Chloe is a winner of The Vegetarian Resource Group video
contest. Chloe stated: I … educated myself about a vegetarian lifestyle. To me,
being is not about worrying whether or not the food we eat is healthy or what
it is actually made of, because it is crafted from the most natural
ingredients.
As ingredient information changes, please check current information with the company.
The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian 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.
Pumpkin varieties grown specifically for cooking
are called “pie” or “sugar” pumpkins. They have a smaller seed cavity, more
flesh, and are less stringy. Your natural foods grocer or local vegetable
market will most likely have the best selection. It is easy to recognize them
because they are smaller, heavier, and have thicker stems. Patti Bess’s article “Must
Pumpkin Always Be Pie?” appeared in an issue of Vegetarian Journal and features a variety of pumpkin-based vegan
recipes. Enjoy Lemony Lentils with Pumpkin; Pumpkin with Black Beans; Braised
Pumpkin; Cream of Tomato and Pumpkin Soup; and Stuffed Pumpkin.
I have lived in Anchorage, Alaska my whole
life and I can tell you that not everyone here is hunting moose and fishing for
salmon to stay alive through the winters. Until I was around twelve years old,
I was a huge meat and dairy eater. I grew up eating ribs, medium-rare steaks,
and roasted chicken for dinner. Eggs and bacon were my breakfast, and always a
turkey sandwich for lunch. Sometimes if it was a special day, I would get
smoked salmon, freshly caught for a snack. Every time I was able to go out to
eat with my family on a ‘special occasion,’ it would most likely be at a local
Alaskan restaurant that would always serve the freshest seafood. I absolutely
loved seafood. Crab legs, halibut, and of course, Alaskan king salmon.
One day at school when I was in the fifth grade, I noticed a girl my age
eating fish eggs on toast. She was originally from Russia and always brought the
weirdest lunches. I found myself being completely repulsed from her meal. I
thought to myself, “Why would you ever eat unborn fish and simply put it on
toast?” I looked down at my lunch and saw a hard-boiled egg and a turkey
sandwich, and that’s when I had my first epiphany, “What makes her lunch weird
and mine normal?”
From that day, I began to learn more about different cultures’ diets and
how they got their major food sources. As an Alaskan, you learn a lot about the
different Alaskan tribes and their diets. For example, the Athabaskan tribe1
lived off of caribou, moose, and mountain goat meat during the year; they even
ate off the antlers. The Inuit eat mostly fish and seal. In every textbook and
every Native Center I’ve visited, all have labeled
the traditional Alaskan Native diet as “ideal” or “healthy.” I thought about
the term, “tradition” and how it comes into play with our diet.
A classic family ritual in Alaska, or even in all of America is to hunt
and fish with your family. Many people come to Alaska
to catch king salmon that flow in during spawning season in the Kenai River
or hunt moose in Denali. Hunting began as a
practice for survival, during a time when resources were sparse and famine was
heavily influenced. Now hunting is looked at as a sport or an activity that the
family will go out and do a couple of times during the summer. Especially in Alaska, you will always
find deer heads, bear rugs, and stuffed ducks as normal house decor items. The
act of shopping at the local Cabela’s and getting all the camo you can get with
a brand new gun to match is heavily accepted here. Why do we still hunt,
especially when the majority of Alaskans are shopping at groceries now? I’ve
come to find out that it is simply tradition.
There are many pros and challenges when being vegetarian while living in
Alaska. One of the biggest pros for me personally, is that veganism is a
growing trend even in Alaska.
It is very accessible to buy plant-based milk and meat-less brands at our local
grocery stores. Since being vegetarian, I haven’t had a problem finding
alternative meals just at Fred Meyers, a local supermarket. Each year is
growing in these products as well, which shows that more and more people are
wanting these food items. Anchorage,
Alaska specifically, has been
emerged in vegan-friendly restaurants, my favorite being Middle Way Cafe, which
has become a tourist favorite as well.
However, there are many challenges when first transitioning to a vegan
or vegetarian while living in Alaska. For one, animal meat is very accessible
here. Fish are filled in our rivers, and catching your own is a fun family
activity for many. Also, the cost of living is high in Alaska, so many people
find it worth the fishing trip. Most Alaskan families make salmon for dinner,
and it has been a label for a lot of Alaskans to be “fish-eaters.” There is a
slight stigma on vegetarians, even in the major city. I don’t know many
vegetarians from Alaska, however, the majority
that I have met are around college-aged. When being open about wanting to go
vegetarian, it was a personal struggle to try to explain my reasoning to my
family and friends. There are so little people on “your side,” I constantly
felt like I was walking on glass when discussing the topic.
While living and growing up in Anchorage, Alaska for the past eighteen
years, I have accepted the challenges that come with being vegetarian, while
also appreciating the growing population of vegetarians worldwide. Everyone has
a different journey when transitioning to a plant-based diet, and for me, it
has only been an uplifting experience. Don’t ever let the stereotypes from
where you are from define you as a person, let alone, your diet. I had to
personally go through the battle of feeling like I was letting my family and
friends down that I didn’t believe what they did, which wasn’t the case at all.
At the end of the day, do what makes you flourish, and eat the foods that make
you happy.
The contents of this posting, our
website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian 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.
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):
Beacon Doughnut Co., 810 W. Armitage
Ave., Chicago, IL 60614
Beacon Doughnut Co.
holds a dozen different vegan doughnuts to choose from in their little bakery.
Their flavors are unique and completely company branded. Right now they are
offering apple cider and caramel apple vegan doughnuts, perfect for fall time.
Some of their other flavors are the vanilla lavender doughnut and blueberry
pancake. Just by looking at their menu will make your mouth water!
Boardwalk Vegan, 28 N. Manoa Rd.,
Havertown, PA 19083
The food and
atmosphere at Boardwalk Vegan will take you right back to summers on the beach
and spark the feeling of excitement you got when walking up and down the
boardwalk. This restaurant was created because the owners wanted to eat
healthier but didn’t want to give up their love of comfort food, so they took
classic dishes found on boardwalks everywhere and made it all vegan. Menu items
include Old Bay seasoned Crab Fries, Seitan “chicken” wings, a plethora of
pizzas, cheesesteak, burgers, Root Beer Floats, and more. The food here is
decadent and nostalgic, but the best part is that it is all plant-based.
EnVegan, 1626 Lake Harbin Rd.,
Morrow, GA 30260
Located in Publix
plaza on Camp Creek pkwy, EnVegan’s mission is to encourage the shift to eating
plant-based. They do this by offering smoothies, salads, wraps, sandwiches,
burgers, spring rolls, Buffalo cauliflower wings, and other appetizers. The
food is fresh, clean, and delicious. Head to EnVegan for a morning smoothie, a
healthy lunch or dinner, and even for dessert if you’re looking for something
sweet.
HASH, San Antonio, 5009 S. Flores,
St., TX 78214
First non-alcoholic
and vegan bar in San Antonio is now open in Southside, San Antonio. Their
message “Heal and spread healing” can be seen on their wall as customers enjoy
vegan eats and a variety of drinks.
Pachamama, 4115 N. 19th Ave.,
Phoenix, AZ 85015
Pachamama offers
both traditional Mexican vegan fare as well as more experimental dishes such as
the mexiyaki which is a Mexican spin on a Japanese dish. They try to source
their ingredients locally from small farms to both support Arizona businesses
and ensure quality. Their permanent restaurant allows for dine-in, takeout, and
delivery but they also operate a pop-up which serves their dishes at various
events. Their pop-ups are also available for catering for private gatherings.
Rad.ish Street Food, 346 East Front
St., Ste. #2, Traverse City, MI 49684
The owners of
Rad.ish Street Food opened their all-vegan restaurant with the goal of reducing
animal cruelty and promoting local farms. They use their SoCal background to
bring metropolitan Los Angeles dishes to Traverse City, focusing especially on
brunch fare. These dishes range from breakfast tacos to their spin on
Impossible Burgers to a variety of bagel dishes. Working with 85% local farms,
Rad.ish Street Food ensures that their customers are getting quality
ingredients while minimizing harm to animals.
The Herd Juicery, 80 Brighton Ave.,
Long Branch, NJ 07740
They offer all
vegan, gluten-free, and organic foods, drinks, and smoothies. Try out their
Rooted juice made with beets, carrot, apple, celery, lemon, and ginger, or
something more filling like the BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich. For dessert, who
wouldn’t want their Lavender Cheesecake Bar?! The feel of the place seems very
bright, inviting, and clean.
The Two Dollar Radio Headquarters,
1124 Parsons Ave., Columbus, OH 43206
The Two Dollar Radio
Headquarters menu proves to be incredible by their variety of options made 100%
from scratch and completely vegan. Check out the Taco Mac and Cheeze Tortuga,
Jean Claude Van Randy Burrito with roasted poblano peppers, and the Mexxxy
Enchiladas. This small café is located within a bookstore, so the atmosphere
and feel is cozy, welcoming, and warm. They describe themselves as a “local
indie press,” being family-run and making their food with love.
The Vegetarian Resource Group is a vegan activist non-profit
organization that does outreach all-year-long. For example, VRG responds to the
public’s questions every day and sends literature free of charge to other
groups/individuals doing educational activities in schools, hospitals, camps,
restaurants, libraries, offices, etc. Our ability to continue doing this
depends on people like you! Your donations allow us to promote the vegan
message whenever we’re called upon for assistance. Please consider becoming a
monthly or quarterly donor to The Vegetarian Resource Group.
During these challenging times, thanks so much for your support.
You can donate online here: vrg.org/donate
For the first 6 months or so after birth, babies don’t need any food
other than breast milk (ideally) or a commercial infant formula or a
combination of breast milk and infant formula. But, around age 6 months, most
babies are showing the signs of being ready to start eating solid foods. They
can sit independently which gives them the ability to lean forward if they want
food or to move back if they don’t. They are showing an interest in what others
are eating. They can move food from the front to the back of the mouth, where
it can be swallowed more easily.
An often-recommended first
food is a single ingredient baby cereal, meaning it only contains one cereal
grain. Since it has only one ingredient, it’s easy to know what the baby is
reacting to if the baby has a reaction. It can be thinned with breast milk or
formula to a good consistency – first a thin consistency, with a gradual
increase in thickness. If it is made with breast milk or the baby’s formula, it
will have a taste the baby is familiar with. Many baby cereals are fortified
with iron and some also have added zinc and vitamin B12. Once the baby tolerates single ingredient
cereals, cereals with several grains can be introduced.
You may have heard about
concerns about the arsenic levels in baby rice cereal. Arsenic can be harmful
to the baby’s brain (1). Once these elevated levels of arsenic were discovered,
baby food companies worked to reduce the amount of arsenic in their products. The
FDA has recently reported that 76% of samples of baby rice cereals did not
contain excess arsenic, compared to 47% of samples tested in 2014 and 36% of
samples tested between 2011-2013. (2). Other infant cereals, including those
made with oats, barley, and multi-grains, are lower in arsenic; use of a
variety of cereals is recommended.
Some parents and caregivers
may prefer to make baby cereals. Uncooked oats, barley, or rice can be
processed in a blender until finely ground and then cooked until smooth. These
cereals don’t have the iron that is usually added to commercial baby cereals.
If parents or caregivers make their own baby cereals, use of an iron supplement
should be discussed with the baby’s doctor.
Baby cereals can be fed from
a spoon and should not be fed from a bottle. If your little one likes to
self-feed, make the baby cereal fairly thick, chill it, and cut it into small
bites. It can also be spread onto small pieces of toast.
Here’s a nutritional comparison of several brands of organic baby cereals that are fortified with iron.
Product Serving Size
Iron (mg)
Zinc (mg)
Vitamin B12 (mcg)
Comments
Beech-Nut Oatmeal, 1/4 cup dry
6.8
0.8
0.13
Has added B- vitamins and calcium. Contains vitamin D3 apparently from a non-vegan source.
Gerber Rice, 1/4 cup dry
6.75
1
0.125
Has added calcium, vitamin C and B- vitamins
Gerber Oatmeal, 1/4 cup dry
6.75
1
0.125
Has added calcium, vitamin C and B- vitamins
Gerber Oatmeal- Millet- Quinoa, 1/4 cup dry
6.75
1
0.125
Has added calcium, vitamin C and B- vitamins
Earth’s Best Rice, 1/4 cup dry
6.3
—
—
Earth’s Best Oatmeal, 1/4 cup dry
6.3
—
—
Earth’s Best Multi- Grain, 1/4 cup dry
6.3
—
—
Happy Baby Oatmeal, 3 TB dry
5
—
—
Happy Baby Oats & Quinoa, 3 TB dry
5
—
—
Nutritional information from manufacturers’ websites and package labels, October, 2020.
References
1. European Food Safety Authority Panel on Contaminants in
the Food Chain. Scientific opinion on arsenic in food: EFSA panel on
contaminants in the food chain (CONTAM). Eur Food Safe Auth J. 2009;7(10):1-199.
If
there is one similarity that I have noticed from my own vegan journey and from
talking to my vegan friends about their journeys – it’s that living in a
meat-eating household was among each of our greatest concerns when adopting the
vegan lifestyle. We worried that our parents wouldn’t support us, that we
wouldn’t know how to cook for ourselves, and that maybe, we would be too
tempted by our non-vegan pantries to sustain the lifestyle change. In my case –
having been used to my dad’s excellent cooking skills and my mom’s Sunday grocery
shops – I questioned if I would even be able to keep up with my cooking and
with my grocery shopping. Though, with research, good communication, newfound
independence, and ambition, being vegan in a meat-eating household became a
“new normal” for me in no time. And it certainly can be for you too.
Research – an incredibly important aspect
of developing a vegan lifestyle, whether you live surrounded by meat or
not. Before you take on the challenge of
going vegan in a meat-eating household, you should develop a solid
understanding of the adjustments you will be making to your life. Start with
websites such as PETA, The Vegetarian Resource Group, One Green Planet, and
Medical News Today. Take the time to understand the benefits of the diet –
environmental, physical, and ethical. Acknowledge the importance of your
nutrition intake. Which foods will be your sources of protein, of calcium, iron
– a vegan donut might make a cute
Instagram post, but that doesn’t mean it’s a dependable nutrition source. Understand
the foods that you will be adding or eliminating from your diet. Try making a
list of the non-vegan, staple foods in your home, and then vegan alternatives
next to them. For example, say every Friday night is “Taco Night” in
your house – think of some alternatives for ground beef and cheese. Maybe a
tortilla filled with scrambled tofu can be your Friday night, “Taco
Night.”
Once you have a better understanding of
why and how you will go vegan, it is time to communicate with the people you
live with. The first question they might ask you is, “why?” Explain
to them why it’s a choice you want to make. Share with them the research you
have conducted. Are you going vegan to help combat climate change? Are you
outraged by the treatment of animals in the agriculture industry? Or, do you
believe in going vegan as an effort against world hunger? Try providing them
with a detailed explanation of why veganism matters to you so that your family
can do their best to understand and support you. However, you should not expect
that they will cater to your vegan needs – they will likely continue eating
meat. It is important to remain patient with those you live with throughout
your vegan journey. They might not understand your choice, and that’s perfectly
okay. But remember – going vegan is your choice, not theirs.
Going vegan in a meat-eating household
will require a new sense of independence. Being the only vegan in your home,
you will no longer rely on anyone for your grocery shopping or cooking. Whether
grocery shopping alone or with a family member, you will be responsible for
acquiring the foods that you need as a vegan. Furthermore, it is unlikely that
your parents will be cooking a vegan alternative for every meal your family
eats. This means, if you cannot cook yet, you should probably learn. Not that
you need to become a master chef by any means but knowing how to cook a handful
of vegan meals will make your life a whole lot easier. And with time, your
cooking skills will improve, allowing for greater diversity in the meals you
eat.
Finally, remember why you decided to
become vegan – hold on to that. Keep the ambition that you started this journey
with. Being the only vegan in a meat-eating household will not always be easy,
and there might be occasions that lead you to question this choice. Not to
mention, meat can be tempting for some new vegans, so in order to resist the
temptation of meat in your home is to remember your “why” and to carry your
ambition with you throughout this journey.
Some
words of advice from two of my vegan friends – who also happened to go vegan in
meat-eating homes:
“Some people might believe that
once you go vegan family dinners are no longer possible – this isn’t true. It
is easy to cook vegan dishes or side dishes that everyone can share and enjoy.
Those who desire meat can add a meat product to their own meals. Or, if possible,
the meat and dairy products can be left on the side. As a vegan, you don’t
always have to cook something or eat something entirely separate from the rest
of your family. (Abbey, age 17)”
“When I first became vegan, it was
a challenge seeing my whole family eat things I couldn’t eat and smelling all
the foods my mom would make that I couldn’t have. However, what helped me was
to always incorporate my spin onto the dishes my family would make. For
example, if my family were eating burgers or pizza, I would make myself a vegan
counterpart – this allowed me to enjoy eating meals with my family, even as a
vegan. (Lili, age 17)”
The contents
of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian
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.
Are you searching for a new pair of
vegan boots this winter? If so, there are many vegan online stores and
storefronts offering a wide variety of boot styles.
Smoothie King is making it easier
to live a vegan lifestyle with the new Vegan
Mixed Berry Smoothie, available nationwide. According to Smoothie
King, “Along with Califia Farms® Oat Milk, Smoothie King’s Vegan Mixed Berry
Smoothie is made with whole strawberries, wild blueberries, raspberries,
banana, super grains, Sunwarrior® organic plant-based protein, apple blueberry
juice blend and pear juice blend. It has 13 grams of protein and half the
recommended daily fiber in a 20-ounce serving.”
The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on veganism and the interrelated issues of health, nutrition, ecology, ethics, and world hunger. We have been helping health professionals, food services, businesses, educators, students, vegans, and vegetarians since 1982. In addition to publishing the Vegan Journal, VRG produces and sells a number of books.
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