By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Started on Friday, February 4, 2022, and continuing weekly, the largest district in the United States will be having “Vegan Fridays.” On Fridays, food served at lunch in public schools in New York City will be vegan, according to an Associated Press article (1).  A carton of cow’s milk will still be offered on Fridays because this is required by the USDA. Children who cannot consume dairy milk due to a dairy allergy or lactose intolerance may receive a soy milk substitute (2).

Every day students in New York City can choose a vegan option but on Fridays all students are served a vegan lunch unless they request a non-vegan option.

On February 11, here’s what some of the vegan menus looked like (3):

Express Cold Lunch: Italian Veggie Grab & Go Salad  and Confetti Corn

Hot Lunch: Mediterranean Chickpeas served with rice or pasta; Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli

Other planned offerings include a black bean and plantain rice bowl, a chickpea stew, and vegan tacos.

To learn more about school meals see

Getting Vegan Food into Schools

Vegan Options in a California School

Vegan Options in Portland, ME School Lunch

School Food Lunch

VRG’s School Lunch Testimony

Tempeh in School Meals

References

1. New York City school lunch menu going vegan on Fridays. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-new-york-education-new-york-city-nyc-state-wire-bca2dcfd0dda46cb08160baf6ecfcc86. February 4, 2022.

2. New York City Department of Education. Menus. https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/food/menus

3. New York City Department of Education. Free Lunch Meals. https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/food/menus/school-lunch-meals 

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):

Drink Me Tea Room, 1730 E. Warner Rd., Tempe, AZ 85284

Drink Me Tea Room is a wonderful, almost wonderland-ish tea spot that has gorgeous decor. It features adorable cakes and scones to go with your tea. Make an online reservation for one of their fantastically-themed tea parties.

Fennel Organic Eatery, 322 Bloor St. W., Toronto, ON M5S 1W5 Canada

Fennel Organic Eatery offers an a la carte type menu that changes daily. The menu includes an assortment of hot foods, fresh salads, snacks, juices, and smoothies. Locally sourced ingredients are used in many dishes such as Balinese brown rice with Ontario peas, spinach mushroom quinoa salad with Ontario mushrooms, and cucumber and dill salad with Ontario cucumbers. Fresh juices and smoothies are made with no added refined sugar and include options such as an all green juice, a daily detox juice, and a rainforest smoothie sweetened with dates.

Lazy Cow Bakery, 3418 Fremont Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103

They offer a wide variety of cakes such as the spicy pear frangipane tart, cardamom birthday cake, ginger-flavored cake, and custom-made cakes.

Mis Tacones, 1670 NE Killingsworth St., Portland, OR 97211

Mis Tacones is about 2 blocks from Alberta Park, near the main shopping area, right on the corner of Killingsworth and NE 17th street. Mis Tacones aims to celebrate the flavor of their Mexican and Chicanx heritage and embrace the BIPOC and Queer communities through food and culture. Dine on guacamole and many tacos including seitan and pico de gallo as well as optional cashew cream. Many tacos include seitan and pico de gallo as well as optional cashew cream. Of course there are burritos and empanadas too. Choose from corn or potatoes empanada with soyrizo—a soy based vegan version of Mexican chorizo. Their Chimichanga looks like a confection, swirled with zigzags of cheese and lime cilantro-cashew cream sauce, topped with a rosette of peppers and onions. Dessert options include caramelized flan, conchas, deep fried ice cream, and dough fritters dressed in cinnamon sugar called bunuelos.

Pepitas Vegan Taqueria, 1115 W. Hickory St. #113, Denton, TX 76201

The owners of this family restaurant took on the considerable, but worthy challenge of transforming their Mexican family recipes into whole food, plant based, vegan dishes. The idea sprouted, like the eatery’s namesake, pumpkin seeds, promoting compassion for animals and reducing carbon emissions. Choose from several tacos such as marinated Jackfruit “Brisket” with vegan birria broth and Al Pastor–marinated soy sautéed with onions and pineapple, all embellished with various toppings. Or select from their Favorites section—maybe a Fajita skillet with Portobello Mushrooms, veggies and toppings, or Hamburgesa Mexicana featuring a house-made patty, with Tofutti sour cream finishing off many of their dishes. For larger groups they offer Fajita, Enchilada and Tacos platters. There are several sides, including not only Mexican favorites like guacamole, or rice and beans, but also Elote—a combination of grilled corn enrobed in mayonnaise with a lime and chili based sauce. They offer a Sunday brunch with tofu scrambles, breakfast tacos and burritos, pancakes, waffles, coffee, and more. Also enjoy desserts such as a strawberry empanada, their own version of cinnamony, sopapillas, and their Tres Leches Cake, baked in house.

The Cleanse Theory Kitchen, 83 Henry St., New York, NY 10002

They serve gluten-free choc berry tarts, chocolate raspberry tart, poké bowl, coconut chia pudding, plant-based scrambled eggs, and much more.

Vegan Pastry Lab, 18 E. Forest Ave., Englewood, NJ 07631

Small all-vegan bakery on the corner of Dean St. and E. Forest Ave. Stop in for a sweet treat or a hearty snack: offers savory pastries alongside a daily-varying selection of cinnamon rolls, cupcakes, cookies and the like, plus small local goods (candles etc.). Gluten-free options available. There is limited seating inside (the interior is bright, and modern, with walls of plants and neon signs) and outside. They also have an extensive online menu of celebration cakes (chocolate, red velvet etc.) that can be ordered in different sizes.

Wild Chestnut Café, 22 Chestnut St., Florence, MA 01062

Wild Chestnut Café is a vegan café offering vegan comfort food such as baked goods, hot drinks, smoothies, soups, and salads. Their house-made vegan cupcakes include chocolate and yellow cupcakes with a variety of frostings such as mint, strawberry, mocha, and cream cheese. Cinnamon buns are available on weekends. Soups of the day include creamy broccoli and potato chowder, healing broth with vegetables, and tomato basil with brown rice. Soups and salads are served with homemade bread.

According to Nil Zacharias’ project, Plantega, is the union of plant-based foods and bodegas, small stores in Spanish-speaking areas that Zacharias describes as an essential part of New York City’s fabric. At the moment they are in about a dozen bodegas. We recently passed one of these stores and saw this sign in front of the bodega.

For more information on Plantega, see: https://eatplantega.com/  

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

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

New York City Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the United States, serving more than one million people each year. Together with Mayor Eric Adams, they recently announced that they are expanding their lifestyle medicine program to six public health sites in New York City. These programs will be modeled after NYC Health + Hospitals‘ Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine Program at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. Over the coming year, the program will expand to serve adults at Jacobi, Lincoln, Woodhull, Kings County, and Elmhurst hospitals, as well as Gotham Health, Vanderbilt.

According to NYC Health + Hospitals’ website, the plant-based lifestyle medicine program focuses on a healthy plant-based diet, exercise, stress reduction, healthy sleep, social connections and avoidance of risky substances such as tobacco.  The program is administered by plant-based doctors, registered dietitians, and health coaches. It includes individual consultations and group classes.

The program defines a plant-based diet as, “a diet centered around vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, lentils, peas, nuts, and seeds. It minimizes or avoids animal foods, sweets, and highly processed foods.” Individuals joining the program should be interested in moving toward a more plant-based diet. The program is open to adults with type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and/or health concerns related to obesity.

Due to the generosity of anonymous donors, The Vegetarian Resource Group each year will award $30,000 in college scholarship money to graduating U.S. high school students who have promoted veganism/vegetarianism in their schools and/or communities. Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or fowl. Vegans are vegetarians who do not use other animal products such as dairy or eggs.

One award of $10,000 and two awards of $5,000 will be given. Additionally, $10,000 in scholarship money will be awarded to graduating high school seniors specifically living in New York City, NY. Entries may only be sent by students graduating from high school in spring 2022. Deadline is February 20, 2022. We will accept applications postmarked on or before February 20, 2021. Early submission is encouraged!

Applicants will be judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegan/vegetarian diet/lifestyle. Payment will be made to the student’s college (U.S. based only). Winners of the scholarships give permission to release their names to the media. Applications and essays become property of The Vegetarian Resource Group. We may ask finalists for more information. Scholarship winners are contacted by e-mail or telephone. Please look at your e-mail.

For details on the contest, see:

http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htmhttps://www.vrg.org/blog/2022/01/27/new-york-city-area-5000-vegetarian-vegan-and-animal-rights-scholarship-for-graduating-high-school-seniors-2/

By Rissa Miller, Senior Editor Vegan Journal

These oat bars are nut-free and ready to go for hikes, car trips, or even long days at the computer. They keep well in the fridge for a week, and for a few months in a sealed container in the freezer. For ideas on how to vary this recipe’s flavors, see the notes at the bottom.

3 Tablespoons flaxseed meal

6 Tablespoons warm water

1-1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup whole wheat flour (can also use 1:1 gluten free flour blend)

1/2 cup vegan protein powder (plain brown rice protein powder used; or just use more flour)

1/2 cup hulled sunflower seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seed butter

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup unsweetened vegan milk of choice (oat milk used in tests)

1 teaspoon powdered ginger (or more/less, to taste)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Zest from one lime

1/8 teaspoon salt (optional, to taste)

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 7- x 11-inch baking dish with parchment paper (or coat with non-stick spray). Set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together flaxseed meal and warm water. Set aside to congeal. In a medium bowl, combine all remaining ingredients. Add flax/water and stir again. The mixture will be stiff and sticky; it may be necessary to work it together by hand instead of with a spoon.

When all ingredients are well-combined, press into the prepared baking dish. Score with a knife to cut into 12 evenly sized bars. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is firm and the edges are crisp. Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before re-cutting the bars along the original scored lines and gently removing from the baking dish. 

The bars hold up well in the fridge for about a week. You can also individually wrap them for hikes, car trips, other travel, or days at work/school.

Want other flavor ideas? Swap the lime for lemon and the cherries for cranberries or blueberries to change things up. Love chai? Add in pinches of cinnamon and nutmeg with raisins instead of dried cherries and eliminate the citrus zest. More of a chocolate fan? Take out the dried fruit, add in 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips, use orange zest instead of lime, and a tiny splash of coffee extract with the vanilla.

We thought you might be interested in seeing some publicity we (and you) received on one of our area TV stations. We had our monthly vegan group dinner last week, and a gentleman by the name of John Last, who does human-interest type stories for his Erie, PA stations, came to Warren (about 65 miles away) to interview and film us. His segment, called “The Last Word” aired on Monday, January 31, and was very nicely done, I thought. Included in the clip are stacks of the back issues of The Vegetarian Journal that you sent us to distribute. We’ve received lots of great comments about the broadcast and continue to pick up new members because of it.

Here’s a link to the news segment: Spreading the Vegan Lifestyle in Warren – Erie News Now | WICU and WSEE in Erie, PA

Best regards, Don Reed

Webinar: Five Steps to Implement a Vegan Nudge

By Odette Olivares, MSN

On January 26,  2022 the webinar Five Steps to Implement a Vegan Nudge took place. Jan Stoop, Associate Professor of Applied Economics at Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands, explained a simple five-step strategy to veganize the catering service in any organization. He originated his proposal by applying the concept of a nudge from behavioral economics and succeeded in his endeavor by following the five steps at his facility.

In the beginning, Jan’s first instinct was to behave as a benevolent dictator, who would oblige the whole university to turn vegan right away. However, he knew this strategy would have generated a lot of resistance. He then came up with the idea of switching the default option of the catering service to vegan, maintaining people’s free will. If someone wanted a non-vegan option, they would simply have to ask for it. By doing this, Jan created a nudge in the catering service.

In behavioral economics, a nudge is a positive reinforcement or indirect suggestion for consumers to behave in a certain way. Nudges are effective because people tend to choose the least effort possible, and because they tend to abide by the norm. Keeping freedom of choice, Jan simply made it easier for people to get a vegan choice while reinforcing a new norm based on environmental consciousness and the values of equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Professor Rinus van Schendelen suggested the following five steps to Jan:

Step one: Gather data. Compare the differences between standard food choices to vegan ones.

Step two: Think about arguments. Use the ones that have more probability to convince and represent your audience, and keep those which you have a deeper understanding of.

Step three: Convince key people to join. Write a letter to the dean or the respective authority, signed by the most high-profile people in the organization.

Step four: Confront the ultimate authority. Explain your arguments and show that you are not the only one who wants the change. Keep free will in your proposal. 

Step five: Tasting trial. Offer a nice, good-looking, tasty trial of the newly available vegan food options.

This five-step strategy helped Jan to diminish resistance towards veganism and to teach people that vegan food can be as tasty as non-vegan food.    

Stephen Sturdivant organized the webinar on behalf of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6. More than 100 people attended. The interchange of complementary information regarding environmental data related to the vegan diet, scientific articles, non-governmental vegan organizations, and many other vegan entities, showed the great interest participants had on the topic. Jan hopes that all of these attendees apply the five-step strategy to contribute to spreading the goodness of vegan diets.

For more information on veg foodservice ideas, see https://www.vrg.org/fsupdate/index.htm

Odette interned with The Vegetarian Resource Group and was author of Traditional Vegan Calcium Sources for Latinos. See: https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/foods_calcium.htm

Public-school cafeterias in New York City will begin phasing in only vegan meals on Fridays. Some backup items currently will be available, such as cheese sandwiches and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and milk will still be offered. See:

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/ny-nyc-public-school-cafeterias-vegan-fridays-20220203-hnickonlf5hhfmvvgx4fvgzjbq-story.html

https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2022/02/03/adams–nyc-public-schools-to-introduce–vegan-fridays-