized in Nation's Health, October, 1993) shows that total fat
consumption for men and women averages 38% of total calories. High fat
diets have been linked to a number of chronic diseases. Among males,
saturated fat intake actually rose from 16.4 percent of calories in
1957-2011 to 17 percent in 1984-2011. Many groups recommend that
saturated fat provide less than 10% of calories. On a more cheerful note,
cholesterol intake has dropped from 704 to 376 milligrams per day in men
and from 493 to 259 milligrams per day in women. Intakes below 300
milligrams are recom-mended by many health organizations. -- Reed
Mangels, Ph.D., R.D.
The Vegetarian Resource Group exhibited at The American Dietetic
Association Annual Meeting and The American Heart Association Conference
during the fall of 1993. Thank you to all our readers who donated money
towards these two events. With your support we reached out to 12,000
dietitians and 30,000 attendees (including 13,000 doctors) at the
American Heart Association conference.
A Review of Recent Scientific Papers Related to Vegetarianism
By Reed Mangels, Ph.D., R.D.
Calcium Supplements can Contain Lead
About 10 years ago, the Food and Drug Admin-istration cautioned that
calcium supplements, mainly those produced from bonemeal and dolomite,
can contain excess lead. Lead is a toxic metal that can damage the
nervous system. Canadian researchers recently measured lead in 70 brands
of dietary calcium supplements.
While the study did not report brand names, it did show that calcium
supplements from bonemeal and dolomite still had much higher lead
contents than did the amount of cow's milk which would provide the same
amount of calcium. Some brands of calcium carbonate from "natural
sources" (from fossilized oyster shells) also contained excessive lead.
Generally calcium carbonate produced in a laboratory (often referred to
as refined) and calcium bound to various chelates (calcium gluconate,
calcium lactate) did not contain excessive lead.
Calcium supplements are not needed by most Americans since food can
provide all the calcium we need. However, for those who do need to use
calcium supplements, calcium from dolomite, bonemeal, and many "natural
source" calcium products should be avoided because of their lead content.
For further information see: Bourgoin BP, Evans DR, Cornett JR, Lingard
SM, Quattrone AJ. Lead content in 70 brands of dietary calcium
supplements. Am J Public Health 83:1155-2011, 1993.
Cooking with non-wheat flours
By Mary Clifford, R.D.
You might think that baking without wheat would make for a pretty limited
diet. If so, you'd be wrong. "No wheat" doesn't mean no bread, no cake,
no pasta, no goodies. Buckwheat, spelt, rice flour, oat flour, and many
more wheat alternatives can add different flavors and textures to
familiar foods.
Traditional baked goods containing wheat makes elastic dough, with
spongy, tender, high yields. For those with wheat or gluten allergies,
eliminating these flours can be tricky, and often leads to products with
a different texture than you may be using.
Are there any hard and fast rules for substituting for wheat? Not really.
There are a number of cookbooks on the market that deal with using flours
other than wheat, but it seems that they all offer a different formula
for substitution. It also depends on whether you're using flour to bread,
thicken, or bake.
Perhaps the best point to keep in mind is that most non-wheat flours do
not substitute cup for cup for wheat flour. It's also a good idea to work
with combinations of flours, since the flavor of one might be acceptable,
but result in a too-crumbly or too-dense product by itself. The best way
to come up with wheat-free dishes you enjoy is to experiment. Start with
the following wheat-free recipes, and look to the "For More Information"
box for books and names of organizations that can provide additional
assistance.
- Amaranth: mild flavor, good for baking.
- Barley flour: mild, good for baking.
- Brown rice flour: sweet, mild flavor, excellent for desserts. Use in
combination with other flours as a binding agent (such as egg substitutes
or mashed bananas) to avoid crumbly baked goods.
- Buckwheat flour: strong flavor, best used in small quantities in
combination with other flours.
- Chick pea flour: perfect for savory goods because of its heartier, but
mild, flavor. Can also be used in baking.
- Oat flour: makes dense but flavorful and tender baked goods.
- Rye flour: lacks elasticity, but adds a characteristic heartiness.
- Spelt: recognized for its ease in baking (results are similar to using
whole wheat flour).
(Note: These organizations and books are not necessarily vegetarian and
the information offered may require further modification to be vegetarian.)
American Celiac Society
45 Gifford Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07304
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
1717 Massachusetts Avenue
Suite 305
Washington, DC 20036
Food Allergy Network
4744 Holly Avenue
Fairfax, VA 22030
Gluten Intolerance Group
PO Box 23053
Seattle, WA 98102-0353
The Allergic Gourmet, by June Roth, MS (Contemporary Books Inc., Chicago,
1983).
Wheatless Cooking, by Lynette Coffey (Ten Speed Press, California,
1984).
The Allergy Cookie Jar, by Carol Rudoff (Prologue Publications,
California, 1985).
Wheat-free, Milk-free, Egg-free Cooking, by Rita Greet (Thorsons
Publishers Inc., New York, 1983).
Allergy Kitchen 3, The Allergy Oven, by Carol Rudoff (Allergy
Publications Inc., California, 1988).
The Egg-free, Milk-free, Wheat-free Cookbook, by Becky Hamrick and S.L.
Wiesenfeld, MD (Harper & Row, New York, 1982).
(Makes 1 dozen)
A melt-in-your mouth texture will make these a favorite breakfast treat.
Experiment with adding basil, dried onion, and oregano for herbed
biscuits, or raisins, finely chopped nuts, and orange juice (instead of
soy milk) for a sweet version.
- 1-3/4 cups spelt flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup margarine, chilled
- 1/2 cup lite soy milk
- 1/2 teaspoon melted margarine
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet. In large bowl, mix
together flour, baking powder, and salt. With pastry cutter or two
knives, cut in margarine until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Stir in soy milk until a soft dough forms and mixture pulls away from
sides of bowl; do not overmix.
Turn dough out onto generously floured board. Knead gently (about 10
times). Pat dough out to between 1/4- and 1/2-inch thick. Cut with
2-1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Re-roll and cut scraps until remaining dough
is used. Place on baking sheet and brush with melted margarine.
Bake biscuits about 10 minutes or until very lightly browned. Serve warm
or at room temperature.
Total Calories Per Biscuit: 97
Fat: 4 grams
(Serves 6)
Although this comforting, old-fashioned cake is just as good served warm
or at room temperature, there's something irresistible about freshly
baked, still-hot-from-the-oven desserts.
- 2 cups mixed dried fruit
- 2 cups apple juice
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 cup oat flour
- 2 Tablespoons baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Tablespoon margarine
- 2/3 cup lite soy milk
In small saucepan, combine dried fruit, apple juice, lemon juice,
cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple syrup. Heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce
heat to low and simmer about 15 minutes, or until mixture is reduced by
about half, and is thick and syrupy.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 2-quart baking dish. In medium bowl,
combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in margarine until well
combined. Stir in soy milk until soft batter forms.
Pour fruit mixture into greased baking dish. Pour batter over fruit. Bake
about 15 minutes or until knife inserted in cake portion only comes out
clean.
Total Calories Per Serving: 266
Fat: 3 grams
(Serves 8)
This dense, moist cake is simple to make but looks festive enough for a
special occasion.
- 1-1/2 teaspoons margarine
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 6 pineapple slices
- 1/4 cup margarine
- 1/4 cup sugar or other granular sweetener
- 3/4 cup brown rice flour
- 3/4 cup rye flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple or applesauce for garnish
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8-inch round baking pan. Melt
margarine in bottom of pan. Sprinkle with sugar. Place pineapple slices
in pan. Set aside.
In large bowl, beat together margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
Combine flours, salt, and baking powder. Stir in flour mixture and apple
juice alternately, until mixture is well combined. Pour over pineapple
slices.
Bake cake about 20 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out
clean. Run spatula around edge of pan to loosen cake and invert onto
serving platter. Serve warm or cool. Garnish with crushed pineapple or
applesauce.
Total Calories Per Serving: 208
Fat: 7 grams
(Makes 1 pound loaf -- Serves 8)
Many people are hesitant to make their own bread, thinking that it's far
too complex and fussy to bother with. But really, homemade bread is one
of the simpler things to learn how to make. If you've only done it with
an automatic bread machine, try this simple loaf as your first
introduction to baking.
- 2 cups spelt flour
- 1 package quick-rising dry yeast
- 2 Tablespoons sugar or other granular sweetener
- Pinch of salt
- 2/3 cup very warm soy milk
- 2 Tablespoons melted margarine
In large bowl, combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Stir in soy milk
and 1 Tablespoon melted margarine until dough forms. Turn dough out onto
floured board and knead about 3 minutes or until smooth.
Grease mixing bowl and place dough in bowl, turning to coat lightly.
Cover and place in warm spot away from drafts. Let rise about 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place dough on greased baking sheet, or, if
desired, bake in greased 8- x 4-inch loaf pan. Brush with remaining
tablespoon of melted margarine and bake about 25 minutes or until golden
and loaf sounds hollow when tapped on top.
Total Calories Per Serving: 149
Fat: 4 grams
(Serves 5)
Cornbread is an all-time favorite, and there are lots of variations. Try
adding chili powder, herbs, or 1/2 cup corn to this recipe for an easy
change of pace.
- 3/4 cup corn meal
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup rye flour
- 1/2 cup barley flour
- 1/2 cup brown rice flour
- 1 Tablespoon sugar or other granular sweetener
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups lite soy milk
- 2 Tablespoons oil
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8-inch round or square baking pan.
In large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, and salt. Stir in soy milk
and oil until a soft batter forms.
Pour batter into greased pan and bake about 20 minutes, or until knife
inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Total Calories Per Serving: 346
Fat: 8 grams
(Serves 4)
These are similar to a Polish dish called kluski, which are like
dumplings. Make them into large pancakes, as called for here, or
silver-dollar sized pancakes to serve as appetizers.
- 2 cups mashed potatoes
- 3/4 cup oat flour
- 1 Tablespoon dried minced onion
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons margarine
In medium bowl, stir together all ingredients except margarine. Dough
will be soft and sticky.
Melt margarine in non-stick saucepan over medium heat. With floured
hands, form dough into four large pancakes. Fry, turning occasionally,
until golden. Serve immediately.
Total Calories Per Serving: 130
Fat: 3 grams
(Makes 2 cups)
The distinctive taste of garbanzos (chickpeas) makes a toothsome change
of pace when you turn it into gravy for rice, mashed potatoes, or
casseroles.
- 3/4 cup garbanzo flour
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast (found in health food stores)
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced onion
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 2 Tablespoons steak sauce or vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
In 2-quart saucepan, combine all ingred-ients except broth and steak
sauce. Toast over medium heat, stirring, about 2 minutes.
Gradually whisk broth and steak sauce or Worcestershire into flour
mixture. Cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened. Serve immediately.
Total Calories Per 2 Tablespoons Serving: 35
Fat: <1 gram
Mary Clifford, R.D., is a dietitian in Virginia and a nutrition advisor for
The Vegetarian Resource Group.
The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) is a non-profit organization dedicated
to educating the public on vegetarianism and the interrelated issues of
health, nutrition, ecology, ethics, and world hunger. In addition to
publishing the Vegetarian Journal, VRG produces and sells cookbooks,
other books, pamphlets, and article reprints.
For more information, send a stamped self-addressed envelope to VRG at the
above address. Subscriptions to the Vegetarian Journal are $20 per year. All contributions above the $20 subscription are
tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Contributions help VRG
promote vegetarianism.
Brad Scott / [email protected]
The Vegetarian Resource Group / Vegetarian Journal
PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203
(410) 366-VEGE
HTML by: Jonathan Esterhazy / Manitoba Animal Rights Coalition /
[email protected]
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� 1996-
The Vegetarian Resource Group
PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203
(410) 366-8343 Email: [email protected]
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Last Updated
September 20, 1997
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