photo from Freepik

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Protein pretzels, protein gummies candy, protein soft drinks … Walk through a supermarket today and you might think Americans are suffering from protein deficiency and food manufacturers are doing their utmost to help Americans meet their protein needs. In reality, most Americans get all the protein they need without having to resort to products pumped full of protein as a way to boost sales.

How much protein do vegans need?

The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are a trusted source of protein recommendations for different age groups and are a good starting place to determine how much protein vegans need. The RDA for protein is based on how much a person weighs:

• Infants, 0-6 months old: 0.69 grams of protein per pound
• Infants, 7-12 months: 0.54 grams of protein per pound
• Children, 1-3 years: 0.48 grams of protein per pound
• Children and teens, 4-13 years: 0.43 grams of protein per pound
• Teens, 14-18 years: 0.39 grams of protein per pound
• Adults, 19 years and older: 0.36 grams of protein per pound
• Pregnancy: 0.50 grams of protein per pound
• Lactation: 0.59 grams of protein per pound

Those who are markedly underweight or overweight should discuss their protein needs with a registered dietitian.

Older adults appear to have somewhat higher protein needs. Research suggests that older adults would benefit from a protein intake between 0.45 and 0.57 grams per pound of body weight per day (1). Ideally, this would be coupled with resistance training to promote a higher muscle mass in older people.

Individuals engaged in strength or endurance training may have somewhat higher protein needs than more sedentary people. Estimates of protein needs for adults engaged in strength or endurance training range from 0.54 to 0.91 grams per pound of body weight (1).

Vegans and others who eat mostly whole plant foods may have slightly higher protein needs since the digestibility and composition of plant proteins differ from animal proteins. Some dietitians have suggested that 1- to 2-year old vegans get 30-35% more protein than the RDA, 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 (1). Adult vegans and vegan athletes may need 15% more protein than the RDA or the recommendations for athletes above (1). These increases are small and are easy to achieve with a whole foods vegan diet.

Another way to look at protein needs is something called the acceptable macronutrient distribution range (AMDR) – the percentage of calories that should come from protein, fat and carbohydrate. The AMDR for protein is 10 to 35% of calories for adults, 5 to 20% of calories for 1- to 3-year old children, and 10 to 30% of calories for 4- to 18-year old children and teens (2). For example, an adult who eats 2000 calories a day would have a protein AMDR of 200 and 700 calories from protein or 50 to 175 grams of protein a day.

To read more about protein for vegans see:

Protein in the Vegan Diet

Protein for Vegans & Vegetarians

Protein for Vegan Children

References

1. Mangels R, Messina V, Messina M. The Dietitian’s Guide to Vegetarian Diets, 4^th edition. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2023.
2. Institute of Medicine Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 2002.

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

Vegan Symbolica Hair Salon Owner in Austin is interviewed by Vegan Journal Editor Hannah Kaminsky in Vegan Journal’s Work with Purpose series. Living Your Ethics by using cruelty-free products, safety, sustainability, and healthy services. Starting a business good for people and animals? Find something no one else is doing and what makes you unique. See video at https://youtu.be/4aUIM4LOPUE

For lists of cruelty-free products and businesses see:

https://www.vrg.org/links/CosmeticsPersonalCareProducts.htm

https://www.vrg.org/links/LeatherAndClothingAlternatives.htm

https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/leather.php

For more on ethical careers, go to https://www.vrg.org/links/JobSearch.htm

photo by Hannah Kaminsky

Each issue of Vegan Journal contains a column called Vegan Cooking Tips. In the latest issue, Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD, offers some quick and easy vegan stew ideas.

Read the entire column here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2026issue1/2026_issue1_cooking_tips.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: www.vrg.org/member

Beets can be polarizing; you either love them or hate them. If the Marinated Baby Beets from Love Beets don’t live up to their namesake and win over haters, we don’t know what will.

Read the review here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2026issue1/2026_issue1_veggie_bits.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: www.vrg.org/member

video camera photo from Freepik

The Vegetarian Resource Group is once again sponsoring a video contest. We will be awarding several monetary awards. The deadline for entries this year is July 15, 2026 and the contest is open to all ages.

Create and submit a video relating what you want to tell others about veganism. Some possible topics: food, nutrition, your feelings about veganism and/or vegetarianism, water usage and veganism, veganism and animal rights, or other veggie topics which appeal to you. Humor and feelings are appreciated. All videos should be positive, not be critical of anyone, and not include any footage of animal cruelty. You may submit a video you have already made. Please do not enter videos made completely using AI.

Aspects of judging include accuracy and judges wanting to share the video with others. Entrants give permission to The Vegetarian Resource Group to post and share the video, to link to and from the video, and share the video with the media.

To see the video contest rules, visit: http://www.vrg.org/videoscholarship.php

Previous wining videos can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/veg_videos.php

The Vegetarian Resource Group has a terrific brochure to show others about how much water is used to produce meat versus veggie food. The brochure is called Save Our Water – The Vegetarian Way.

See: http://www.vrg.org/environment/water_brochure.php

See Spanish translation of this brochure here: http://www.vrg.org/environment/water_brochure_spanish.php

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

The Oxford English Dictionary defines pizza as “A savoury dish of Italian origin, consisting of a flat, usually round base of dough, baked with a topping of tomatoes, cheese, and any of various other ingredients, such as meat, anchovies, or olives. Although tomatoes and cheese are the most typical toppings, on some kinds of pizza one or both of these may be absent.”

My thinking about pizza is more wide-ranging – pizza is a base of dough which is topped with whatever you choose to top it with. About a year ago, I challenged myself to make (or at least eat) a different vegan pizza each month, using seasonal vegetables and fruits as much as possible.

Here’s my year of vegan pizzas:

In January, I made 2 pizzas. One was topped with homemade pesto from the freezer and the other with commercial red sauce. Both featured a mix of sautéed mushrooms (shiitake, king trumpet, black trumpet, hedgehog, tree oyster, and lion’s mane) sautéed in a little olive oil, roasted butternut squash, and shredded Italian blend vegan cheese.

February’s pizza was topped with pesto from the freezer, sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed cremini mushrooms, roasted butternut squash, and slices of sautéed vegan Italian sausage.

In March, the pizza consisted of a commercial red sauce, steamed broccolini, roasted red pepper, sautéed baby Bella mushrooms, and homemade vegan cashew Mozzarella cheese.

April’s pizza featured spring vegetables – sugar snap peas, broccolini, and arugula, along with sautéed mushrooms and shredded vegan cheese. The sauce was a lemon crème cashew sauce.

May’s pizza spotlighted fresh local asparagus, lightly steamed and used to top a pizza dough spread with peanut sauce. Chickpeas and red pepper slices also made an appearance.

In June, the pizza was topped with a commercial vegan roasted red pepper spread and showcased roasted zucchini, green pepper, red onions, and cremini mushrooms.

With July and hot weather, the pizza crust was prebaked and then topped with vegan sour cream (made with silken tofu, dill, and parsley), sliced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, and capers.

In August, the pizza celebrated local peaches with a topping of sliced peaches, fresh basil, and vegan Mozzarella shreds all baked in a cast iron skillet.

For September, the pizza crust was made with a mixture of all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, and cornmeal. It was topped with a cilantro/tomato sauce, sautéed peppers and red onions, and vegan chorizo.

October’s pizza had a white bean spread made with white beans, fresh dill, and tahini. It was topped with sautéed cabbage and onions, sun-dried tomatoes, and vegan Mozzarella shreds.

November’s pizza was purchased from a vegan pizzeria.

The year ended with December’s pizza – a homemade vegan cheese sauce, balsamic vinegar-caramelized red onions, shredded Brussels sprouts, and vegan Parmesan shreds.

Here’s my go-to pizza crust recipe:

Makes one pizza

1 cup warm water

2¼ teaspoon active dry yeast

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1¼ cups whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

Put warm water in a large bowl and sprinkle with yeast. Let stand 5 minutes. It should look foamy and bubbly. If it doesn’t, the yeast is too old to use.

Mix in both flours and salt. Knead dough for 10 minutes. Shape into a ball and place into an oiled bowl to rise. Cover and let rise in a warm spot about an hour. It should be about double in size.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Punch the dough down and gently stretch it into a 12-inch round or other shape of your choice on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Add toppings and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Soybeans have long reigned supreme as the essential foundation for tempeh, the original Indonesian meatless protein. However, any bean can be made into tempeh, as evidenced by Lightlife Tempeh Chickpea.

Read the review here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2026issue1/2026_issue1_veggie_bits.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, visit: www.vrg.org/member

Are you searching for non-leather vegan shoes, belts, wallets, purses, and other items in the USA, Europe, Canada, and other places? If so, you might want to check out VRG’s Guide to Leather Alternatives: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/leather.php

photo from 17 Plant Based

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: www.vrg.org/restaurant

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:

17 Plant Based, Hilton, 1710 Orrington Ave., Evanston, IL 60201

17 Plant Based seeks to celebrate our connection with “the world around us” and “empower” and “uplift” through their menu offerings. Leek Soup includes potato, Swiss chard, and sourdough croutons. Red Endive Salad combines avocado, arugula, pickled onion, and mustard vinaigrette. They have Shared Plates such as Lentil Rillettes with grilled sourdough; Mushroom Polenta with shallots, cashew, and pickled Fresno chili; Kale Pancake offering potato, mushrooms, and red endive; Chickpea Lentil Curry and grilled Beetroot Steak featuring parsnip purée, asparagus, onion chips, and chimichurri. Cocktails have enchanting names like Garden After Rain Mojito with Flor de Caña 12 yr Rum, Passion Fruit, simple syrup, and Sparkling Water; Seventeenth Bloom with Prairie Organic Vodka, Grapefruit, and Lavender Syrup; or Botanic Interval with Mijenta Tequila Blanco, Lime Juice, Celery Syrup, and Sparkling Water. Mocktail Pearline blends pear Juice, ginger syrup, Something and Nothing Ginger, and Key Lime Soda. Desserts include Apple Panna Cotta with caramelized apple and toasted almonds or Chocolate Bar showcasing ganache, banana sponge cake, pineapple confit, and passionfruit coulis.

Coffee Beer, 4142 SE 42nd Ave., Portland, OR 97206

Coffee Beer offers a menu subject to change which might include rotating Sandwich options, “cooked fresh” Breakfast Burrito with seasoned, baked tofu, roasted potatoes and vegan cheddar; pinto Bean Cheese Burritos with steamed rice and vegan cheddar; Fiery Fiesta featuring sautéed veggies, vegan chik, steamed rice, hot sauce, and lime; and Phat Dawgs (Weiners and Franks). They also serve various Coffee Drinks (Hot or Iced) like Mocha, iced Cospresso (a double shot of coffee with Coca-Cola or Gingerale), Cappuccino, Latte, Cold Brew with all sorts of Flavored Syrup options like Lavender, Cardamom, Hazelnut, Caramel, and Pistachio to note a few, as well as Hot Cocoa, Turmeric Thai Tea, Ginger Spice Chai, and more.

Himalaya Vegan Organic Restaurant, 1425 York Ave., New York, NY 10021

Their menu changes daily; however, enjoy dishes such as yellow split pea vegetable soup; red lentils with onion and ginger; collard greens and kale with onion and shiitake mushroom sauce; coconut pie; key lime pie, etc.

MidnighTreats, 10 South Payne St., Alexandria VA 22314 and 4513 College Ave., College Park, MD 20740

The philosophy at MidnighTreats is “…we believe in kindness—to the planet, to animals, and to our customers.” Focused on environmental stewardship, they note their use of “compostable cups, cornstarch utensils, aluminum water bottles, and paper straws…” Aiming to craft treats from scratch that are not “overly sweet,” they offer Monster Cookies and standard size Munchie Cookies. Some cookie varieties are Wild-Berry Pop-Tart, Chocolate Pretzel, Birthday Bash—a soft cookie with rainbow sprinkles, Cinna-Roll – a warm cinnamon cookie drizzled with vanilla, and Brownie Cookie which aims to combine brownie fudginess with the chew of a cookie. They have Cookie Pies too such as Cookies n Cream Pie featuring a deep-dish cookies n cream cookie with “homemade” vanilla icing and oreo cookie pieces. Cookie Butter Pie is a snickerdoodle cookie topped with cookie butter and lotus Biscoff cookie crumbs. Both Cookie Pies and Gluten-Free Cookies are baked to order and must be ordered on the website at least 30 minutes in advance. They offer iced Oat Milks and Oat Milk Teas “…similar to Boba teas” in flavors like Strawberry, Mango, and Brown Sugar. Yeast Donuts options include Classic Glazed, Chocolate, and flavors such as Salted Caramel and vanilla iced, Chocolate Cookie Donuts. Simpson fans, there’s even a Homer Donut! Cookie Nachos are small, crunchy cookies made for dipping, paired with two sauces. Nachos are baked to order and so require 30 minutes of prep time before pickup. Some Nachos Cookie Flavors include Chocolate Chip, Red Velvet, Snickerdoodle, and Brownie. Dipping Sauce possibilities are Vanilla or Chocolate Icing, Cookie Butter, Vanilla Sprinkles and Salted Caramel.

Peach and Pine Café, 454 Lake Ave., St. James, NY 11780

Peach and Pine Café focuses on “Scratch Made,” “Fresh Baked,” “Cruelty-Free,” vegan comfort food. Follow them on Social Media for their changing menu. While it varies often, here are some savory possibilities which have appeared on the menu: Cheddar Jalapeño Scones, French Onion or Spinach Artichoke Danish, Baked Ziti Croissants, Margarita Pizza Brioche with creamy garlic sauce, and many more. Sweet Treats have included a myriad of Croissants, Danish, Brioche, Scones, Cupcakes, Cake slices, Cookies, and more in varieties like Poached Plum, Cinnamon Cardamom, Almond or Pain Au Chocolat Croissants, Wild Blueberry Cheese Brioche, plus various Raspberry confections such as Pistachio Custard, several Dark Chocolate baked goods like Hazelnut, Cherry, Salted Caramel, German Chocolate, Mint, and more.

Pride Enjoy, 6302 NY-25A, Ste. 2, Bldg. C, Wading River, NY 11792

All baked goods are made from scratch. Everything is proclaimed vegan and free of gluten, nuts, and artificial coloring. Most popular items include Large Rainbow Cookies, Mini Petit Four with Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Crème and a Chocolate Shell, Cinna-bun Cookie with Cinnamon swirl and Cream Cheese Frosting, individual size Classic Crumb Cake, Raspberry Linzer Bar, fudge-frosted, Large Fudge Brownie with ganache, Vanilla frosted Donut and Caramel Filled Cookie Cup which may be Chocolate Chip or Double Chocolate per availability. They also have Vanilla Cupcakes, Chocolate Chip, Black n White or Sugar Cookies, Red Velvet Cake, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins and more. While they don’t take Cake orders, Bakers Choice Cakes (serving 8-10 people) may be on hand in flavors like Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry Frosting with Vanilla or Chocolate Cake. Likewise, Large Cookie Assortments may be available in Double Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, Sprinkle Sugar, Oatmeal Raisin and more. They sometimes have Holiday menus as well.

Sorry I’ve Got Plants, 333 Bay St. (The PATH), Toronto, ON M5H 2R0 Canada

Aiming to provide “healthy eats,” to start the day, they offer a Breakfast Burrito, ‘Steak’ and Huevos with seasoned rice, just egg, ‘steak’ bits, salsa, corn, poblano, black beans, pea sprouts, tofu ‘feta,’ and parsley; Avocado Toast with pico, pea sprouts, and vegan parm–with or without additional “egg” scramble; and Banana and Almond Butter toast with hemp hearts, chia seeds, and cinnamon–both toasts on Sourdough. For Fresh Salads, Greek Gyro Bowl showcases house greens, ‘steak bits,’ olives, Greek dressing, chickpeas, pico, and tzatziki. Hearty Hummus Bowl has house greens, hummus, falafel, tahini vinaigrette, and tomato. Both include quinoa, tofu ‘feta,’ cucumber, parsley, pepitas, and toum. ‘Chkn’ and Avo Caesar offers house greens, buffalo ‘chkn’, avocado, caesar, chickpeas, broccoli, ‘bacun’ bits, vegan parmesan, and croutons. One of their Grains and Greens Bowls is Chipotle Bowl with seasoned rice, black beans, chipotle, lime sr ‘cream,’ salsa, corn, poblano, ‘cheese,’ guac, tofu ‘feta,’ house greens, parsley, jalapeño and your choice of protein. Wraps and Sandwiches include ‘Chkn’ Shawarma tortilla with quinoa, hummus, toum, tahini vinaigrette, cucumber, pickled turnip, pickles, tomato, tofu ‘feta,’ and 5 Spice Bánh Mì tofu, with mushroom pate, pickled carrot, daikon, cucumber, cilantro, spicy mayo, and jalapeño on a baguette. Two of their Smoothies are Blackberry Cherry with blackberries, cherries, and almond butter and Tropical Mango Glaze with pineapple and strawberry glaze. Both include banana, oat milk, coconut milk, apple juice, vegan yogurt, and coconut whip. Some Grab and Go Bowls are ‘Chkn’ Greek Herb featuring marinated chickpeas, cucumber, tomato, kalamata olives, tofu ‘feta’, herb ‘chkn,’ shallot, tofu ‘feta’ and Greek dressing and Green Goddess Bowl with falafel, corn, poblano, quinoa, cucumber, roasted broccoli, marinated chickpea, house guac, tofu ‘feta,’ parsley, and green goddess. They also offer Meal Kit Delivery Service.