Southwestern - The Vegetarian Resource Group

GEORGE EISMAN, RD, HAS EMERGED AS ONEof the nation’s leading educators on vegetariannutrition. In fact, this registered dietitian andcollege instructor created the first for-credit classesavailable on the subject of vegetarian nutrition.How did this come about? In 1986, George wasworking part-time as a professor at Miami-DadeCommunity College in southern Florida when theinstitution was given a grant specifically to create avegetarian program. This was during a time whenthere were absolutely no classes on vegetarian nutritionavailable, even for those who wereinterested in nutrition as a career path.The school’s officials already knewGeorge was a vegetarian. He hadbecome a vegetarian during collegeand later transitioned to vegan afterattending a Vegetarian Summerfestsparked his interest in a dairy- andegg-free diet. This is exactly why theadministration wanted him involvedin the program. George not only developedthe courses to get the vegetarianprogram off the ground, but he alsowrote a textbook titled A Basic Coursein Vegetarian and Vegan Nutrition.Since that time, George’s courseshave gained steadily in popularity asvegetarianism has become more mainstream. Today,he is leading even more college students to vegetarianismthrough his nutrition courses. The classes usuallyattract adults who are looking for a second career pathand who have an interest in a healthier, more compassionatelifestyle. These students are very fortunate, asthere is a major void in the area of vegetarian studiesat accredited schools. George thinks that the collegesetting is the most effective for this type of education.However, George believes in getting accurate informationabout vegetarian and vegan nutrition out inVegetarian ActionVegetarian Nutrition EducationPioneer George Eisman By Ed CoffinGeorge Eisman, RDany format that works. For example, he has turnedthe Basic Vegetarian Nutrition Course into a homestudymodule that has been used by hundreds of people.He is extremely proud of this distance learning programbecause it allows more people to get involved, and thenthose students will go out and teach even more peopleabout vegetarian nutrition.“The demand for such education is growing, especiallyconcerning veganism,” he says.In addition to the academic platform he has created,George spreads the word about vegetarian nutritionthrough his prolific writings and appearances.He is the author of The MostNoble Diet, one of the most popularbooks about ethical eating available onthe market today. He has also writtenarticles for Journal of Nutrition Educationand Vegetarian Times. Furthermore,George has lectured at many nationaland international nutrition conferences.When he is not speaking, he enjoyshearing others lecture and contributesto their discussions from the audience.George Eisman never tires of sharinghis knowledge about vegetariannutrition with others, whether in amore formal classroom setting orduring a casual conversation.“Each person provides a teaching opportunity,”he states. “Some people only seem to respond to apersonal approach.”For those considering incorporating veganisminto their own career paths, he advises them not to fear.“Be ethical, and stay with it!” he encourages.If you are interested in taking George’s onlinecourse, contact him at geisman2004@yahoo.com.Ed Coffin wrote this article during a nutrition internshipwith The Vegetarian Resource Group.VEGETARIAN JOURNAL Issue Two 2009 35