How often have you wanted to make a gift in honor of a loved one or friend but weren’t sure which charities are vegan-friendly, pro-environmental, or pro-animal rights? Please remember The Vegetarian Resource Group. You can make a gift in memory of a loved one or as a living tribute to honor someone you care about on a special occasion, such as a wedding or birth. We’ll send an acknowledgment to you and to the recipient(s) you choose. Your gift will support educational programs and help promote veganism.

Make checks payable to The Vegetarian Resource Group and mail to PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203, or donate at vrg.org/donate

Vegetarian Resource Group volunteer Marcia Schveibinz was invited to speak at a high school. She reported:

“In the morning before I arrived, the school showed The Game Changers documentary to the classes as most of them are athletes. They then gathered the 2 classes together over lunch. There were about 30 senior boys (17-18 years old) altogether. A teacher’s wife made vegan chili with some vegetarian toppings on the side. The boys helped themselves to lunch before I started the presentation.

I had about 40-45 minutes, so I started with a 4 question pre-test, (which was based on my presentation objectives for them to complete to see how much they knew already about vegetarianism/veganism). Next I did a slide presentation of the benefits of vegetarian/vegan eating along with information on specific nutrients, and ideas for meals. Then I paired off the boys and each pair chose a restaurant menu (from Chipotle, PF Changs, Jimmy Johns, or Panera), along with nutrition information and allergy info for each menu. Their task was to create a vegetarian meal and a vegan meal. Then we had a few volunteers tell what they came up with. At the end we went over the pre-test and again, volunteers raised their hands to tell what their answers were. The boys will be doing a one-week vegetarian challenge where they don’t eat any kind of meat for a whole week. My presentation was supposed to arm them with information and ideas to make the challenge go smoothly! The teachers expressed interest in having me do the presentation again next year during their food unit.”

For information on other veggie presentations, see:
https://www.vrg.org/family/kidsindex.htm#plans

The Vegetarian Resource Group has been approved for inclusion in the federal government CFC charity list. The CFC code number 10601. If you are a federal worker, we appreciate your support. If you are not a federal government worker, you can support our veg outreach and education in your workplace campaign. For some workplaces that do matching donations, see:  www.vrg.org/donate

Thank you so much for your support!

Chef Nancy Berkoff’s Vegetarian Journal article called Easy as Apple Pie features recipes for Maple Apple Pie, Apple Cream Pie, Apple Pie: Hold the Sugar, Apple Pie with Whiskey, plus more. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2006issue3/2006_issue3_pie.php

Subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA only by visiting https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

You can also subscribe to the Kindle version of Vegetarian Journal in the USA and United Kingdom.

In the USA, visit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LBY2Y7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544727482&sr=8-1&keywords=B07LBY2Y7K

In the United Kingdom, visit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07LBY2Y7K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1544731957&sr=8-1&keywords=B07LBY2Y7K

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 Monday-Friday 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!

See: www.facebook.com/events/315299322485816

By Lucía Rivera, VRG Intern

There was not a single part of my meal at Native Foods (Point Loma) in San Diego, CA that was not extremely enjoyable! From my flavorful Peri Peri “Chicken” Sandwich, to my lightly spiced side of sweet potato fries, or the vegan blueberry muffin to top of the meal, I was all smiles.

Part of a nationwide chain, Native Foods is a vegan restaurant that offers a variety of dishes in different forms, inspired by different cultures. When I first walked into one of their San Diego locations, I was comforted by the positive messages painted on their walls. After taking my time to browse the menu, I ordered one of their year-round sandwiches.

The dish arrived quickly and was presented nicely, with the colors of sweet potato fries and green lettuce complementing each other nicely. The food had the right amount of flavor and spice, along with a pleasant texture combination provided by the soft bun and the sauce covered soy chicken. Native Foods often includes crispy potato chips in their sandwiches, soups, or tacos to add a unique textural element, although my meal from this visit did not include this feature.

After I happily devoured my food, I got a chance to speak with the manager of the restaurant. He described to us the high standards he keeps his kitchen in, stating he makes sure to only serve a dish he would feed to his own family. An insider tip was for us to try the Korean BBQ Sliders, which were his current favorite thing on the menu. Getting closer to the human side of the restaurant significantly added to my dinner experience at Native Foods that night.

Although everyone might not get this unexpected insight into Native Foods on their visit, they can easily sign up for the restaurant’s newsletter to receive information about sales and specials. For example, to spice things up, they have a monthly special order available to customers at every one of their locations. Another fun feature they have is a monthly Native Pals Day. On this day, Native Foods gives a portion of their proceeds to their “Native Pals,” which is currently the Farm Sanctuary, which in turn help prevent animal cruelty at multiple sanctuaries nation-wide.

Another feature I found engaging was Native Food’s free smartphone app. It begins meals off on an amazing note when it automatically grants any new customers five dollars off their purchase for downloading the app onto their phones! Furthermore, the app awards points for every purchase, motivating customers to come back until reaching another five dollar prize. At the end of my meal I had earned five dollars in points and was able to purchase a blueberry muffin for free, ending my meal with a fresh and sweet addition.

All in all, I know I will be returning to Native Foods, hopefully in the near future, partially because of their great food, but also for what they stand for. It always feels good to help oneself, the planet, and animals through food, especially when food is as delicious as the offerings of Native Foods.

For more information on Native Foods, see: https://www.nativefoods.com/our-menu/

To see information on other veg restaurants in the USA and Canada, see: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

Once you see the photos on VRG’s Instagram page you’ll be quite hungry and ready to do veggie outreach!

See: https://www.instagram.com/vegetarianresourcegroup/

An analysis of more than 94,000 college cafeteria food meals found when vegetarian options were increased, purchases of meat-based meals decreased.

For more information, see:
https://www.pnas.org/content/116/42/20923.short?rss=1

Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, The Vegetarian Resource Group each year will award $20,000 in college scholarship money to graduating U.S. high school students who have promoted veganism/vegetarianism in their schools and/or communities. Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or fowl. Vegans are vegetarians who do not use other animal products such as dairy or eggs.

One award of $10,000 and two awards of $5,000 will be given. Entries may only be sent by students graduating from high school in spring 2019. Deadline is February 20, 2020. We will accept applications postmarked on or before February 20, 2020. Early submission is encouraged!

Applicants will be judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegan/vegetarian diet/lifestyle. Payment will be made to the student’s college (U.S. based only). Winners of the scholarships give permission to release their names to the media. Applications and essays become property of The Vegetarian Resource Group. We may ask finalists for more information. Scholarship winners are contacted by e-mail or telephone. Please look at your e-mail.

For details on the contest, see: http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

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:

Fresh

8768 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90069

Fresh offers gourmet salads, rice bowls, veggie burgers, sandwiches, fresh juices, and more in a casual environment.

Juuuicy Vegan Restaurant & Bar

538 Northwood Rd., West Palm Beach, FL 33407

Come for the delicious and nutritious authentic Dominican flavors, stay for the fresh juice, smoothies, acai bowls, desserts, and vegan wines! The menu is vegetable forward, featuring jackfruit, breadfruit, mushrooms, cauliflower, and Beyond Meat products on top of tacos, rice bowls, sandwiches, and salads. For a real Caribbean experience, try the vegan chicharrones, or mofongo plates! Juuuicy is vegan, gluten, and soy-free. They also use organic and non-GMO ingredients as much as possible.

Ladurée

311 N. Beverly Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90210

Ladurée has been making macarons since 1871, but it took until 2019 for them to make vegan ones. Better late than never, we say! In fact, at their Beverly Hills location Matthew Kenney has made an entirely vegan menu, from avocado toasts to vegan omelets and sandwiches. All the pastries are vegan as well, from the framboise to the meringuée. Reservations are recommended.

LOV

620 King St. W., Ste. 102, Toronto, ON M5V 1M6 Canada

Enjoy a wide range of food including granola, Soup of the Day, burgers, salads, and main dishes such as gnocchi, rissoto, Thai tempeh, kale mac’n cheese, and more.

Love Earth

4916 Arthur Kill Rd., Staten Island, NY 10309

Love Earth is a vegan café and bakery that strives to be allergen-friendly too! There are about a dozen different sandwiches, wraps, and burgers to choose from, including a Middle Eastern burger, a Sweet Potato Burger, a hummus wrap, and an Eggplant-Lettuce tomato sandwich. And of course they have a variety of house-made juices and smoothies. All baked sweets are gluten, soy, and peanut free, in addition to vegan!

Planted Café

333 Smith St., Brooklyn, NY 11231

Planted Café may have small servings, but that doesn’t stop customers from stopping by to enjoy the large variety of vegan, gluten free, and natural menu items. The plant-based menu rotates with the seasons to offer food when it’s at its prime, and the chefs create different pastries and desserts daily. The next time you’re in the area, stop by to relax and try their popular red quinoa bowl along with what is arguably some of the best coffee in Brooklyn.

Rutabagas

230 N. 12th St., Lincoln, NE 68508

Named after an earthy root vegetable because the restaurant is rooted deep in its community. Rutabagas is focused on making delicious vegan comfort food from scratch. Some of their creative dishes include their Ruta-bangin’ Nachos and their Rutaburger which can be topped off with an order of Rutti’s Special Sauce. If vegan catering is needed, Rutabagas is happy to comply as well!

Vegan Mob

500 Lake Park Ave., Oakland, CA 94610

On their opening day, over 1000 people showed up, and Vegan Mob sold out. They’re that good. Vegan gumbo. vegan nachos, vegan BBQ burritos. What’s not to love? And if that doesn’t get your mouth watering, follow them on Instagram at @Officialveganmob, and that should do it.

Veggie Grill

57 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge, MA 02138

The Veggie Grill serves classic American fast food that is completely vegan. There are so many delicious items to choose from including All Hail Kale Salad, Santa Fe Crispy Chickin’ Sandwich, Papa’s Portobello, and “Bean Me Up” Chili. At the Veggie Grill, enjoy hearty fare at inexpensive prices.

Woodhouse Vegan

851 N. Fourth St., Columbus, OH 43215

Dishes include pretzel bites, nachos, grilled cheese, mac and cheese, and more! They’re open a little later, if you’re not the sort of person who has to eat at 6pm. There’s also a back patio, for when the weather’s nice.