Vegan protein sources from freepik.com

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

A couple of recent comprehensive summaries of research on vegetarian, including vegan, children have reported that protein intakes of vegetarian/vegan children are lower, on average, than those of nonvegetarian children. This is not concerning since, generally speaking, the same reviews found that vegetarian/vegan children have protein intakes that meet or exceed recommendations (1,2).

How much protein do children need?

The table below shows the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for protein for children (3). Vegan children, as indicated in the table, may have slightly higher needs, since the digestibility and composition of plant proteins differ from animal proteins. Some dietitians have suggested that 2- to 6-year old vegan children get 20-30% more protein than the RDA and that older children (more than 6 years old) get 15-20% more protein (4). This adds up to a few grams more of protein per day – nothing difficult to achieve. The reference weight shown in the table is an average weight for a child of the specified age. It is multiplied by the protein recommendation (grams/lb) to get the protein recommendation in grams per day. You can use the protein recommendation in grams per pound multiplied by a specific child’s weight in pounds to calculate the recommendation for a child who weighs more or less than the reference weight.

Protein Recommendations for Children

 What do vegan children need to eat to meet protein recommendations?

These rules of thumb can be helpful in determining which foods and how much of those foods a child needs to eat to meet protein recommendations:

• ¼ cup of cooked dried beans, peas, or lentils has approximately 4 grams of protein
• ¼ cup of tofu has approximately 5-10 grams of protein
• 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter has 4 grams of protein
• 1 cup of soymilk has approximately 7 grams of protein
• ½ cup of cooked grains has approximately 3 grams of protein
• ½ cup of cooked vegetables has approximately 2 grams of protein

For an average 2-3-year old vegan, 2 servings (1/4 cup each) of cooked dried beans AND 2 servings (1/2 cup each) of cooked grains AND a half cup of soy milk would meet protein recommendations. Of course, additional healthy foods would be needed to supply adequate amounts of other nutrients.

To read more about protein see:

Protein in the Vegan Diet

Protein for Vegans & Vegetarians

To read more about nutrition for vegan children see:

Feeding Vegan Kids

Vegan Nutrition in Pregnancy and Childhood

References

1. Neufingerl N, Eilander A. Nutrient intake and status in children and adolescents consuming plant-based diets compared to meat-eaters: A systematic review. Nutrients. 2023;15(20):4341.
2. Koller A, Rohrmann S, Wakolbinger M, et al. Health aspects of vegan diets among children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analyses. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2023.
3. Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2005.
4. Mangels R, Messina V, Messina M. The Dietitian’s Guide to Vegetarian Diets, 4^th edition. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2023.

The contents of this website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and Vegan 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.

Nothing beats a simple graphic to get the vegan message out! The Vegetarian Resource Group created My Vegan Plate to display on outreach tables at various events. If you live in the United States, you can request copies of this handout to distribute by emailing us at [email protected]

You can view the handout here: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/MyVeganPlate.pdf

This same handout can also be read in Spanish here: https://www.vrg.org/images/miplatovegano.jpg

We also have a version you can print out for kids to color on: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/MyVeganPlateCP.pdf

Donations towards this outreach are always appreciated: www.vrg.org/donate

photo from Element Gastropub

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:

Café Kulture, 43 Jesse Hill Junior Dr. NE, Atlanta, GA 30303

Café Kulture was awarded Atlanta’s best vegan breakfast and is Atlanta’s only late night vegan restaurant, open until 2am. One of their popular dishes is called, “Mini Me’s,” which include four Belgian waffles, dusted with powdered sugar, and your choice of strawberry ginger agave or syrup.

Convenient Vegan, 12210 Larchmere Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44120

Convenient Vegan has a wide variety of homemade vegan meals everyone will love. From burgers to leafy green salads and sweet desserts, Convenient Vegan has anything you’re in the mood for.

Element Gastropub, 421 Fayetteville St., Ste. 103, Raleigh, NC 27601

Element Gastropub’s Chef’s Table presents a wide array of specialties such as creamy Spaghetti Alla Carbonara with umaro bacon, poached vegan yo egg, parmesan, and parsley or Brunswick Stew–their take on the slightly spicy southern classic, a medley of tomato, veggies, tangy bbq sauce and umaro bacon, served with house-made roasted jalapeño skillet cornbread. There’s also Chef’s Southern Spice Plate of serrano cowboy candy w/ cream cheese roasted jalapeño & garlic pimiento cheese firecracker saltines, rosemary spiced nuts, pickled okra & celery, crispy Pimiento Cheese Rangoons with house cranberry hot pepper jam sauce, and Mimi’s Chik’n Pot Pie served with mirepoix, green peas, potatoes, and carrots in Mimi’s family recipe gravy. Sandwich and Burger choices abound from Buffalo Chik’n Sandos and seasonal specials and BLT Burgers to Patty Melts. During brunch time on Sunday besides Sausage Egg N Chz Biscuits and Tofu Scramble, there are Shareables like their buttered, salted Bavarian Pretzel, with house queso & spicy German mustard, plus Salads and Entrées such as Pancakes, or French Toast–double-dipped vegan brioche, powdered sugar, berry drizzle, fresh fruit, whipped crème, and maple syrup, as well as Elemental Chik’n N Waffles–Belgian cornbread waffles, double-dipped fried chik’n, nc mountain apples, crispy rosemary, and hot hunni drizzle. Desserts: Would you turn down Pop’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake which combines cream cheese, coco whip, chocolate crumble, and shortbread crust? How about their handmade Double Fudge Brownie a la mode-ed with oat nyce cream? And let’s not forget Cookies N’ Cream Cake and Gingerbread Cake.

La Veganza, 6419 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA 94609

La Venganza is THE “cruelty-free” taqueria, redefining the quality and authentic flavors of vegan Mexican cuisine. Founded by Raul Medina, this restaurant offers a plethora of Mexican-style vegan meals, including carnitas, carne asada, and chicharron. In 2018, Medina’s vegan tacos won the title of “best taco in all of Los Angeles” at L.A. Taco’s “Taco Madness” competition, beating out meat taco recipes. His Vegan Mexican meals have been in some of the most well-known music festivals, including Coachella and Tropicalia. You don’t want to miss what La Venganza has to offer!

Rooted3, 4916 Cordell Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814

Provides plant-based meals to every individual with allergies or dietary restrictions. Customers can “build their own” healthy and delicious bowls with a plethora of toppings to choose from. You also have the choice of sides, including fries, cauliflower bites, and plant-based fritters. Rooted3 aims to reduce our environmental footprint one bowl at a time. By using the most natural and plant-based ingredients, Rooted3 brings customers an environmentally friendly experience they can’t wait for you to enjoy.

Simply Green Café, 25 N. Spruce St., Ramsey, NJ 07446

Their menu features penne ala vodka with crispy tofu and garlic bread, as well as vegan chicken parmesan over pasta. They also serve a protein paradise salad with mixed greens, quinoa, lentils, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, celery, walnuts, raisins, and lime vinaigrette dressing.

The Dirty V, 1001 Davis Dr., Apex NC 27523

One of their featured items is called the Basic Betty Burg. This is a 4 oz. hand patty with pickles, ito, and dirty v sauce. One of their breakfast items is called the Dirty griddle, this is Impossible sausage, vegan egg, and vegan cheese, served on a pancake bun! One special dinner is called the Delta Voyage: 90s Nostalgia Prix Fixe Dinner.

Vegan Soul, Chow Public Market and Eatery, 7609 W. Overland Rd., Boise, ID 83709

Enjoy a plant-based comfort food experience. From vegan mac & cheese, brussel sprouts, fried oreos, and vegan “chicken” meals, Vegan Soul’s food is incredibly delicious.

Animal Friends Croatia wanted to share this vegan song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwrlMCCAeYM

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

One of the newest buzzwords in food technology is fermentation-enabled alternative proteins. In this article, we’ll break down what this term means from a vegan point of view.

What is precision fermentation?

If you recall in Part 1 of this series on precision fermentation, recombinant (transgenic) animal proteins are created by genetically engineered microbes through precision fermentation (PF). These proteins are used in “animal-free” milk, cheese, eggs, and a host of other “vegan-friendly” foods and beverages, according to the growing number of companies manufacturing them.

What are fermentation-enabled alternative proteins?

All of those bioengineered proteins – including beta-lactoglobulin, casein, ovalbumin, and lactoferrin – produced by genetically altered microbes are examples of fermentation-enabled alternative proteins (FEAP), because a type of fermentation was involved in producing them.

Organizers of the Fermentation-Enabled Alternative Protein Summit define the term fermentation-enabled alternative proteins as all proteins produced “…using microbial organisms such as yeast, algae, or fungi as a bioproduction platform. These microbes can produce…flavorings, enzymes, or other food processing ingredients. They can also produce large quantities of protein biomass which can be harnessed in the production of alternative meat and dairy products.” Basically, this means that FEAPs are alternative to traditional meat and dairy proteins from livestock.

There are three types of alternative proteins that can be produced by fermentation:

1. Plant-based alternative proteins made via traditional fermentation using plant-based foods (soybeans, dairy, etc.) to make miso, tempeh, cheese, yogurt, kefir, etc.
2. Biomass-based alternative proteins made via microbial biomass fermentation “…using the high protein content of microorganisms…as the main ingredient of alternative protein food products.” Mycoproteins (e.g., Quorn) and yeast extract spreads (e.g., Marmite) are two vegan examples.
3. Cell-based alternative proteins made via precision fermentation using genetically engineered microbes containing recombinant genes – usually from animals. Manufacturers call them “animal-free” proteins. Because animal genes are involved in making them, it is unclear whether these FEAPs are truly vegan.

How many companies make fermentation-enabled alternative proteins?

According to a 2022 report by the Good Food Institute (GFI), the number of companies exclusively devoted to manufacturing each type of FEAP are:

• 4 using traditional fermentation
• 70 employing microbial biomass fermentation
• 62 using precision fermentation to create transgenic proteins

Besides these companies, most of which are members of the Alternative Proteins Association, they are at least 100 more with product lines featuring one or more FEAP.

Are fermentation-enabled alternative proteins sustainable?

The Good Food Institute’s 2022 report on fermentation noted the emergence of new industry partnerships intended to promote FEAP research, regulatory engagement, and consumer messaging. These are:

• Fungi Protein Association composed of over 25 companies and 4 nonprofits so far
• Precision Fermentation Alliance of over 10 PF companies at the time of writing

These new trade groups were formed to help accelerate the widespread acceptance of FEAPs as tasty substitutions to traditional meat and dairy proteins. Vegan author George Monbiot takes it a step further and believes FEAPs will eventually replace the animal agriculture industry.

Given the intensifying climate emergency, Monbiot argues in his book Regenesis that FEAPs will meet the need for sustainable food sources. In fact, FEAPs were recently bolstered by a 2022 article which concluded that a mere 20% per person substitution of microbial proteins for meat by 2050 would reduce the deforestation rate and its accompanying carbon emissions by half.

According to a 2023 study, climate and crop yield models have seriously underestimated the risks to food security caused by the climate crisis. It will be increasingly difficult to grow traditional crops for eight billion humans, let alone the more than 70 billion land animals slaughtered for food globally every year, in the coming decades.

For traditional agriculture to be successful, there must be a stable climate and adequate water at a bare minimum. Neither of these is commonplace anymore in the world.

So, if FEAPs represent the best option for human survival in the second half of this century and beyond, it’s vital to perfect FEAP fermentation technologies, make them economically and environmentally feasible, improve their palatability, and scale them up immediately.

Eating in a world where photosynthesis is far from optimal

Fossil fuel-based agriculture and its dependence on the heavy use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, has enabled human civilization to expand globally. Now, increasing quantities of carbon emissions produced from fossil fuel burning since the dawn of industrialization are causing global heating, intense wildfires, extreme drought, and torrential flooding in many countries.

None of these climate realities are conducive to photosynthesis, the process by which plants make food (and oxygen). So, humanity needs to develop a climate-proof agriculture or find another way to feed itself before it is too late.

One possibility is producing food in bioreactors (fermentation tanks).

Beyond Marmite and Quorn: Solein

Produced in bioreactors, yeast extracts like Marmite and mycoprotein products such as Quorn are the most popular microbial foods on the market today. Made from brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) or the mycelium of the fungus Fusarium venenatum, neither contains recombinant animal proteins.

Consisting of microbial biomass itself rather than purified proteins made by microbes via PF and used in “animal-free” foods and beverages, both yeast extracts and mycoprotein are high in protein. However, because they require a plant-based source of feedstock in their growth media, such as glucose or sucrose from corn or cane sugar, they cannot serve as the ultimate answer to humanity’s need to find a food source that is not dependent on photosynthesis either directly or indirectly.

Made by company Solar Foods, Solein is microbial biomass of a hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium, Cupriavidus necator. This microbe uses atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) as its carbon feedstock instead of sugar. To produce the hydrogen it also needs to make food, technologists electrolyze (split apart) water in a highly energy-intensive process. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur are also required. Solar Foods uses synthetic fertilizer to supply these elements.

Based on the Solar Foods website, Solein appears to be a vegan food product made of roughly 65% protein. The VRG attempted to confirm Solein’s vegan status with the company, but they did not respond to either our inquiry or our interview request as of January 2024.

According to the company website, C. necator has not been genetically modified. (There have been multiple genetically modified strains of C. necator developed by numerous scientists. As far as we can tell, only genes from other microbes or from plants have been used so far.) Incidentally, Monbiot refers to Solein as a product of PF, which involves transgenic engineering by definition.

Because Solein consists of fermented microbial biomass, Solein is best described as the second type of FEAP listed above: a high-protein foodstuff made by microbial biomass-based fermentation. Other sources characterize it as a single cell protein.

Like some other types of microbial biomass, Solein is initially formed in a bioreactor along with endotoxins and nucleic acids.

Daily consumption of more than 2 grams (0.1 ounce) of nucleic acids found in some types of microbial biomass may lead to high blood levels of uric acid, the major breakdown product of nucleic acids. High blood uric acid levels are associated with gout, hypertension, and other health conditions.

To further substantiate this concern, a scientific reviewer commented on numerous issues associated with microbial food manufacture in a 2021 article: “Problems related to poor digestibility, gastrointestinal diseases, skin and allergic reactions, and other, even more serious problems should be addressed in the laboratory before reaching production units.”

Nevertheless, Solein went on the market in 2023. Singapore recently granted regulatory approval to Solein and is selling it in ice cream.

In 2024, through a strategic partnership with Ajinomoto, Solar Foods will develop products made with Solein and conduct marketability studies.

Air Protein is another company using carbon dioxide to make protein. They are partnering with ADM to develop food products with their FEAP.

Whether Solein, Air Protein, and similar FEAPs made from CO₂ can be sustainable foods is the subject of Part 3 of our series on precision fermentation.

The contents of this email, our website and our other publications, including Vegan 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.

We had the opportunity to dine at Franchia once again and greatly enjoyed our meal. They are located on Park Avenue in NYC not too far from Grand Central Station. This time we dined on Penang Noodles (Noodles in spicy curry and coconut broth with ‘chicken,’ stuffed tofu, tofu skin, and vegetables) and Thai Basil ‘Chicken’ (‘Chicken’ with basil and long beans in dark sweet soy sauce served on a sizzling plate). Both dishes were very good!

Information on Franchia located at 12 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016 can be found here: https://franchia.com/

VRG’s guide to veggie restaurants in the USA and Canada is here: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

The Vegetarian Resource Group has a graphic called Burrito on My Plate, which shows viewers the water footprint of a vegan versus a meat-based burrito. It takes 225 gallons of water to make a vegan burrito without tofu and 253 gallons of water to make a vegan burrito with tofu. In comparison, it takes 541 gallons of water to make a beef burrito.

The Burrito on My Plate Graphic can be seen here: https://www.vrg.org/environment/BurritoOnMyPlate.pdf

The article detailing how we came up with the numbers of gallons of water needed to produce each type of burrito can be found here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2017issue2/2017_issue2_burrito_plate.php

Image by timolina on Freepik

Chef Nancy Berkoff’s previous Journal article “Usin’ the Old Bean” offers several easy suggestions for preparing dishes with canned or leftover cooked beans. Nancy says, “Doesn’t it always seem as if you have either leftover cooked beans in the refrigerator or extra cans of beans staring out at you from the pantry? Cooked or canned beans are certainly edible in their natural state. But this can get so boring!”

Some of her international bean dish ideas primarily using garbanzo or white beans (also called Great or small Northern beans) include:

Italian: Toss lightly with tomato sauce, minced garlic or garlic powder (be careful, since garlic “grows” in power as it’s heated), dried red pepper flakes, and chopped fresh or dried basil.

Greek: Toss very lightly with olive oil, chopped fresh parsley, and chopped black olives; if you’d like to serve this cold, toss in some chopped cucumbers and fresh tomatoes.

Central American: Add in chopped fresh or canned tomatoes, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped onions, and chopped green bell peppers; if you’d like some heat, add some Tabasco or hot sauce.

English: Toss cooked white beans with ketchup or used canned vegetarian baked beans and serve on toast. (Beans on toast is a mild English teatime item.)

Indian (and this is a very Anglicized version): Toss cooked lentils or garbanzos with curry powder and chopped onions. If you have the time, purchase garam masala (spice mix) and some tandoori paste, then toss cooked beans with these and bake until bubbly.

Norwegian: Very mild, very pure-cooked, or baked beans flavored only with a small amount of bay leaf.

French: Invest in a small bottle of Herbes de Provence (found in most markets), an aromatic spice blend that includes lavender and thyme. Toss lightly with tomato juice, lemon juice, and Herbes de Provence. If you have the time, you can make a vegan cassoulet by simmering white beans with onion, garlic, tomatoes, vegan sausage, black pepper, and thyme.

Find the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2003issue1/2003_issue1_cooking_tips.php

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

photo from Vegans R Us

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:

Asian Vegan Kitchen, 800 Forrest St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318

Home to dishes like the “Hot Lava Noodles,” containing sautéed rice noodles with mixed veggies in a roasted chili paste. Some non-traditionally Asian foods, such as “Vegan Chicken Nuggets,” which are served with a homemade sweet-chili dipping sauce. Open late for pick-up and offers late night delivery.

Earthen Vegan, 226 7^th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11215

Earthen proudly proclaims “we make all our dishes in house…” and although “Earthen is not a Gluten-free, Nut Free, Soy free facility, most of the dishes are Gluten Free…” Besides Empanadas, Plantains, and Soups, a few of their several Snack choices are: savory, fermented Lentil Pancake Uttapam with either mushrooms, veggies or chickpea ‘chorizo,’ Masala Vada–Indian spiced potato, fried in chickpea batter with cilantro-avocado chutney, Dosa Batter Cauliflower Wings with vegan ranch, carrots, celery, and your choice of either sweet-chili, bbq, buffalo or lemon pepper sauce to note a few. Some of their many Entrees include Saffron Rice Vegetables & Cashew Cream with a choice of either Lion’s Mane, Falafel or ‘Meatballs,’ Chana Masala featuring Chickpeas in tomato & onion gravy, and moderately spicy Indian seasonings served with basmati rice & pita. Brunch brings tofu scramble Burritos, Pancakes, ‘French Toast’ or Chick’n & Waffle–Fried Lion’s Mane Chick’n with fruit & maple syrup. Declaring their multicultural inspiration, focus on fresh ingredients and cruelty free sustainability, Earthen celebrates the shared human joy of eating.

Plants and Poets Café, 505 Clinton Ave., Newark, NJ 07108

Plants and Poets Café is a “Vegan Comedy Club, Poets and Artist Hub.” Using healthy grains, fruits, and organic vegetables, there are devious vegan foods for everyone! The menu has a plethora of vegan sandwiches, personal pizzas, soups, smoothies, cold pressed juice, and more. It is an educational cafe on the legends of Newark, NJ. Each vegan food is inspired by a famous celebrity from Newark, such as Chuck Berry, Queen Latifa and Al Green and Whitney Houston.

Vegans on the Run, 1210 Milam St., Shreveport, LA 71101

Vegans on the Run is “Vegan for the soul.” This restaurant is a family-owned business that is 100% Vegan, organic cooking. The cuisine is traditional foods with a vegan twist, trying to capture the taste of “Grandma’s Kitchen.” Customers enjoy themed lunches daily, including Taco Tuesday, Meat-Free Friday, Sunday Brunch, and Soul Food Sundays. Note that their hours vary; call ahead.

Vegans R Us, 61 Franklin St., Quincy, MA 02169

Vegan R Us is Sisters with Mama Bear’s Kitchen restaurant. They are a family run restaurant and serve vegan pastas and pizzas, as well as quesadillas and everything in between. For instance, one of their options is a Vegan Panda Calzone. This includes roasted peppers, onions, broccoli, black olives, tomatoes, and mushroom.

Vegas Vegan Culinary School & Eatery, 1310 S. 3rd St. #130, Las Vegas, NV 89104

The Vegas Vegan Culinary School & Eatery does exactly that: offer a wide range of hands-on plant-based cooking classes while also providing 16+ daily fresh dishes available for dine-in or take-out at their deli. Their goal is to provide visitors with the tools they need so they can enjoy the ease and deliciousness of vegan cuisine. Not in the mood to cook? Don’t worry—their vast options of burritos, sandwiches, pasta, sweets, and drinks will surely want your taste buds coming back for more! Try their Mexi-Machca or What A Hottie burritos, Philly Cheesesteak Sub or Buffalo Chickpea Wrap, or for something sweet: Oreo or Rocky Road Brownies or Blueberry Shortbread Bar. You could also just take a load off at their bar and sip on their wide selection of vegan wines and beers.

Vegan World Café, 5419 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL 60639

The head chef at Vegan World Café has over 20 years of experience cooking vegan food. They source their ingredients from local farmers’ markets to ensure customers fresh food. Enjoy soups, burgers, sandwiches, tacos, and more. They offer special holiday menus, options for kids, and also serve breakfast all day long.

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