CONTENTS

1) Welcome
2) American Dietetic Association Annual Meeting
3) VRG Web site
4) U.S. Naval Academy
5) Meals on Wheels
6) Vegetarian Journal 1997
7) Recipe of the Month
8) About The Vegetarian Resource Group
9) About VRG-NEWS

WELCOME

1) Welcome to the premiere edition of VRG-NEWS, a monthly newsletter of Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) activities. We hope you'll let us know what you like and dislike so we can tailor this newsletter to readers' interests. You can expect many changes in the early editions as we respond to your feedback. Please email Bobbi Pasternak with your thoughts and suggestions.

AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION ANNUAL MEETING

2) VRG recently exhibited at The American Dietetic Association (ADA) Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. We were in four places at this year's conference in order to reach the 10,000 attendees. Suzanne Havala, M.S., R.D. handed out our materials at a members' booth (these can only be sponsored by ADA dietitians) on Monday. Julie Hoskins, M.S., R.D. volunteered at our ADA Alliance booth on Tuesday. On Tuesday through Thursday, staff and volunteers answered questions and gave out materials in the main hall. And on Thursday, Suzanne Havala and Debra Wasserman presented an abstract on vegetarian nutrition materials for kids (the presentation was crowded while nearby presentations were almost empty). As always, the dietitians who attended this meeting were very thankful we were there providing the practical, scientifically-accurate advice for which we have become so well known. Thanks to our donors who paid for the booth, travel expenses, and for materials to hand out.

VRG WEB SITE

3) The VRG web-site is in the process of a makeover. Robert Lewis, webmaster of , volunteered his talents to redesign the look and feel of the web-site. Please let Brad Scott know what you think of the new look and feel free to suggest any improvements. Especially let him know if you have trouble viewing any of the pages or if your browser makes the pages difficult to read.

Thanks to Jeanie Freeman, Rob Eccles, Mark Mosely, and Doug Percival for volunteering to add pages to the site and to convert the existing pages to the new format, and thanks to Envirolink for hosting our site . And our special thanks go to volunteer Don Graft for setting up the site.

U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY

4) The foodservice director of the U.S. Naval Academy contacted The Vegetarian Resource Group asking for help in lowering the fat and adding vegan options for the Naval Academy cadets. Debra Wasserman, co-coordinator of VRG, gave the director a variety of practical tips for offering interesting and healthy options. Debra also sent the foodservice director an article titled "Tips for Introducing Vegetarian Foods into Institutions" (see ../fsupdate/tipsintroinstitute for a copy).

MEALS ON WHEELS

5) One of VRG's nutrition advisors, Suzanne Havala, M.S., R.D., has developed the first phase of the meal plans and recipes which will allow Meals on Wheels programs around the country to serve vegetarian meals. The menus and recipes are being tested now. After the testing is complete, VRG will need to make required adjustments. Once the menus, recipes, and supporting materials are printed, follow-up is needed with sample local Meals on Wheels sites.

VEGETARIAN JOURNAL 1997

6) In 1997, every other issue of the bi-monthly Vegetarian Journal will contain a special insert on raising vegetarian kids. Each insert will contain a variety of practical tips covering healthy foods to feed kids (including recipes), what to tell kids about why other people eat meat, and how to handle some awkward social situations. Whether you are raising children or grandchildren yourself, or if you just know someone who is, you won't want to miss these ideas you can give to people who are. Also, be sure to visit the VRG web site at <../../journal/> for excerpts of past Vegetarian Journals.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

7) This recipe is from page 100 of the Vegan Handbook <../catalog/veganhandbook.htm>:

Corn Stew (serves 6)

1 Tablespoon corn (or olive) oil
1 cup onions, finely chopped
1 large green pepper, finely chopped
1 large red pepper, finely chopped
2 cups low-sodium canned tomatoes
2 cups fresh (or canned) corn kernels
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup nearly-cooked brown rice, along with the cooking water
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Dash of hot pepper sauce to taste

Heat oil in deep stew pot and add onions and peppers slowly. Saute until soft, stirring often. Add tomatoes, corn, and seasonings (save parsley until end). Cover pot, stew slowly for at least 20 minutes. Add rice and water. Cook unitl done to taste. Stir in parsley and hot pepper sauce. Serve with slices of avocado.

Total calories per serving: 146; Total fat as % of daily value: 6%; Fat 4 gm; Protein 4 gm; Carbohydrates 16 gm; Calcium 44 mg; Iron 1 mg; Sodium 400 mg; Dietary fiber 4 gm.

ABOUT THE VRG

8) Our health professionals, activists, and educators work with businesses and individuals to bring about healthy 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, contributions, and book sales.

The Vegetarian Journal, a bi-monthly print magazine, is a benefit of membership in The VRG. The Journal features informational and recipe articles, product and book reviews, news for vegetarian activists, and up to date information about vegetarian health and nutrition. Membership in the VRG costs $20/year in the US, $30/year in Canada and Mexico, or $42/year for the rest of the world. Accepted forms of payment, all in US funds, are Visa, Mastercard, checks drawn on US banks, and postal orders. When joining, please send us your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. If paying by credit card, please include the card number and expiration date. Membership requests should be directed to:

The Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463
Baltimore, MD 21203
Phone: (410) 366-8343
Fax: (410) 366-8804
E-mail: [email protected]