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

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

In July, 2021 Bloomberg News reported that meat sales were down in the United States, Argentina, and other countries. The report goes on to say that in the United States, meat sales at grocery stores are 12% lower than they were a year ago. A partial explanation for this drop in meat sales may be the rise in meat prices in many countries. According to the USDA, the retail price of fresh beef in the United States has increased 12.7% over the past 5 months (February-July 2021). Pork prices increased 10.7% and chicken prices increased 4.6% over the same time period. An additional factor that may affect meat sales in some countries is the increased sale of plant-based meat replacers. While these products are popular for many reasons, they may not be affordable from some who are concerned about the rising cost of meat.

     The Vegetarian Resource Group has many ideas for eating a low-cost vegan diet. The next time a friend or family member mentions the high price of meat, suggest that they explore some vegan options.

For ideas about eating vegan on a budget see:

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2020issue2/2020_issue2_vegan_menus.php

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2006issue2/2006_issue2_mealplans.php

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2003issue1/2003_issue1_quick.php

Have you ever wondered if an ingredient listed on a food label is vegan or not? The Vegetarian Resource Group has an online guide to food ingredients that lets you now whether a specific food ingredient is vegan, vegetarian, non-vegetarian, typically vegan, typically vegetarian, may be non-vegetarian, or typically non-vegetarian.

You can search through this guide here: https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

To support this type of difficult research, please consider making a donation to The Vegetarian Resource Group: vrg.org/donate

By Callie Showalter, VRG Intern

Makes 10 rolls 

Ingredients:

For the dough:

2¼ teaspoons instant yeast 

1 Tablespoon organic cane sugar

1½ cups lukewarm water 

3½ cups flour 

2 teaspoons salt

For the creamy “cheese” sauce:

¾ cup raw cashews, soaked overnight

3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon dried garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves, minced 

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup water or unflavored plant milk 

For the spinach-pesto mixture:

2 cups fresh basil, chopped

1 cup baby spinach, chopped

1/3 cup pine nuts 

2 large garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup nutritional yeast (may sub shredded vegan parmesan)  

1 teaspoon salt

½ lemon, juiced 

To assemble:

Start by whisking the yeast and sugar into the warm water, and let sit until you see bubbling (this tells you the yeast is activated). Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl, and then pour in the water mixture. Use clean hands to mix the ingredients and form a ball. Add flour as needed so that it is not sticky. 

     Oil a bowl and place the dough in to proof, and then cover the bowl with a towel. Place in a warm area until the dough has doubled in size, about an hour. 

     While your dough proofs, add your cheese sauce ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, and set aside. In the same blender/food processor, add all your pesto ingredients and pulse until well combined. Set pesto aside. 

     Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. On a clean, floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about ½-inch thick. It will be about 20 inches long and 14 inches wide. Spread the ‘cheese’ sauce, followed by the pesto, evenly across the dough, leaving a ¼-inch perimeter of dough without sauce. Roll the dough—starting from the long side— into a log, and cut into about ten 2-inch pieces. 

     Arrange rolls in an oiled 8- x 8-inch glass baking dish, and bake in the oven for 30-33 minutes. 

Optional: After they are cooked, brush rolls with vegan butter and top with more vegan Parmesan or nutritional yeast. 

If you’re in the market for a vegan backpack, you’ll be happy to know that there’s a wide variety of stylish vegan backpacks available in the USA, Canada, and Europe.

The French company Arsayo offers unisex backpacks in three colors. They are designed in Paris and made from cork material produced in Portugal.

Doshi, an American company, makes a wide variety of backpacks for men and women.

The American company Gosbags offers backpacks in various colors.

Gunas offers backpacks and ships internationally.

Canadian company Jeane & Jax offers backpacks for women.

American company Matt and Nat sells a wide variety of backpacks in several colors.

Pixie Mood ships backpacks to both Canada and the USA.

Amp up Taco Tuesday in your household with these vegan recipes for Tacos al Pastor and Tofu con Rajas Poblanos. Both offer up layers of flavor with pepper-based marinades and hearty vegan ingredients. Chef Carlos does it again with more Mexican meals!

See this VRG video at: https://youtu.be/cQBoamigfTI

More videos at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvSyCToa_i9fA4D5CLCAFWw
https://www.vrg.org/veg_videos.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):

Bistro Vonish, 701 E. 53rd St., Austin, TX 78751

Find this food truck at the corner of 53rd & Martin behind Tapehead Electronics and enjoy your meal sitting at picnic tables nearby. Menu items include sandwiches, tacos, mac & cheese, soups, sides, small plates, and desserts. You can text or call to place your order and then come and pick it up.

Chez Zac Pizzeria, 8 Avenue Duluth E., Montreal, QC H2W 1G6 Canada

Enjoy a wide variety of vegan pizzas. Many unique toppings and combinations are available including pesto, artichokes, and zucchini. Pies can be made gluten-free.

Chicago Not Dogs, 4332 30th St., San Diego, CA 92104

Chicago Not Dogs offers 100% vegan Chicago-style hot dogs as well as Italian “beaf” and “sassage” sandwiches made with house-made seitan. All sandwiches are served with freshly cut fries and a variety of toppings. The restaurant also provides a cooperative sales space for vegan merchants with products such as chocolates, cookies, and vegan food supplies.

Dirty Vegan, 317 Oak St., Sandpoint, ID 83864

This vegan food truck serves dishes including a Greek Salad with Falafel, a Jackfruit Buffalo Sandwich, Jamaican Jerk Jackfruit Tacos, Fettuccine Alfredo, Green Thai Curry, and more. You’ll find outdoor seating nearby.

Eureka Plant-Based Foods, 396 South Main St., Phillipsburg, NJ 08865

Craving some classic deli foods like cheesesteaks, paninis, sub sandwiches, or mac n’ cheese? Eureka plant-based foods has it all! Everything they sell is made in-house from scratch. Their selection of soy-milk cheeses and their wide variety of seitan-based meats are available to buy, or you can find them in one of Eureka’s many vegan meal options. Try out a classic, like their “Eureka Club” sandwich, or something unique, like their “Oh Henry” sandwich (vegan egg salad, cheddar, and bacon on a Kaiser roll).

Hippie Hibachi, 1235 Chattahoochee Ave. NW, Atlanta, GA 30018

Located in the Chattahoochee Food Works, a food hall in ATL’s Upper Westside with multiple restaurant stalls with indoor and covered outdoor seating in addition to a 13-acre green space to enjoy your meal. Serves flavor-packed, all-vegan traditional Japanese hibachi-style bowls (in eco-friendly packaging). Each meal features teriyaki grilled protein — from a choice including Impossible, tofu, and soy-free options like mushroom and shrimp made from konjac root — alongside vegetables, fried rice, yum yum sauce, and sesame, with optional vegan egg and a selection of sauces. Free of gluten and tree nuts.

OrVeganic, 16200 Hawthorne Blvd. #E, Lawndale, CA 90260

Mouth-watering options include the Billy Jack Bow, which is a blend of adzuki beans, black beans, navy beans, green lentils, and Indian moong dal slow cooked with black pepper corns and local farmers market vegetables. The dish is then topped with their heirloom Oaxacan salsa, jackfruit, raw avocado seed guacamole cabbage, crushed corn tortilla chips, and drizzled with chardonnay cheddar cheese Mealk dressing plus sprinkled red pepper flakes. It is served with (3) three ingredient corn tortillas. Another sample dish is Kettle Ballz, which consists of organic oat groat, buckwheat groat, amaranth groat, organic fresh roasted peanut, heirloom jungle raised peanut, medjool date, sunflower seed, hemp seed, chia seed, organic fresh-tapped maple, organic Ceylon cinnamon, organic real vanilla extract, and Himalayan pink sea salt.

Planta Queen, 15 W. 27th St., New York, NY 10001

Planta Queen offers a plant-based menu that promotes environmental sustainability. Their menu features Asian-inspired cuisine such as vegan sushi, dumplings, fried rice, and noodles. Their brunch menu includes sticky buns, French toast, truffled omelets, and endless mimosas. Soft serve made with coconut and oat milks is available for dessert.

Put Me in Coach, 4939 York Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90042

Put Me in Coach offers a vegan spin on the classic American sports bar. With a founding concept of community and inclusivity, the restaurant hopes to bring people together using both delicious comfort food and sports. Everything is plant-based, from their cocktails to their tacos to their burgers. Order some chili cheese fries on their outdoor patio while watching a football game with friends. Or, head over on the weekend to get brunch and enjoy some French toast topped with fresh berries.

Maryland Vegan Restaurant Week (actually weeks) is August 6^th through 29^th this year. What a terrific time to support local veggie restaurants! For details on all the restaurants participating and special events see: https://www.mdveganeats.com/

The Vegetarian Resource Group has a graphic called Burrito on My Plate, which shows viewers the water footprint of a vegan versus a meat-based burrito. It takes 225 gallons of water to make a vegan burrito without tofu and 253 gallons of water to make a vegan burrito with tofu. In comparison, it takes 541 gallons of water to make a beef burrito.

The Burrito on My Plate Graphic can be seen here: https://www.vrg.org/environment/BurritoOnMyPlate.pdf

The article detailing how we came up with the numbers of gallons of water needed to produce each type of burrito can be found here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2017issue2/2017_issue2_burrito_plate.php

Are you searching for a non-leather vegan wallet? The following companies in the USA, Canada, Europe, and Australia all offer a variety of wallets for men and women.

USA

Couch sells a variety of wallets for men and women.

Doshi offers wallets for men and women.

Fabric Horse sells wallets for men and women.

Grape Cat sells a wide variety of wallets for women and men.

Green Banana Paper sells wallets made out of banana leaves.

K Carroll sells wallets for women.

Labante has offices in the USA and United Kingdom and offer wallets for women and men.

Matt and Nat sells wallets for men and women.

Mechaly sells a variety of women’s wallets.

Moo Shoes sells a variety of wallets for men and women.

Unicorn Goods sells a variety of men’s wallets.

Vegan Chic sells women’s wallets.

The Vegan Collection sells men’s wallets.

Vegan Essentials sells a variety of wallets for men.

The Vegan Outfitter sells a wide variety of wallets for men and women.

The Vegetarian Site sells hemp wallets.

CANADA

Jeane & Jax is a Canadian company selling a wide variety of wallets for women.

Nice Shoes is a Canadian company that offers wallets for men and women.

Pixie Mood is a Canadian company that sells a variety of women’s wallets.

EUROPE

Avesu in Germany offers a wide range of wallets in various colors made from different materials.

Corkor in Portugal sells wallets for men and women made out of cork.

Labante has offices in the USA and United Kingdom and offer wallets for women and men.

AUSTRALIA

Vegan Wares sells a wide variety of wallets.