Veggie Bits

Better Bagels!

Chris Appel, Senior VP of Operations of Bruegger's Bagels writes: "Thank you for your mention of our bakeries in your Guide to Fast Food. I thought you would be interested to know that as of March of this year (2001), we have formulated our bagels so that the only bagels containing honey are the Honey Grain and the Sunflower bagels. Hopefully, this information can be updated in future editions of your guide."

Certified Salsas

Walnut Acres introduces three tasty, organic, vegan salsas: Midnight Sun (black beans and corn), Sweet Southwestern Peach, and Fiesta Cilantro. They comply with the USDA's new organic requirements, and are therefore free of synthetic preservatives, artificial sweeteners, pesticides, and GMOs. Midnight Sun and Sweet Southwestern Peach are mild salsas, and the Fiesta is medium-hot.

You should be able to find these products in your local natural foods store, or you can visit Walnut Acres' website at <www.walnutacres.com>.

Celebrate the Chinese New Year the Vegan Way

The American Vegan Society and Institute for Plant-Based Nutrition are holding a one-day international Scientific Conference on Chinese Plant-Based Nutrition and Cuisine to be held on February 16, 2002, in Philadelphia's Chinatown. Come celebrate the Chinese New Year at the Clarion Suites Conference Center, 1010 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA, between 9 am and 9 pm. Lectures, demonstrations, food samples, and discussions of health benefits and nutrition are some of the events already scheduled.

For more information, please contact the American Vegan Society, Box 369, Malaga, NJ 08328, call (856) 694-2887, or visit <www.americanvegan.org>.

The Vegetarian Resource Group Is on the Combined Federal Campaign List

The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) is the charitable workplace campaign conducted by the US government for all federal employees — military, civilian, and postal. The Vegetarian Resource Group is included among the organizations to which you can donate. Please don't pass up this simple opportunity to support vegetarianism and the work VRG does year round. For other workers, please remember to name The Vegetarian Resource Group in your matching gifts at work or write in VRG for your United Way campaign.

Clearly Natural Fun

Clearly Natural Soaps has a festive array of vegetable-derived glycerine soaps that make wonderful seasonal gifts and great stocking stuffers, or that liven up your kids' bathtimes. Choose from delicious fragrances such as strawberry, citrus sherbet, and sandalwood, or choose the aesthetic delight of a rubber ducky (or frog, or pig, or whale) encased in your soap.

To view the whole product line, or for more information, visit <www.beaumontproducts.com>.

International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition

The fourth international Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition will be held April 8-11, 2002, in the Drayson Center on the campus of Loma Linda University, located about 60 miles east of Los Angeles in the San Bernadino Mountains. Major topics include "Vegetarian Diets and Longevity/Mortality," "Vegetarian Diets and Bone Health," and "High Soy Consumption: Good, Bad, or Indifferent?"

For more information about registration, events, lodging, transportation, or other concerns, please contact the Office of Extended Programs, Loma Linda University, School of Public Health, Loma Linda, CA 92350.

You Won't Believe Your Tongue

WholeSoy introduces four flavors of a very ice-cream-like soy dessert, Glacé: Very Strawberry, Swiss Chocolate, Vanilla Bean, and Mocha Fudge. If you're a recent convert who misses ice cream, you'll love indulging in these delicious treats. Much like Tofutti in consistency, this frozen dessert comes in pint sizes and is widely available at your local natural foods stores.

Egg Aid 2001

Lundberg Family Farms, manufacturers of organic and specialty rices, enlisted the support of local schoolchildren to rescue duck eggs from a grain field prior to the arrival of farming equipment. Why were the ducks there? Natural organic farming methods allow geese, cranes, egrets, herons, and other birds, including ducks, to feed in the fields after harvest during the fall and winter months. Unfortunately, the mother ducks will not return to nests that have been disturbed. Because tractors can run over the birds' nests, the eggs are rescued, cared for at a nearby hatchery, and returned to the wild. The grazing birds work the straw back into the soil and add natural fertilizer.

For more information about Egg Aid or Lundberg Farms' products, call (530) 882-4551, or visit their website at <www.lundberg.com>.

A Perfect Fit

Silk introduces single serving soymilk packs shaped to fit your car's cupholder. Toss one into your kid's lunchbox, or put one in your briefcase, backpack, or purse. The new 12-ounce plastic bottles are available in chocolate and vanilla in the dairy case of your local natural foods store.

For more information, visit <www.silk.com>