VRG-NEWS: The Vegetarian Resource Group Newsletter
Volume 14, Issue 5
July 2010

CONTENTS

  1. TWO MORE TITLES ADDED TO THE VRG BOOKSTORE
  2. VEGAN COMIC ON LAST COMIC STANDING
  3. VOLUNTEER WITH VRG AT HAMPDENFEST IN BALTIMORE, MD
  4. VEGETARIAN JOURNAL ISSUE 1, 2010 NOW ONLINE!
  5. VRG SUMMER INTERNSHIP REPORT
  6. VEGGIE COUNTING GAME FOR KIDS!
  7. VRG'S VEGAN DINNER IN BOSTON 11/7/10
  8. VRG'S TESTIMONY ON USDA DIETARY GUIDELINES 2010
  9. VEGAN OPTIONS AT RED ROBIN
  10. VEGETARIAN EXCHANGE STUDENT FROM LEBANON SEEKS HOST FAMILY
  11. HAWAII AND VIRGINIA TEEN EACH AWARDED $5,000 VEGETARIAN SCHOLARSHIP
  12. REED MANGELS TO SPEAK AT PEDIATRIC NUTRITION CONFERENCE IN PHILADELPHIA
  13. VRG'S BOOTH AT LATINOFEST
  14. UPCOMING VRG BOOTHS
  15. About The Vegetarian Resource Group
  16. About VRG-NEWS

1) TWO MORE TITLES ADDED TO THE VRG BOOKSTORE

The latest two titles added to the VRG Bookstore are oldies but goodies.

Becoming Vegan
[ http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=59 ]
by Brenda Davis, RD and Vesanto Melina, MS, RD

The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook
[ http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=60 ]
by Jo Stepaniak

Both books would be a great addition to any vegan's bookshelf! Please consider purchasing books to educate yourself and others, as well as to support VRG outreach.

2) VEGAN COMIC ON LAST COMIC STANDING

Myq Kaplan, a vegan comedian from Boston, is a finalist on the NBC Monday night TV show Last Comic Standing [ http://www.nbc.com/last-comic-standing/ ].

Check out Myq's stand up here: [ http://www.jokes.com/stand-up-search/videos/tag/Myq+Kaplan ].

His CD, Vegan Mind Meld, can be purchased here: [ http://myqkaplAn.com/?p=69 ].

3) VOLUNTEER WITH VRG AT HAMPDENFEST IN BALTIMORE, MD

We're looking for volunteers to help work the VRG booth at Hampdenfest on 11 Sept 2010 in one hour shifts from 11a.m.-7p.m. on the Avenue, W. 36th St, Baltimore, MD. If interested, please email [email protected]. Thanks!

4) VEGETARIAN JOURNAL ISSUE 1, 2010 NOW ONLINE!

Highlights from this issue include:

Camels and Caravans
[ http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue1/2010_issue1_camels_and_caravans.php ]
Zel Allen brings the cuisine of Afghanistan to the vegan table.

The Vegan Teen Athlete
[ http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue1/2010_issue1_vegan_teen_athlete.php ]
VRG dietetic intern Julia Driggers discusses eating right, fueling up for competition, and dealing with coaches and teammates.

2009 VRG SCHOLARSHIP RUNNER-UP ENTRY
[ http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue1/2010_issue1_09_scholarship_runnerup.php ]

Matzo Desserts and Vegan Easter Eggs
[ http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue1/2010_issue1_matzo.php ]
Chef Nancy Berkoff makes scrumptious spring holiday treats!

Seasonal Meals
[ http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue1/2010_issue1_seasonal_meals.php ]
Peggy Rynk uses fresh produce to create salads, entrees, and more.

"My VRG Internship"
[ http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue1/2010_issue1_my_vrg_internship.php ]
High school intern Erin Smith and college intern Kristen Lambert relate their experiences working with The VRG.

VJ's Essay Contest Winners
[ http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue1/2010_issue1_essay_winners.php ]

Alternatives to Meat for a Typical Camp Menu
[ http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue1/2010_issue1_vegan_camp_menu.php ]

Vegetarian Action
[ http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue1/2010_issue1_veg_action.php ]
Cakewalk Baking Company, by Kristen Lambert

Click here [ http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue1/index.php ] to view the rest of this issue.

To join VRG and receive The Vegetarian Journal in print either:

  • join online with $25 [ https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565 ]
  • call (410) 366-8343 and order by phone with your MasterCard® or Visa®
  • or complete this form and mail or fax it to:
    The Vegetarian Resource Group
    P.O. Box 1463
    Baltimore, MD 21203
    Fax: (410) 366-8804

Thanks to VRG volunteer Celina Chung for her help in converting articles into HTML!

5) VRG SUMMER INTERN REPORT

By Veronica Lizaola

With my two month internship drawing to a close, I am astonished at the skills and knowledge that I have gained. Inside, I feel completely different than my vegetarian self who stepped out of a plane from San Antonio, Texas. Interning at The Vegetarian Resource Group and interacting with vegans, reading about vegetarianism, promoting vegetarianism, researching vegetarianism, and even eating new vegetarian food while discussing the vegetarian movement, has made me even more passionate about the vegetarian diet and lifestyle. There wasn't one day during my internship that I didn't learn something new. Every week there was a project that needed to be worked on, someone that needed to be interviewed, products that needed to be reviewed, articles I had to read, items that needed to be shipped, recipes I would write, and events and conferences that awaited me.

Within the first week that I arrived, I had to prepare for Book Expo America [ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2010/06/04/pictures-from-book-expo-america/ ] in New York, a city I immediately fell in love with. All around me were restaurants that (unlike the restaurants in Texas) had such a variety of vegan options to choose from. At the actual Book Expo, I was so enlightened by the VRG's work ethic and really got to learn about the publishing and business side that goes into producing the Vegetarian Journal and publishing vegan books. I got to improve on my social skills as I handed out issues of the journal, approached interested onlookers, exchanged business cards, and talked to many individuals about the vegetarian diet. It was interesting seeing all the various responses from people that were there. I found that regardless of their response, my passion for advocating this diet truly multiplied. Amongst those individuals were people that had been vegetarians for most of their lives, people that were having a hard time transitioning, and people whose ignorance and lack of interest in their health really astonished me.

This experience taught me how crucial it is to educate the public. On the table we had all kinds of pamphlets and free handouts on different issues within vegetarianism but what I found to be most effective was the personal interaction with individuals. Speaking to them, answering questions, asking questions, seeing how they were processing the information I was giving them; that truly made all the difference. Fortunately, later in my internship I was able to have the same type of interaction with an entirely different audience--Baltimore's Latino population at the Latino Fest 2010 [ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2010/07/01/vrgs-booth-at-latinofest/ ].

At the Latino Fest, I was able to use my bilingual skills to communicate with Latinos from all over the world. I was also able to launch one of my projects I spent my internship working on--a Latino coloring book in Spanish that divided a variety of fruits and vegetables commonly found in the Latin community by color. I feel that this interactive coloring book will help educate young children about all of the different fruits and vegetables that are available in hopes of establishing healthy food consumption. I was fortunate to have so much support and input from the VRG staff when creating the coloring book that transformed dramatically with each draft I produced. It was very overwhelming in the beginning to even come up with a title or a small plot for it, but eventually I was inspired to implement the use of color and rainbows with different fruits and vegetables after meeting with a group of dietetic interns visiting the VRG office. Before I knew it, the booklet came into place and it was so much fun drawing the characters. I had the license to do pretty much anything I wanted and I really appreciated that!

Other projects that I have worked on during my internship include an article on an inspirational woman who volunteers with an organization promoting plant-based nutrition to the Latino population in Missouri, an article with Mexican recipes that come straight from my mother's kitchen, and an article for vegetarian teenagers who attend agriculture schools. I also reviewed various vegetarian products for our 'Veggie Bits' section in Vegetarian Journal to give readers insight on what is new on the market and accessible. I also wrote a few items for the VRG blog! To put my Spanish skills to the test, I translated a 7-page English article into Spanish!

Towards the end of my internship, I was fortunate enough to participate and engage in an Animal Rights Conference in Washington, D.C. I am so thankful for this wonderful opportunity and the endless interaction I had while there with other individuals that share such a similar passion. As soon as I heard that Peter Young, an animal rights activist that I truly admire, would be there, I jumped with excitement and started counting down the days until the conference would begin. I, along with two other VRG interns, was amongst hundreds of like-minded animal rights activists! Although this might seem odd for most people, this experience was like a vegetarian utopia for me! I was able to go to different sessions that explored different animal rights issues, none more important than the other. Amongst these talks was a session on direct action, a session on how to be a better public speaker, and my favorite, a session where we discussed under what circumstances would we or would we not kill an animal (pests, animals that attack, etc). These presentations really opened my mind to different issues and have made me more aware of issues that I had not really focused on beforehand, such as experimentation on beagles. There were all types of individuals there and the most interesting would have to be the vegan body builders. I have gained so much appreciation for these athletes, especially having bonded with one of them (another VRG intern) during the entire conference. I was able to see all of the dedication and consistency that goes into a vegan body building diet.

My experience in Baltimore was truly amazing thanks to the support of the VRG staff. I had really fun weekends exploring different types of vegan foods with Jeannie and Ben, who first introduced me to Indian food which is now my favorite food. After being encouraged to go back to New York City by myself, I was able to go to the art museums and indulge in as much vegetarian food as I could before returning back to Texas. I really want to thank the donors of the Elanor Wolff Scholarship [ http://www.vrg.org/student/eleanor_wolff_scholarship.php ] who gave me endless resources in order for my internship to happen and for Charles and Debra, who were always encouraging and had really interesting stories to share! I explored as much of Baltimore City as possible and it is safe to say that I am in love with the East coast and plan on coming back as soon as possible!

To support VRG's outreach to students, the Latino community, and others, please donate at: [ https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565 ]

6) VEGGIE COUNTING GAME FOR KIDS!

[ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2010/07/20/veggie-counting-game-for-kids/ ]

Thanks to VRG volunteer Ellen Tattenbaum for making this veggie counting game. Artwork © Jessica Dadds; originally made as memory cards.

Click here [ http://www.vrg.org/family/memory_cards_math_game.doc ] to download this game in a Word document

7) VRG'S VEGAN DINNER IN BOSTON 11/7/10

VEGAN DINNER
Sunday, November 7, 2010, 6 p.m.
MY THAI CAFE
CHINATOWN, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

The Vegetarian Resource Group will hold a vegan dinner 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. Please reserve early. Hope to see you there!

MENU
Thai Coconut Soup with Tofu
Thai Mango Salad
Yellow Curry with brown rice
Wide Rice Noodles with Chinese Broccoli and Gluten
Fresh Fruit Cocktail
Jasmine tea

This vegan restaurant also sells unique vegan Bubble Tea and vegan cakes. You may want to order takeout after the meal to sample these treats.

COST: $25 before October 1, 2010. $28 after October 1. Children 12 and under are $12. Includes tax and tip. PAYMENT MUST BE MADE IN ADVANCE. Menu subject to change. Please reserve early. 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. Eastern Time 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.

NAMES:
NUMBER ATTENDING: x $25/person before 10/1/10= $ Enclosed
NAMES ATTENDING:
ADDRESS:
STATE/ZIP
E-MAIL:
PHONE:
DONATION:
TOTAL ENCLOSED:

8) VRG'S TESTIMONY ON USDA DIETARY GUIDELINES 2010

The Vegetarian Resource Group PO Box 1463 Baltimore, MD 21203

Carole Davis Co-Executive Secretary of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion U.S. Department of Agriculture 3101 PARK CENTER DRIVE, ROOM 1034 Alexandria, VA 22302

July 13, 2010

Comments submitted electronically at [ http://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/ ]

Dear Ms. Davis:

The Vegetarian Resource Group is a nonprofit educational organization that works with individuals, consumer groups, food companies, professional associations, government agencies, academic institutions, and other relevant constituencies to disseminate accurate information and sound advice to the public concerning vegetarian diets.

We were extremely impressed with the thoroughness of the recent Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. The report makes a clear and compelling case for a rapid shift in the American diet to one that is more plant-based. The evidence-based approach used throughout the report allows readers to understand the basis for the recommendations that are made. This is an impressive report and we commend and thank the committee members for their diligence.

In an earlier letter we stated, "As advocates for people who choose to follow a vegetarian diet, we believe that the Dietary Guidelines should include information about vegetarian diets. This has been done somewhat in the past with suggestions for alternatives to meat products but information is limited. "We were quite pleased to see that this report contains a much more extensive discussion of vegetarian diets than previous reports.

We hope the following suggestions will be considered when finalizing the report.

Click here [ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2010/07/15/vrgs-comments-on-usda-dietary-guidelines-2010/ ] to read VRG's suggestions for the USDA Dietary Guidelines.

9) VEGAN OPTIONS AT RED ROBIN

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

We recently reported [ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2010/06/14/vegan-boca-burger-available-at-red-robin/ ] that Red Robin now offers the vegan Boca™ Original Burger at most of its US locations along with the vegetarian Gardenburger™ which has been on its menu for some time.

We followed up with Red Robin about the Boca's™ preparation and bun options. A senior quality assurance manager at Red Robin told us that the vegan patties are "microwaved in their original plastic wrapper." Then they are "crisped on the flattop grill which may be used for other proteins." Guests have the option of requesting that the Boca™ patty be microwaved only.

It appears that the whole grain bun and the sesame bun are entirely composed of plant-based ingredients including the monoglycerides and diglycerides and sodium steroyl-3 lactylate. The whole grain and sesame buns are Kosher-certified.

These two ingredients in the ciabatta bun, herbed focaccia bun, jalapeno cornmeal bun, onion bun and slider bun are also from vegetable sources. However, these buns contain L-cysteine "derived from poultry" and are not certified Kosher.

Red Robin also offers a number of salads, all of which may be customized upon ordering like most menu items. However, it appears that only the Natural Toasted Sesame Dressing is all plant-based. The Italian and the Caesar Dressings contain anchovies. The Balsamic Vinaigrette contains egg yolks. All of the others contain dairy or honey.

All of the soups at Red Robin contain animal ingredients. The French onion is made with a beef base.

A "Veggie Rice Bowl" is on Red Robin's menu. It may be customized to be entirely vegan by choosing from the black beans, chipotle beans, white rice, salsa and/or steamed vegetables. All of these components are prepared apart from animal products.

Wontons are a new item at Red Robin. They cannot be microwaved and may be fried along with animal products. It is uncertain whether the L-cysteine in the wontons is derived from an animal source. Except for this ingredient, they appear all plant-based.

Red Robin's Steak Fries is a signature item free of all animal ingredients according to the senior Q&A manager with whom we spoke. The Fries are cooked in a designated fryer apart from all meat products "a majority of the time" according to our contact. Guests may request that their Steak Fries be cooked in the designated fryer.

10) VEGETARIAN EXCHANGE STUDENT FROM LEBANON SEEKS HOST FAMILY

Pacific Intercultural Exchange (PIE), a nonprofit agency, is searching for a volunteer host family for an international student who is vegetarian. The student is from Lebanon and is US State Department sponsored scholarship student who is vegetarian. She is active in sports such as basketball, tennis, swimming, and dancing. She speaks English, has medical insurance and her own spending money.

A volunteer host family provides a room (which may be shared), meals, and a caring environment for their student. Students arrive in mid August and stay through June while attending the local public high school where the host family resides. Students are encouraged to integrate themselves into their host family by doing chores, participating in family activities and attending the public high school. For more information about the program or to become a host family, please contact Mary Armstrong at (952) 236-0745 / website: [ http://www.pieusa.org ] / email: [email protected]

11) HAWAII AND VIRGINIA TEEN EACH AWARDED $5,000 VEGETARIAN SCHOLARSHIP

The Vegetarian Resource Group is honored to present a $5,000 scholarship to Melissa Monette of Mililani, Hawaii, for her outstanding work in promoting vegetarianism one pound of food at a time. With diligence and the help of community members and donors, she was able to collect over 28,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables to feed over 133,000 individuals.

Melissa's non-profit charity, A Harvest For Many Inc., was created after her grandmother was turned away from a non-profit which distributed canned goods only to the homeless. Melissa noticed that her grandmother, who was left to survive on a single income after the passing of her husband, and others like her needed help. Melissa's program has been able to provide vegetarian food assistance to senior citizens, the homeless, displaced teens, battered women, and to children living in shelters.

After acquiring both fresh and canned fruits and vegetables from farms, organizations, supermarkets, can food drives, and the homeowners of Oahu that donated surplus fruits and vegetables, Melissa found it important to also focus on fitness and nutrition. An integral part of A Harvest For Many Inc., an aerobics class, encompassed both the fitness and nutrition aspect of Melissa's vision. Vegetarian meals were prepared for those that participated in the aerobics class. She arranged for dietitians to provide nutritional presentations about eating healthy Hawaiian foods. With great bountiful locally grown food in Hawaii such as mango, papaya, and taro, Melissa's program gave individuals nutritional information about these vegetarian products. Melissa was also able to coordinate several vegetarian potlucks. She even plans to create a vegetarian cookbook from some of the best dishes and recipes used at the potlucks.

Melissa also encouraged low income facilities to create community gardens to grow their own produce. By planting tomato seedlings herself, Melissa was able to advocate a healthy vegetarian diet and ensure that there would be at least one more pound of food growing.

A vegetarian for approximately 5 years now, Melissa's activism does not stop at her non-profit charity. As captain of her tennis team and Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) state champion, she regularly prepared vegetarian pasta dishes for her teammates. She also gave presentations at neighborhood board meetings and community service meetings about the vegetarian diet.

The Vegetarian Resource Group is also honored to present a $5,000 scholarship to Nina Gonzalez, of Stratford High School, for her diligence in changing school lunches at both the local and national level. With all the meat options students could choose from, Gonzalez envisioned healthy, vegetarian dishes and worked hard to implement her vision at the school cafeteria.

Nina conducted extensive research on the National School Lunch Program, learning about all the different dietary requirements of food in school cafeterias. After having successfully learned about all this information, she was able to set up a meeting with a certified dietitian to become more informed about the dietary guidelines for adolescents and was then able to meet with the school district nutrition director where she discussed her vegetarian proposal using schools in Fairfax County as an example of institutions that had adopted a vegetarian-friendly cafeteria.

Shortly following a taste test that was conducted at her school with vegetarian and non-vegetarian students, she was able to successfully encourage the inclusion of vegetarian lunch items such as bean burritos, taco salads, pita and hummus, as well as a salad bar and potato bar. These changes were available to all school levels; from adolescents in high school to children in elementary school.

Nina's activism did not just stop once vegetarian meals were implemented in her school's cafeteria. As a top athlete in tennis, golf, and cross country, she has been able to transfer similar energy and perseverance she used when qualifying for the Virginia State Golf Championships and apply it when she promotes vegetarianism.

Nina successfully has been able to project her views to truly impact those around her. She has been involved by leafleting through Vegan Outreach near the University of Maryland and at different entertainment venues to reach today's youth.

In 2008, she even got involved by voicing and effectively presenting her opinions to the U.S Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Nina also testified twice this spring in front of the Senate committee on Nutrition in Washington as a teen advocate for vegetarian and vegan school lunch options nationwide. She was able to voice her passion and commitment for the vegetarian diet and keep working to ensure that a plant based meal is available upon request in our nation's schools. Nina was able to further do this at a Congressional hearing regarding vegetarian meals at schools, part of the Healthy Schools Meal Act, and was able to meet with the senator and representative to voice her own personal story and dedication to the health and compassion benefits of vegetarian diet. Just this past April, Nina went to New York and did a video for Good Morning America Health, where she promoted vegetarianism by revealing alarming nutritional facts, such as the fat content in burgers.

A vegetarian does not eat meat, fish, or fowl. A vegan is a vegetarian who does not use other animal products such as eggs and dairy. For more information on a vegetarian diet, visit The Vegetarian Resource Group at [ http://www.vrg.org ] or write to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

The Vegetarian Resource Group is a national non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about vegetarianism. VRG publishes the quarterly Vegetarian Journal, and sponsors two annual $5,000 scholarships for graduating high school seniors who have promoted vegetarianism in their communities. Applicants are judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegetarian diet/lifestyle. Entries should be sent in a student's senior year before February 20th. Early submission is encouraged. For more information on the scholarship, visit [ http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm ].

To donate to future scholarships and internships, go to: [ https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565 ]

12) REED MANGELS TO SPEAK AT PEDIATRIC NUTRITION CONFERENCE IN PHILADELPHIA

On Friday, November 19, 2010, VRG nutrition advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD will speak at the 1-day conference "Pediatric Nutrition: Current Concepts and Controversies" at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to an audience of pediatric dietitians, nurses, and physicians. The title of Reed's talk will be "Vegetarian Children and Teens: A Growing Population."

Click here [ http://www.chop.edu/export/download/pdfs/articles/cme/nutrition-std2010.pdf ] to view more information about the schedule of events for the conference.

13) VRG'S BOOTH AT LATINOFEST

By Veronica Lizaola

LatinoFest in Baltimore, which took place on June 26 and 27, 2010, was full of culture, vibrancy, and very hot weather. The scorching 100 degree weather, however, did not prevent such a vast array of Latin American cultures from interacting with each through conversation, food, music, and dance. The Latinos--Mexicans, Salvadorians, Hondurans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans to just name a few--each added their own spice and flair to the festival. Vendors sold all kinds of unique items; ranging from soccer jerseys to platano maduro (fried plantains) to handmade jewelry and clothing.

Representing the Vegetarian Resource Group was truly an interesting experience all in its own. In addition to the Walters Art Museum that was also there, we were the only nonprofit organizations to help educate the public.

The VRG had all kinds of items that made our stand visually appealing to the eye and it definitely helped draw in children and adults. All of our colorful books, the vibrant table cloth with depictions of fruits and vegetables, our bilingual signs, different bags of beans that acted as paper weights and as conversation starters, free copies of the Vegetarian Journal, a multitude of handouts, and the model of what 5 lbs. of body fat looks like all caught the attention of any onlooker.

Many of the people that were attracted to our table were Latino. There was a lot of diversity in our audience, which included those who only spoke Spanish, some who spoke both Spanish and English, or those who only spoke English. There were men, women, adolescents, and children of all different Latino heritages, each with a different interest.

Booth visitors included attendees who were already vegetarian and were looking for help in transitioning to vegan, omnivores who were interested in transitioning to vegetarian, and others just simply interested in eating healthier, or were interested in different unique recipes. We gave individual copies of Vegetarian Journal, and encouraged the children to take one copy of each of the three different coloring books available, including a test of our new Spanish coloring book.

The majority of the Latino population was really interested in the information we had about diabetes and the vegetarian diet. Those that only spoke Spanish took the sixteen page handout in Spanish and were really happy about the sample menu inside. Those that could speak English took our free copy of VRG's book on diabetes. So many people were impressed with our commitment and complemented us for taking the time to be there. It was definitely really helpful that Mark Rifkin, a registered dietitian, was present to help answer any questions. Many people had very specific queries about problems they were facing, such as with blood pressure and each case differed from the rest. There was even a young woman who had joined the Peace Corp and was going to be sent to Kazakhstan and wanted information so that she would be able to continue her vegetarian diet!

A really popular handout that was given was the Baltimore dining sheet that has helpful restaurant information for vegetarians/vegans. Since there wasn't a great amount of vegetarian food at the festival, people were really receptive to restaurant suggestions. The coloring books were also very popular for the children and I was really happy that I gave out copies of our Spanish coloring book, El Arco Iris Vegetariano (The Vegetarian Rainbow). With the Walters Art Museum stand directly across from us, children could use the markers that were available there and color our coloring book pages.

I was able to learn so much myself! Since this is my first visit to Baltimore, I was able to see the Latino population here flourish in front of me. It really helped me interact with the Latino population, something that since before the start of my internship, I had made a priority, as I am of Mexican heritage. I was also able to learn so much about the amount of sugar in so many products ranging from brownies and cookies to soda. Mark had different test tubes labeled as these products filled with the amount of sugar each product contained. I was so surprised to know how many teaspoons were present in each of these and I think this definitely has made me more aware of what is being consumed. I have no doubt the individuals that talked to us left with that same awareness or even more! It was an enlightening experience to be able to share so much of this information to all of the individuals that were present at Patterson Park Latino Festival.

Thanks to Brandi, Shamim, Eric, Ann Marie and Mike for volunteering at VRG's booth.

To support VRG's outreach efforts and presence at such events as LatinoFest, click here [ https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565 ].

14) UPCOMING VRG BOOTHS

The VRG will have booths at the following events across the country:

Please stop by and say hello!

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 ]
Donate: [ https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?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 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!

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

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Contents of VRG-NEWS are copyright 2010 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.