By Alya Swerling, VRG Intern

Amid the hum of a busy Bryant Park, Le Botaniste feels like a calm oasis for anyone craving healthy and flavorful food. On my recent visit, I had the pleasure of trying the Tibetan Mama, while my friend opted for the seasonal miso soup. Both dishes were outstanding, with all of the ingredients clearly being fresh.

The Tibetan Mama is a vibrant bowl bursting with flavor, featuring a mix of fresh vegetables, grains, and aromatic spices, blended into a delicious sauce, served with kimchi and quinoa. Each bite offered warmth and a gently, not overwhelming, spice that graced my taste buds. The seasonal miso soup my friend ordered contained silky tofu cubes, tender greens, and thinly sliced vegetables. My friend states that it was “light yet nourishing… and oddly complements your dish [the Tibetan Mama].”

     Le Botaniste’s staff was also exceptional. From the moment we walked in, each team member was warm and genuinely welcoming. Their energy made the experience much more enjoyable, and they answered all my questions about the ingredients in the Tibetan Mama. In a city where dining can sometimes feel rushed, this level of care can set a restaurant apart from others.

The atmosphere of the restaurant also complemented the staff’s warm demeanor, and, of course, the food. Bright, airy, and inviting, our surroundings provided a peaceful environment to enjoy a meal. I saw friends, family, and solo diners, a restaurant that was perfect for any group. Adding to the charm were the art displays and paintings, as well as the puns and jokes scattered throughout the restaurant. One standout piece was the hanging carrot sculpture, which added a playful and creative touch that made the cafe feel very whimsical.

For anyone exploring plant-based options in NYC, Le Botraniste is a must-visit! It’s a place where healthy food doesn’t feel like a compromise, service is genuine, and each dish is crafted with care, right in front of you. I’m already planning my next trip to try their next seasonal offerings.

For information on  Le Botaniste various locations, see https://lebotaniste.us/

To find other vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, go to https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

A winner of VRG’s 2025 College Scholarship wrote an article for Vegan Journal on Vegan Beauty Products. Alexandria Wolfe in 2024 was selected as the national winner of the Teen Miss Earth USA Pageant.

Read her article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2026issue1/2026_issue1_vegan_beauty_products.php

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

Three Farmers crunchy roasted fava beans and garbanzo beans are generously seasoned with a diverse range of flavors, from the basic Sea Salt treatment to trendy Dill Pickle, and even a deceptively cheesy Zesty Cheddar.

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

Friday, July 31, 2026 to Monday, August 3, 2026.

For details, see https://www.humaneworld.org/en/events/taking-action-for-animals/schedule-of-events

If you attend, please be sure to stop by The Vegetarian Resource Group booth and say hello.

Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

Debra Daniels-Zeller offers a variety of recipes featuring root vegetables in her 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-Potatos with Roasted Garlic; Jerusalem Artichokes with Caramelized Onions; Curried Parsnip Soup; and Sweet Potato Dip. Find the article here:

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2008issue4/2008_issue4_vegan_roots.php

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

Jeanne Yacoubou, MS, let’s readers know what Magnesium Chloride and Nigari are and that they are both vegan ingredients.

Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2026issue1/2026_issue1_magnesium_chloride.php

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

Brandi Doming is the creator of The Vegan 8 blog. Her latest printed work Vegan Wholesome exemplifies her creativity while leveraging a short list of unprocessed, accessible ingredients.

Read Vegan Journal’s review of this book: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2026issue1/2026_issue1_book_reviews.php

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

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

In the latest issue of Vegan Journal, you can read VRG’s Testimony submitted to the FDA on Labeling of Plant-Based Alternatives to Animal Derived Foods.

Read the testimony here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2026issue1/2026_issue1_FDA_testimony.php

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

photo from Freepik

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

There is good evidence that a combination of resistance exercise and a relatively high protein intake increases muscle mass and strength. Can a vegan diet promote increased muscle mass and strength during resistance training? That’s what a recent study (1) asked.

What is the study?

The study subjects were young women who had not engaged in a regular exercise program for at least 6 months before the start of the study. They were either vegans who had followed a vegan for an average of three years before the study started or non-vegetarians who either ate meat daily or at least three times a week. The study included 25 vegan women and 20 non-vegetarian women. The women ate their usual food throughout the study and did not take protein, amino acid, or creatine supplements. They reported what they ate throughout the study.

The women participated in a 16-week total-body resistance training program directly supervised by experienced trainers. Twice a week, on non-consecutive days, they did strength training targeting specific major muscle groups including exercises such as leg curls, bench presses, abdominal crunches, and pull-downs. Total training volume-load (sets x load x repetitions) did not differ between groups. In other words, the two groups trained similarly.

At the beginning and the end of the study, the women’s thigh and calf muscle thickness were measured with ultrasound and their strength was measured.

What did this study find?

At the end of the study period, both groups had a significant increase in muscle thickness in their thigh and in overall strength. There was no significant difference between the groups. Diet records showed that the vegans consumed an average of 1.0 grams of protein per kilogram body weight and the nonvegetarians consumed an average of 1.3 grams of protein per kilogram body weight. The somewhat higher protein intake in the nonvegetarians did not result in greater muscle or strength gain.

The researchers commented that the women’s protein intakes which were modestly above the RDA of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram body weight “likely falls within an effective range to support muscle adaptations, particularly in previously untrained young women” (1). They concluded, “both vegetarian [vegan] and nonvegetarian diets can effectively support early gains in muscle mass and strength when nutritional and training conditions are comparable” (1).

Reference:

1. Martini GL, Schemes MB, Strey B, et al. No differences in muscular adaptations to long-term resistance training between young strict vegetarian and non-vegetarian women. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2026;36(2):e70224.

To read more about vegan diets for athletes see: Athletes & Vegan/Vegetarian Diets

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.