The Vegetarian Resource Group has a graphic called Burrito on My Plate, which shows viewers the water footprint of a vegan versus a meat-based burrito. It takes 225 gallons of water to make a vegan burrito without tofu and 253 gallons of water to make a vegan burrito with tofu. In comparison, it takes 541 gallons of water to make a beef burrito.

The Burrito on My Plate Graphic can be seen here: https://www.vrg.org/environment/BurritoOnMyPlate.pdf

The article detailing how we came up with the numbers of gallons of water needed to produce each type of burrito can be found here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2017issue2/2017_issue2_burrito_plate.php

istockphoto by franny-anne

The Vegetarian Resource Group and Vegan Journal commissioned YouGov to ask the following question in a national YouGov adult poll. Listed also are the results.

Which of the following, if any, do you expect from a food labeled as a veggie burger? Please select all that apply.

24%  To be able to use it in a similar way in cooking as a burger from a cow.

6%  To have the same amount of saturated fat and cholesterol as a burger from a cow.

6%  To contain meat from a cow.

9%  To only be something that I would purchase if costs less than a burger from a cow.

41%  The front of the burger package will identify the main ingredient (such as soy or beans) and say something like “black bean-based veggie burger.”

15%  The front of the burger package will say “veggie burger” but will not identify the main ingredient or ingredients.

11%  To have the same amount of iron as a as a burger from a cow.

10%  To have vitamin B12 added.

43%  To be labeled “plant based burger”

31%  To be labeled “vegan burger”

21%  None of these.

Most people (94%) would not expect a veggie burger to have meat from a cow, and only 6% expect a veggie burger to have same amount of fat and cholesterol as a burger from a cow. As few as 9% said they would only purchase a veggie burger if it costs less than a burger from a cow. Cost had less impact than we expected. Over four in 10 (41%) would expect the main ingredient identified on the front of the package. There was a large segment of the population (43%) expecting a veggie burger to be labeled “plant-based burger” and a large segment (31%) expecting it to be labeled “vegan burger.” So a marketer has to consider their strategy.

All figures, unless stated otherwise, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,769 adults. Four percent were vegetarian (Never consume meat, fish, seafood or poultry) while around 96% consumed one or more of these products.  Fieldwork was undertaken between February 6–10, 2025 online in the United States. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all U.S. adults aged 18 and over. Results are based on a sample and are subject to statistical errors normally associated with sample-based information. For the above questions, we can have a 95% confidence level that VRG’s numbers from YouGov are plus or minus one percent (margin of error). Between 15% and 40%, and between 60% and 85%, the margin of error is plus or minus two percent. Be careful when comparing poll numbers to other polls or countries, as questions and definitions of vegetarian and vegan are often different.

You can see other Vegetarian Resource Group polls at https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/faq.htm#poll

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

Couscous istockphoto

Today is National Couscous Day! Here’s some quick and easy ideas on how to prepare vegan dishes with couscous: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2015issue1/2015_issue1_cooking_tips.php

Vegan Pasta Primavera

If you happen to be heading towards the Ocean City, New Jersey shore, be sure to visit these restaurants offering veggie food.

Bashful Banana clearly labels vegan options on their menu. We sampled their Vegan Pasta Primavera and their Spicy Orange Rice Bowl with Tofu. Both dishes were delicious and quite filling. The following day we ate a Vegan Quesadilla (ask for vegan cheese and leave off the sour cream) and the Vegan Thai Tofu Scramble Rice Bowl for lunch. Again, both offerings were quite good and filling. Bashful Banana also offers frozen Banana Whip.

Spicy Orange Rice Bowl with Tofu

Bashful Banana is located on the Ocean City Boardwalk. For information, see: http://www.mybashfulbanana.com

Sautéed Tofu with Veggies

     A short drive from Ocean City, you might want to visit Lil Saigon in Northfield, NJ. They label vegan options on their menu and we tried Sautéed Tofu with Veggies and their Eggplant Hot Pot. Both dishes were beautifully presented. To be on the safe side, when ordering remind them that you do not want fish sauce in your vegan dishes.

Eggplant Hotpot

Lil Saigon is located in Northfield, NJ. For more info, see: https://www.lil-saigon.com

istockphoto

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

A reader contacted us to ask if cruciferous vegetables inhibit iodine absorption. To answer this question, it’s important to know a little about why we need iodine and what cruciferous vegetables are.

Iodine is an essential mineral that is used by the thyroid gland to make thyroid hormones. These hormones play an important role in controlling metabolism and are needed for infant and child development. Vegans get iodine from iodized salt, sea vegetables, dietary supplements, and to some extent, from plant foods. The iodine content of plant foods depends on factors such as the concentration of iodine in the soil where the plants were grown (1). When foods or supplements containing iodine are used, the iodine is absorbed and transported in the blood to the thyroid gland.

Cruciferous vegetables are what we think of as the cabbage family and include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, and cabbage. These vegetables, along with soy, beans, sweet potatoes, cassava, and some other foods, contain substances called goitrogens that interfere with the thyroid gland taking up iodine from the blood. This could lead to a reduced production of thyroid hormones.

According to several authoritative sources, goitrogens are mainly a problem for people who do not have an adequate amount of iodine in their diet or for those who consume large amounts of these foods (2-4), especially in raw form (5). Large amounts mean, for example, a diet which is based mainly on cassava. A recent review concluded that cruciferous vegetables “are safe for thyroid function, especially when the proper iodine supply is provided” (4).

It’s important to have an adequate intake of iodine, which for vegans probably means using iodized salt and/or taking a supplement that contains iodine (6). With an adequate intake of iodine, it’s unlikely that eating cruciferous vegetables will interfere with iodine uptake by the thyroid gland.

To read more about getting adequate iodine on a vegan diet see:

Iodine in the Vegan Diet

Food Sources of Iodine

Am I Getting Enough Iodine?

References

1. Ershow AG, Skeaff SA, Merkel JM, Pehrsson PR. Development of databases on iodine in foods and dietary supplements. Nutrients. 2018;10(1):100.
2. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Iodine. Fact sheet for health professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-HealthProfessional/. 2024.
3. Oregon State University, Linus Pauling Institute, Micronutrient Information Center. Iodine. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/iodine. 2024.
4. Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001.
5. Galanty A, Grudzińska M, Paździora W, et al. Do brassica vegetables affect thyroid function?-A comprehensive systematic review. Int J Mol Sci. 2024;25:3988.
6. Mangels R. Am I getting enough iodine? Vegan Journal. 2024, Issue 3.

The contents of this website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and Vegan 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.

Maryland Vegan Restaurant Month runs August 1^st through 31^st, 2025. Be sure to try out all the restaurants participating this month including Harmony Bakery, Land of Kush, and Oleum in Baltimore City, plus many other establishments.

For more information, see: https://www.mdveganeats.com/

Peaches and Cream Icebox Cake photo by Hannah Kaminsky

Vegan Journal Senior Editor Hannah Kaminsky previously penned an article called “Keep Your Cool! Refreshing No-Bake Desserts”.  Recipes include Peaches and Cream Icebox Cake, Orange Dream Ice Cream Bars, Raspberry White Chocolate Macaroons, Root Beer Float Pie, and Bananas Foster Crème Brûlée.

You can find the entire piece here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2019issue3/2019_issue3_keep_cool.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only by visiting www.vrg.org/member

Vegan Safety Boot Available at the Vegetarian Site

Are you searching for vegan work boots? The following online stores over safety work boots, including some with steel toes.

Amblers Safety from the UK offers some vegan safety shoes: https://www.amblerssafety.com/collections/vegan

Ethical Wares out of Wales in the UK offers several types of safety boots: https://www.ethicalwares.com/footwear/safety-footwear/

Stitchkraft located in Australia offers a wide variety of safety shoes and boots: https://www.stitchkraft.com.au/collections/vegan-friendly-work-boots-shoes

The Vegetarian Site from the USA offers two types of safety boots: https://store.thevegetariansite.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=84_100

Vegetarian Shoes from the United Kingdom offers safety boots: https://www.vegetarian-shoes.co.uk/mens/mens_boots/10033_0c.html

Veganline located in London, England offers a safety shoe and boots: https://veganline.com/safety-boots-shoes

photo from Casa Borinquena Philadelphia

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: www.vrg.org/restaurant

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:

Alma y Sazon, Public Market Emeryville, 5959 Shellmound St., Emeryville, CA 94608

Alma y Sazon is a very welcoming, family-owned restaurant passionate about bringing Mexican dishes into the vegan scene. Among their most popular dishes are their tacos de mar, tortas Mexicana, and tinga tostadas, with delicious perfectly cooked fried mushrooms. They also offer catering services for those looking to serve vegan Mexican food for an event. In addition, they do pop-ups all over Oakland, so be sure to check those out.

Café Tibet, 2020 University Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704

Enjoy a wide range of Tibetan vegan dishes including Trama Chura (tofu chips in a special house sauce), various soups, Dhooloma Tsel-Chu (sliced eggplant sautéed with tofu, Himalayan spice, onion, ginger, garlic, and tomato over Basmati rice), Ngoe-Thuk (home made fresh noodles, pan fried vegetables, and tofu), a variety of Momos (dumplings), Tofu-Curry Tsolma (includes Madagascar pink rice with roasted pumpkin seed garnish), Tibetin Tea, Chai, vegan Lassi, and more.

Casa Borinquena, Saluhall, 945 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94103 and 2557 Amber St., Philadelphia, PA 19125

The goal at Casa Borinquena is creating made from scratch, boldly flavored, authentic Puerto Rican dishes. Plantains are deep fried sweet as in Maduros; green as in Tostones or as Mofongo Cups deep fried green, mashed in a cup filled with vegan chicken or Impossible Beef and mama sauce. Relleno de Papa is a deep fried potato croquette filled with seasoned Impossible beef and picadillo. Bori Fries feature deep fried yucca topped with Impossible Beef or Mojo Mushroom Pork. Arroz con Gandules, the “National Dish of Puerto Rico,” features yellow rice with pigeon peas, achiote oil, and seasonings. Pastelillos is a deep fried Puerto Rican turnover with seasoned Impossible Beef Picadillo. Beverages include Malta India—a non-alcoholic malted soda from Puerto Rico, Coco Rico—Puerto Rican Coconut Soda, Kola Champagne–Puerto Rican Cream Soda as well as CB Pouch–handmade juice pouches which vary daily. For Dessert there’s Coquito Tres Leches—a yellow cake triple soaked in coconut milk, served with hand whipped vanilla cream.

Mission Burger Co., 2065 Defoors Ferry Rd. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318

Props to Mission Burger Co. for their transparency; peruse their ingredients and helpful substitution suggestions at https://missionburgerco.com/ingredients/. Mission Burger Co. says Good Morning with choices like Pancakes, Breakfast Tacos, and various Breakfast Bagel and Sandwiches such as the Big Bad Breakfast Sando with JUST Egg scramble, House breakfast sausage, Thrilling Bacon, American cheese, hash browns, and chipotle aioli. As the restaurant’s name would imply, burger choices abound. Here are a few. For Mushroom Lovers, there’s the Bacon Mushroom Melt with American cheese. Smoked Brisket Burger boasts an Impossible patty with smoky provolone, house smoked brisket (made from mushrooms), BBQ sauce, and crisp fried onions. Fiesta Burger features Impossible patties topped with house made queso, Pico de Gallo, guacamole, and jalapeños. Two of the several Sandwich selections are The NYC style Reuben, made with in-house, corned and cured, BeHive seitan, melted Swiss, sauerkraut, and Mission sauce (version of a Thousand Island/Russian Sauce) on local marble rye, or a BeHive Seitan, Turkey Sandwich with smoked gouda, salad fixings, dressed with EVOO, red wine vinegar, and Italian herbs on toasted ciabatta. Made from mushroom root and more, Pesto Chicken Sandwich serves up a seed oil free patty, house-made basil-parsley pesto, tomatoes, basil, Peaceful Rebel Mozzarella, feta, and parmesan on toasted ciabatta. They also serve Philly Cheesesteak and more. If you have eyes for Fries, Mission Burger Co. has you covered with Brisket Cheese Fries featuring house smoked brisket (made from mushrooms), cheese sauce, BBQ sauce, chipotle aioli, crispy fried onions, and pickles, Cheesesteak Fries, Garlic Fries, Nacho Fries and let’s not forget Onion Rings. How about a Waffle Cone of Vanilla soft serve or Chocolate Chip Cookies to finish off your meal?

Sevens, 225 Louisiana St., Buffalo, NY 14204

Sevens is located in Buffalo’s Old First Ward and has a cozy, European vibe. Co-owner Yaz Bitouche runs the front of house, while her wife, Caitlin Lanigan, leads the café’s bakery. They offer a wide variety of all-vegan pastries, sandwiches, and drinks. Their bakery includes cinnamon buns, lemon poppy seed, and gluten-free treats like chocolate chip cookies and mint brownies. The café also offers savory options like creative plant-based sandwiches, including a Miso Eggplant and a Harissa Mushroom. You’ll also find nitro-infused matcha and cold brew on tap, along with specialty espresso drinks served from a custom machine nicknamed “Beyoncé.”

Slutty Vegan, 2080 Badlands Dr., Brandon, FL 33511

The Slutty Vegan serves creative vegan burgers and hot sandwiches, along with sides and dessert.

Vulture, 4608 Park Blvd., San Diego, CA 92116

Vulture is a fine-dining restaurant in San Diego’s University Heights neighborhood. The space puts a modern vegan twist on the mid-century continental American fine dining. Some of the menu options include Steak Diane (made with lion’s mane mushrooms), Rockefeller (an artichoke spinach dip and sunchoke with blue corn shell), and The Oscar (a Beyond filet with vegan béarnaise and asparagus). There’s also soups like French onion soup, salads, and a variety of cocktails. This restaurant is perfect for a night out.