VRG-News -- The Vegetarian Resource Group

VRG-NEWS: The Vegetarian Resource Group Newsletter
Editor: Sonja Y. Helman
Volume 12, Issue 2
May 2008

1) NOTES FROM THE EDITOR

Spring has finally sprung! And not a moment too soon. See section 11 for all of the exciting events coming up. Also our Links page now has an Events category [ http://www.vrg.org/links/index.htm#Events ]. Please tell us if there is an event we should know about.

VRG receives numerous requests for donations of our materials. Already this year, Jeannie and I have sent over 5000 pieces of literature to individuals and groups across the United States! Please see section 2 for details. While we are always happy to share our information about vegetarianism and veganism, we greatly appreciate donations to help cover our printing and shipping costs. To donate to VRG, please visit this webpage [ http://www.vrg.org/support.htm ]. Thanks!

We'd like to send a special thank you to Melanie Campbell. Melanie was our dietetic intern from September 2007 to April 2008. She helped us with numerous nutrition tasks plus stuffing mailers, updating our restaurant guide, attending conferences, and reviewing products. We wish her all the best as she begins graduate school and continues to educate others about vegan nutrition. See section 5 for Melanie's review of Parma! vegan parmesan and keep an eye out for her article on vegan cheeses in an upcoming issue of Vegetarian Journal. To subscribe or renew, please see [ http://www.vrg.org/journal/subscribe.htm ]. For information about interning with The Vegetarian Resource Group, see section 12.

2) VRG LITERATURE OUTREACH

Here is just a sampling of literature requests we have fulfilled so far this year:

3) NUTRISYSTEM'S VEGETARIAN PROGRAM

The VRG recently received an email from a vegetarian who is using the vegetarian NutriSystem Weight Loss Program. She told us that when she opened what she thought was the vegetarian Tomato and Corn Chowder, she saw that it contained fish.

I contacted NutriSystem and spoke with Mary in Dietary Services to find out if this could be true. Mary told The VRG that the vegetarian Tomato and Corn Chowder is vegetarian which she defined as containing no meat, fish, or fowl or ingredients derived from these sources, such as fish oil. (It does contain dairy.) Unlike the other NutriSystem meal plans whose entrees contain fish oil, none of the menu items in the vegetarian plan do.

Mary told us that there are no entrees currently in the NutriSystem vegetarian program that contain fish or fish-derived ingredients. Possibly there was an error made in the shipping department and the affected individual received a package by mistake of a non-vegetarian version of the Tomato and Corn Chowder, an entree in other NutriSystem meal plans, that contains fish oil. In the case we were emailed about, we were informed by the person who received the wrong entree that NutriSystem sent replacement products. She said "they overcompensated and sent more than enough to replace the 'fishy stuff' and then some."

NutriSystem expressed their sincere apologies and stated that if anyone using the NutriSystem vegetarian program or thinking of doing so should have any concerns, they may contact NutriSystem and speak with a nutrition counselor.

The VRG invites anyone who is on or has been on the NutriSystem Vegetarian Program to tell us about their experiences by emailing us at [email protected] or by calling (410) 366-8343.

4) CAREERS FOR VEGETARIANS

It is possible to find a vegetarian-friendly career! Think about these seven fields:

For more information on careers for vegetarians, please see Jacqueline Bodnar's book, Careers for the Vegetarian and Animal Lover at [ http://www.lulu.com/content/179175 ].

5) PARMA! CHIPOTLE CAYENNE VEGAN PARMESAN REVIEW

Parma! is Good Karma! Yes, it is. Parma!, a vegan parmesan brought to you by Eat In The Raw, is completely natural. The company's mission is "to provide healthy, earth friendly culinary delights, uplift humanity's consciousness through business, and leave the world a better place than we found it." They even include "Love" as one of their ingredients.

The new Chipotle Cayenne flavor is perfectly spiced. I would recommend it to those who like spicy food and even those who shy away from spicy flavors. We tried it in the recipe, Most Excellent Summer Pasta (from their website). It was delicious! Everyone in the office enjoyed it. Some serving suggestions include popcorn, salad, greens, pizza, and rice but there are limitless possibilities! Parma! Original is also available.

For information on where to purchase Parma! and for some mouth-watering recipes, visit their website [ http://www.eatintheraw.com ].

6) HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 5TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON VEGETARIAN NUTRITION

Exhibits: The Vegetarian Resource Group shared a booth with the American Dietetic Association Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group. We distributed 600 Vegetarian Journals to a mixture of health care professionals, researchers, and the general public. The last category were mainly Seventh-day Adventists and some activists. A lot of people knew VRG and were happy to see us at the Congress. They spoke very positively of our work.

Matt Ruscigno was there for the ADA vegetarian practice group and did a great job, plus was interviewed for a cable show. Jay Lavine, MD stopped by the booth several times and was also helpful.

VRG Poster Presentation: Our poster presentation on the number of vegetarians was up all day Tuesday and most of Wednesday. A number of people came by and were interested in VRG's work. Most were surprised at the number of vegans.

Contacts: This was the most valuable part of the Congress for me. I met several researchers worldwide whose work I'm familiar with. They knew who I was and I would feel very comfortable contacting them with questions about their results or about work they're doing. These include scientific studies being conducted in the U.S., England, and Belgium. I also spoke with Laura Rico, who has translated VRG articles into Spanish. [ http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/information_in_Spanish.htm ] And I even met a dietitian running a vegetarian and animal rights group in Brazil.

Now that Loma Linda Foods has been bought up by Kellogg's, Loma Linda University has joined with Vibrant Life magazine and developed a new product line called Vibrant Life that has meat analogues (mainly in cans) that are vegan and lower sodium. I bought a can of Vege-Scallops to test, but haven't tried them yet. [ http://www.llu.edu/foundation/market/mrkt-del.html ]

Program: I was aware of most of the vegetarian topics although there was some interesting unpublished research presented which we were asked not to write about until after it is published.

There were two debates, one on whether vegetarians should eat fish and one on dairy. The fish one was interesting. The speaker saying vegetarians don't need to eat fish made excellent points about vegetarians already being at lower risk for heart disease. The speaker saying vegetarians should eat fish (for health reasons) was convinced omega-3's were critical. However, he wasn't aware of vegan sources so didn't present a complete picture. Unfortunately, Walt Willett, a respected epidemiologist from Harvard was supposed to present on the "dairy isn't necessary side," but couldn't make it. The debate was a crowd pleaser, but the scientists were looking for more documented information.

Researchers at USDA reported that they have developed a mushroom which is a plant source of vitamin D2 with 869% of the Daily Value per serving. It should be on the market this year. In our Scientific Updates in Vegetarian Journal, we will review several of the topics in more detail.

7) ASSIST OTHER VEGETARIANS

We would appreciate any feedback/help you can provide with any or all of the following items.

Do any of you eat at Bakers Drive-Thru Restaurants in California? Please let us know your opinion and experiences.

We sometimes get requests for help from attorneys for custody cases involving vegetarian and vegan diets or from prisoners seeking vegetarian food. Would you be interested in volunteering to assist in any cases like this?

We sometimes hear from those in the military indicating that they have difficulty getting vegetarian options. If you are in the military, do you have any suggestions for others trying to obtain vegetarian meals?

We have some large mailings coming up so if you live in the Baltimore area, we would love to have you come to our office to help stuff packages.

Needed: Cook in Baltimore area who can shop and prepare a few vegan meals per week for couple in their home. Must be able to meet specifics requests. E-mail [email protected].

To contact us regarding any of the above items, please email [email protected] or call (410)366-8343. Thanks! Hope to hear from you soon!

8) STELLA MCCARTNEY

Stella McCartney is known to many as the daughter of former Beatle Paul McCartney and the late Linda McCartney (both outspoken about their vegetarianism). But Stella is famous in her own right. In 2001 she launched her own fashion house (with Gucci) under her name. A lifelong vegetarian, Stella's high-end brand has no leather or fur. Now you can purchase many items from her collection online. She has just launched an ecommerce store for the United States which includes many of her cruelty-free shoes, bags, and accessories along with ready to wear items. While too pricey for many of us, it's still fun to look!

9) CALL-A-DIETITIAN DAY - MAY 23

If you have general nutrition questions, Mark Rifkin, MS, RD, LDN, will be available from 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. EST on Friday, May 23, 2008. To reserve a 20-minute time slot, please email the VRG office at [email protected] or call (410) 366-8343.

Be advised that these sessions are not individualized nutritional counseling. Such advice should only be provided through direct in-person contact with a qualified health professional. There is no charge, but if you do commit, please call on time. Otherwise you are taking someone else's spot.

Mark Rifkin, a longtime VRG volunteer, is a Registered Dietitian and has a Master's Degree in Health Education. He has been presenting on food-related topics for more than seven years. Currently, he has a private practice in Baltimore, MD, that focuses on plant-based nutrition for prevention, as well as treatment of various chronic diseases and conditions, including diabetes, overweight/obesity, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, gout, women's health concerns, cancer, and early-stage kidney failure.

In addition, Mark is offering a 20% discount on any service for VRG members. This is for his private practice and is not affiliated with The VRG or Call-A-Dietitian Day.

10) AMY'S TURNS 20!

Many of you have depended on Amy's Kitchen for delicious vegetarian and vegan foods over the years. You may not have realized how long they have been around. Well, this year they are celebrating their 20th year! Named after their daughter Amy, this family business started out in 1988 with a vegetable pot pie as their first product. Their line now includes over 88 frozen meals, including pizzas, pocket sandwiches, pot pies, entr\E9es, snacks and whole meals. They also now boast a grocery line that includes canned soups, beans and chili as well as jarred pasta sauces and salsas. For more information, please visit their website [ http://www.amys.com ].

Thanks Amy's for all your delicious and convenient food! Here's to 20 more years!

11) UPCOMING EVENTS AND CONFERENCES

Join Mercy for Animals for a talk about how to stop factory farming in Ohio. Enjoy a free vegan dinner too.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 27, 2008, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
WHERE: Dayton Metro Library, Auditorium (2nd Floor), 215 E. Third St., Dayton, Ohio
WEB: [ http://www.mercyforanimals.org ]
PHONE: (937) 890-9174

Their Lives, Our Voices 2008 seeks to bring together individuals for a hands-on, high-quality conference focused on helping animals. Their goal is to make the conference as inclusive as possible for both new and veteran activists in the Midwest region, with a focus on farmed animal advocacy efforts and practical ways to help animals in the community. This conference is being organized by Compassionate Action for Animals, an animal advocacy organization based in Minneapolis, MN. Registration is $80 for the general public and $40 for students.

WHEN: June 6-8, 2008
WHERE: The Hubert H. Humphrey Conference Center in Minneapolis, MN
WEB: [ http://www.tlov.org/ ]
EMAIL: [email protected]
PHONE: (612) 626-5785

Register soon for the 34th Vegetarian Summerfest. This annual conference of the North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS) includes educational sessions, vegan meals, and exciting speakers.

WHEN: June 18-22, 2008
WHERE: Conference Center at Pitt-Johnstown on the University of Pittsburgh campus in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
WEB: [ http://www.vegetariansummerfest.org/ ]
PHONE: (518) 568-7970

Join Mimi Clark for a vegan cooking class focusing on Salads/Picnics/BBQs. Past classes have included some of the following: whole grain and bean salads such as Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Soy Feta Cheese, Two-Grain Sesame Salad, Oriental Ramen Slaw, Chicken-Free Salad, Oil-Free Sweet Bulgar Salad, Teriyaki Kebobs, Marinated Grilled Vegetables, Rice Paper Spring Rolls, Quinoa Tabouli, Dilled Potato Salad, Black Bean Fiesta Salad, Zesty Three-Bean Salad, Caesar Salad, Kim Chee, Beanie Weenie Bake, Tempeh Salad, low fat marinades and dressings, Sugar-free Organic Strawberry Lemonade, Fudge Brownies.

No meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, or honey. $45/person; $80/two people; $40/VSDC, VRG, and COK members. Class includes recipes, food samples, manufacturers' samples, and coupons. Gift certificates available. *Make checks payable to Mimi Clark*, 9302 Hallston Ct., Fairfax Station, VA 22039. Sorry, no phone reservations. Seventy-two hour cancellation policy for refund or credit. Email [email protected], or call (703) 643-2011 for space availability.

Coming this summer: "Breakfast & Brunch," Healthy Snacks & Desserts." Monthly updates at [ http://www.localdc.com/cooking ]

Mimi Clark, "Veggie Gourmet," has been teaching vegan cooking classes for the past 17 years. She has contributed recipes to several natural foods cookbooks, and is currently developing recipes for natural food manufacturers. Her vegan Chocolate Orange Mousse and Key Lime pies are featured at The Vegetable Garden restaurant, Rockville, MD. [ http://www.thevegetablegarden.com/ ]

Join CARE (Compassion for Animals, Respect for the Environment) at their annual Veggie Fest and Fundraiser. Enjoy vegan food, music, children's activities, exhibits, and literature. Suggested donation is $10 for CARE members, $12 for non-members, and $5 for children 12 and under. Call Allison, below, if weather is questionable or for more information. CARE is a non-profit, all volunteer organization located in the Delaware Valley of Pennsylvania.

WHEN: Saturday, June 28, 2008, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
RAIN DATE: Sunday, June 29, 2008, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
WHERE: Hoopes Park, West Chester, Pennsylvania
WEB: [ http://www.CARE4animals.org ]
PHONE: (267) 481-0487 (Allison)

Rainbow Mountain Children's School is offering this day camp for rising 1st and 5th graders. This fun-filled week of hands-on activities will educate children about what they can do to help the local and global community through environmental activism. An introduction to vegetarianism is included. Topics will include recycling, organic gardening, vegetarian cooking, the rainforest and other biodiverse ecosystems – including their own. The Jane Goodall Institute's "Roots & Shoots" program empowers children to make a difference on a local level and thus, collectively, have a profound impact globally. Campers will discuss what they can do to be part of this amazing movement.

Join Dr. Will Tuttle for an inspiring weekend retreat with intensive exploration of the "benevolent revolution" discussed in his book, The World Peace Diet. Organic, vegan meals will be prepared by Deer and Justice Fields who have taught vegan cooking throughout the world along with their experiences in their own restaurants. Suggested donation for the weekend is $150 which includes all meals from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon and camping on the sanctuary land. If you register before June 1, registration is $135.

Start making plans to attend the fourth annual Taking Action for Animals conference. Sponsored by leading animal protection organizations, this event includes training workshops, exhibitors, social events, and keynote sessions. This year's conference, among other topics and training sessions, will have a special focus on the theme of politics and public policy for animals.

Farm Animal Reform Movement (FARM) will be holding their Animal Rights National Conference this summer. The four-day program features 90 speakers from 60 animal protection groups in 9 countries. Other program elements include exhibits, videos, newcomer orientation, networking receptions, cruelty-free shopping, and vegan food.

The Vegetarian Resource Group will hold a vegan dinner at the Star of Siam during the American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo. Dietitians, VRG members, and the public are invited. Come and meet the dietitians from the ADA Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group.

MENU
Mee Krob (Thai Rice Sticks)
Spring Rolls
Fried Tofu with spicy sweet and sour plum sauce

Green Curry Tofu
Pad Thai (rice noodles)
Star's Tofu Delight (vegetables and straw mushrooms)
Fried Rice; Mixed Vegetables on Rice
Stir Fried Eggplant with Basil and Bean Sauce
Charcoal Grilled Veggies
Vegetable Tempura
Wild Rice Medley with nuts
Tea, water, rice, oranges for dessert

COST: $20 before September 30, 2008. $25 after September 30. Children are $9. Includes tax and tip. PAYMENT MUST BE MADE IN ADVANCE. Menu subject to change. Please reserve early as seating is limited. Refunds will be made only if we have a replacement for your seat.

Call (410) 366-8343 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST Monday to Friday; fax (410) 366-8804; click on the donation button at [ http://www.vrg.org ] and write "ADA Dinner" in the notes section; or send a check to VRG, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

WHEN: Sunday, October 26, 2008, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Star of Siam, Chicago, Illinois

12) VRG SCHOLARSHIPS & INTERNSHIPS

The VRG will again award $10,000 in college scholarships. Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, we will give two $5,000 college scholarships to graduating high school students who have promoted vegetarianism in their schools and/or communities. The students must be graduating high school in spring 2009. The deadline is February 20, 2009. For more information or to read about past winners, go to [ http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm ].

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, bequests, 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 ]

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 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 us at [email protected]. If you have any suggestions, ideas, or corrections to VRG-NEWS, please direct them to [email protected]. Thanks!

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Contents of VRG-NEWS are copyright 2008 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.