Posted on
November 14, 2019 by
The VRG Blog Editor
A VRG member has osteoporosis and asked about the
bioavailability of different vegan calcium sources such as fortified soymilk,
vegan supplements, etc.
There’s not a lot of difference in terms of the percentage
of calcium absorbed from different forms of calcium.
Here’s some information from FDA’s Office of Dietary Supplements: The two main
forms of calcium dietary supplements are carbonate and citrate. Calcium
carbonate is inexpensive, but is absorbed best when taken with food. Some
over-the-counter antacid products, such as Tums® and Rolaids®, contain calcium
carbonate. Each pill or chew provides 200-400 mg of calcium. Calcium citrate, a
more expensive form of the supplement, is absorbed well on an empty or a full
stomach. In addition, people with low levels of stomach acid (a condition more
common in people older than 50) absorb calcium citrate more easily than calcium
carbonate.
These two forms of calcium (calcium citrate and calcium carbonate) are well
absorbed as is calcium phosphate.
Calcium absorption is best when a person consumes no more than 500 mg at one
time. So a person who takes 1,000 mg/day of calcium from supplements, for
example, should split the dose rather than take it all at once.
Calcium carbonate is the fortificant used in most soymilk sold in the U.S. As
noted above, it is well absorbed. A variety of calcium salts are used to
fortify orange juice. There has been little research on their relative
bioavailability. One study found that calcium citrate malate was quite
bioavailable.
Posted on
November 14, 2019 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Below is a list of some of the restaurants, caterers, and
groups offering vegan meals/potlucks for Thanksgiving (both before and on that
day) alphabetically by state. If you’re looking for some new recipes to prepare
for Thanksgiving, visit: http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vegan_thanksgiving.php
We wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!
CALIFORNIA
+Native Foods, Costa Mesa, Los Angeles, and San Diego, CA
Posted on
November 13, 2019 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Marcy Schveibinz (a VRG volunteer) did a vegan cooking demo
at Howard Community College Sustainability Day in Columbia, Maryland. The
Vegetarian Resource Group also had a table at this event. We answered numerous
questions from students thinking of going veggie due to environmental concerns.
Posted on
November 13, 2019 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Photo from gardeninthekitchen.com
Cooler weather has arrived in many parts of the USA and it’s
time to roast vegetables! A previous article in Vegetarian Journal called Roasting for Flavor and Sweetness written
by Sally Bernstein features these vegan roasting recipes: Roasted Cherry
Tomatoes, Cinnamon Roasted Pears, Roasted Veggie and Tempeh Sandwiches, Garlic
and Rosemary Potatoes, Roasted Baba Ganoush, and South-of-the-Border Red Pepper
Dip.
Another article that ran in Vegetarian Journal featuring vegan roasting recipes is called
Roasting Vegetables and Fruit by Debra Daniels-Zeller. Recipes included are
Roasted Kale Chips, Roasted Roma Tomatoes, Simple Roasted Root Vegetables,
Whole Roasted Cauliflower, Roasted Maple-Cinnamon Apples, Quinoa Salad with
Roasted Asparagus, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Lemon-Dijon Sauce, Balsamic
Roasted Portobello Mushrooms, and Orange Roasted Pineapple with Chocolate and
Coconut Sorbet.
Posted on
November 12, 2019 by
The VRG Blog Editor
We recently had the pleasure of visiting The Tasty in Philadelphia, PA. This vegan diner serves brunch items including vegan French toast, pancakes, waffles, scrambled tofu, breakfast burritos, roasted potatoes, biscuits and gravy, donuts, and so much more. Portions are huge!
They are located at 1401 S 12th St., Philadelphia, PA 19147
and are open daily for breakfast and lunch.
Posted on
November 12, 2019 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Are you looking for some vegan alternatives to Turkey this Thanksgiving? Fortunately, there are many options today.
Field Roast offers these choices:
1. Celebration Roast with Traditional
Bread Stuffing and Gravy – made with fresh onions, celery, cranberries
and butternut squash.
2. Hazelnut Cranberry Roast en Croute
– a rich, hazelnut-infused grain meat stuffed with Field Roast sausages,
crystallized ginger, cranberries and apples – wrapped in a savory puff pastry. It’s
even Toaster Oven friendly!
See: https://fieldroast.com/products/field-roast/
Posted on
November 11, 2019 by
The VRG Blog Editor
The Vegetarian Resource Group is
hosting our 38th Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Vegan Potluck Dinner on Sunday,
November 24th, 2019 at 5 PM. The event is taking place at:
North
Baltimore Mennonite Church
4615 Roland Avenue
Baltimore MD 21210
We will be showing appreciation for
turkeys by not eating them! Come join us for a variety of festive, delicious
vegan dishes! Please bring a vegan dish – free of meat, fish, poultry, dairy,
eggs, honey, or any other animal by-products – that serves 4 per adult
attending.
Adult admission is $5 and children
eat free! Any questions call (410) 366-8343 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.
Also, you may want to bring a vegan
canned good for the church that will be used for feeding the hungry. We hope to
see you there!
Posted on
November 11, 2019 by
The VRG Blog Editor
In a previous Vegetarian
Journal article called “Vegan Roots,” by Debra Daniels-Zeller, you will
find delicious vegan recipes including: Rosemary Roasted Roots, Orange
Marinated Beets, Carrot-Rutabaga Coleslaw, Tomatoes and Lentils with Carrots,
Turnips, and Kale, Mashed Celeriac-Potatoes with Roasted Garlic, Jerusalem
Artichokes with Caramelized Onions, Curried Parsnip Soup, and Sweet Potato Dip.
Posted on
November 08, 2019 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Through December 31, 2019, you can give a gift membership to
The Vegetarian Resource Group (includes a 1-year subscription to Vegetarian Journal) for $15 each (40%
discount). This offer is valid in the USA only!
This is a terrific way to share the vegan message, as well
as support VRG. Gift subscriptions can be done online by simply typing in your
message and the address(s) of the gift recipient(s) in the comments field. Go
to: https://www.givedirect.org/donate/?cid=1565
Posted on
November 08, 2019 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
Serving mostly burgers
and fries, Johnny Rockets is a fast casual chain located in the majority of
U.S. states as well as many other countries. See here for all locations.
The VRG noticed that a
picture of a Gardein Black Bean Burger is on the website menu. So we contacted Johnny
Rockets to find out about the veggie burger option, including the bun it was
served on as well as cooking prep protocol.
We tried contacting their PR firm
and sent our questions to the website contact page.
We received a response
from Chris Heaton, Franchise Operations Director at Johnny Rockets. He was very
willing to assist and quite prompt with his replies. This is what we discovered
when we asked about their vegan menu options.
“…[W]e cook all of our
products on the same flat top grill and fryolators. So beef, chicken, or turkey
protein could be still present. We do not have separate equipment to cook our
vegetarian options due to our current kitchen and equipment layout. If you
would like me to look further into your questions with knowing that, please do
let me know.”
We then asked if it were
possible to get a vegan burger microwaved or request a sanitized grill surface
and clean kitchen tools.
Chris replied:
“Unfortunately our restaurants are not equipped with microwaves.
To ensure no previous
protein is present we would need to use cleaner and during operational hours,
that would potentially stop all production in the kitchen with the majority of
our kitchens only having one flat top grill.
I do apologize that I
didn’t have better news, but I certainly want to be sure you are safe with your
food. If there is a specific location you are inquiring to visit, I certainly
can connect you with the general manager to see if they have a recommendation
for you.”
At this point, The VRG
replied by presenting a hypothetical situation:
“So if I were in a party with non-vegans, which could happen, I could opt for veggies + avocado on a bun? Better than just sitting there with nothing. So I’d like to know if your buns are made with L-cysteine dough conditioner. And, if so, what’s the source of it?”
Chris responded to our
question with a question: “Which location were you planning on attending? The
reason I ask, is some locations utilize a local bakery for certain breads.”
We then stated: “We live
close to the Inner Harbor (Baltimore) but sometimes travel for business. Good
to know to ask when dining out.
Any guidance on what the
Johnny Rockets suppliers use as the default would be helpful.”
Chris then wrote to us
that he had passed on our questions to the “Chef and Supply Chain” who replied
directly to our questions:
VRG: Do either the Gardein or Boca contain dairy-derived
or egg-derived ingredients like sodium caseinate or albumin?
Johnny Rockets: No.
VRG: Buns: Your hoagie roll, sourdough, regular, and
wheat buns have no egg, no dairy. Correct?
Johnny Rockets: The wheat bun is manufactured on a line that
handles product with milk, otherwise all our buns are egg- & dairy-free.
VRG: Do any of the buns contain L-cysteine (a common
dough conditioner)? If so, is your source for the L-cysteine duck feathers or
human hair? These are the most common sources for L-cysteine.
Johnny Rockets: No.
VRG Recommendation for
Vegans at Johnny Rockets
We got the impression
from Johnny Rockets that they are sincere in their efforts to cater to vegans.
The chain at least has vegan burgers on its menu by comparison with several
other chains that don’t.
In our experience, when
enough customers request a change for better accommodation as vegans,
management listens.
So The VRG encourages
you to request (politely) that a microwave be available or that a section of
the grill be easily sanitized to avoid cross contact with meat products.
If you are ever in a
Johnny Rockets restaurant, requested a microwaved burger or one prepped on a
sanitized surface and received one, please let us know. We’d be happy to add it
to this article for other future vegan diners at Johnny Rockets.
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 (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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