photo from Love in Action Cafe

This vegan comfort food venue offers a range of cuisine, from soul food to international fare. Entrées include the Chick Jewl Curry, Soul Wraps, the Jackfruit Bowl, and more. Popular dishes include the Jackfruit Philly Cheesesteak, Meatless Loaf Platters, and OG’s Sweet Potato Pie. And be sure to enjoy Taco Tuesdays! The café also offers a variety of sea moss items, including sea moss-infused French toast, smoothies, cereal bowls, and ice cream bowls, as well as sea moss gels. All dishes feature local, organic ingredients. Additionally, 30 percent of the café’s sales go to the Love in Action Program, which provides transitional housing, programs, and services to veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities.

The restaurant is located at 4419 Tuckaseegee Rd., Charlotte, NC 28208 and they are open daily (except during the summer the café is closed on Sundays when they offer food at the Vegan Vibes Music Series). More information can be found here: https://www.loveinactioncafe.org/

Effective September 1, 2023, in Texas, the law requires “plant-based or fermented analogs of meat, poultry, seafood and eggs to have a prominent label with type at least the same size as the text around it labeling products as “analogue,” “meatless,” “plant-based,” “made from plants” or with similar clarifying language. A similar requirement in the state law for cultivated meat requires that any food product made from harvesting animal cells replicated to produce tissue have a similar label. The bill suggests the label say “cell-cultured,” “lab-grown” or similar language.” Apparently, most plant-based companies also want consumers to know their products are not meat.

For more information see: https://www.newhope.com/regulatory/texas-requires-clear-labeling-plant-based-foods-starting-sept-1

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 Aguacate Juice Bar

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:

Aguacate Juice Bar, 12100 SW 43rd St., Miami, FL 33175

Breakfast options include French Toast with berries, vegan Nutella, and more. Or, go savory and energize yourself with their Morning Power Bowl of Garbanzo Scramble, Quinoa, Avocado, Homemade Carrot Bacon, Potatoes, Homegrown Arugula and Cilantro Mayo. Aguacate offers a wide array of Farm Meals featuring: Burritos, a Wrap, Bowls, Steak sandwiches made with seitan, a Jackfruit Pork sandwich cooked with Cuban Mojo, “Plantuna” sandwiches crafted from jackfruit, garbanzo, vegan mayo, diced celery, and kelp flakes. If you’d prefer a Burger, there’s Aguacate’s Signature Burger made of sprouted lentils, mung and adzuki beans, quinoa, beets, flax, hemp and chia Seeds, topped with fresh Avocado Mash, Homemade Mojo Mayo and fixings. Or, you might add some whimsy to your day with the Magic Mushroom Burger–Portobello Mushrooms blended with sunflower seeds, chickpeas, and flour topped with Avocado Mash, Cilantro Mayo and Chimi Sauce. Both burgers are served in a warm vegan pretzel bun with a side of Plantain Chips. What could Beet Arugula Salad for an earthy, sweet dish, with homegrown arugula, roasted beets, vegan feta cheese, candied walnuts, pumpkin and hemp seeds in red wine maple vinaigrette?! They also offer dessert items and have a kid’s menu.

Confectionery, 440 East 9th St., New York, NY 10009

They serve a variety of baked goods and chocolates that are handmade, as well as ice cream.

Nana’s Kitchen,777 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, AZ 85225

Nana’s Kitchen serves Southern-style vegan comfort food. Nana’s soul platter comes with a choice of BBQ-fried cauliflower, fried chik’n, or plant-based ribs with sides of collard greens, mac and cheese, and baked beans. Other entrees include a buffalo chik’n hoagie, fried cauliflower tacos, and a Philly cheesesteak. Popular sides include the twisted corn (a battered corn on the cob covered with creamy house sauces and garnish), wangz (fried cauliflower with a choice of sauce), and cornbread. Sweet items include a strawberry swirl shake and a cookies and cream shake.

Ramen o’ Bowl, 1668 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02138

Ramen o’ Bowl is home to many options for vegans who want authentic Asian cuisine. You can find a plethora of ramen options such as their different ramen soup and cold ramen variations. Many of their ramen soups include vegetable stock along with bamboo, spinach, edamame, and more. If ramen isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, Ramen o’ Bowl also offers sushi bowls and an extensive drink selection. Sushi bowls include a tofu bowl, protein bowl, and more and there are currently 11 cold pressed juice options to choose from and 10 unique smoothies to try.

Seed Ranger, 2950 Johnson Dr., Ventura, CA 93003

If you are heading to Seed Ranger, we suggest perusing the menu ahead of time, so you don’t annoy the others in your dining party by taking too long trying to choose from the plethora of cuisines and options that this Vegan Food Station offers. For example, their most popular items include a Crunchy Tiger Roll

(topped with unagi sauce and spicy mayo); the Classic Burger; and Fish Tacos. Seed Ranger is the perfect place for those times when everyone is in the mood for a different type of cuisine. And you will be glad breakfast is served all day, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on their Chili Cheese Omelet or the Chilaquiles Breakfast Plate made with tortilla chips simmered in red sauce and mixed with soyrizo, scrambled eggs, and pico de gallo.

ShoNuff Vegan, 901 NW 25^th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73106

This establishment focuses on a wide variety of burgers made from quinoa. Sides include slaw and a variety of fries. They offer indoor and outdoor seating.

The Fat Beet, 1149 N. State St., Bellingham, WA 98225

Featuring Bowls & Rolls and Noshes & Greens (e. g., Beet Bowl – marinated beets, kim chi, avocado, nori, spicy house sauce, rice).

West Coast Vegan Grill, 100 West Central Ave., Moultrie, GA 31768

Enjoy their extensive menu from appetizers to desserts – examples from “Mediterranean Plant-Based Grill: Golden Falafel Bowl, “Tuna” Sandwich, Chick’n Parmesan, Avocado Falafel Wrap, Chipotle Chick’n & Cheddar; also smoothies, milkshakes, and fresh juices.

VIVA low budget dish

VIVA has produced budget friendly vegan recipes. Note that these are geared towards people in the United Kingdom. See https://v7.viva.org.uk/recipes/easy-vegan-spaghetti-bolognese/

For budget friendly meal plans and recipes in the USA see https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/#nutrition-meal-plans

By Odette Olivares, MSN, VRG volunteer

Mexican dietary guidelines were updated on May 22, 2023.^1,2 The new version of the Healthy Eating Plate recommends increasing the consumption of plant foods to 92% of our plates and supports exclusive breastfeeding for babies until 6 months of age. Natural, unrefined, seasonal, and local foods products are now stressed.

Fruits and vegetables increased to 50% of the recommended plate; previously these foods were 30% of the plate. Grains and cereals decreased from 30% to 22% of the plate. Legumes were separated from the previous “Legumes and Foods of Animal Origin” category and now have their own category, covering 15% of the plate. Foods of Animal Origin were reduced to only 8% of the plate. Healthy fats and oils were added and now account for 5% of the new plate.

Water is included at the center of the plate. Alcohol consumption is not recommended at all for the sake of our mental and physical health, and the well-being of our families. Interestingly, the plate also stresses the need for a shift in food systems to tackle malnutrition and improve human and planetary health, an aspect that is usually not included in Dietary Guidelines and is mostly present only in scientific literature.

Ultra-processed foods with octagon seals are strongly not recommended. Octagon seals are part of a Mexican food labeling system. They inform customers with clarity about foods that are high in sodium, sugar, salt, fats, and trans-fats by using black and white octagon shapes. This supports the recent front-of package labeling regulations in Mexico that require food products to state if they contain a high content of trans or saturated fats, sugar, and salt, or if they contain caffeine or artificial sweeteners. Trans fats will be soon forbidden in ultra-processed foods available in Mexico according to Ricardo Cortés, General Director for Health Promotion in Mexico.

The update includes 10 nutritional recommendations that plan to tackle the severe double burden of malnutrition and climate change and protect Mexican biodiversity and traditional gastronomy.

1. During the first 6 months of extra-uterine life, babies only need breastfeeding. Afterward, breastfeeding should be complemented with varied and nutritious foods till at least 2 years of age.
2. Mexicans should increase their consumption of fresh, seasonal, local, and economic vegetables and fruits in all their meals whenever possible.
3. Let’s consume beans, lentils, broad beans, and any other type of legumes daily as stews, soups, or together with vegetables. They are rich in fiber and protein and are practical and cheap.
4. We should choose whole cereals such as tortillas, oats, rice, or tubers such as potatoes. They contain vitamins and fiber and provide energy.
5. Let’s eat less beef and processed meat. Replacing them with plant proteins such as beans and lentils benefits our health and planetary health.
6. Ultra-processed foods such as breakfast cereals, cookies, sweetened bread, and chips have too much sugar, salt, and fat. So, we should choose foods without front-of package octagon seals or those foods with the least number of seals.
7. Drinking water instead of sweetened beverages, sodas, juices, sport drinks, or beverages with artificial sweeteners, throughout the day and with all our meals, will help us take care of our health.
8. Let’s avoid alcohol consumption for the sake of our physical and mental health, and the well-being of our families.
9. Every movement counts! Let’s perform physical activities such as walking, running, or dancing, instead of spending time in front of screens.
10. Let’s enjoy meals together with our families and friends whenever possible. We should participate in meal planning and preparation, being mindful of not wasting food.

A multidisciplinary team of experts in nutrition, public health, epidemiology, human behavior, and environment from the Mexican Ministry of Health, UNICEF Mexico, FAO, OPS/OMS, National Institute of Public Health, and other Mexican institutions worked together to create the new version. The scientific base of the new guidelines stems mainly from the scientific article “Food in the Anthropocene: The EAT–Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems.”³

The absence of conflicts of interest and interference from the food industry contributed to prioritizing Mexican and planetary health. Mexico now offers an example of one of the best dietary guidelines in the world, according to Simón Barquera, Director of the Mexican Nutrition and Health Research Center of the National Institute of Public Health.

References

1. Secretaría de Salud. Guías Alimentarias 2022 para la Población Mexicana. Gobierno de México. May 22, 2023. Accessed May 28, 2023. https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/attachment/file/826671/InfografiaGuiasAlimentariasParaPoblacio_n_2023.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3oLzaxW9Y5pL8LFH-j4Gj7z0fR5WEzfzqfQb1Kov84kXqM4IM-w1_86MY.
2. Secretaría de Prevención y Promoción a la Salud; 2023. Accessed May 28, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/SaludSPPS/videos/779477700408576.
3. Willett W, Rockström J, Loken B, et al. Food in the Anthropocene: The EAT–Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food S Lancet. 2019;393(10170):447-492. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(18)31788-4

Recent topics brought up include:

– If you’re hitting the road anywhere in the USA or Canada, you might want to check out The Vegetarian Resource Groups’ online veggie restaurant guide

– The FDA Provides Updated Info on Infant Formula

– Older kids might enjoy entering The Vegetarian Resource Group Video Contest

https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRGparentsandkids is intended to be a group that offers support for families raising children on vegan diets and for vegan kids around the world. We envision it as a place to get advice about a wide-variety of topics: pregnancy, birthday parties, school lunches, Halloween, non-leather apparel, cruelty-free products, summer camps, and more. Please use it as a place to share your wisdom, seek advice, or just find a sympathetic ear. The goal is to offer support.

Consequently, any profane, defamatory, offensive, or violent language will be removed. Feel free to disagree, but do so respectfully. Hateful or discriminatory comments regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or political beliefs will not be tolerated. We expect that posts should relate to vegan diets and lifestyles. The Vegetarian Resource Group reserves the right to monitor all content and ban any user who posts in violation of the above rules, any law or regulation, SPAM, or anything otherwise off topic.

Please share this information with any veggie families that you know! Thanks.

The Hummus and Pita Company has a few restaurants in New York City, Connecticut, Michigan, and Ohio. Though not a vegetarian establishment, they serve Vegan Shawarma, Vegan Meatballs, and of course hummus and pita. The menu indicates which falafel toppings are vegan, such as Moroccan Beans, Persian Potatoes, and Spanish Eggplant. An interesting offering is their Chickpea Chiller shake, which they say is vegan. This appears to contain chickpeas, tahini, banana, dates, and almond milk. For more information, see https://www.hummusandpitas.com/

For information on vegetarian restaurants around the country, see https://www.vrg.org/restaurant

The contents of this posting 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.

A reader wrote that some historic sites have children make butter by shaking half and half cream in a jar until it solidifies into butter. The butter is then put on crackers to eat. They were wondering if there was a way to do this vegan.

Notes from VRG’s editors and writers.

-From Hannah: I do love the idea of it! While you can certainly make your own vegan butter at home, I’m afraid the same principles don’t apply and it’s a very different process. However, you could do a similar sort of group activity for making vegan ice cream with kids. This is a good explanation, just swap out any vegan ice cream recipe: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a54721/ice-cream-in-a-bag-recipe/

-From Nancy: Unfortunately, this would not work. The fat in vegetable oils is not as easily solidified, so it takes a bit more “chemistry” and “elbow grease.” To make a vegan butter, you usually need to combine several fats such as coconut or palm oil (which solidify more easily than other plant oils, but are not very palatable) with soy or corn oil. You also need to add an emulsifier, such as liquid lecithin. You’ll then need a blender or a food processor to actually prepare the product. Perhaps they might have a “dipping” party… have different vegetable oils and dip toast points into the oils to have a taste comparison. Or have a ” this comes from that” demo… have some corn for the students to taste, and then corn oil, some edamame, and then soy oil…

-From Rissa: I have 100% seen this butter making activity at places where I have worked and/or traveled. But making vegan butter isn’t the same. I think parents or chaperones could carry some vegan butter in a small cooler or something.

-From Reed: I agree with others that making vegan butter isn’t feasible. I’d have to wonder what the purpose of the activity is. If it’s to show how butter was made in the olden days, it’s somewhat misleading to shake cream from the supermarket in a jar. I like Nancy’s idea with the olive oil—providing another substance people would eat on bread long ago, which challenges the idea that everyone ate butter (or bread for that matter). It would take some research to determine what other spreads might have been used—mashed chickpeas, guacamole, crushed berries?

Email [email protected] with your ideas.

Bakaris Plant Based Pizza, Atlanta, GA

The next time you’re in Atlanta, Georgia, you might want to enjoy lunch or dinner at one of these vegan restaurants:

Bakaris Plant Based Pizza 576 Lee St., Ste. A., Atlanta, GA 30310

Vegan/pizzeria. Dine on mouthwatering plant-based pizza and delicious plant-based burgers, as well as appetizers, salads, French fries, and specialty drinks. Outdoor seating also available.

Bar Vegan Ponce City Market, 675 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Ste. N-215, Atlanta, GA 30308

Vegan/bar. This minority-woman-owned bar and lounge (from the same owner as popular restaurant Slutty Vegan) is upstairs in the Ponce City Market Food Hall, which has a number of other cocktail bars and wineries. It has a cool, classy ambience, with a DJ, velvet chairs, and big screen TVs. Bar Vegan serves a very wide range of drinks, specializing in cocktails combining nutritious vegan ingredients with alcohol. Vegan food — a delicious Vegan Philly cheese steak and tater totz — is also available, under the ‘Dinkies’ label. Food and soft drinks can be ordered to go from a take-out window as well as for eating in the bar.

Chi Chi Vegan Taco Shop 1 Moreland Ave. SE, Ste. F, Atlanta, GA 30316 and 2566 Briarcliff Rd. Northeast, Ste. 101, Atlanta, GA 30329

Vegan/Mexican. Anything in a taco is always delicious and the tacos at Chi Chi’s are no exception. The menu is loaded with familiar Mexican dishes that are always favorites, such as epic nachos, tacos al pastor, and chick’n quesadillas. Wash your meal down with a Mangonada – an authentic street-drink found in Mexico, typically made with shaved ice and mango. Although this taqueria is only 708 square-feet, the pink-hued exterior will catch your eye, creating a fun ambiance that is great to enjoy with friends or anyone who is a taco aficionado.

Dash and Chutney Chattahoochee Food Works, 1235 Chattahoochee Ave. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318

Vegan/Indian. This Upper Westside neighborhood food stall serves vegan Indian street food from various regions of India. Dishes served include Samosa Chaat, Vada Pav, and a Mumbai Grilled Sandwich.

Good As Burgers (Gabs) 830 Willoughby Way NE, Atlanta, GA 30312

Vegan/Burger Joint. Dine on burgers, chick ’n tenders, sloppy joes, fries, tots, or strawberry cheesecake.

Healthful Essence 875 York Ave., SW, Atlanta, GA 30310

Vegan/Caribbean. Healthful Essence offers Caribbean cuisine that is all-vegan. Try such items as Jerk UnChicken, Stewed UnSalmon, BarBQ Tofu, or Sweet and Sour UnDuck. Don’t miss their great weekday lunch specials. WiFi is available. Healthful Essence is in the Westend area of Atlanta.

Herban Fix 565-A Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30308

Vegan/Asian. Herban Fix offers a variety of soups and salads, as well as appetizers including Vegetable Spring Rolls and Sesame Ginger Soy Chicken & Shiitake Kebabs. Entrees include a variety of rice and noodle dishes, as well as Seared Pom Pom Mushroom Steak with Assorted Vegetables and Grilled Eggplant Topped with Basil & Minced Garlic. There’s a free parking garage on Linden Ave. near the restaurant.

Hippie Hibachi 1235 Chattahoochee Ave. NW, Ste. 130, Atlanta, GA 30318

Vegan/Japanese. Located in the Chattahoochee Food Works, a food hall in ATL’s Upper Westside with multiple restaurant stalls with indoor and covered outdoor seating in addition to a 13-acre green space to enjoy your meal. Serves flavor-packed, all-vegan traditional Japanese hibachi-style bowls (in eco-friendly packaging). Each meal features teriyaki grilled protein — from a choice including Impossible, tofu, and soy-free options like mushroom and shrimp made from konjac root — alongside vegetables, fried rice, yum yum sauce, and sesame, with optional vegan egg and a selection of sauces. Free of gluten and tree nuts.

La Semilla Modera Reynoldstown, 780 Memorial Dr. SE #4A, Atlanta, GA 30316

Vegan. La Semilla offers plant-based versions of your favorite Latin American dishes in a lively atmosphere just across from Cabbagetown Park in Atlanta, GA. Menu items include “Cochinta Pibil Tacos” with jackfruit, habanero pickled onions, and salsa verde, and even a vegetarian twist on Taco Bell’s famous “Crunch Wrap” with seitan beef. Their bar serves an expansive menu with homemade cocktails, wine, and beer.

Life Bistro 2036 Sylvan Rd. SW, Atlanta, GA 30310

Vegan/American. Life Bistro provides vegan versions of classic American comfort foods. Whether you’re looking for weekend brunch with friends or a Friday night dinner with live music, Life Bistro truly is worth all the hype. Dinner entrees include the vegan Southwest Steak Burger which features a charbroiled beyond patty, vegan cheese, portobello steak, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, pickle and chimichurri, and their weekend brunch specials feature their Chick’n N Waffles made with a spelt waffle and fried portobello strips.

Plant Based Pizzeria 730 Barnett St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30306

Vegan/pizzeria. At Plant Based Pizzeria, there is a variety of different specialty pizzas that take influences from classics, such as the vegan meat lovers, and some that are unique, such as the Georgia Peach. Calzones and veggie burgers are also offered, so there really is something for everyone!

Slutty Vegan 1542 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30310 and 476 Edgewood Ave. SE, Atlanta, GA 30312

Vegan. The Slutty Vegan serves creative vegan burgers and hot sandwiches.

Soul Vegetarian South 879 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd., SW, Atlanta, GA 30310

Vegan/soul food. Soul Vegetarian has its own unique gluten creation called ‘kalebone’ that is made into burgers, steaks, and salads. Their many other original dishes — soups, lentil burgers, veggie patties, tofu filet, veggie gyros, salads, and desserts — are sure to keep your taste buds happy. Children’s dinner is also available. Soul Vegetarian South is in the West End area of Atlanta.

Tassili’s Raw Reality 1059 Ralph D Abernathy Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30310

Vegan/raw foods. This raw eatery has a health-conscious menu with a lot of spice options available. Wraps can be selected to include a variety of spices and sauces. Comfort food options also sneak their way onto the menu. Choices include the Curried Plantains wrap or the Sprouted Tofu Delight. Be sure to check out the sweets and drink selection as well.

Traveling somewhere else in the USA or Canada? Be sure to visit VRG’s online guide to veggie restaurants: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php