The Vegetarian Resource Group’s poster “Healthy Eating Is In Good Taste” promoting a delicious vegan meal is on display at Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) in Concourse D until about September. If you are traveling and see it, please let us know.

Who doesn’t look forward to strawberry season? Here’s some vegan recipes you might enjoy from Vegetarian Journal featuring strawberries:

Strawberry Pancakes by Peggy Rynk
(Makes approximately 16 pancakes)

These tasty pancakes don’t even need syrup, but they are good with syrup, too.

• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoons granulated vegan sweetener
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
• 2 1/2 cups soymilk
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil
• Additional canola oil to prepare griddle

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, blend together the dry ingredients. Add the strawberries and stir until coated with the flour mixture.

Make a well in the center and add the soymilk and oil. Stir to blend well, but do not beat.

Brush a griddle lightly with additional oil. Heat the griddle to medium heat and ladle on the batter, using enough batter to make 4-inch pancakes. Cook over medium heat until lightly browned on the bottom. Flip each pancake over and cook on the other side until lightly browned as well. Remove from griddle and repeat process with more oil and batter until all of the batter has been used. Keep pancakes in a warm oven until all are finished.

Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie by Ivy Grob
(Makes approximately 2 cups)

• 3/4 cup strawberries
• 1/4 cup raspberries
• 1/2 cup ice
• 1/2 cup vanilla-flavored almond milk or vegan yogurt

Pour all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth or desired consistency.

Pineapple-Strawberry Salsa by Chef Nancy Berkoff
(Makes about 3 cups)

• 1/2 cup chopped sweet onions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 teaspoons seeded and chopped fresh chili or bell pepper (you choose the heat)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes, with juice (or canned, chopped tomatoes with juice)
• 1 cup finely diced pineapple, with juice (you can se fresh or canned pineapple)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
• 1 teaspoon black pepper or 2 Tablespoons red or balsamic vinegar (optional for additional flavor)

Combine all ingredients in a non-metal bowl and toss to combine. This mixture is the base for your salsa. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

This variation works well with savory or sweet dishes; try serving with freshly cut bell peppers, daikon radish, jicama, watermelon, or honeydew melon.

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By Clarissa Hauber, VRG Intern

If you’re a vegetarian or vegan living in the Baltimore area, there’s little doubt you’ve heard of One World Café. The quaint café, bakery, bar, and sit-down restaurant is located conveniently on the corner of Canterbury Road, steps away from the Johns Hopkins University campus. Whether you need a quiet study spot, a mid-workday lunch stop, or a place to gather and dine with friends and family, One World Café has become a go-to place for students and families in and outside of the Hopkins area.

     My first visit to One World Café was in 2018. My parents and I had been driving through Baltimore searching for a restaurant we would all enjoy – they being omnivores, me being a vegetarian. After spending a substantial amount of time driving through Baltimore, we spotted a dimly lit One World Café. We entered through the corner door, made our way towards the hostess area, past a shelf of colorful vegan desserts, then past the small bar where the “regulars” mingled. The hostess took us down two steps into a moody, purple-painted dining area and sat us at a corner booth decorated with colorful “boho” pillows. She introduced herself, asked if we had been to One World Café before, and passed us each a menu. She was incredibly friendly and, in our future visits to the café, would become a waitress with whom we would regularly find ourselves chatting. After handing us our menus, she delved into the seasonal specials – it was winter, so the specials encompassed a variety of soups, stews, and other sorts of “comfort foods.”  Being newly vegetarian, I was still reluctant to try anything that involved meat alternatives, so I opted for a simple cheese and veggie quesadilla. The quesadilla came plated with chips, salsa, and guac – it was delicious and tasted almost as if it came from an authentic Mexican restaurant. We were delighted with our meal; we ate fast and anticipated ending our night with a dessert from the One World Café bakery. Little did we know, the dessert we ordered would become a family favorite and one we would order each time we went to the café – a slice of vegan “funfetti” birthday cake. It was our first time eating vegan cake, and we spent the next ten minutes in awe of the perfect consistency – dense yet still moist. After that night, I was ecstatic about returning to One World Café again to try some of the exciting dishes and seasonal specials they had to offer.

     Three years later, I now a vegan, One World Café remains one of my favorite Baltimore restaurants. Not only is it a go-to dinner spot for me, it has become my favorite place to grab breakfast. Throughout a year of COVID-19, my friend and I have relied on breakfast take-out from the café to get us through. It’s important to note that One World Café has done a fantastic job following CDC guidelines – offering delivery and curbside pickup, keeping customers at a distance, and sanitizing credit cards and pens after contact. During our regular Sunday morning gatherings, my friend and I order brunch from One World Café and have a small feast in the car. Thus far, my favorite item on the brunch menu has been the Tofu Scrambled – plated with a side of toast, sprouts, and an orange slice – which I usually order alongside a medium iced coffee with almond milk. The vegan scramble is a combination of veggies, tofu, and (likely) nutritional yeast to give it a cheesy flavor. My friend’s go-to breakfast dish is the same tofu scrambled, but in burrito form, filled with vegan cheese, salsa, and guac. While I regularly opt for their savory breakfast options, the sweet breakfasts, such as vegan waffles and pancakes – especially with chocolate chips – are also delicious.

     If you haven’t been to One World Café or you don’t live in Baltimore, whenever you find yourself in this city looking for a healthy place to dine, with an expansive menu, and welcoming service, I highly suggest you give One World Café a chance.

For more on this restaurant, visit One world Cafe  

For information about other restaurants throughout the USA and Canada, go to vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

Now is a terrific time to support vegan and vegan-friendly vacation spots!

·  3 Place des Arbes (B&B in Felletin, France)

·  11 Singleton House B&B (Eureka Springs, AR, US)

·  Acadia’s Oceanside Meadows Inn (Downeast Maine, US)

·  Andean Spirit Lodge – Limatambo (vegetarian guesthouse with vegan options; Cusco, Peru)

·  Appalachian Trail Adventures (Killington, VT, US)

·  Belle la Vie B and B (vegan B&B in Australia)

·  Black Sheep Inn (vegan Inn in Hammondsport, NY, US)

·  Brookfarm Inn (Lenox, MA, US)

·  Brookton Hollow Farm Bed & Breakfast (near Ithaca, NY, US)

·  Carmel Valley Lodge (Carmel Valley, CA, US)

·  Cedar House Inn & Yurts (Georgia, US)

·  Cuan Cottage (vegetarian guest house with vegan options in Louisburgh, Ireland)

·  Deer Run on the Atlantic (vegan B&B in Big Pine Key, FL, US)

·  Farm Sanctuary Tiny Houses (vegan and part of Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY, US)

·  Finca de Vida (vegetarian health lodge & healing center with vegan options in Costa Rica)

·  Ginger Cat Bed & Breakfast (vegan B&B in Rock Stream, NY, US)

·  Harvest Moon Bed & Breakfast (vegetarian B&B with vegan options in Rutland, VT, US)

·  Haskell’s House ( vegetarian guest house with vegan options in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, US)

·  Haus Sonnenstein Bed & Breakfast (vegetarian B&B with vegan options in Germany)

·  The Homestead at Catskill Animal Sanctuary (vegan guest house in Saugerties, NY, US)

·  Inn Serendipity (Inn with vegan options in Browntown, WI, US)

·  Kingston House Bed & Breakfast (B&B with vegan options in Bermuda)

·  La Garnasette (vegetarian guest house with vegan options in Rosieres, France)

·  La Maison Du Vert (vegan guest house in Paye D’Auge, France)

·  La Porte Rouge (vegetarian B&B with vegan options in Normandy, France)

·  Le Cheval Blanc (vegan B&B in St Antonin-Noble-Val, France)

·  Old Caledonian B&B (vegan B&B in Caledonia, MO, US)

·  Omassim Guesthouse (vegetarian guest house with vegan options in Ericeira, Portugal)

·  Park Lane Guest House (vegetarian guest house with vegan options in Austin, TX, US)

·  Puerta de Jade Vegetarian (vegetarian guest house with vegan options in Costa Rica)

·  Red Robin Song Guest House (vegan guest house in Lebanon, NY)

·  Sewall House Yoga Retreat (vegetarian with vegan options in Island Falls, ME, US)

·  Someday Farm Vegan Bed & Breakfast (vegan B&B in South Whidbey Island, WA, US))

·  Speedwell Forge B&B (B&B with vegan options in Lititz, PA, US)

·  The Stanford Inn by the Sea (vegan inn in Mendocino, CA, US)

·  Sugar Ridge Retreat Centre (vegetarian center with vegan options in Ontario, Canada)

·  Sundogs Bed and Breakfast (vegan B&B in Shepherdstown, WV, US)

·  Tenuta Savorgnano Organic Vegetarian B&B (vegetarian B&B with vegan options in Tuscany, Italy)

·  Topia Inn (Inn with vegan options in Adams, MA, US)

·  The Treehouse (vegan guest house in Bel Air, CA, US)

·  Turquoise Barn (vegan guest house in Bloomville,  NY, US)

·  Lakeland Living (vegan B&B in Cumbria, UK)

·  The White Pig Bed & Breakfast at Briarcreek Farm (vegan B&B at pig sanctuary in Schuyler, VA, US)

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, 2021 for current year of judging.

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

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

In January 2021, The Vegetarian Resource Group received an inquiry from a food scientist asking if the microbial enzyme protease is vegan. It’s produced by the bacteria Bacillus subtilis on a wheat or soy growth media (fermentation material/substrate).

     Here is our response:

When categorizing any ingredient as vegan, vegetarian, non-vegetarian, or as “typically” one of those three, it is important to consider each ingredient separately. This is especially true when it comes to microbial enzymes.

     You’re right to take the substrate medium into account. Cane sugar is problematic because of the possibility of bone char processing. Whey, L-cysteine, casein, caseinates, or albumen are possibilities as medium components as well.

     Some other components added to media may be problematic, too. (E.g., lecithin from egg or collagen/gelatin from a mammal or fish – although unlikely, it’s a good idea to ask).

     The strictest vegans would ask about animal-derived genetic material. Has any been engineered into the microbial genome to produce the enzyme? Or is the enzyme truly a bacterial protease (as compared to, for example, porcine trypsin produced by bacteria through genetic modification)?

     Lastly, verifying that separation and purification of the protease from the bacterial cells and medium occurred solely by non-animal-derived chemicals and/or mechanical means is needed.”

Are animal-derived enzymes like the protease, pepsin, used in food today?

VRG readers may be interested to know that there are several companies designing microbes to make proteases that have typically been sourced from animals like pigs and cows. The microbes have been genetically engineered to produce enzymes and other proteins used in foods, beverages, and dietary supplements.

     On a commercial basis, animal-derived enzymes are not commonly used today, but they are approved for food use by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and, so, could be used. Pepsin, a type of protease, is one of them.

     According to the FDA, “Pepsin is an enzyme preparation obtained from the glandular layer of hog stomach. It is a white to light tan powder, amber paste, or clear amber to brown liquid.”

     Creative Enzymes, an enzyme company, states this information about pepsin on its website:

“Pepsin can be used in the food industry. Pepsin is a component of pancreatic curd that condenses and twists during cheese production. Pepsin can be used to modify soybean protein and gelatin and provide whipping qualities. It can also modify the plant protein used in non-dairy snacks and make pre-cooked cereals into instant hot cereals. Pepsin can also be used to prepare animal and plant protein hydrolysates for seasoning food and beverages. In the leather industry, it is used to remove hair and residual tissue from leather and to recover silver from abandoned photographic film by digesting the gelatin layer in which silver is stored.”

     When pepsin is used to make food and beverages, it serves as a processing aid and, as such, does not have to be labeled. Consumers who want to know if an animal-derived pepsin was used in a food or drink must request this information directly from companies.

     Most manufacturers today wish to avoid animal sources (especially in light of the Covid-19 pandemic), present clean labeling on their packaged foods, and/or manufacture consistently pure, plentiful, and sustainable products. For these reasons, they are turning to microbial enzymes instead of animal enzymes.

     Many of the most common enzymes used today as processing aids or in supplements are called digestive proteases that break down proteins. Pepsin may be used to prepare plant-based protein hydrolysates and bioactive peptides. Both are widespread in packaged food, beverages, and dietary supplements.

     Clara Foods recently introduced to the market a yeast-derived pepsin using microbial fermentation technology. The company is also set to offer a chicken-free egg white and is poised to launch similar products manufactured in the same way this year. According to the company, all of their products have the same texture, taste, or functionality in food and beverages as their animal-derived counterparts.

The contents of this posting and our other publications, including The 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.

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

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Does your plant milk supply calcium, vitamin B12, and vitamin D? Not everyone relies on plant milk to supply these nutrients; however, plant milks are often identified as an easy way to get significant amounts of these essentials.

     A recently published study examined 148 different plant milks from stores in Europe, Australia, and the United States. The plant milks from the U.S., as opposed to those in other countries, were more likely to be fortified with calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 and for an 8-ounce serving to contain at least 20% of the Daily Value for these nutrients. A food that contains at least 20% of the Daily Value per serving for a nutrient is considered to be high in that nutrient. Of the plant milks examined in the U.S., 87% were fortified with calcium and 82% contained vitamin D. Surprisingly, less than half (47%) supplied vitamin B12. If we look at the number of products that were examined in the U.S. that would be considered to be high in a nutrient, 73% were high in calcium, 47% were high in vitamin D, and 40% were high in vitamin B12. These results suggest that consumers cannot assume that the plant milk they purchase is a good source of key nutrients unless they have confirmed this by checking the Nutrition Facts label.

     All the plant milks that were examined, except for those based on coconut, had very little saturated fat; more than 60% were low in sodium. More than half of the plant milks had low to moderate amounts of added sugar. The Nutrition Facts label lists added sugar, making it easy to select a milk with little or no added sugar.

     If you are relying on a plant milk to supply calcium, vitamin D, and/or vitamin B12, be sure to check the Nutrition Facts label to see if the product you plan to purchase supplies these nutrients.

Reference:

Craig WJ, Fresán U. International analysis of the nutritional content and a review of health benefits of non-dairy plant-based beverages. Nutrients. 2021;13(3):842.

For nutrition information on coconut, nut, seed, pea, grain, and soy milks, see: https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/milk_alternatives/index.htm

For VRG’s national poll on what Americans expect from a beverage labeled as soymilk, see: https://www.vrg.org/blog/2020/10/30/what-do-american-adults-expect-from-a-beverage-labeled-soymilk-questions-asked-by-the-vegetarian-resource-group-in-a-national-poll/

Warmer weather has arrived in many parts of the world and you may need a new pair of vegan sandals. Here are online shops selling a wide variety of vegan sandals from various countries:

Avesu: German company that offers world-wide shipping on sandals for women and men.

https://www.avesuveganshoes.com/vegan-womens-shoes/sandals-com.html

https://www.avesuveganshoes.com/vegan-mens-shoes/sandals-com.html

Bahatika: German company that offers women’s sandals and ships throughout Europe.

Sandals

BC Footwear: American company selling women’s sandals.

Sandals

Beyond Skin: British company that offers women’s sandals.

https://www.beyond-skin.com/vegan-shoes/sandals.html

Bhava Studio: Offers women’s sandals.

Sandals

BioWorld: Company from Spain that offers men’s and women’s sandals.

http://www.bioveganos.com/c183577-sandalias-de-hombre.html

http://www.bioveganos.com/c182148-sandalias-de-mujer.html

Collection & Co.: British company selling women’s sandals.

Sandals

Freerangers: British company selling women’s and men’s sandals.

http://www.freerangers.co.uk/ladies-sandals

http://www.freerangers.co.uk/mens-sandals

Holster Australia: Australian company offering sandals for women.

https://www.holsterfashion.com/women/sandals/

Insecta: Brazilian company that offers women’s sandals.

https://insectashoes.com/collections/argia-papete

Mooshoes: American company selling women’s and men’s sandals.

https://www.mooshoes.com/collections/womens-sandals https://www.mooshoes.com/collections/mens-sandals

Native Shoes: Canadian company selling sandals for women, men, and children.

https://www.nativeshoes.com/womens/sandals

https://www.nativeshoes.com/mens/sandals

https://www.nativeshoes.com/girls/sandals

https://www.nativeshoes.com/boys/sandals

Okabashi: American company selling sandals for women and men.

Women's Sandals

Men's Sandals

Rafa: American company selling women’s sandals.

https://www.rafausa.com/collections/sandals

Sydney Brown: American company selling women’s sandals.

Sandals

Vegan Wares: Australian company selling women’s sandals.

https://www.veganwares.com/shop/shop/sandals/

Vegetarian Shoes: British company selling men’s and women’s sandals.

https://www.vegetarian-shoes.co.uk/mens/sandals/10094_0c.html

https://www.vegetarian-shoes.co.uk/womens/sandals/10023_0c.html

Will’s Vegan Store: American company selling women’s sandals

https://www.wills-vegan-store.com/women-s-vegan-shoes.html?shoetype=Sandals

See The Vegetarian Resource Group’s 2021 YouGov poll of 8- to 17-year-olds in the United States at https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/Yougov2021youthteenwriteup.pdf