Posted on
September 14, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Photo by Rissa Miller
By Rissa Miller, Senior Editor Vegetarian Journal
By Rissa Miller, Senior Editor Vegetarian Journal
(Serves 4 as a side dish; 2 as an
entrée)
2 teaspoons olive oil 1 small onion, chopped (about ½ cup) 2-4 cloves garlic 1 cup brown rice 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or water) 1 Tablespoon dried dill 1 Tablespoon fresh mint, chopped 2 Tablespoons fresh chives, chopped 16 ounces fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped (usually one box or two bags) Salt and pepper, to taste 1 lemon, juiced and zested Fresh herbs or lemon wedges to garnish, optional
In a large pot, warm the oil over medium-low heat for about one minute. Add onion and garlic, and sauté for 2-4 minutes until soft. Add the rice and broth, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until rice is mostly tender. Stir in dill, mint, chives, spinach, and salt/pepper. Cover and cook another 5-10 minutes until spinach is wilted and rice is thoroughly cooked. Before serving, stir in lemon juice and zest. Top with fresh herbs or lemon wedges, as desired. Serve warm.
Cook’s Note: To make this a heartier entrée, add 1½ cups canned chickpeas with the rice during cooking.
Here’s a helpful tip about the ingredient list on the package: Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so the ingredient that weighs the most in the product is listed first, and the ingredient that weighs the least is listed last.
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.
Posted on
September 11, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
About everyone has heard now about the Impossible Burger,
Beyond Burger, and similar meat-like veggie burgers. These burgers have been
well-received by non-vegetarians. But how do they compare nutritionally with
other plant-based burgers and meat-based burgers? Casey Brown, RD, researched
this topic and presents a chart listing the cost, serving size, calories, fat,
saturated fat, sodium, fiber, protein, iron, and vitamin B12 in various
burgers.
Posted on
September 11, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Photo from Blossom on University
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):
Blossom on University, 72 University
Pl., New York, NY 10003
Enjoy Crispy
Artichokes, Tuscan Kale, Seitan Piccata, Lasagna, Tofu BLT, Blossom Burger,
Wild Mushroom Pizza, Tiramisu, Chocolate Ganache, and much more.
Blue Pearl Café, 44 Rittenhouse Pl.,
Ardmore, PA 19003
Blue Pearl Café is a
cute and quaint café located right outside of Philadelphia. It provides a fully
vegan menu with smoothies, cold-pressed juices, noodles, and organic bowls.
Their denser meals can range from a colorful dragon fruit bowl to a kale Waldorf
salad. They have a large variety of unique flavors in smoothies and all are
made with fresh fruit, a protein, and either hemp or almond milk. Not only do
you get to slurp down on the smoothies, Blue Pearl is also known for their
diverse menu of juices.
Callicoon Kitchen, 1601 Hilltop West
Shopping Center, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Callicoon Kitchen
offers fast, casual dining with counter-service. You can eat on their 14 seat
outdoor patio or take your meal to-go with available curb-side service. They
also offer a selection of menu items already packaged and ready for grab-and-go.
All of their menu items are made on premises from scratch. They offer healthy
salads and noodle dishes; delicious sounding soups; unique sandwiches and
wraps; interesting burgers and tacos; fresh baked dessert items including New
York Style Black & White Cookies that look spectacular; and a special kid’s
menu. They also offer catering services. Co-founder Ron Badach is something of
a celebrity having showcased his Classic Black Bean Burger on ABC’s The CHEW in
2013.
Emy Delights & Bites Café, 4322
Albany Post Rd., Hyde Park, NY 12538
Emy Delights &
Bites Café was opened by Culinary Institute of America graduate Emily Horta.
Emily started in business with EMY D’s Allergy Friendly Desserts and has
expanded her food palette to include breakfast and lunch. All products are made
without soy, wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, and sesame. Along
with delicious handmade gourmet chocolates, Emy’s also offers many grab and go
options as well as outside seating. The menu has salads; a variety of Hummus,
Avocado and “Sweet” Toast offerings; sandwiches; and smoothies and smoothie
bowls. The real stars, it seems to this reviewer, are Emy’s amazing desserts,
which vary from day to day.
Neon Tiger, 654 King St., Charleston,
SC 29403
Neon Tiger offers
vegan pizzas on regular or gluten-free crust, salads, sides, wines, and organic
and local beers. Customer favorites include their vegan fried shrimp served
with a chipotle aioli, the formaggio and champignon pizza, and their new frosé
mule. The pizzeria is currently offering take-out and outdoor seating, while
preparing to open their dining room and offer an expanded menu soon.
Pizzeria Grano, 3240 Main St.,
Vancouver, BC V5V 3M5 Canada
Pizzeria Grano on
Main Street serves fully plant based pizzas, desserts, and antipasto, allowing
customers to pick from a variety of tomato base, oil base, or garlic base
pizzas. Customers can even personalize their vegan pizzas with toppings ranging
from plant-based sausage, to zucchini, to whipped potato, to cashew mozzarella,
to many more! Also, all ‘cheeses’ are plant-based and hand-crafted and locally
sourced, and pizzas are baked in a traditional brick oven.
Vegan Avenue, 2512 N. Main Ave., San
Antonio, TX 78212
Vegan Avenue serves
vegan twists on classic dishes. The menu is incredibly diverse ranging from
Tres Leches pancakes to enchiladas. You must order the Tres Leches Pancakes for
breakfast. This dish combines fluffy pancakes with fresh berries, plant-based
milk, and whip cream. For lunch or dinner, we recommend ordering the mac and
cheeze skillet, a combination of farfalle, cheeze sauce, tempeh bacon, and
chives all served in a cast iron dish. If you are looking for a dish on the
lighter side, order the rise and shine smoothie bowl. This smoothie features
pitaya, strawberry, and mango. It is topped with granola, fresh fruit, coconut,
and chia seeds. To drink, order the dragon fruit lemonade is refreshing.
Posted on
September 10, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Each issue of Vegetarian
Journal features a vegan activist in the Vegan Action column. Most recently
Skyler Kilmer interviewed Matt Ruscigno a registered dietitian who has a
master’s degree in public health from Loma Linda University. Read about his
outreach here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2020issue3/2020_issue3_vegan_action.php
Posted on
September 10, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
The WIC (Women,
Infants, Children) Program can be a helpful source of healthy food for
low-income pregnant and post-partum women, infants, and children up to age 5.
It includes many options
for vegans.
Many states participate
in the WIC Famers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP). The program currently
operates in 39 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin
Islands, and 6 Indian Tribal Organizations; however, it is not always available
in all areas of a state. This program was created to benefit both WIC participants
and local farmers. Women, infants (over 4 months old), and children (1 to 5
years old) that have been certified to receive WIC benefits or who are on a
waiting list for WIC are eligible to participate in this program, although some
states may not provide farmers’ market vouchers for every participant
category. If your state has this
program, you can receive special coupons (Farmers’
Market Nutrition Program coupons) in addition to your regular WIC benefits.
These coupons can be used to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs from farmers,
farmers’ markets, or roadside stands that have been approved by the state
agency to accept FMNP coupons. Some states only allow these coupons to be used
to buy specific foods grown in the state to encourage recipients to support
farmers in their own state. Look for a sign – Farmers’ Market Coupons Accepted – to find a farmer who
participates in the program. When you’ve chosen your fruits and vegetables,
give the farmer your coupon. No change is given so you may be encouraged to
choose more produce if your selection is less than the amount on the coupon.
Each state decides the amount of this benefit. Typically, it is between $10 and
$30 per year per eligible family member although some state agencies add
additional funding.
In addition to Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program
coupons, some states also allow you to use the vouchers for fruits and
vegetables that you receive as a part of your WIC package at some farmers’
markets. These Cash Value Vouchers
are issued monthly and provide eligible women with $11 per month and eligible
children with $8 per month to purchase fruits and vegetables. These vouchers are a part of the WIC package
in all states although only some states allow them to be redeemed at specified farmers’
markets.
Contact your
state WIC agency for more information about using the Cash Value Vouchers at farmers’ markets. A list of state agencies’
contact information is available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/contacts?f%5B0%5D=program%3A32
Posted on
September 09, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Recent topics brought up
include:
– Question posted: What is your take on “organic”
veggie/fruit produce? Do you “trust” them enough to spend extra $$
on? Do you “believe” they are better for health for your children?
– Book for kids mentioned: What do
Nikola Tesla, Leonardo Da Vinci, Leo Tolstoy, Franz Kafka, Emile Zola, Mahatma
Gandhi, George Bernard Shaw, Albert Einstein, and Pythagoras have in common,
except that they were geniuses in their fields? https://www.momthemuse.com/nikola-tesla-and-other-geniuses…/
– Parent posted: We are launching an occasional So Many Kids
in the Kitchen group and our first virtual show is next week – check it out if
you are free.
– Videos on how to prepare various vegan Indian dishes
posted.
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. 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.
Posted on
September 08, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Boot from Alice + Whittles
As the weather starts to cool down in parts of the USA and Europe, you may
want to go hiking. Below is a list of online stores offering vegan hiking boots
and shoes.
Posted on
September 08, 2020 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Each issue of Vegetarian Journal contains book reviews and the latest issue takes a look at Happy Animals: Friends Not Food by Liora Raphael and Glenn Saks; The Colorful Family Table by Ilene Godofsky Moreno; and Vegetable Kingdom by Bryant Terry. Read the reviews here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2020issue3/2020_issue3_book_reviews.php
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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