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):

10X Vegan, 1612 S. Cypress Rd., Pompano Beach, FL 33060

Located in Pompano Plaza, just 5 or 6 minutes from the beach. Their #1 bestseller is Vegan Wings, which is described as smoky, and includes six choices of dips. They also offer burgers, salads, tacos, pasta, wraps, and two all day breakfast options: Vegan Bacon Sliders and Impossible Sausage Sliders. Select from eight varieties of Smoothies. They’re particularly proud of their Pompano Beach Smoothie.

Dollies Vegan Bistro, 2616 Blodgett St., Houston, TX 77004

Dollies Vegan Bistro is located within the S.H.A.P.E Community Center and serves classic burgers, signature burgers, fried mushrooms, house salads, and more. The meals are prepared from scratch.

Glady, Edgewater Public Market, 5505 West 20th Ave., Ste. 116. Edgewater, CO 80214

Gladys is a vegetable-focused food concept that works with the community to support local farms and artisans. Located directly off the main hall in the Edgewater public market. Gladys offers a variety of vegan, seasonal dishes such as colcannon potato, squash bisque, mushroom bravas, fall-dorf salad, beans and grains, and more.

Juice Amour, 194 Saint Paul St., Burlington, VT 05401 and 16 Merchants Row, Middlebury, VT 05753

Juice Amour offers organic, fresh and raw juice, smoothies, ACAI bowls, and more. We’re a vegan and gluten-free Vermont juice company that produces everything fresh and on-site. More than just a juice bar, we have hot foods that include tacos, soups, and breakfast bowls.

Mantra, 4104 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77004

Plantain nachos, Tex eggrolls, Rasta pasta, blackberry pizza, Brussel sprouts, margarita pizza, and other dishes are available at Mantra. Mantra’s atmosphere is relaxed and laid back, with great music.

Natuurlik, 4956 Le Chalet Blvd. #5-6, Boynton Beach, FL 33436

Natuurlik is a vegan restaurant offering plant-based foods with an island flair. Several jackfruit entrees are available in either curry, jerk, or bbq style and include tacos, burritos, and jackfruit meals. The menu also offers vegan seafood items such as crabcakes and fish and chips. Smoothies and acai bowls are made to order. Whipped coffee and chocolate chip cookies are popular dessert items.

The Be-Hive Deli, 2414 Gallatin Ave., Nashville, TN 37206

Enjoy dishes such as Breakfast Bowl, CHXN Philly, Hot Italian Sub, a variety of Wings, Loaded Nachos, and more.

Vegan on the Fly, 24 W. 45 St., New York, NY 10036

Vegan on the Fly serves quick vegan food inspired by New York City street food culture and its diverse ethnic cuisines. They serve gyro sandwiches, chopped sandwiches, burgers, platters, salads, bowls and a handful of sides that range from mac and cheese to empanadas. Their specialty is Seitan. When you order online, there’s a place to add toppings as well enter special requests which they will try to accommodate. Although stock varies, they offer several desserts including a gluten-free option. They are located between 5th and 6th Avenues near Times Square.

Debra Daniels-Zeller’s previous Vegetarian article Loafing Around includes these recipes:

Walnut, Onion, and Carrot Rice Loaf
Southwestern Polenta Loaf
Pecan-Lentil Loaf
Chickpea Loaf
Red Bean and Millet Loaf with Sweet Potatoes and Mushrooms
Fire-Roasted Tomato Bread Loaf
Smooth Adobe Sauce
Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

Start cooking today and don’t forget to subscribe to Vegetarian Journal at https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Recent topics brought up include:

– New VRG Scholarship available to graduating high school seniors from the New York City Metro Area promoting veganism.

– Information on the Children’s book Vegan Family

– Video shared on why not to eat Turkey during Thanksgiving or Christmas

https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRGparentsandkids is intended to be a group that offers support for families raising children on vegan diets and for vegan kids around the world. We envision it as a place to get advice about a wide-variety of topics: pregnancy, birthday parties, school lunches, Halloween, non-leather apparel, cruelty-free products, summer camps, and more. Please use it as a place to share your wisdom, seek advice, or just find a sympathetic ear. The goal is to offer support.

Consequently, any profane, defamatory, offensive, or violent language will be removed. Feel free to disagree, but do so respectfully. Hateful or discriminatory comments regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or political beliefs will not be tolerated. We expect that posts should relate to vegan diets and lifestyles. The Vegetarian Resource Group reserves the right to monitor all content and ban any user who posts in violation of the above rules, any law or regulation, SPAM, or anything otherwise off topic.

Please share this information with any veggie families that you know! Thanks.

What in the world is Vegan Cowboy Cuisine? A previous Vegetarian Journal article by Debra Daniels-Zeller explains it all. Debra starts off by stating, “When I was young, my familiarity with cowboy cuisine came from old John Wayne movies and 1950s TV westerns like Rawhide. More recently, I learned that mobile wagon wheel kitchens carried vinegar to replace lemons and molasses because sugar was in short supply. And in 1866, Charles Goodnight invented the chuck wagon. I imagine Charles thought this wagon was going to revolutionize trail food cooking, and it did for a while. The elaborate cooking wagon contained drawers and storage nooks for cookware and pantry foods, and it came with a hinged box on the back that could be opened as a food prep surface. Most of the dishes stirred up in this traveling kitchen came from plain pantry ingredients—flour, beans, rice, and dried fruits. The cook could supplement recipes with wild berries and greens they found along the way.”

Enjoy recipes for Granny’s Cabbage and Carrot Salad; Sloppy Joes; Spicy Barbecue Tempeh Ribs; Baked Beans; Country Cornbread; Corn Cakes with Black Beans; Wild Mushroom, Onion, and Squash Quesadillas; Tomatillo-Chile Salsa; and Sweet Biscuits and Berries.

See: Vegan Cowboy Cuisine

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal, visit: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Nothing beats a simple graphic to get the vegan message out! The Vegetarian Resource Group created My Vegan Plate to display on outreach tables at various events. If you live in the United States, you can request copies of this handout to distribute by emailing us at [email protected]

You can view the handout here: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/MyVeganPlate.pdf

This same handout can also be read in Spanish here: https://www.vrg.org/images/miplatovegano.jpg

We also have a version you can print out for kids to color on: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/MyVeganPlateCP.pdf

Donations towards this outreach are always appreciated: www.vrg.org/donate

Previously we ran two articles featuring vegan casseroles. During cold winter months, it’s worth sharing these recipes again. Enjoy!

Comforting Casseroles
Peggy Rynk shares recipes including: Oriental Noodle-Vegetable Bake, Broccoli-Cauliflower Bake, Baked Burrito Casserole with Mild Enchilada Sauce, and more

Creative Casserole Cuisine
Debra Daniels-Zeller offers recipes for Country Shepherd’s Pie, Garbanzo Lasagna with Roasted Eggplant, Barbecue Black-Eyed Pea, Yam, and Corn Casserole, and more.

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal, visit:
https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

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

Many of you may be putting on extra pounds during this stressful period. Lack of exercise in some cases is adding to the problem. The Vegetarian Resource Group previously published a weight loss article in Vegetarian Journal by VRG’s nutrition advisors Reed Mangels, PhD, RD and Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD.

This article was written to provide suggestions for vegans, or people who are interested in following a vegan diet, who want to lose weight. The weight loss plan is designed for non-pregnant adults. If you have a medical condition such as kidney disease, heart disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure, please consult your health care professional to make sure these ideas will work for you.

Included in the article is a chart titled “Lowfat Foods To Meet Your Nutritional Needs.” You’ll also find a sample menu plan, as well as lowfat vegan recipes including:

• Spinach-Onion Dip
• Spicy Creamy Sauce
• Oven-Roasted Salsa Tofu
• Tofu and Snow Pea Stir-Fry
• Seitan L’Orange
• Tempeh Cacciatore
• Baked Pears
• Glazed Pineapple
• Pineapple Cake
• Banana-Almond Shake
• Orange-Vanilla Smoothie
• Cool Rice Cream with Fruit

Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2006issue1/2006_issue1_weight.php

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

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):

Bread + Roses, 302 Main St., Hyannis, MA 02601

Bread + Roses is a Cape Cod bookstore café where you can enjoy coffee, food, and a good book. The menu consists of smoothies and bowls, pastries, soup, burgers, tenders, buffalo wings, and more.

C4Eats, 2003 Harrison St., Hollywood, FL 33020

Located in downtown Hollywood near the Hollywood Boulevard and ArtsPark at Young Circle, this small, bright vegan soul food place offers sustainable, seasonal foods with hours that aim to be accessible for most lifestyles, using organic & pesticide free ingredients whenever possible. Alongside healthy fresh-made juices, they have pancakes, waffles, or a sausage breakfast sandwich in the morning, then come back for a burger or vegan fried fish for lunch, and come back again for fried chicken or pineapple glazed ham with sides including greens and mac and cheese for dinner. You can eat at a counter in house, at benches outside, or take your food to go.

Get Hype, Central Market House, 34 W. Philadelphia, Lancaster, PA 17401

Get Hype offers delectable, crafted cuisine such as BBQ jackfruit ribs, sweet potato mash, collard greens, shortbread, and more.

Mush Wings, 405 N. Walker Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73102

Mush Wings offers the kickin chic’N sandwich, pizza and wings specials, parma and buffalo, and other dishes.

Plant Vegan Food Truck, 4310 Almeda Rd., Houston, TX 77004

The Plant Vegan Food Truck offers salted caramel banana nut pudding, delectable sandwiches, real lemon cake, vegan chikn tacos, steak fingers, and more. They have excellent customer service, a convenient location with outdoor dining, and is highly recommended by the locals.

Sweet Mustard HTX, 5257 Beechnut St., Houston, TX 77096

Popular entrees include a thick protein-infused Belgium waffle with a pinch of cinnamon and a Philly-style cheeze steak with crumbles and sautéed portobello mushrooms and onions. Sweet potato tacos and a country breakfast with potato hash and scrambled JUST eggs are available during Saturday and Sunday brunch. A kid’s menu is also available and includes a burger and tenders. Sweet Mustard also offers pre-made individual holiday meals.

Sweet Peaces Veggie Bistro, 300 E. 1st St., Flint, MI 48502

A year-round vendor at the Flint Farmers Market, Sweet Peaces is a small vegan restaurant that prepares flavorful food kits, ready-made deli meals, and other international dishes with ingredients from small gardens and local, sustainable farms. The menu is revised daily for customers to try a diverse range of in-season dishes, such as Thai broccoli rice, African peanut stew, samosas, and more. Even those with a sweet tooth will be surprised to find several veganized bakery goods, like cinnamon rolls and chocolate chunk cookies. In addition, many of their dishes are sold in mini jars as meal kits to store at home and enjoy when ready. Next time you visit the Flint Farmers Market, don’t forget to try a dish, pick up a meal kit, or indulge in brownie bars from here!

The Vegan Marie, 274 NW 54th St., Miami, FL 33127

Enjoy vegan food in the heart of Little Haiti. An example of a previous plate included legumes, buckwheat, veggie patties (breadfruit + quinoa + seamoss), boiled sweet potato, plantain, pikliz, a side salad, and avocado.

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Have you ever noticed that the label on a package of rice or dried beans says that the serving size is ¼ cup? Who eats a ¼ cup of rice as a serving? I decided to dive into the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations about labels to find out the reasoning behind portion sizes on grains and beans.

According to the FDA’s website, “By law, serving sizes must be based on the amount of food people typically consume, rather than how much they should consume” (1). Information from national surveys are used to set label portion sizes for everything from bagels (a serving is 110 grams) to wine coolers (12 ounces) to ice cream (2/3 cup). Of course, if a package is a single-serving container, the serving size must be the entire bottle even if it contains more than the portion size set by the FDA (2).  For example, if the FDA’s serving size for soda is 12 ounces and a bottle of soda has 20 ounces, the serving size for that product would be 1 bottle (20 ounces).

The FDA has designated 45 grams of dry product or 140 grams of prepared product as the serving size for grains such as rice and barley and 35 grams of dry product as the serving size for dried beans (3). Food companies are required to use a common household measurement like cups or tablespoons on the label and cannot just indicate how many grams there are in a serving (2). Thus, food producers must decide how to express 45 grams of dry grains or 35 grams of dry beans in terms of cups. Based on what I’ve observed, it’s common to use 1/4 cup of dry product as the portion size for dried beans and dry grains. Some companies do specify 1/4 cup (dry) but if they don’t, you’re safe to assume that if a quarter cup is listed as a serving, it’s likely to be the dry amount of the product. Some packages also include a statement along the lines of serving size: ¼ cup (makes ¾ cup prepared) but manufacturers are not required to do this.

If you’re trying to use the food label to figure out how many calories (or carbohydrates or other nutrients) are in a dry grain or dried bean that you’ve prepared, you have a few options.

• You could only prepare the amount that is identified on the package as the serving size – for example, 1/4 cup of dry brown rice – and see how much this makes when you cook it. Is that the usual amount that you eat or will you need to make more and then increase the nutrient content from the package accordingly?
• You could prepare the amount you usually make, perhaps 1-1/2 cups of dry brown rice, then determine the amount of cooked rice that this makes and back calculate to see how much cooked rice would result from 1/4 cup dry rice. Additional calculation could allow you to determine how many calories or nutrients are in the portion you eat.
• You could contact the manufacturer and politely request that they include a “prepared” amount on the label and inquire what that amount would be.

Ideally, in my opinion, FDA would make it easier for consumers who prepare foods from scratch and require food companies to use serving sizes that would be more meaningful than 1/4 cup of (dry) brown rice!

To read more about food labels see:

What’s Going On with Daily Values on Food Labels?

More About the Updates to the Daily Values on Food Labels

Puzzling Nutrition Information on Food Labels

References

1. FDA. Serving size updates on the new Nutrition Facts label. 2020. https://www.fda.gov/food/new-nutrition-facts-label/serving-size-updates-new-nutrition-facts-label

2. FDA. Food labeling: Serving sizes of foods that can reasonably be consumed at one eating occasion, reference amounts customarily consumed, serving size-related issues, dual-column labeling, and miscellaneous topics: Guidance for industry. 2019. https://www.fda.gov/media/133699/download

3. 21. CFR. 101.12. 2015. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2015-title21-vol2/pdf/CFR-2015-title21-vol2-sec101-12.pdf