VRG-NEWS: The Vegetarian Resource Group Newsletter
Volume 15, Issue 7
July 2011

CONTENTS

  1. THE VRG IS IN YOUR COMMUNITY
  2. VRG'S $2,500 ELEANOR WOLFF SCHOLARSHIP/INTERNSHIP
  3. VRG'S VEGAN INDIAN DINNER IN SAN DIEGO, SEPT 25
  4. VEGDINING SUMMER PHOTO CONTEST
  5. BEAVER GLAND CASTOREUM NOT USED IN VANILLA FLAVORINGS ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURERS
  6. SAVORY SUMMER PEACH AND AVOCADO SALSA
  7. TOP 5 VEGAN CAMPUS FOODS SURVEY
  8. VRG'S GUIDE TO VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN FOOD INGREDIENTS NOW AVAILABLE ON WINDOWS PHONE 7!
  9. NUTRITION DURING VEGAN PREGNANCY
  10. THE MARKET FOR VEGETARIAN FOODS
  11. COME VISIT VRG'S BOOTH AT THESE EVENTS!
  12. VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN SUMMER CAMPS
  13. HOW DO I FIND A VEG-FRIENDLY COLLEGE?
  14. VRG'S VISA PLATINUM REWARDS CARD
  15. About The Vegetarian Resource Group
  16. About VRG-NEWS

1) THE VRG IS IN YOUR COMMUNITY

By Lindsey Siferd

As a summer intern for The Vegetarian Resource Group, I have been able to see firsthand the range and scope of what this organization does. The VRG's main mission is to educate and help, but they do so much more than that. Whether you are a lifelong vegan, new vegetarian, or someone who is just interested in cutting more meat out of your diet, the VRG has something for everyone.

The VRG is also concerned with outreach. One of my favorite parts of my internship this summer was working a booth at a festival in Baltimore. I had so many people come up and talk about their passions, their reservations, and their experiences with vegan and vegetarian lifestyles. We were able to answer their questions and provide them with all sorts of free materials. We even talked to dietitians who were familiar with the group and used us as a resource for patients.

Everyone who approached us was friendly, and many had their own stories to tell. Several people came up and said, "Oh, my sister is a vegan" or "My son wants to go vegetarian" and got a copy of the Vegetarian Journal for them or signed them up for the mailing list. It was great to see so many people looking out for each other.

The VRG is dedicated to being a presence in your community, and we have volunteers working across the country. Here are just some of the places where we will have hosted booths:

  • EcoFair, Reisterstown, MD
  • Federal Hill Jazz Festival, Baltimore, MD
  • Richmond Vegetarian Festival, Richmond, VA
  • VegFest Colorado, Golden, CO
  • ADA Food & Nutrition Expo, San Diego, CA
These booths increase awareness of vegetarian and vegan lifestyles, and also help provide resources to people who might not have heard of our organization. It is important for the VRG to continue community outreach, as each booth leaves a direct impact and helps us make several personal connections with people.

Your donations help support booths in your community, and other projects that the VRG is involved in. Please donate to The Vegetarian Resource Group, by clicking:

[ https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565 ]

or mailing a check to:

The Vegetarian Resource Group
PO Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203

or by calling (410) 366-8343.

Thank you for helping the VRG continue to educate and help people live more compassionate vegan and vegetarian lifestyles!

2) VRG'S $2,500 ELEANOR WOLFF SCHOLARSHIP/INTERNSHIP

Eleanor Miltimore Wolff became a committed vegan late in life. Once she learned and understood that dietary choices affected not only one's personal health, but also the health of the planet and the well being of the animals, there was no looking back. Leather shoes and purses, along with non-vegan food products went out the door. Her children and grandchildren were showered with vegan reading material. When she exercised she would sport a T-shirt proclaiming: "I think, therefore I am -- a vegetarian". Eleanor was a military censor during World War II, but there was no censoring her commitment to a plant based diet and lifestyle.

In her memory, the Eleanor Wolff Scholarship is a $2,500 paid internship at the VRG office in Baltimore (plus $1000 towards housing) for a student who:

  • Wants to be an effective change agent on behalf of vegetarianism
  • Is motivated to use knowledge gained from the internship to make a significant impact within his/her world
  • Could not participate in this development effort without a little financial assistance

Currently, the Eleanor Wolff Scholarship funds one internship per year. VRG also has unpaid internships available.

If you would like to apply for a VRG internship, please send a resume, writing sample, and cover letter detailing your interests, skills, goals, financial need, and vegetarian knowledge to:

The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463 Baltimore, MD 21203

or e-mail to [email protected]

For more information about the Eleanor Wolff Scholarship and to view what past recipients have said of their experiences, click here [ http://www.vrg.org/student/eleanor_wolff_scholarship.php ].

3) VRG'S VEGAN INDIAN DINNER IN SAN DIEGO, SEPT 25

VEGAN INDIAN DINNER
Sunday, September 25, 2011, 6:30 p.m.
San Diego, CA
Royal India, 329 Market Street

Sponsored by The Vegetarian Resource Group during the American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo. Meet Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, Catherine Conway, MS, RD, and other vegetarian dietitians.

BUFFET MENU:

  • Salad
  • Samosas
  • Veggie Pakora
  • Aloo Gobi
  • Bengan Bhartha
  • Green Beans Masala
  • Veggie Mango Pineapple
  • Channa Masala
  • Peas Pulao Rice
  • Rice
  • Salad

RESERVATIONS AND PAYMENT MUST BE MADE IN ADVANCE. Refunds will only be made if we can replace your seat. 

Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Telephone:
E-mail:
Attendees:
___ Number of adults X $25 before August 20, 2011=  $_____
___ Number of adults X $35 after August 20, 2011=   $_____
___ Children X $20 before August 20, 2011=          $_____
___ Donation for outreach to dietitians             $_____

Please send payment to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203; Call (410) 366-8343 9-5 AM Eastern Time, Monday to Friday, or pay at online here [ https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565 ]. Please write San Diego dinner in the notes field and the name of attendees. (The early registration price is limited to the first fifty registrants.)

4) VEGDINING SUMMER PHOTO CONTEST

Take part in the Great VegDining Summer Photo Contest! Promote your favorite vegetarian restaurants by uploading your photos of those restaurants to VegDining's Facebook page. Random draw for vegetarian prizes! Deadline Oct 31 (end of World Vegetarian Restaurant Month).

For more information, visit [ http://VegDining.com/ ]

5) BEAVER GLAND CASTOREUM NOT USED IN VANILLA FLAVORINGS ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURERS

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS VRG Research Director

A reader wrote to The VRG in April 2011 about a comment made by British chef, Jamie Oliver, on The Late Show with David Letterman. Mr. Oliver said that vanilla flavoring in ice cream is made with castoreum, a substance derived from beaver anal glands. The reader asked us if there was any truth to this statement.

The VRG asked five companies that manufacture both natural and artificial vanilla, vanilla extracts, concentrates, distillates, powders, and flavors. All five unanimously stated that castoreum is not used today in any form of vanilla sold for human food use.

To read the rest of the article, visit The VRG's Blog: [ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2011/06/17/beaver-gland-castoreum-not-used-in-vanilla-flavorings-according-to-manufacturers/ ]

6) SAVORY SUMMER PEACH AND AVOCADO SALSA

Excerpted from:

Vegans Know How to Party [ http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=63 ] OVER 465 VEGAN RECIPES, INCLUDING DESSERTS, APPETIZERS, AND MAIN DISHES

By Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD

Purchase a copy for $25.00 here: [ http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=63 ]

Savory Summer Peach and Avocado Salsa Serves 10

2 cups diced fresh, ripe, pitted peaches (not peeled)
2 cups diced fresh, ripe, pitted, peeled apricots
2 Tablespoons minced fresh chilies (you choose the heat!)
1/2 cup diced, peeled, ripe avocado
1/4 cup diced fresh red bell pepper
1 Tablespoon minced red onion
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tablespoons peach nectar or orange juice

In a non-reactive bowl, combine ingredients. Allow salsa to chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Total Calories Per Serving: 45
Total Fat as % of Daily Value: 2%
Protein: 1 gm
Fat: 1 gm
Carbohydrates: 8 gm
Calcium: 8 mg
Iron: 0 mg
Sodium: 1 mg
Dietary Fiber: 2 gm

7) TOP 5 VEGAN CAMPUS FOODS SURVEY

Are you a vegan or vegetarian college student? We want to know what your top 5 favorite campus foods are!

Below is the link to our survey.
[ http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5L839K8 ]

Thanks,
Jessica Friend/Lindsey Siferd
VRG Interns

8) VRG'S GUIDE TO VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN FOOD INGREDIENTS NOW AVAILABLE ON WINDOWS PHONE 7!

Our Guide to Food Ingredients [ http://social.zune.net/redirect?type=phoneApp&id=06ad6608-369f-e011-986b-78e7d1fa76f8 ] is now available - for free - on Windows Phone 7!

Click here to install: [ http://social.zune.net/redirect?type=phoneApp&id=06ad6608-369f-e011-986b-78e7d1fa76f8 ] (You'll have to have (or download) Zune to view this)

Or, you can take a look at this website: [ http://www.windowsphoneapplist.com/ingredients_guide-a25008.html ].

Perfect for deciphering ingredient labels while you are on the go, the Guide lists the uses, sources, and definitions of 200 common food ingredients. It also states whether the commercial source of the ingredient is vegan, typically vegan, vegetarian, typically vegetarian, typically non-vegetarian, or non-vegetarian.

Many thanks to Techark Consultancy [ http://www.gotechark.com/ ] for developing the app!

Print copies of the Guide are available here: [ http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=8 ].

The online version is available here: [ http://www.vrg.org/ingredients ].

iPhone version is available here: [ http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/guidetoveganandvegetarianfoodingredients/id443466136?mt=8 ].

Editor's note: The purpose of our food ingredient research is intended to educate people to enable them to make informed decisions about the foods that they choose to eat. Vegetarians and vegans will draw their own lines at what they will or won't eat. Do what you feel is appropriate for your circumstances. The guide should not be used to criticize others or feel overwhelmed. We live in an imperfect world and do the best we can.

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

9) NUTRITION DURING VEGAN PREGNANCY

Pregnant or planning for pregnancy? Check out this recent article by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, VRG nutrition advisor, and co-author of VRG's brochure, Vegan Nutrition in Pregnancy and Childhood [ http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/veganpregnancy.php ].

Starting Right: What to Eat When You're Hoping to be Expecting [ http://www.onegreenplanet.org/foodandhealth/starting-right-what-to-eat-when-hoping-to-be-expecting/ ],

10) THE MARKET FOR VEGETARIAN FOODS

The article The Market for Vegetarian Foods [ http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/market1.htm ] has been updated and is now available here: [ http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/market.htm#market ]. You can read the whole article here [ http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/market.htm#market ].

The Market for Vegetarian Foods
By Caryn Ginsberg

Vegetarian eating is higher profile than ever. Movies, books, articles, and celebrity interviews tout how vegetarian foods reduce disease and obesity. More and more people are aware of how standard American fare not only hurts our health but also harms the environment and supports cruelty to animals.

It's easier to eat vegetarian or vegan now than ever. Specialized products have expanded from natural foods stores to mainstream grocers, discount chains, and club stores. From fast food to five-star restaurants, vegetarian options are becoming more commonplace.

Exciting times do not ensure successful business ventures, however. Competition is intense. Experts estimate the failure rate for new products of all types may exceed 80 percent. As many as 60 to 80 percent of new restaurants may close (Bloomberg Business Week, 2007).

Given that the trends driving interest in vegetarian eating appear likely to continue, savvy businesspeople can not only profit by catering to this need but also build demand by offering delicious, convenient, and affordable plant-based foods. Both would-be entrepreneurs and established professionals can benefit from understanding the market and competition to determine the best opportunities for success.

This article begins by identifying the consumers seeking more vegetarian food of all kinds, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat and dairy alternatives. After exploring the implications for restaurants and non-commercial food service, the analysis narrows to meat and dairy alternative products, investigating market data, and trends.

Read the rest of the article here [ http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/market.htm#market ].

11) COME VISIT VRG'S BOOTH AT THESE EVENTS!

  • Naperville-Chicago Veggie Fest [ http://www.veggiefestchicago.org/ ] - Naperville, IL - 8/12-8/13
  • HampdenFest [ http://hampdenfest.blogspot.com/ ] - Baltimore, MD - 9/10
  • Natural Products Expo East [ http://www.expoeast.com/ ] - Baltimore, MD - 9/22-9/24
  • VRG's Vegan Indian Dinner [ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2011/04/01/vrgs-vegan-indian-dinner-in-san-diego-sept-25/ ] - San Diego, CA - 9/25
  • American Dietetic Association Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo [ http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=11508 ] - San Diego, CA - 9/24-9/27
  • DC VegFest [ http://dcvegfest.com ] - Washington, D.C. - 9/24
  • NY's Capital Region Vegetarian Expo [ http://www.nyvegetarianexpo.org/ ] - Albany, NY - 10/1
  • San Francisco VegFest [ http://www.sfvs.org/wvd/ ] - San Francisco, CA - 10/2-10/3

12) VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN SUMMER CAMPS

For other Teen FAQs, visit: [ http://www.vrg.org/teen/ ]

The last few years I've been to summer camp, they always say that vegetarian meals are available. When I get there it is the same foods every night or just a salad bar, veggie burgers, and peanut butter and jelly. Are there any camps that actually have good menu options for vegetarian and vegans?

By Julia Warren

Yes! There are camps out there that offer great vegetarian and vegan options for kids and teens; you just have to look harder. Having a good camp experience is difficult when you are always hungry so finding camps that meet your dietary needs is important. We have made a list of some camps across the United States and Canada that keep in mind their vegetarian campers or are exclusively vegetarian/vegan. If none of these camps are located in your area there are some steps you can take to make sure your local camps are able to provide you with the appropriate food.

  • Get in touch with the camp. Email or call the camp director or foodservice director to talk about the specific foods they offer. Many camps have entire menu plans or lists of foods that are available so you can get an idea of what you are looking forward to. Even if they don't have what you want, a lot of camps aim to please and may be willing to work with you to get you some better options.
  • Bring your own foods. Day camp? See if you can bring your own lunch. Overnight camp? See if there is a place where you can store food that you bring if they cannot guarantee appropriate foods. That way you know you'll get something you will like and can eat.
  • Be creative and try new things. Look at new combinations of foods. Never put edamame in your salad? Ever heard of sunflower seed butter? Camp may be the time to try something different!
To read the list of Vegan and Vegetarian Summer Camps, visit: [ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2011/07/19/vegan-and-vegetarian-summer-camps/ ]

13) HOW DO I FIND A VEG-FRIENDLY COLLEGE?

For other Teen FAQs, visit: [ http://www.vrg.org/teen/ ]

I'll be looking at colleges this spring. How do I find a veg-friendly college?

First and foremost, the most important factor in picking a college is finding one that is really a good fit for YOU - a place where you will learn what you need to learn, and a place where you can grow to the greatest extent of fulfillment as possible. That alone is a complicated and challenging task, but it is extremely important.

As a vegetarian, you have something extra to think about as you search for your home for the next four years. It would be hard to stay up for a late-night study session with your stomach running on near-empty, and it would be hard to enjoy your dinner if it was the same exact mystery vegetable casserole that had been served for three nights prior. Colleges vary in their level of vegetarian accommodation, and the college that's the right fit for your vegetarianism will largely depend on you.

To read the rest of this article, visit The VRG Blog: [ http://www.vrg.org/blog/2011/07/21/how-do-i-find-a-veg-friendly-college/ ]

14) VRG'S VISA PLATINUM REWARDS CARD

VRG's affinity Visa(r) Platinum Rewards credit card is now available!

When a cardholder activates the card, VRG receives $50. Then for the life of the program, VRG will receive a portion of every dollar that each cardholder charges. The VRG Visa(r) Platinum Rewards card offers qualified cardholders exceptional benefits including no annual fee, a low APR and reward points for shopping at participating merchants.

Add your support with every purchase when you use the The Vegetarian Resource Group Visa(r) Platinum Rewards card. To apply, see: [ http://www.cardpartner.com/app/vrg ]

For FAQs about the program, see: [ http://www.cardpartner.com/marketing/faq ]

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?CID=1565 ]

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/ ].

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Contents of VRG-NEWS are copyright 2011 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.