The latest issue of Vegetarian Journal features an article on companies producing vegan beauty products including cosmetics, nail polish, shampoo, skin and body care items, plus more.
Leigh Harris said, “Growing up, I always had a passion for animals. In fact, at the age of four, I declared that I wanted to be a cheetah when I grew up. When I realized that this was not a viable option, I decided that I wanted to somehow be able to involve my passion for animals into my life. … At the age of thirteen, I was finally able to transition to vegetarianism.”
“I became involved in volunteering at the Volunteers of America Youth Resource Center. Jeremy Beckham, who just happens to be the first recipient of The Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship, and his partner, began the monthly dinners for homeless youth in 2015. My family and I were a part of the first volunteer group to sign up. When Amy and Jeremy have been unavailable to lead the volunteer group, we are one of the first families they call to fill in for them. We plan the meals, shop for the groceries, and organize the volunteers. It has become an event that we look forward to every month.”
“Some examples of the dishes we have made are curries, sloppy Joes, lasagna, chili and cornbread. Some of the most popular dishes have been jumbo pasta shells stuffed with spinach and a homemade cashew ricotta cheese, a cheesy broccoli soup, and a chana masala with roti. We prepare enough food to feed fifty youth. The majority of them come back for seconds. There is a girl who resides at the shelter who is vegan and is always so happy to see my group when we’re making dinner. “We have a $100 dollar budget for every dinner … which shows that you can eat a healthful diet with variety on a budget.”
One reference said, “As a proud and grateful recipient of the 2003 Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship and an active member in the animal protection movement, it is my distinct pleasure to recommend Leigh Harris … Utah Animal Rights Coalition is the organizer of the annual SLC Veg Fest, the largest vegan festival in Utah, with approximately 5,000 attendees each year. Last year, Leigh was one of three young people on a panel discussing issues affecting vegan youth. Leigh shared her experiences as a vegan in middle school and high school, and provided meaningful advice for those in attendance about how to navigate tricky family and social situations as a young vegan. I was thoroughly impressed with Leigh’s natural confidence as a public speaker, her storytelling ability, and her mastery of the facts related to veganism and nutrition … Speaking from personal experience, a scholarship from VRG not only provides tangible resources for the recipient, it also carries with it a humbling endorsement of one’s character, past accomplishments, and future potential .. I truly believe … that (Leigh) will be a steadfast and effective advocate for animal rights.”
The deadline for the next Vegetarian Resource Group scholarship is February 20, 2020. Applicants should be graduating high school in spring of 2020. For details about past winners and applications, see: https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm
To support additional scholarships and internships, donate at www.vrg.org/donate Call (410) 366-8343, or mail a check to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.
The latest issue of Vegetarian Journal features an article on vegan dining in Jamaica. For example, in Negril you can dine at Ras Rody, a simple roadside stand that serves heaping piles of traditional Ital food. You can either eat your stewed peas with veggie chunks (a staple and favorite dish) on a humble stool roadside, or carry your to-go container of whole-wheat dumplings, pumpkin, and curried tofu to a nice spot by the ocean. See: http://www.rasrody.com/2015%20Site/jamaica.place.html
The VRG received a question on our Facebook Page
“…I saw your article…that pizza hut uses Chymax (plant-based) rennet to make cheese suitable for vegetarians…Do you know if that is still the case?”
We called Pizza Hut in April 2019 to find out their latest cheese ingredient information.
Here are our questions:
What is the name of the enzyme used to make your pizza cheese?
Do you offer vegan cheese now or are you planning to test it?
A Pizza Hut customer service rep said that she didn’t know the answers to our questions but would look into it further and get back to us by email.
In a timely manner, we received an email response from “Pizza Hut Customer Service.” It consisted of the following Q&A. (Although not posted on their website FAQ page or on their nutrition pages, it looks like something that would be there.)
“Q. What is the source of the enzymes in pizza cheese?
A. Enzymes used in the production of pizza cheese for Pizza Hut is a microbial fermentation ingredient…and is not of animal origin. However, Pizza Hut does not claim any of our products to be ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ as all products are prepared in a common area with meat products and cooked in the same oven. On request, the restaurant team will use additional caution when preparing products for guests with dietary concerns.
Q. Do any of the cheeses at Pizza Hut contain animal rennet?
A. Parmesan Romano cheese blend that is added to P’Zones, Breadsticks and Ultimate Cheese Pizza as well as some dine-in products contains both microbial enzymes and animal-based rennet. Customers can request that ‘breadstick seasoning’ or ‘Parmesan parsley blend’ NOT be added to their products, if desired. However, Pizza Hut does not claim any of our products to be ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ as all products are prepared in a common area with meat products and cooked in the same oven. On request, the restaurant team will use additional caution when preparing products for guests with dietary concerns.
Q. Is there meat in your pizza sauce?
A. Pizza sauce and marinara sauce contain no beef or other meat products. However, Pizza Hut does not claim any of our products to be ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ as all products are prepared in a common area with meat products and cooked in the same oven. On request, the restaurant team will use additional caution when preparing products for guests with dietary concerns.
Q. Source of Dough Enzymes
A. There are no animal byproducts used in any of our Pizza Hut crusts. The enzymes present in some of our dough, including our breadstick dough, is used as a dough conditioner and is from a microbial origin. However, Pizza Hut does not claim any of our products to be ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ as all products are prepared in a common area with meat products and cooked in the same oven. On request, the restaurant team will use additional caution when preparing products for guests with dietary concerns.”
Upon follow-up, we received this additional information.
Regarding vegan cheese, Pizza Hut Customer Service stated: “At this time Pizza Hut does not offer vegan cheese. Pizza Hut is looking into options.” Those interested in Pizza Hut menu options may find their online nutrition calculator (which lists ingredient information) helpful. It is arranged per menu item, not by general ingredients. You may filter out certain allergens (such as dairy or egg) to generate a complete list of all menu offerings without those allergens.
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.
By Emma Giebel, Loyola University Maryland student
I came into this internship ready to learn, but also hesitant. While I was excited about the opportunity to learn more about veganism and expand my writing skills, my lack of experience working for a publication, or in any field of professional writing, made me concerned about whether or not I was qualified for this position. Growing up, I was never a great writer. Math and science were my best subjects, and I usually struggled with essays throughout high school. It wasn’t until college that I really found a way to make writing a skill of mine. I decided that my growing interest in environmentalism was more than just an interest, and that it would hopefully evolve into a career, but I would need to be able to communicate the science that I knew to those that may not have a scientific background. For the next semester, I registered for “Writing about the Environment,” where I was able to write about environmental issues that I feel passionate about, personal experiences with my environment, and other works pertaining to science and the planet. I had such a great time doing the work for that class, and it took some time for me to realize exactly why; I was writing about something I cared about. I care about the planet, so writing about issues surrounding the planet would be far more interesting to me than any essay I’ve written in the past. This realization helped me prepare for this internship, because vegetarianism and health are passions of mine that I was ready to explore.
My favorite aspect of this internship was that I was able to work on a variety of different projects at one time. Whether I was writing up entries for VRG’s restaurant guides, assisting with scholarship applications, or working on one of my many articles, I was participating in different aspects of vegan activism. While researching information for the restaurant guides, I was able to see a wide variety of new up and coming restaurants throughout the country. Whether they were soul food buffets or small cafés, they always made me crave the amazing options being served.
Reviewing the scholarship applications was very uplifting considering the many young people that are already participating in activism work at such a young age. So many applicants showed a passion for veganism and vegetarianism, that it must have been incredibly difficult to find out who was the most deserving. My favorite responsibility during this internship involved the many articles that I wrote, covering topics such as restaurant reviews, meal advice for teenage vegans, product reviews for Veggie Bits, an interview with Steve Brill concerning education about edible wild plants, or the reactions to working Veggie booths on my university campus.
One of my favorite articles that I wrote was a review for a café on Long Beach Island, NJ called Living on the Veg. When I spent a weekend down at the beach, I went to the café to grab lunch, and it was an amazing experience. It was the first vegan sandwich of its kind that I had ever tried, and I know it will become a staple of my diet this upcoming summer when I will be living there. Through writing about food for these past few months, I now know more about the complexities of a restaurant or product reviews that I previously would have never considered. There are a near endless number of variables that contribute to what make a meal “good” or “great,” and trying to capture every one of them is more difficult than one may think. But what has made this process far easier is the “why” of it all. While I have raved about the delicious entrées at the restaurants I have visited and the snacks I have tried, the most important part of eating vegan is the reason behind it; because those that are vegan care about the interests of the planet and the animals over the desire to eat meat. The Vegetarian Resource Group puts in all the effort we do, whether that’s providing helpful information about health, spreading awareness about environmentalism, or sharing a guide of vegan-friendly restaurants, because we want to see a world where it’s commonplace and easy to be vegan. It’s been an honor and a privilege to work for this information, especially knowing that I have contributed to a cause that has become such a huge part of my life recently. I hope to carry on the lessons I have learned in my short time here in my career in the future.
2019 scholarship winners have been decided. We had 270 entries! All the students did great work, so the decision was very difficult. We wish we could give awards to everyone. Thank you to every student for his/her hard work and commitment. We also greatly appreciate the time given by our volunteers who read the essays.
Please note that the next deadline for The Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship Contest is February 20, 2020. You can enter if you are graduating high school in the spring of 2020 in the USA. For past winners and how to apply, see: https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm
Nothing beats a simple graphic to get the vegan message out!
The Vegetarian Resource Group created My Vegan Plate to display on outreach
tables at various events. If you live in the United States, you can request
copies of this handout to distribute by emailing us at [email protected]
The Canadian restaurant chain White Spot says on their website that Avocado Beyond Burger is vegetarian and can be made vegan by substituting their regular bun for their gluten-free bun and requesting no Jalapeño ranch dressing. They state that their Southwest Power Bowl is vegan. For more info, see: https://www.whitespot.ca/sites/default/files/WS%20FAQ%208.5×11%20v01%20RTP.pdf
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.
Swiss International Airlines announced that to celebrate ten years of having vegetarian meals, they will be offering special vegetarian meal options to all travel classes on select long-haul flights. Swiss, stated, “The anniversary offering in Economy Class extends to three courses: a starter of a spicy beetroot tabbouleh, a main course choice of penne with vegetarian bolognese or a massaman curry and a vegan mango mousse for dessert.
April is one of my favorite months of the year, but it has only become so
recently. After four years at college, April has changed from the month of “April
Showers,” to the month dedicated to celebrating this beautiful planet we live
on. Since being involved in sustainability at my university, I have had the
opportunity to work on planning many of the events during this month. One of
these events is the annual Evergreen Fest, which is a celebration of
sustainability. The event takes place on our beautiful quad, right in the
middle of Loyola’s arboretum. Nearly 20 clubs and organizations on and off
campus take their place with a table, where they can do whatever they wish,
such as hand out free samples, play games, or share information. That was what
my Co-Intern Taylor and I did for The Vegetarian Resource Group. Our table was
filled with information about veganism, and there couldn’t have been a better place
for us to be present at. The community members attending this festival were
people who already have an interest in environmentalism, so many of them were
eager to learn more. It was great to share our own personal stories with
veganism and vegetarianism, and talk about the topic with our peers. The whole
festival was a celebration of sustainability, so it was perfectly fitting that
we were their spreading information about the best diet you can have for not
only yourself, but the planet.
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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