VRG-NEWS: The Vegetarian Resource Group Newsletter
Editor: John L. Cunningham
Volume 8, Issue 1
January 2004

CONTENTS

1. Notice to Health & Nutrition Professionals: Dietary Guidelines Testimony January 16, 2004 Deadline
2. Volunteers Needed to Maintain Restaurant Guide
3. RECIPE: Couscous Pudding
4. Internships Available
5. About The Vegetarian Resource Group
6. About VRG-NEWS

1) NOTICE TO HEALTH & NUTRITION PROFESSIONALS: DIETARY GUIDELINES TESTIMONY JANUARY 16, 2004 DEADLINE

The next meeting of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee will be held in DC on January 28th and 29th (see additional information below). At this meeting they are accepting oral comments on the afternoon of the 28th. It would be helpful if a number of health professionals who promote healthy eating from a vegetarian perspective will sign up to give oral testimony to the committee. Each speaker is limited to 3 minutes. The deadline for requesting a spot to give oral testimony is Jan. 16th at 5:00 pm.

US Dietary Guidelines - The Second Meeting of the joint USDA/HHS 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee will meet January 28 and 29 in Washington, DC - In announcing the meeting, the Agencies note that " ...

The appointment of the Committee reflects the commitment by the Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture to provide sound and current dietary guidance to consumers. The National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101- 445, Title III) requires the Secretaries of HHS and USDA to publish the Dietary Guidelines for Americans at least every five years. During its first meeting, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee decided that the science has changed since the 2000 edition of Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans and further evaluation of the science is necessary. Therefore, it will conduct a review of current scientific and medical knowledge and provide a technical report of any recommendations to the Secretaries for the year 2005 edition."

Requests to present testimony before the Committee, and written comments to be considered by the committee, are due by January 16, 2004.

- Questions about appearances before the committee and submission of written comments may be directed to Kathryn McMurry or Karyl Thomas Rattay, HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office of Public Health and Science at 202 690 7102; e-mail: [email protected]

- Questions about the work of the committee may be directed to the Co- Executive Secretaries: For HHS contact McMurry or Rattay as noted above and for USDA, Contact Carole Davis, USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion at 703 305 7600; e-mail: [email protected] or Pamela Pehrsson, USDA Agricultural Research Service at 301 504 0716; e-mail: [email protected]

- Information about the work of the committee is posted at http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines

2) Volunteers Needed to Maintain Restaurant Guide

We received a fantastic response from VRG-NEWS readers when we announced our Online Restaurant Guide http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/ last month. We're pleased so many of you have found it to be useful. Now, we need a volunteer or two that can help us keep up with the restaurant information we are receiving. Volunteers should be able to commit to 3 to 10 hours per month for at least two years to the project. The work can be performed either here in our Baltimore location, or remotely via the internet. If you are interested in becoming part of this project, send an e-mail to [email protected].

3) RECIPE: Couscous Pudding

(The following recipe appears in Conveniently Vegan by Debra Wasserman.)

Serves 4

Experiment with different types of dried fruit for variety.

5 ounces couscous (a little less than 1 cup)
1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, chopped figs or dates, for example)
1-1/2 cups water
1-1/2 cups soy milk or other milk alternative
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Bring water to a boil in a small pot. Add couscous and dried fruit. Cover pot, remove from heat, and allow to sit 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium-size pot, heat remaining ingredients over medium-high heat until the pudding starts to thicken (about 3 minutes). While heating, stir often with a whisk. Once pudding thickens, remove from heat, and add cooked couscous mixture. Mix well. Pour pudding into a serving dish and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Total calories per serving: 319	Protein: 7 g	Calcium: 74 mg
Fat: 2 g	Iron: 1 mg	Dietary fiber: 7 g
Total Fat as % of Daily Value: 3%	Carbohydrates: 69 g	Sodium: 43 mg

4) Internships Available

Responsibilities depend on background, major if in college, and interest of applicant. Tasks may include research, writing, and/or community outreach. Internships are helpful for students working toward journalism, English, and nutrition degrees. Business majors can obtain experience related to the business aspects of a non-profit organization. Activists can learn new skills and gain a broader knowledge, as well as share their expertise. Positions open throughout the year for all ages (including high school students living in Baltimore). Internships are unpaid. Send resume and cover letter to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203; [email protected].

ABOUT THE VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP

Our health professionals, activists, and educators work with businesses and individuals to bring about healthful changes in your school, workplace, and community. Registered dietitians and physicians aid in the development of nutrition-related publications and answer member and media questions about vegetarian diets. The Vegetarian Resource Group is a non-profit organization. Financial support comes primarily from memberships, donations, and book sales. The Vegetarian Journal, a print magazine, is a benefit of membership in The VRG. (For more information, please see the Vegetarian Journal online.)

If you would like to make a donation, become a member, volunteer, or find out more about The VRG, contact us at:

The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203
Phone: (410) 366-8343
Fax: (410) 366-8804
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.vrg.org
Donate: https://www.givedirect.org/donate/?Action=GC&CID=1561

The contents of this newsletter, 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 own best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

ABOUT VRG-NEWS

VRG-NEWS is the monthly e-mail newsletter of The Vegetarian Resource Group. This is an announcement list, so subscriber messages are not accepted by the list. If you have a technical question about the list, please contact the list manager, Bobbi Pasternak, at [email protected]. If you have any suggestions, ideas, or corrections to VRG-NEWS, direct them to [email protected]. Thanks!

If you are a new subscriber, you might enjoy reading past issues of VRG News online at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/index.htm.

If you wish to cancel your subscription to VRG-NEWS, send an e-mail message to [email protected] with the following message: SIGNOFF VRG-NEWS

If you wish to subscribe to VRG-NEWS, send an e-mail message to [email protected] with the following message: SUB VRG-NEWS {your first and last name}

Do not include the {} when you enter your name. The newsletter will be sent to the e-mail address from which you are subscribing.

Contents of VRG-NEWS are copyright 2004 by The Vegetarian Resource Group. The newsletter may be freely distributed in electronic or print form provided its contents are not altered and credit is given to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

Thanks to volunteer Stephanie Schueler for converting this article to HTML.

---

---