Below is a list of some of the vegan chicken-style products available today.

Alpha Foods offers Original Chik’n Nuggets Sizzlin’ Spicy Chik’n. Chick’n Strips, Crispy Chick’n Patties, and Sizzlin’ Spicy Chik’n Patties. For more details, see: https://www.eatalphafoods.com/products#NUGGETS

BeLeaf produces Drumsticks, Half Chicken, Patties, Nuggets, and Crispy Nuggets. See: https://www.beleafvegan.com/MeatlessProducts.php

Better Chew offers Fried Chicken Nuggets. See: https://eatbetterchew.com/

Beyond Chicken offers Beyond Chicken Tenders. For details, see: https://www.beyondmeat.com/en-US/products/beyond-chicken-tenders

Daring Foods produces Plant-Based Chicken Pieces in several varieties including Original, Breaded, Cajun, and Lemon & Herb. For information, see: https://www.daring.com/

Field Roast sells Classic Nuggets and Buffalo Wings. See: https://fieldroast.com/products/

Gardein offers Ultimate Plant-Based Chick’n Tenders, Chick’n Fillets, and Chick’n Nuggets. They also offer Crispy Chik’n Sliders, Chick’n Patties, Golden Chick’n Nuggets, Nashville Hot Chick’n Tenders, Spicy Gochujang Style Chick’n Wings, and Chipotle Georgia Style Chick’n Wings, Chick’n Strips, Teriyaki Chick’n Strips, Seven Grain Crispy Tenders, Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick’n, Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Wings, Chipotle Lime Flavored Chick’n Tenders, and Lightly Seasoned Chick’n Scallopini. For details on all these products, see: https://www.gardein.com/chickn-and-turky

Hungry Planet produces Chicken Pattie sand Chicken Chipotle Patties. Visit https://www.hungryplanetfoods.com/ for information.

Impossible Foods sells Chicken Nuggets and Wild Nuggies. See: https://impossiblefoods.com/products/chicken

Jack & Annie’s offers Nuggets made from Jackfruit. See: https://www.jackandannies.com/our-products/nuggets/

Lightlife produces The breaded Plant-Based Chicken Tenders and Plant-Based Fillets. See: https://lightlife.com/our-food/?active_filter=chicken

Lily’s Vegan Pantry offers Ginger Chicken, Chicken Bites, Gong Bao Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken, Lemon Chicken, Smoked Drumsticks, Chicken Nuggets, Whole or Half Chicken, and Chicken Legs. See: https://www.lilysveganpantry.com/Vegan_Chicken_s/1516.htm

Morning Star Farms offers MorningStar Farms® Veggie BBQ Chik’n Nuggets; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Chik’n Nuggets; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Buffalo Chik Patties®; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Original Chik Patties®; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Zesty Ranch Chik’n Nuggets; and MorningStar Farms® Veggie Sweet Mustard Chik’n Nuggets. For details on these products, see: https://www.morningstarfarms.com/en_US/products/chikn.html

Sweet Earth sells Frozen Vegan Mindful Chi’n. See: https://www.goodnes.com/sweet-earth/products/mindful-chikn/?tag=10951&category=8381

Tofurky sells Chick’n in several flavors including Lightly Seasoned, Thai Basil, Sesame Garlic, and Barbecue. For more information, see: https://tofurky.com/what-we-make/chickn/

VFC Foods offers Chick’n Fillets, Popcorn Chick’n, and Chick’n Bites. See: https://vfcfoods.com/en-us/

The Vegetarian Resource Group is celebrating its 40^th Anniversary this coming fall and this year we have changed the name of our quarterly magazine to Vegan Journal. You’ll find the same type of articles and recipe pieces in an updated format. Enjoy in-depth original research, product and book reviews, scientific updates on veggie nutrition, delicious vegan recipes with gorgeous photos, plus so much more. Both long-term vegans and those new to a vegan life-style will enjoy this magazine.

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

Each year The Vegetarian Resource Group holds an essay contest for children. SUBJECT: 2-3 page essay on any aspect of veganism/vegetarianism. Vegetarianism is not eating meat, fish, and birds (for example, chicken or duck). Vegans do not use any animal products. Among the many reasons for being a vegan/vegetarian are beliefs about ethics, culture, health, aesthetics, religion, world peace, economics, world hunger, and the environment.

Entrants should base their paper on interviewing, research, and/or personal opinion. You need not be a vegetarian to enter. All essays become the property of The Vegetarian Resource Group. DEADLINE: Must be postmarked by May 1, 2022 for current year of judging.

Previous winning essays and complete details can be seen here: http://www.vrg.org/essay/

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Warm weather picnics and parties are great for seeing friends and family. Following a few rules can help to make sure that you and your guests stay healthy. According to FDA’s website:

• Any perishable foods including salads, dips, main dishes, desserts that need to be stored in the refrigerator, and vegan cheese platters should be discarded after being left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
• If it’s a hot day with temperatures above 90 °F, perishable foods should be discarded after being left out at room temperature for more than an hour.
• If you send food home with your guests, make sure that they can refrigerate their leftovers within the 2 hour (or 1 hour for hot days) limit.
• If cold food is going to stay out longer than 2 hours (or 1 hour on a hot day), keep food on ice so that it stays chilled.
• Foods that are served hot should be kept at an internal temperature of 140 °F or warmer in a slow cooker or chafing dish or on a warming tray. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of the food.

The FDA’s website offers many more ideas for food safety although not all are specifically for vegans.

To read more about vegan food safety see:

A Quick Food Safety Review

Nutrition Hotline (see page 2)

Sakoon Indian Fusion offers a wide array of vegan dishes that are clearly marked on their menu. Portions are generous and beautifully presented. Sample dishes include Lentil Soup, Bhindi Masala (an okra dish), Saag Aloo Channa (chickpeas, spinach, potatoes, and ginger), Dhansaag (lentils with spinach), Channa Masala (chickpeas with onions, tomato, and spices), plus more. They are located near Johns Hopkins University Homewood Campus in Charles Village.

Restaurant info can be found here: https://www.sakoonindianfusion.com/

Also see The Vegetarian Resource Group’s online guide to veggie restaurants in the USA and Canada here: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

We recently spotted Beyond Meat Jerky in a Wawa convenience store in New Jersey. This new jerky comes in three flavors: Original, Hot & Spicy, and Teriyaki. Enjoy this snack while on the road, hiking, at school, or in your office.

For more information on the Jerky, see: https://www.beyondmeat.com/en-US/press/beyond-meat-and-pepsico-s-planet-partnership-debuts-beyond-meat-jerky-the-joint-venture-s-first-product-at-retailers-nationwide

Whether you’re heading towards Ocean City, NJ or Atlantic City, NJ you might want to consider stopping at Earthly Café in Somers Point. Their vegan food is fresh, delicious, and beautifully presented. They are open for breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Sunday. Some breakfast options include vegan buttermilk pancakes and gluten-free waffles. Lunch selections include a sweet potato arepa, Baja salad, roasted tofu turkey sandwich, pulled barbeque jackfruit, and sourdough grilled cheese. They also offer a variety of bowls, smoothies, fresh juices, and dessert.

For more information on this restaurant, see: https://www.earthlycafe.com/

Also see The Vegetarian Resource Group’s online guide to veggie restaurants in the USA and Canada here: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

I recently had the opportunity to work with other professionals on a publication aimed at health professionals which discussed vegan and vegetarian diets. Our goals in developing this paper were to provide guidelines on nutrition, to address the environmental benefits of significantly reducing or eliminating animal products, to inform readers about vegan and vegetarian diets during the life cycle and for athletic performance, and to provide an update on use of vegan and vegetarian diets to manage chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Another VRG advisor, Enette Larson-Meyer, PhD, RD, also worked on this paper.

The 30-page paper was published in November 2021 in a professional journal called Nutrients. It was based on an extensive review of the scientific literature and included more than 300 citations. It is an open access paper which means that it can be downloaded and read, with no charge, even if you don’t subscribe to the journal where it appeared.

This paper would be helpful for any health professional, for students planning to go into health professions, and for others who want to read a more in-depth discussion about vegetarian and vegan nutrition.

One of the paper’s conclusions is, “Health professionals who work with vegetarians and those interested in vegetarian diets should be familiar with current research on vegetarian nutrition and be able to provide information so that clients are aware of their nutritional need, sources of nutrients, and any dietary modifications needed to meet their individual situation. “

Readers may want to share this information-rich paper with health care providers in their life. It can be accessed here.

Reference

Craig WJ, Mangels AR, Fresán U, et al. The safe and effective use of plant-based diets with guidelines for health professionals. Nutrients. 2021;13(11):4144.

Be sure to follow The Vegetarian Resource Group on Instagram: @vegetarianresourcegroup

Photo and recipe by Rissa Miller

(Serves 6)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup sliced onion

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

One 16-ounce block extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed

8-ounce bag frozen okra, thawed and drained

1 small zucchini, chopped

1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped

Two 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes with juices

3-4 springs fresh thyme

1 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon dried ginger

Pinch red pepper flakes (optional, more or less to taste)

1½ cups low-sodium vegetable stock (if needed)

3 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped

In a soup pot, warm olive oil for 1-2 minutes, then sauté onions and garlic for about 3-5 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. Add tofu, okra, zucchini, bell pepper, tomatoes, and all spices. Stir gently and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add extra broth if you want more broth in the stew and spinach. Simmer another 5 minutes until spinach is wilted but still bright green. Remove thyme branches from the soup and serve warm. Optionally, serve over prepared brown rice or whole wheat noodles.