The following is being added to our list of senior residences which offer vegan dishes.

The Fountains at La Cholla

By Watermark

2001 West Rudasill Road

Tucson, AZ 85704

(833) 534-9547

Independent living, assisted living, memory care, short-term stays

Sample menu includes Southwest salad with black beans; roasted vegetable wrap & hummus spread (order without feta); black bean burger; stir-fry with tofu (2x/month); garbanzo and kidney beans offered daily at salad bar; quinoa; almond milk

In the latest Vegan Action column in Vegan Journal, former VRG intern Chaltu Watkins interviews Crystal Forman, MPH, MHA. Crystal is the founder of Holistic Wellness and Health where she integrates vegan cooking, gardening, mindfulness, and social justice to make healthy living accessible and rooted in compassion. Read the column here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2026issue3/2026_issue3_vegan_action.php

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

photo from Motherboard

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

Celebrated, 5 Stilson Rd., Richmond, RI 02898

At this bakery, the stated goal is to “…Make You Feel Celebrated.” Craving Cookies? “Chewy” Coconut Macaroons are made with shredded coconut and maple syrup. Varieties include original, dark chocolate-dipped, and lavender white chocolate. Oatmeal Raisin Cream Pies are cookies filled with maple buttercream frosting. They have Sugar Cookies and Chocolate Chip too. Diplomat cream filled Eclairs are topped with dark chocolate ganache and fresh strawberry. Loaf Breads might include Banana, Carrot, or Vanilla. Choose from lots of frosting flavors such as Chai, Maple, Chocolate, Whipped Cream and Strawberries, and more. Fudge Brownies come in Classic, S’mores, Mocha, Caramel Pecan, Salted Caramel, Mint, and more. Their signature Peanut Butter Buckeyes might remind you of a chocolate peanut butter cup. Cake Jars/Pots are layered with cake and buttercream frosting in flavors such as Nutella (Hazelnut), Lavender, Dark Chocolate Ganache, Cream Cheese, Lemon, Mint, Coffee, Cookies n’ Cream, Chai, and oodles more! Cakes come in Mocha, Peanut Butter, Pumpkin, Snickerdoodle, Apple Cinnamon, Carrot, Chocolate Toasted Coconut– the list goes on! They have Mini Cupcakes in similar frosting and cake flavors. Beautifully decorated, Order ahead Cakes include many of the flavors mentioned for other desserts as well as Tiramisu Trifle Cake with layers of coffee-soaked vanilla cake, pastry cream, and dairy-free whipped cream dusted with espresso powder, vegan Ice cream Cake Cookies n’ Cream, and more.

Cinnaholic, 228 8th Ave., New York, NY 10011

Now in New York City, Cinnaholic offers over 20 flavors of gourmet cinnamon rolls — and they are all vegan! Some include Almond, Banana Cream, Caramel, Chai, Chocolate, Coffee, Lemon, Peanut Butter, Strawberry, and vanilla. Toppings range from brownie bites and pretzels to Shredded Coconut and everything in between. They offer other sweet treats including cookies and brownies.

Lancaster Vegan, 306 N. Mulberry St., Lancaster, PA 17603

Lancaster Vegan offers a selection of sandwiches. The lobster roll is made of lion’s mane mushrooms tucked in a buttery roll. The French dip sandwich features roasted oyster mushrooms, caramelized onions, and horseradish topped with melted provolone and served on a toasted hoagie roll. The pulled pork sandwich is made of soy curls cooked in house-made BBQ sauce and served on a Kaiser roll.

Motherboard, 2240 N. Scottsdale Rd. #113, Tempe, AZ 85288 (inside Green New American Vegetarian)

Where do you get your protein? At Motherboard, their creative answer includes vegan versions of Capicola, Turkey, Neil Cutlet, Mortadeli, and Pepperoni. They create these “analog” deli meats using vital wheat gluten, organic tofu, cashews, and a variety of spices and oils. The following are all accompanied by The FIX–lettuce, tomato, onions, mayo, sweets, hots, and red and sherry wine sacred sauce on  “house curated” toasted 12″ hoagie roll. MOTHER TERESA features Turkey seitan with provolone cheeze. UNCLE ALAN offers Cold Italian sliced salami, capicola, mortadeli, and provolone cheeze. SAINT JOE has Hot Italian sliced salami, capicola, mortadeli, and provolone cheese. JERSEY BOSS serves up warm sliced ham and turkey with cheddar cheeze. NEIL PARMESAN proffers warm, breaded seitan-cutlet with cracklin rosie tomato sauce, parmesan, and provolone cheeze. They have Pasta Sides like Italiano with Fusilli pasta, olives, artichokes, onions and parmesan. Prefer to spice things up a notch? Siciliano heats things up with “Extra spicy” radiator pasta with rosie tomato sauce and hot pepper relish. If you’re seeking something milder, there’s Americano–“Wimpy”shells with garlic aioli, peas. and carrots.

Nah Dogs, 18 22nd St. S., St. Petersburg, FL 33712

Serves a wide variety of loaded hot dog sandwiches, including a build-your-own option. Outdoor indoor and seating available.

Soda Club, The Ramble Hotel, 1260 25th St., Denver, CO 80205

Snack options include focaccia, roasted cauliflower, fried artichokes, and more. Also choose from three types of salads. Main dishes include numerous types of pasta dishes, as well as Pinsa (Roman style pizza). End your meal with one of three dessert options including tiramisu.

Each issue of Vegan Journal we review products that are worthy of purchase. In the latest magazine we feature inexpensive vegan foods such as El Milagro Flour Tortillas. Read the column here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2026issue3/2026_issue3_veggie_bits.php

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

Magnific photo

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RDN

Recently, we had a dog and a toddler staying with us. Needless to say, a lot of toddler food ended up on the floor making for a convenient dog snack. We knew that there were some fruits and vegetables that dogs shouldn’t eat but wondered if there were others. With the help of the American Veterinary Association and the American Kennel Club we learned that these fruits and vegetables are not recommended for dogs:

• Onions, chives, scallions, leeks, and garlic all are toxic to dogs.
• Avocados contain a substance that can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs.
• Grapes and raisins. These are highly toxic to dogs and can lead to acute kidney failure.
• Pits from cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, mango and other fruits contain small amounts of cyanide which is a poison. Fruit pits can also be a choking hazard.

Fruits and vegetables that dogs can eat in moderation include:

• Apples and pears with the core, stem, and seeds removed
• Watermelon with the rind and large seeds removed
• Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
• Peaches, nectarines, apricots, mango, cherries without pits or seeds
• Bananas
• Green beans
• Peas
• Broccoli, although it may give some dogs an upset stomach or other health problems
• Carrots
• Celery
• Pumpkin
• Cucumbers

Whenever the visiting toddler ate grapes, we made sure none ended up in the dog’s mouth. Our visitors happily shared cucumbers and strawberries.

To read more about companion animals and veganism see The Vegetarian Resource Group’s resource on Companion Animals.

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.

Each issue of Vegan Journal we review products that are worthy of purchase. In the latest magazine we feature inexpensive vegan foods such as Casa Mamita Black Bean and Corn Salsa. Read the column here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2026issue3/2026_issue3_veggie_bits.php

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

The following is being added to our list of senior residences which offer vegan dishes.

Tallgrass Creek

By Erickson Senior Living

13800 Metcalf Avenue

Overland Park, KS 66223

(913) 914-9938

Independent living, assisted living, memory care, long-term care, rehabilitation

Sample menus include butternut squash soup with coconut cream, kale salad (with edamame, smoked tofu, wakame); Kung Pao tofu; falafel bowl.

photo from Magnific

By Nancy Berkoff, RD, EdD

We couldn’t help but notice that, next to the generic “red” and “green” grapes often seen in markets, there are many new varieties of grapes being offered for our eating pleasure. Why are there suddenly so many new varieties? According to the Fresh Produce Association of America, table grapes aren’t just competing with each other; they’re battling apples, strawberries, blueberries, and every other fruit for a spot in the shopping basket. According to the California Table Grape Commission, new, sweeter table grapes are growing in popularity to the point that many growers are removing or supplementing their traditional vines to make room for the new varieties.

Some of the more intriguing varieties we have seen include:

Autumncrisp®: Huge, crispy green grapes with a “pop” when eaten, and have a mild and sweet Muscat flavor (flowery, peachy).

Cotton Candy™: Green-to-yellow grapes possessing a strong, distinct flavor mimicking carnival cotton candy.

Sweet Sapphire®: Elongated, dark blue/black grapes with a crisp bite and very sweet, juicy flavor.

Ruby Rush®: Early-season brilliantly red grapes bred to have a highly juicy crunch and sweet, neutral flavor.

Many of newer varieties come from major international companies, such as US-based SunWorld, which holds more than 200 table grape patents, and Bloom Fresh, which holds the license for Cotton Candy™ grapes. Developing a new grape variety can take more than a decade, and up to fifteen years before reaching supermarket shelves, factoring in time required for breeding, testing, and quarantine procedures.

From the new to the traditional, let’s talk about Concord grapes! Who knew, that, in addition to being delicious, that they were considered a “dark purple superfruit?” Do you know that there are many varieties of Concord? These can include:

Standard Concord: The classic slippery skin grape with a deep purple color, thick skin, and large seeds. It became popular for its use in jams, jellies, and commercial juices like Welch’s.

Concord Seedless: A direct genetic mutation of the traditional Concord. It retains the signature sweet flavor but is easier to eat fresh since it lacks large seeds.

Fredonia: Often called an “early Concord.” It ripens several weeks earlier than the standard variety and has a very similar flavor profile, but with larger berries.

Niagara: A direct white-grape cross of Concord and Cassady. It has the same thick, slippery skin texture with pale-green to yellow color, but offers a milder, sweeter taste.

Moon Drops (also called Sweet Sapphire): A dark, oblong grape that many describe as having an intensely sweet, Concord-like or grape-gum flavor.

Delaware: Another American hybrid with a slippery skin. It is smaller and red in color but shares the classic qualities of a Concord.

No matter which type of grape you choose, you can obtain vitamins, minerals, fiber, and hydration from them. And although it is a little early in the year–keep in mind: The “12 grapes rule,” traditionally known as Las doce uvas de la suerte (The Twelve Grapes of Luck), Spanish New Year’s Eve custom. It requires eating exactly 12 grapes at midnight—one with each chime of the clock—to secure 12 months of good luck and prosperity.

Julius said: Growing up, I was inspired by my mother, who has been a vegetarian my entire life. Her example taught me that making thoughtful choices about what we eat can become a lifelong commitment. As I became more involved in environmental conservation through river cleanups, roadside litter removal, and habitat restoration, I began to see how my personal choices could also help protect the planet. Those experiences motivated me to transition from vegetarianism toward a vegan lifestyle. Today, I enjoy eating plant-based foods, feel healthy and energized, and hope my story encourages others to consider how small choices can make a positive difference. Video link: https://youtu.be/pVZGnCs-e2A

The deadline for the next Vegetarian Resource Group video contest is July 15, 2027. See https://www.vrg.org/videoscholarship.php

See other videos here: https://www.vrg.org/veg_videos.php

And https://www.youtube.com/@VegResourceGrp/shorts

For information about VRG’s $5,000 scholarships for high school seniors who have promoted veganism, see https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar  The next deadline is February 20, 2027.

To support VRG’s outreach to young people, join at https://www.vrg.org/member/cabdacae.php or donate at vrg.org/donate