What is your favorite restaurant chain for veggie options?

Vote here: https://www.vrg.org/vote/

Have you ever wondered if an ingredient listed on a food label is vegan or not? The Vegetarian Resource Group has an online guide to food ingredients that lets you now whether a specific food ingredient is vegan, vegetarian, non-vegetarian, typically vegan, typically vegetarian, may be non-vegetarian, or typically non-vegetarian.

You can search through this guide here: https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

To support this type of difficult research, please consider making a donation to The Vegetarian Resource Group: vrg.org/donate

Rissa Miller’s article Don’t Pull the Wool Over Your Eyes that appeared in a previous issue of Vegetarian Journal educates readers on which yarns are vegan. Many yarns and fibers are made from wool or wool blends (sometimes listed as merino) and are not vegan.

Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA only by visiting https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

You can make vegan biscotti in your home. A previous Vegetarian Journal article by Debra Daniels-Zeller provides these recipes:

• Coconut-Apricot Biscotti
• Vanilla Bean Biscotti
• Savory Sage-Infused Porcini Biscotti
• Apple-Almond Buckwheat Biscotti
• Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato Biscotti
• Lemon Biscotti
• Wheat-Free Lemon Biscotti
• Mocha-Chocolate Chip Biscotti
• Chocolate Frosting

Read the entire article here: Vegan Biscotti

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

Go Vegan! by Liv Byham

You’re in the same dark and crowded room you’ve been in since you were born, 6 years ago. You’re being pushed into a truck. You see sunlight for the first time, through the windows of the truck. Are you being freed? You find out the ugly truth when you are forced out of the truck and into… the slaughterhouse. You are beaten into a small cage. Watching your friends be beaten, thrown, or stabbed to death. You choke on toxic air as you kick and scream until death. Sadly, this is what happens every time you have bacon, ham, pork, or ribs. Each time you are causing the suffering of an innocent animal. And that’s only what happens to pigs. Going vegan is easy and worth it for the suffering you don’t cause.

     I learned the truth three years ago when I went vegan. I was a big meat eater but also considered myself an animal lover. My older sister and mom went vegan and tried to force me to watch documentaries of the slaughtering of animals. I refused. One night, after a dinner through them talking about suffering, I had a dream. I had to face each animal I had eaten. I heard the screams of “why?” “Why would you put us through that?” They wanted to kill me. They wanted to show me how much suffering I had really caused. 

     That morning I went from your regular chicken nugget lover, to a full vegan. The transition can be weird but pretty soon I no longer looked at the animal products as food I was missing out on but instead an animal who has to suffer for that bite. I was picky too. I didn’t even like French fries! And for pizza I had to get it with no sauce. But when I went vegan I ended up not limiting the foods I liked to eat but I expanded. I tried new things and really liked them. 

     If ten-year-old me can go vegan so can you! Some may say that a vegan diet is expensive but it doesn’t have to be. A can of chickpeas can cost a dollar while a dead chicken can cost 4-20 dollars! Even restaurants are moving towards cheaper vegan meals. At Chipotle the sofritas cost the same as chicken and are cheaper than steak. Also tofu and beans can last longer than meat so you can worry less about it going bad. So why are you still eating expensive animal corpses when you can be eating cheaper, healthier food that comes from plants? Now is the best time too! With the pandemic you don’t have to worry as much about people judging you and there’s a vegan version of everything so you don’t even have to give up some of your favorite foods.

     Being vegan has tons of benefits other than cost. Animal agriculture produces more greenhouse gasses than all travel put together. The decision to go vegan could be the decision of the next generation having a future or not. And as for the animals their decision is already made. They don’t get a say if they want to be food or not. If COVID has taught us anything it’s how it feels to be locked up or have loved ones taking away. The animals live this way their whole lives only to be brutally killed. Cows have best friends too that are stressed when apart. Pigs are just as smart as dogs and would respond to their name being called. Cows are forced into pregnancy and then have their child ripped away from them right after birth. Only so we can drink the milk that was meant for the baby. Male chicks are grinded alive because they are useless to the industry. The animals suffer and the planet is dying all so you can have that one bite.

     So why are you paying money to kill our planet and make animals suffer? Does it really taste that different from the alternatives? Is all the cruelty that you cause that worth it? That’s your decision. You can keep eating that overpriced animal corpse cause it’s only going to cost us the future of the planet, a life of suffering and a brutal murder. Or you could just go vegan.

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 (Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many are doing take-out and/or delivery now):

Berbere, 510 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401

With the goal of offering the best combination possible of both flavor and nutrition, Berbere’s menu is Ethiopian with a twist—or, as its website admits: “not your typical menu.” Its menu is quite expansive, with some gluten-free options, and offering Breakfast, Lunch (Salads, Small Plates, and House Specialties), and Desert plus a Kids’ Menu and drinks that include juices and smoothies. You can see where the twist comes in with items like the T&T Breakfast Burrito, made with scrambled tofu, bulgur, and potato, wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla and served with tangfaye sauce, or the Et Twist Tacos that include lentils, mushrooms, and cilantro.

Dear Bella Creamery, 1253 Vine St. # 12, Los Angeles, CA 90038

Flavors change seasonally at this vegan ice cream parlor. They offer scoops, pints, Build-Your-Own Sammie, sundaes, floats, shakes, and soft-serve, ice cream cakes.

Fancy Plants Restaurant, 1443 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago, IL 60614

Fancy Plants Restaurant is a vegan farm-to-table restaurant that offers a variety of breakfast and lunch items throughout the day. House-made baked goods include cinnamon rolls, muffins, and croissants (plain, almond, and chocolate). The daily lunch specials include classics such as BLT sandwiches with tempeh bacon as well as seasonal items such as grilled mushroom focaccia sandwiches and breaded eggplant sandwiches with house-made giardiniera. Their expanded weekend brunch menu includes tofu scrambles, cashew ricotta toast, and cauliflower wings, and waffles. The menu changes frequently, so check for updated offerings.

Float Dreamery, 1255 E. Palmer St., Philadelphia, PA 19125

Float Dreamery sells their vegan gelato out of a local Italian market window every Saturday. The gelato combines a coconut and oat milk base with several add-ins including cookies, cakes, and marshmallow fluff. Their menu changes regularly and always includes unique flavors such as birthday cake with marshmallow fluff, chocoLOT with chocolate chips and sauce, and Canadian coffee with a maple espresso base. They sell by the pint and also make ice cream sandwiches and soft serve. Flavors are announced on Fridays. Preorders are recommended for pints.

Gãia & Loki, 346 Grove St., Jersey City, NJ 07302

This all-vegan restaurant in downtown Jersey City (2 minutes from the Grove St. PATH station and not far from the Holland Tunnel to Manhattan) serves up fresh, healthy food amidst a cool ambiance, with sleek navy, white and silver décor.  Serves a choice of salads, sandwiches/burgers, and more unusual choices such as Filipino style lumpia/spring roll, with several choices of each, with options including vegan feta, fake meat, and mushrooms. Although they do not serve alcohol, they allow patrons to bring their own.

Grilled!, 264 Sudyam, Brooklyn, NY 11237

Locate in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, Grilled! serves burgers, dogs, sandwiches, subs, and sides. They have a kid’s menu and offer shakes and desserts as well.

The Happy Pig, 1503 Bellmore Ave., Bellmore, NY 11710

Food options from this food truck include a soy/seitan based fried chick’n sandwich, tacos, chick’n in a bucket, empanadas, potato tots, and quesadillas.

Herban Vegans, 1809 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH 45202

Herban Vegans started in 2017 as a meal prep and pop-up service, operating in local Cincinnati breweries and cafes. With its initial success, in 2021 it was able to expand into its own location, across the street from the historic Findlay Market. Wanting to prove that homestyle cooking can be vegan and healthy and still delicious, Herban Vegans prides itself on its herbed and spiced creations with a focus on vegan seafood, which every vegan, whether new or experienced, can attest is quite the challenge. Herban Vegan has pulled it off, however, based on the rave reviews for its dishes including the Krab Cakes, the Baja Tacos, and the Po Boy Sandwich. The meal plan service, which includes a subscription option, further increases its appeal to vegans and non-vegans alike.

By Rissa Miller, Vegetarian Journal Senior Editor

Versatile cauliflower can take center stage for dinner! Try these seasoned “steaks” for a dramatic supper.

(Serves 4-5)

2 Tablespoons vegan margarine, melted

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Salt, to taste

1 head cauliflower

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

     In a small bowl, combine melted vegan margarine, olive oil, and all spices. Stir until well mixed, the texture will be like a paste.

     Remove exterior leaves from cauliflower. Slice through the entire cauliflower vertically, making it into 6 steaks, each about 1 inch thick. Smear cauliflower slices with spice paste, coating both sides of each slice evenly. Place on prepared sheet pan.

     Bake 12-15 minutes per side, flipping once during baking. Finished cauliflower should be tender and lightly browned. Serve warm with your preferred vegan side dishes or sauce.

Fall is here and root veggies are in season in the USA. Debra Daniels-Zeller offers a variety of recipes featuring root vegetables in her previous Vegetarian Journal article titled Vegan Roots. Enjoy these recipes: Rosemary Roasted Roots; Orange-Marinated Beets; Carrot-Rutabaga Coleslaw; Tomatoes and Lentils with Carrots, Turnips, and Kale; Mashed Celeriac-Potatoes with Roasted Garlic; Jerusalem Artichokes with Caramelized Onions; Curried Parsnip Soup; and Sweet Potato Dip. Find the article here: Vegan Roots

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

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

A Vegetarian Resource Group member contacted us asking for ideas for snacks that their vegan child can bring to school for snack time. Snacks cannot be chips/popcorn, cannot have peanuts or tree nuts, and must be low-sugar. 

We’re happy to help with some ideas. If you have other suggestions, please add them in the comments section. All snacks listed appear to be nut-free, peanut-free, vegan, and have 5 grams of added sugar or less per serving. Be sure to check product labels since ingredients can change over time.

My preference is for snacks with minimal packaging or packaging that can be reused. I’ve included some packaged snacks that some may want to use for convenience or to support the child who wants snacks that look like what other kids are bringing.

When brand names are listed below, they’ve been included to provide some examples of products. This is not an all-inclusive list of products.

• Fruit can be a refreshing snack. Make sure it’s easy to eat – cut seedless grapes into small bunches, slice oranges, make a fruit cup with melon chunks or berries. Choose seasonal fruits – apple slices sprinkled with lemon juice to keep them from browning in fall, clementine sections in winter, strawberries in late spring. Even canned or jarred unsweetened fruit can work – try juice-packed pineapple chunks or unsweetened applesauce with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
• One of my kids’ favorite snacks were home-grown grape tomatoes which are even smaller than cherry tomatoes. Grape or cherry tomatoes can be sent with a dip like hummus for a savory snack. Other vegetables also make good hummus dippers – carrot and celery sticks, jicama sticks, cucumber slices, red pepper strips. Since hummus comes in many flavors, this snack can be different each week.
• Mini bagels thinly spread with vegan cream cheese. Check the vegan cream cheese ingredient list since many have nuts as a base. Tofutti  and Violife both make nut-free products that have 0 grams of added sugar.
• Roast chickpeas or other cooked or canned dried beans by mixing rinsed and well-drained beans with a little olive oil, nutritional yeast, and a dash of salt; spreading them on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer and baking at 400 degrees about 30 minutes or until crisp. You can add different spices. These can be eaten by the handful.
• If you’d prefer a commercial product, Seapoint Farms makes dry roasted edamame.
• Dry roasted pumpkin seeds are another snack that can be eaten by the handful as long as your child is old enough that these aren’t a choking hazard. Eden Foods has various size bags of pumpkin seeds including a 1-ounce single-serve bag.
• Make a cereal mix, choosing low-sugar cold breakfast cereals and adding raisins or other unsweetened dried fruits. Have your kids help – maybe they’ll even want to name their recipe.
• Homemade muffins – banana, corn, blueberry, oatmeal, carrot – for example. Avoid nuts, nut butters, or nut milks or very sugary recipes. Mini-muffin pans are nice for snack-size muffins. Make a batch and freeze them so they’re always handy when you need to pack a snack.
• Store-bought or homemade bread sticks with a refried bean dip. Amy’s Kitchen has lower sodium refried beans.
• Seedy crackers or rice cakes thinly spread with tahini or sunflower butter and made into a sandwich. Rice cakes can also be eaten plain. I’ve found Lundberg Family Farms Tamari with Seaweed Rice Cakes and Real Foods Multigrain Corn Thins to be especially tasty. Lundberg Farms also has mini-rice cakes and thin stackers – just watch for lots of added sugar in the sweet varieties.
• Baked tofu strips either homemade or commercial
• Vegan jerky (check label for nut ingredients or excess sugar). Savory Wild Jerky is made with mushrooms; there are many varieties of vegan jerky.
• Commercial low sugar fruit leather, fruit bars, or fruit wraps – here are a couple of products that meet our criteria (vegan, nut/peanut-free, <5 grams of added sugar/serving):
  • Stretch Island Fruit Leather
  • Bear Fruit Rolls
  • That’s It Fruit Bar
  • Trader Joe’s Fruit Bar
  • Trader Joe’s Fruit Wrap
• Commercial snack bars – here are a few brands we found that have vegan, nut-free, low-sugar versions (check the label since not all of these companies’ products are nut-free and low-sugar):
  • Blake’s Raspberry Snack Bar or Strawberry Rice Crispy Treat Bar
  • The Healthy Energy Bar – Lemon Poppyseed
  • Go Raw Sprouted Bar

If you’re looking for more ideas and are interested in making your own snacks, this website has a lot of low-sugar, kid-friendly ideas. Look for recipes without nuts or nut butters like the Lea Bars, Unbaked Granola Bars (make with suggested substitution for nut butter), and Magic Green Muffins.

It’s the spookiest night of the year… and you want to give out vegan candy to all the little ghouls and goblins that knock on your door. But what to do? Are there vegan Halloween candy options? YES! We’ve got you covered.

Go to this video: https://youtu.be/n0GjGR852pc

After watching the video, check out this blog for more information/ideas: