Cierra Peterlin shares vegan recipes utilizing foods that would otherwise go to waste. She says, “These ideas are meant to provide a quick view of what it could look like to eat in a way that is conscious of food waste each day.” Some of the recipes include Stale Bread French Toast, Celery Leaf Salad, Potato Soup, Wrinkly Pepper Fajitas, Banana Peel Tacos, and more. See: https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/vegan-zero-waste-recipe-ideas.pdf

By Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD

So, perhaps some of your residents have requested vegan menus at your facility. Easy-peasy! Look at your menu and think which items on today’s menu don’t have meat, eggs, or dairy and build a vegan menu from there. For example, if you are serving pancakes, using a non-dairy pancake batter (US Foods, Smart and Final and Sysco have these), your vegan residents can enjoy these along with maple syrup and sliced bananas. Making omelets for your omnivore residents? Grill or sauté your mushroom, pepper, and onion filling then set aside some for your vegan residents. Vegans can have the cooked mushroom/pepper/onion filling with hash browns, half a baked potato, or corn tortillas.

Think about “building” salads and entrées without meat, dairy, or eggs and set these aside for your vegan residents. For example, if you are creating a macaroni casserole, cook and combine the macaroni, pea or veggies, then add some vegan margarine, and set aside to bake for your vegan residents. (You would then add other items and complete your omnivore preparations.) Preparing burritos? Create your cooked beans, tomatoes, onion, potatoes, and peppers filling and set aside for your vegan residents (and then you might add other items for your omnivores). Of course, if you have access to vegan meat alternatives and/or vegan cheese you could add these to your dishes.

If you have only one or two vegan requests, you can easily locate vegan canned soups, such as some Campbell’s Well Yes! (See: www.campbells.com/well-yes/vegan-soups), Amy’s, or Pacific Foods brands, as well as frozen veggie burgers. You can rotate these when your regular menu does not easily adapt for your vegan residents. Frozen veggie burgers can be served as a “stacked” burger (romaine or spinach, sliced tomatoes, pickles, shredded carrots, diced onions, relish, etc), crumbled and used for tomato “meat sauce,” or as the “meat” for casseroles, chili, or soups.

Here are just some of the items you probably make on a regular basis for everyone… and vegan residents can join in as well:

BREAKFAST

Hot cereal (leave out the butter and milk); fresh or frozen (thawed) fruit; dried apricots, apples, cranberries, and prunes; toast (with vegan margarine and fruit preserves); pancakes made from Bisquick (or equivalent, without added eggs or milk) served with maple syrup; and baked apples. (Always read current ingredients on products.)

Try baked oatmeal for a make-ahead breakfast or hot dessert. Spray a baking pan with vegetable oil and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together equal amounts of oatmeal and boiling water, and allow mixture to sit for about ten minutes, until oatmeal begins to soften. Add small amounts of chopped apples, raisins, or chopped canned peaches (or a combination), sliced ripe bananas, cinnamon, ginger, and maple syrup and bake until “set,” about 30 minutes. Serve warm as a breakfast casserole or dessert or chilled as a dessert.

LUNCH AND DINNER

Vegetable soup, split pea, navy bean, or lentil soup (prepared without meat), tomato soup, chili beans (prepared without meat), spinach salad, romaine salad, mixed greens salad, fresh tomato and cucumber salad, four bean salad (made with four types of canned beans, chopped onions, oil, and vinegar), fresh mixed fruit salad, fresh grapes, cooked rice or cooked grains (without chicken or beef stock or butter), cooked pasta, baked, steamed or roasted potatoes, baked sweet potatoes.

FOOD STORAGE AREAS

Your food storage areas most probably already contain many vegan items; no need to budget or shop “especially” for vegans:

IN THE PANTRY: canned fruit (in juice), unsweetened applesauce, canned pie filling, canned pumpkin, peanut butter, almond butter, nuts, dried fruit, dry pasta, rice, barley, quinoa, couscous, corn meal, canned beans and lentils, dried beans, split peas and lentils, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, canned vegetables, canned mushrooms, some canned soups (review the labels for meat or dairy ingredients), vegetable oils and vegetable oil spray, tomato sauce (review label for meat or dairy ingredients), vegetable base (rather than beef or chicken), Shredded Wheat, hot cereals,  Bisquick, pancake mixes (review for dairy or egg ingredients), maple syrup, graham crackers (without honey), some cake mixes (check for egg or dairy ingredients), Ocean Spray cranberry sauce (check other brands, may contain gelatin), pudding mixes (can be made with soy or almond milk), shelf-stable (doesn’t need refrigeration) soy, oat, or almond milk

IN THE REFRIGERATOR: many breads (check for egg or dairy), corn tortillas, fresh fruits and vegetables, hummus, prepared mustard, pickles, olives, relish, ready-to-serve polenta, vegan margarine (check for dairy ingredients)

IN THE FREEZER: frozen pie crusts (check for dairy or egg ingredients or lard), frozen fruit (without sugar), frozen vegetables (without sauce), frozen hash browns and other potato products, sorbet (not sherbet, which has dairy)

Be sure to work with your purveyors for easy-to-prepare vegan entrées:

US Foods has some reasonably priced plant-based proteins: usfoods.com/great-food/featured-products/meat-substitutes.html

Sysco has veggie options, such as veggie meatballs: foodie.sysco.com/simply

Smart and Final and Costco have many vegan canned and frozen items, varying from store to store.

SOME FAST VEGAN IDEAS

Always talk to the resident about their specific needs and ingredient concerns.

BREAKFAST:

– hot cereal with maple syrup, toast with margarine, nut butter, sliced banana

– grilled or baked hash browns, sliced tomatoes or salsa, fresh or frozen berries

LUNCH:

– two bean taco or burrito with shredded romaine and chopped tomatoes, pudding made with almond or soy milk

– split pea or lentil soup

– baked sweet potato with crushed pineapple, raisins

SNACK:

– baked apple with chopped dried fruit

– hummus (or puréed bean dip) with toast or pretzels

– popcorn and orange slices

DINNER:

-sliced mushrooms served over pasta or rice, spinach salad or steamed spinach, sliced peaches

– baked potato topped with white beans and steamed veggies, seasoned carrots, sliced pears with cherries

– lentil stew (lentil soup with steamed potatoes, chopped tomatoes, mixed veggies), bread sticks or cut corn, applesauce with cinnamon

For information on serving larger quantities, bulk recipes, and beyond basic changes, see:

VRG VEGAN FOODSERVICE INFORMATION www.vrg.org/fsupdate/index.htm

Vegan in Volume by Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD: www.vrg.org/blog/2020/01/09/share-vegan-in-volume-with-local-restaurants-campus-dining-services-senior-housing-settings-hospitals-etc-6/

The contents of this posting, our 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.

By Neha Vivek, VRG Intern

One day in my 8-year-old life, I came home and told my parents I no longer wanted to eat meat, and was switching to a vegetarian diet. While my parents undoubtedly thought this was a phase, our culture’s general acceptance of vegetarian food meant they were well-prepared to support me. However, for many families, this transition may be worrisome, factoring in growing children’s nutritional needs while accommodating their changing taste buds.

The main goal with children is to appeal to their likes, making vegetarian food comforting and exciting rather than scary and dreadful. An excellent way to do this is by making vegan versions of foods they already like and getting the kids involved with the cooking with simple tasks like mixing ingredients.

A fail-safe recipe to start with is Chocolate Chip Pancakes. For the past few years, my family has stopped using eggs in our household, and during the pandemic, this meant we had to learn how to make eggless versions of our favorites, starting with pancakes! We developed our family recipe for eggless chocolate chip pancakes, making it a Sunday morning habit! For both my sister and I to this day, we both wake up excited for chocolate chip pancakes on Sunday, and I’m sure other kids will find the recipe just as good, especially since chocolate chip pancakes are a comfort food for many kids. To get your kids involved, you can have them measure the ingredients, such as flour and cocoa powder, mix, and allow them to put chocolate chips in the pancake batter to feel involved in the process.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Servings: 10-12 medium pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon organic sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup plant milk (ex: almond milk, soymilk, or oat milk)

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons vegan butter/margarine

1 cup vegan chocolate chips (or as many as desired)

Procedure:

Whisk together the dry ingredients.

In a liquid measuring cup, measure 1 cup of milk. To that, add the vegetable oil, water, and vanilla extract.

Stir in the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Refrain from over-mixing. Lumps are perfectly fine. Set aside for a couple of minutes.

Heat a skillet at medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the vegan butter and let it melt. Add the melted butter to the pancake batter and return the pan to the stove. Mix the butter into the batter.

When the pan is hot enough, pour a ladleful of batter on the pan for each pancake. Top with chocolate chips and cook until bubbles appear on the face of the pancake.

Carefully flip the pancake and cook until it’s golden brown.

Also, if your child is a pasta lover, a good recipe to try is spaghetti and meatballs (without the meat!) and marinara sauce. In that case, they can still eat the recipes they love and are used to without eating meat. After they get used to the pasta, they can branch out to other sauces, such as Roasted Vegetable Pasta, which is something I came up with to get my sister to eat more vegetables. This is listed below!

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

2 carrots, chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 ounces dried whole-wheat or gluten-free pasta

½ cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ cup water

Freshly ground black pepper

 Procedure:

The great thing about this recipe is that it’s easy to modify based on the vegetables you have in the fridge! First, chop your vegetables and place them in an air fryer or oven till they are roasting.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan according to package directions. Drain. Rinse with cool water. Drain again. Return to the saucepan.

Transfer the roasted vegetable mixture to a blender. Add the nutritional yeast, salt, Italian seasoning, and ½ cup water. Blend for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Top the pasta with the desired amount of sauce and toss to coat. Season with pepper.

The great thing about a vegan diet is that it allows for diversity and exploring other cuisines. While staying in your children’s comfort zone is good, don’t be afraid to branch out and introduce them to different foods from different cultures. For me, this meant branching out to another recipe that I have loved, noodles, and trying my best to make them from scratch. Below I listed my personal Vegan Noodles recipe!

Vegan Noodles

Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

1 block extra-firm tofu (8 ounces yields ~1 cup)

1 cup packaged vegan noodles

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chopped green onion

½ cup peas

2 carrots

1 bell pepper

Optional: crushed peanuts or cashews

SAUCE

3 Tablespoons soy sauce (or to taste)

1 heaping Tablespoon Gochujang (a red chili paste)

1 Tablespoon organic brown sugar or maple syrup

1 Tablespoon Hoison sauce

1-2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional, or substitute peanut or avocado oil)

Water to dilute the sauce

Optional: peanut butter

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or lightly grease it with non-stick spray).

In the meantime, wrap tofu in a clean, absorbent towel and set something heavy on top (such as a cast iron skillet) to press out the liquid.

Once the oven is preheated, dice tofu into ¼-inch cubes and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for 26-30 minutes. You’re looking for golden brown edges and a firm texture to the touch. The longer it bakes, the firmer and crispier the tofu will become. If you’re looking for softer tofu, remove it from the oven around the 26-28 minute mark. I prefer crispy tofu, so I bake mine for 30 minutes. Set aside.

While the tofu bakes, prepare your noodles by bringing water to a boil in a large pot, adding the noodles to the boiled water, and boiling until the noodles are soft.

While cooking the noodles and tofu, prepare the sauce by placing all the sauce ingredients into a medium-size mixing bowl and whisking to combine. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more tamari or soy sauce for saltiness, peanut butter for creaminess, brown sugar for sweetness, or chili garlic sauce for heat.

Once the tofu is done baking, add directly to the sauce and marinate for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Heat a large metal or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, use a slotted spoon to scoop the tofu into the pan, leaving most of the sauce behind. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown on all sides. Lower heat if browning too quickly. Remove from pan and set aside. Add garlic, green onion, peas, and carrots to the still-hot pan. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, and season with tamari or soy sauce, to taste.

Add cooked noodles, tofu, and remaining sauce and stir. Cook over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Serve immediately with extra chili garlic sauce or sriracha for heat (optional). Crushed salted, roasted peanuts or cashews make a lovely additional garnish. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, though best when fresh. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave.

While introducing your child to vegan food can feel like a daunting experience, remember to keep it simple at first and focus on what your child enjoys. By incorporating familiar flavors and dishes into their meals, you can make the transition smoother and more enjoyable for them.

Children are also often more receptive to new foods when they’re involved in the cooking process. By encouraging them to help measure ingredients, stir the batter, or even pick out vegetables at the store, you can get them more excited about the new foods they are making and trying.

Finally, make sure to have fun with it. Trying new diets and meals is supposed to be a fun and interesting experience. It’s important to keep experimenting to find what is best for your child and to keep on learning about what they love in the versatile vegan cuisine, from plant-based meat alternatives to different cuisines. As your child grows and develops their palate, continue to introduce them to new flavors and ingredients. Encourage them to be curious, adventurous, and open-minded about trying new foods from different cultures and cuisines. Who knows? They might discover a newfound love for a dish they never thought they’d enjoy. Embrace the journey, celebrate the small victories, and enjoy the delicious meals. Happy cooking!

For more kids’ recipes, see https://www.vrg.org/teen/#plans

For information about VRG internships, see https://www.vrg.org/student/index.php

Passover begins the evening of April 22, 2024 this year and The Vegetarian Resource Group is the publisher of several books that feature vegan Passover recipes. Below we share three recipes with you. In the USA, you can purchase these vegan cookbooks from the VRG Book Catalog here: http://www.vrg.org/catalog

Fresh Tomato Soup (from No Cholesterol Passover Recipes, by Debra Wasserman)

(Serves 4)

1 large onion, chopped

5 small ripe tomatoes, chopped

1-1/2 cups water

½ teaspoon fresh parsley, minced

Pepper and salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes and then cool. Place mixture in a blender cup and blend until creamy. Reheat and serve hot.

Minted Carrots with Chilies (from Vegan Passover Recipes, by Nancy Berkoff)

(Serves 4-5)

1-1/2 cups sliced onions

Vegetable oil spray

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger

2 Tablespoons seeded and minced fresh chilies or green pepper

1-1/4 pounds carrots (about 3-1/2 cups), peeled and sliced lengthwise 1-inch thick

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Place onions in a large frying pan, spray liberally with vegetable oil, and sauté over medium heat until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and chilies and stir. Allow to cook for 1 minute.

Add carrots and add enough water to just cover. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Add mint, cook for 2 more minutes. Serve hot.

Russian Potato and Mushroom Croquettes (from The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook, by Debra Wasserman)

(Serves 5)

1-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped

5 cups water

1 onion, peeled and chopped

¼ pound mushrooms

1 teaspoon oil

1 Tablespoon water

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup matzo meal

1 Tablespoon oil

Boil potatoes in 5 cups water until tender. Drain and mash potatoes.

In a separate pan, sauté onion and mushrooms in 1 teaspoon oil and 1 Tablespoon water over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Mix the mashed potatoes, sautéed onion and mushrooms, seasonings, and matzo meal together in a large bowl. Form 10 burgers (croquettes).

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry croquettes for 8 minutes, flip over and continue frying for another 8 minutes. Serve two croquettes per person.

Don’t forget, you can purchase these vegan cookbooks from the VRG Book Catalog here: http://www.vrg.org/catalog

photo from Bodhi Express

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Here are some recent vegan restaurant additions. The entire guide can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

To support the updating of this online restaurant guide, please donate at: www.vrg.org/donate

Here are some new additions to VRG’s guide:

BARE Blends, 7545 South University Blvd., Centennial, CO 80122; 1425 2nd St., Sarasota, FL 34236; 1310 Beacon St., Brookline, MA 02446; 15 Clifton County Rd., Clifton Park, NY 12065; 1475 Western Ave., Albany, NY 12203; 380 Fuera Bush Rd., Glenmont, NY 12077; 262 Saratoga Rd., Glenville, NY 12302; 664 New Loudon Rd., Latham, NY 12180; 26 North Greenbush Rd., North Greenbush, NY 12180; and 18 Congress St., Saratoga, NY 12866

BARE Blends is proof that food can be both delicious and good for you, which is exactly the mission of this woman-owned juice and smoothie bar that is expanding franchises beyond its original location in Albany, New York. “Bare” may describe the fact that there are no added sugars or preservatives in its food, but the expansive menu of yummy smoothies, refreshing juices, and mouthwatering smoothie bowls is the exact epitome of bare. Menus have some variations depending on location, but examples include the Green Giant Smoothie (pineapple, orange, mango, kale, lime, matcha, ginger, and oat milk); the Tickled Pickle fresh juice (ginger, pineapple, cucumber kale, and lime); and the Banana Cream Pie smoothie bowl, which has a base of banana, cashew cream, and oat milk, topped with banana, plain granola, coconut, golden raisins, and cashew cream. They also offer waffles with toppings and meal-sized salads that can be made into a grain bowl with the addition of whole grain brown rice. And if you’re needing a pick-me-up, grab a coffee and protein blend, such as the Vanilla Coffee Blend, made with coffee, cashew cream, vanilla protein, and oat milk. Let’s hope that BARE Blends continues to grow, because every state in the country needs at least one!

Bodhi Express, 135 Market St., Westlake, OH 44145

Striving to promote healthy, ethical veganism, Bodhi Express espouses a commitment to sustainability and reducing their carbon footprint. They make all their sauces in house.  Appetizers include Veggie Tempura, Vegan Potstickers, Vegan Spring Roll, Veggie Tempura, or Crispy Tofu. Some Entrée options are breaded and fried Orange Garden™ Chicken with red Bell peppers, chili flakes and orange sauce, sliced, and fried King Oyster Beijing Mushroom in a sweet and sour sauce and Beyond™ Beef & Broccoli with ginger to name a few. Pick a Side. Like rice? Choose White, Brown, or Fried with peas, carrots and cabbage. There’s also Lo Mein or Mixed Greens. Sweeten the deal with Fruit Cup or Almond Jelly—a gelatin-like dessert made with agar agar.

Cosmic Bird, 619 Baxter Ave., Louisville, KY 40204

Cosmic Bird is THE restaurant to find crispy and delicious chicken sandwiches that are entirely plant-based. From a Hot Chick’n sandwich to a General Tso Chick’n sandwich, Cosmic Bird has a plethora of options for you to try and enjoy.

Don Vegane, 97 Rue du Sault-au-Matelot, Québec, QC G1K 3X7, Canada

Don Vegane has developed its uniqueness by offering a hip ambience and an eclectic menu with an international flair. Diners can travel the world through its menu, from the spicy Thai soup to the Spaghetti Bolognese served with a Caesar salad to the Burrito Bowl made with BBQ jackfruit and pico de gallo to the Curry Masala with butternut and cauliflower. Dessert offerings include chocolate cake and Poor Man’s Pudding, a French-Canadian specialty. The adult beverage offerings are likewise broad, including after-dinner drinks, hard liquors, and cocktails, as well as mocktails such as Le Mojito Virgin and Le Betteroyal. Brunch items include a Morning Burrito and gluten-free pancakes with fruit—and mimosas.

Gray Leaf Café, 58 Thoreau Dr., Freehold, NJ 07728

Looking for a healthy and delicious café? Green Leaf Café is a must try for your wraps, salads, smoothies, and more. Wraps include Grilled Falafel wrap, Buffalo Cauliflower wrap, and more. Pair your wrap with a favorite fruit-filled smoothie, such as Acai Berry, Tropical Kale smoothie, and Strawberry and Banana.

GRN Burger, 946 Grady Ave., Ste. 101, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Can a burger be delicious and plant-based? At GRN Burger this dream becomes a reality. From their vegan pulled pork sandwiches, to their saucy and cheesy burgers, their vegan delights will have your heart. GRN also has simple salads, including a Caesar flavored salad, a mushroom salad, and a deluxe salad topped with vegan bacon, cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing. For the kids, try GRN’s “Smiley Meal” with a cheeseburger or kids sized vegan grilled cheese.

La Veganeria, 921 W. Commerce St., Dallas, TX 75208

Looking for authentic Mexican meals that are both delicious and plant-based? Then, La Veganeria is THE plant-based Mexican scratch kitchen to try out. La Veganeria has a deep connection to traditional Mexican gastronomy and the love of vegan food. Their menu features veggie-packed items including for breakfast, try their “El Azteca” Waffle Sandwich, filled with savory vegan sausage, melted vegan cheddar cheese, and a hint of sweetness from strawberry preserves. For lunch or dinner, La Veganeria has a plethora of taco varieties to try, including a chicharron taco, tacos made with slow cooked oyster mushrooms, and much more.

Vegan Quick Bites, 1636 St Nicholas Ave., New York, NY 10040

Vegan Quick Bites is a small store in New York City that serves Mexican/American type food from burritos to bowls, beans, and sautéed vegies. Also, they have a popular plant-based mac and cheese.

Vegan Journal is published by The Vegetarian Resource Group. Enjoy in-depth original research, product and book reviews, scientific updates on veggie nutrition, delicious vegan recipes with gorgeous photos, plus so much more. Both long-term vegans and those new to a vegan life-style will enjoy this magazine.

To subscribe in the USA only, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

By Danielle Choma and Carolyn Stoller, VRG Interns

The Vegetarian Resource Group offers several scholarships to high school seniors applying to their freshman year in college. To win the scholarship, applicants must fill out the appropriate forms and information and submit an essay explaining how they have contributed to veganism/vegetarianism and what it means to them. This blog analyzes the scholarship essay entries of ten applicants from 2003 and ten applicants from 2024.

The first 2003 applicant that we reviewed was written in a story-like format and right off the bat mentions Gandhi. Similarly, in three other 2003 essays, Gandhi was mentioned. This is interesting to note about Gandhi’s influence. Overall, it was found that the 2003 essays were written with a stronger skill set then the essays written in 2024. Paragraphs flowed better and were delivered in a more sophisticated manner. In addition to the stronger writing, the 2003 essays commonly mention how vegetarianism includes not buying, wearing, or using leather or wool. The 2024 essays do not mention the usage of different materials and fabric, but rather focus on the nutritional information surrounding the diet. This allows us to draw some conclusions about the individuals writing the essays in 2003. Maybe these individuals were more dedicated to the vegetarian/vegan lifestyle as they commonly, publicly promoted vegetarianism and all that it includes.

Furthermore, the 2003 entries explain their drive for becoming vegan stems from wanting to support environmental and animal rights causes. For example, one entry discusses that their drive for becoming vegan was when they organized the first animal rights workshop on factory farms. Other entries talked about the environmental impact of eating meat, such as “increasing carcinogens associated with red meat.” In addition, many of the 2003 entries also discussed that a challenge to overcome would be maintaining a vegan diet in college. One entry stated that they would overcome this challenge by promoting vegan and sustainable options themselves on the college campus they plan to attend. Referring back to the animal rights theme, many scholarship applicants stated that they would continue to collaborate with local organizations in college and beyond that amplify the needs of farm animals and the environmental damages caused by eating and packaging meat products.

As for the 2024 essay entries, overall, there was a common theme of nutrition driving the want for a vegan/vegetarian diet, as well as a love for animals. For the generation of 2024 high school seniors, maintaining a healthy diet is very important. As an example, one entry discussed how switching to a vegan diet not only helped their overall health but exponentially helped their athletic abilities in their respective high school sports. Overall, it was very inspiring to see that students in 2003 were just as dedicated to eating vegan, like the applicants today.

If we took a larger sample, we may have seen different comparisons. This is what an intern last year came up with in her comparison.  https://www.vrg.org/blog/2023/05/15/comparing-what-motivates-veganism-vegetarianism-now-vs-20-years-ago/

For more information about The Vegetarian Resource Group scholarships, see https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

For information about internships, see https://www.vrg.org/student/index.php

To support VRG internships and scholarships, donate at www.vrg.org/donate

photo from Sodexo

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

A recent press release from Sodexo, a global food service and facilities management company, announced that it has expanded its DefaultVeg strategy, which uses behavioral nudges to promote plant-based eating. At Sodexo dining halls on close to 400 college and university campuses in the United States, unless the school opts out, every dining hall will have an entirely plant-based entrée station and a station that alternates plant-based and animal-based meals as the main offering every day.

The program was pilot tested on 3 college campuses where a study found that alternating between plant-based and meat-based dishes as the default option at one hot entree station resulted in a 58.3 percent increase in students choosing plant-based dishes on the plant-based days. Even on plant-based days, students could ask for and receive a meat-based dish – it just wasn’t the default option.

According to the press release, Sodexo has committed to serving 50 percent plant-based meals at its campuses by 2025.

To read more about the use of default options to promote choice of vegan meals see:

Encouraging College Students to Choose Vegan Entrees

Sustainable Food Choices Lecture.

Veganizing Your Foodservice

To read more about vegan foods in college see:

How to Add More Vegan Foods to Your College Cafeteria

Introducing Vegan Foods into a College Foodservice and Tips for Students Who Want to Do the Same at Their College

How to Get Veggie Options Prepared by a Chef in a Frat House

Are you ever in such a rush that you don’t have time to chew your food? Then, your blender may hold the answer to fast but tasty dining options. Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD, offers many suggestions including for dinner:

-Fast Tomato-Potato Chowder

Scoop leftover mashed potatoes into a blender. Add some pre-made vegan tomato soup, such as the aseptic ‘boxed’ vegan soups from Imagine and Pacific brands, and blend until smooth. Pour into a container or mug and add your ingredients of choice. For a spicy flavor, stir in salsa. If you like your soup chewy, add drained, canned mixed vegetables or sliced mushrooms. You can season with onion, garlic, or curry powder; white pepper; parsley flakes; or nutritional yeast.

To make a tomato-potato-corn chowder, add some canned creamed corn (which is non-dairy when it consists of smashed corn thickened with cornstarch) and some drained canned or leftover cooked corn to your tomato-potato chowder.

-Broccoli or Cauliflower Cheddar Soup

Another good way to use leftovers! Place cooked broccoli or cauliflower into a blender and then add mashed potatoes, soft silken tofu, or soymilk. Blend for a short time, but leave the mixture chunky. You may want to blend in some ripe avocado as well, if you like. For lunch, pour one of the thicker soups above into a microwave-safe mug or canister. Then, toss an apple or orange and a bag of pretzels into your lunch box, knapsack, or briefcase, and you’ve got a meal ready to heat and eat. As for dinner, just blend, heat, and serve!

For Dessert try:

-Creamy Smooth

Fruit-flavored soy yogurt, rice milk, bananas, nutritional yeast, thawed orange juice concentrate, and drained canned apricots.

Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2008issue4/2008_issue4_vegan_cooking.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only here: https://www.vrg.org/member/cabdacae.php

I am studying physics and mathematics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, minoring in Middle Eastern languages. I do physics research primarily modeling and analyzing many-body electronic systems in biological settings with quantum mechanics and computational chemistry. This year, I celebrate my sixth year of veganism. Though physics may seem detached from liberation theory, including the non-violence and sustainability central to veganism, these concepts are intertwined and thus fundamental to my work. I focus on this in my research and daily life from philosophical and humanistic perspectives.

A while ago, the Principal Investigator (PI) of my laboratory, Dr. Philip Kurian, asked me to define life. My answer began: What motivates the quest for a definition of life should inform how that definition is arrived to. Rooted in anthropocentric pursuits and bounded by moral considerations, human conception of life becomes a problem parameterized by survival and sanctity. We navigate the tension between the imperative to survive and the moral obligation to preserve life, particularly sentient beings. This definition can extend to consider the extension of survival and sanctity even to the smallest units of matter. Life can be human, animal, bacterium, quanta—it depends why one asks. Certainly, if I could, I would advocate for lepton rights as I do sentient beings’ rights and oppose violations of either. To do this, we must first determine exactly what is a lepton and how this elementary particle, in a given system, might behave when observed. I think there are deep ideological consequences from using physics to characterize the hot and wet systems of soft matter.

Outside of my studies, I spend my time helping lead our campus Society of Physics Students (SPS), where I started the department’s first free tutoring program targeting K-12 students in Orange County. I hope to instill in others similar philosophical understandings of math and physics to cultivate empathetic and liberatory mindsets. I also hope to convey that research in physics, trying to discover ways things work, is not so different from philosophies of non-violence and animal liberation; it requires creativity, thinking about different observers, and using reason to determine solutions to worldly problems.

Here is information about Jasmine’s high school work when she applied for the scholarship.

https://www.vrg.org/blog/2021/05/13/florida-student-jasmine-mace-wins-5000-vegetarian-resource-group-scholarship/

The deadline for VRG college scholarship applications is February 20 of each year for high school seniors. Go to https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

To support VRG scholarships and internships, donate at www.vrg.org/donate