By Rebekah Campbell, VRG intern

Civico 1845 is located in San Diego, California, and is located in a part of town called Little Italy that brings many Italian cultures and food into San Diego. I had the privilege of going to Civico 1845. Civico offers many different authentic Italian food menus, one of which is vegan. They make sure to only use fresh, locally grown ingredients in all their dishes. I ordered the Melanzana Alla Parmigiana, which is made with eggplant and smoked vegan mozzarella. Drinks such as wine and beer are offered.

Surprisingly, Civico offers a vegan dessert menu as well, which I ordered the Gelato Tartufo from. The Gelato Tartufo was extremely rich with Italian Dark Chocolate and was stuffed with gooey caramel chocolate.

Reservations should be made for Civico 1845, for it is hard to get a walk-in seat. Overall, the experience was restful, and great.

Check out the menu or make reservations at www.civico1845.com

Click on vegan at http://www.civico1845.com/menu/

For information on other veggie restaurants in the USA and Canada, see:
http://www.vrg.org/restaurant

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

An email forwarded to The VRG in August 2017 from online reader Ben had been delivered to his inbox from a “Nutrition Analyst” at Papa John’s in response to his Papa John’s online inquiry.

This is how Ben introduced the following Papa John’s information to us:

“I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian who has frequently visited your site, reading about information such as disambiguated food ingredients and specific food content from name-brand restaurants. I wish to donate information in the hopes of helping to update such regarding the Papa John’s pizza chain.”

Here in its entirety is the forwarded email from Papa John’s addressed to Ben in response to his “…inquiring whether or not their Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks were vegetarian (lacto-ovo).” Papa John’s responded to Ben within 12 hours of his inquiry.

Papa John’s email:

“The majority of our products contain bio-synthesized and/or vegetable-derived enzymes, including our mozzarella cheese.

However, the cheese blend used on our Tuscan Six Cheese Pizza does contain animal-derived enzymes.

Our pizza dough contains fungal or bacterial derivatives.

Our garlic sauce contains lactic acid, which is not classified as an animal derivative because it has been fermented.

Blue cheese and ranch DO contain animal-derived rennet.

The rennet that is used in the Papa John’s Parmesan cheese is a GMO-free microbial rennet. It is not animal-derived. It would be suitable for vegetarian consumption.”

The VRG appreciates Ben taking the time to forward this email.

It appears from the website that the breadsticks are made with pizza dough that does not contain L-cysteine (most often derived from poultry feathers). L-cysteine is not listed on the website menu nor on the allergen page.
http://www.papajohns.com/company/papa-johns-ingredients.html#pizza

http://www.papajohns.com/allergens/papa-johns-allergen-guide.html

Unlike many restaurant chains, Papa John’s includes “vegetable” as the source for their mono- and diglycerides in the ingredients list for the Garlic Parmesan Sauce. However, this chain does not specify if the “natural flavors” in this sauce are vegetable-derived. (They may or may not be.)

There is sugar in menu components which appear otherwise vegan (the original and pan doughs and the pizza and pan sauces but not the Garlic Parmesan Sauce).

Concerned readers may wish to contact Papa John’s for more information on whether the natural flavors are vegetable-derived and if the sugar had been processed using cow bone char.

See our previous reports on cheese enzymes and sugar for more information:
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2008issue3/2008_issue3_update_renet.php

http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2007issue4/2007_issue4_sugar.php

Here are a couple of our past reports on Papa John’s:

http://www.vrg.org/blog/2014/03/12/update-on-papa-johns-vegetarian-and-vegan-menu-options/

http://www.vrg.org/blog/2014/04/07/papa-johns-dough-enzyme-stearic-acid-and-cookie-ingredients-are-vegetarian/

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.

For additional information about quick service chains, see:
http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

For information about vegetarian and vegan restaurants and where you might be able to order vegan pizza, see:
http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

The Vegetarian Resource Group is an activist non-profit organization that does outreach all-year-long. For example, earlier this month VRG exhibited at the Animal Rights Conference in Alexandria, VA and the Western New York VegFest in Buffalo, NY. VRG also sends veggie literature free of charge to other groups/individuals doing educational activities in schools, hospitals, camps, restaurants, libraries, etc. Our ability to continue doing this depends on people like you! Your donations allow us to promote the vegan message whenever we’re called upon for assistance. Please consider becoming a monthly or quarterly donor to The Vegetarian Resource Group.

Thanks so much for your support. You can become a monthly or quarterly donor online here: vrg.org/donate

Reliable, responsible workers in the Baltimore area needed to assist veg manufacturers in their booths at the Natural Products Expo East at the Baltimore Convention Center on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, September 14, 15, 16. Must be available to work all 3 days from @9 a.m. – @6 p.m. Paid positions. If interested, please email [email protected]

By Davin Cheyenne

I had no idea what to expect this summer when I applied to be a summer intern for The Vegetarian Resource Group. I knew very little about the intricate details involved in supporting the vegan movement on such a wide scale. However, I have met so many fascinating and hardworking people, people who work day in and day out fighting for things most people have no idea are happening. Two of these people are my bosses. The impact these two have and continue to make for the vegan movement is beyond incredible, and their guidance has allowed me to exceed further with this internship. I was given many projects to complete, and one of them was to interview an influential person in the vegan community.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Naijha Wright-Brown, the co-owner of vegan soul restaurant Land of Kush in Baltimore City. It was taking part in this that allowed me to see the beauty in being an intern for this non-profit such as allowing me the ability to network and meet so many amazing people who are just as passionate concerning veganism as I am. While interviewing Naijha I was able to tour the restaurant, try the incredible food, and write an article about my experience that many will read in a future issue of Vegetarian Journal.

Writing this piece was part of another component of my internship, along with writing restaurant reviews for The Vegetarian Resource Group website. It was through writing articles that I could see my writing skills improving. I just want you to know that for anyone who wants to have work in any field with some degree of writing, grammar is super important. However, it was with writing these articles that I was happiest. I was able to write about topics that touched my heart, and knew it would be touching others as well. I was able to increase the amount of depth with each new piece I wrote and for once I felt as though I was a part of something big.

I had a lot of experiences with visiting other locations and volunteering, which was my favorite part of this internship. Networking allowed me to connect with Marvin, who at the age of 90 and vegetarian most of his life, still kept his 23-acres of land and all the wild animals that live there protected from poachers. It was here that I saw him feed deer dried corn, learn the importance milkweed has on the environment, and find out about the passage of butterflies from his farm to Mexico. He explained how the vegan movement is bigger than any one person and that by simply putting the needs of others above your own you gain so much back. This way of life he talks about I have found to be true.

I was able to volunteer at The Vegetarian Resource Booth at Waverly Farmer’s Market in Baltimore, where I met a lot of amazing residents from the community who expressed some of their experiences with veganism. These conversations allowed me to connect personally with people from all walks of life and make lifelong connections. I even friended some visitors on Facebook. Finally, I visited TuTTies Place, a non-profit community-based group foster care model, which works with young men amid the environment in which they currently live. Every summer TuTTies place opens a camp for all children ages 5-18 to have a safe and fun place to come to every day. It was while visiting from The Vegetarian Resource Group that I was able to teach children about veganism. However, what I found was the lesson was mutual. I had explored so much about the importance of family, education, and the impact children have to the world that I left feeling more whole than I came.

As my experience as an intern comes to a close I am writing product reviews about vegan products that I really enjoy, along with traveling to nearby vegan restaurants to write about my experience. I can honestly say that having the experience as an intern here at The Vegetarian Resource Group has filled my summer with amazing opportunities, lifelong connections, and an extensive amount of skills I will be able to use for my future. I would like to thank every single person who is a part of The Vegetarian Resource Group for this once in a lifetime experience.

For information about The Vegetarian Resource Group internships, see: http://www.vrg.org/student/index.php

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group outreach, donate at: www.vrg.org/donate

Join at: http://www.vrg.org/member/cabdacae.php

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

The Maple Guild of Island Pond, VT has developed a steam-crafting process to transform maple sap into syrup making 55 gallons of syrup in less than three minutes. Find out more here: http://www.mapleguild.com/process

Unlike traditional maple syrup production which involves boiling sap at high, direct heat for a long period yielding a dark, caramel-tasting syrup, the steam-crafting process uses indirect heat and less energy converting sap to syrup more quickly and producing a syrup that is lighter in both color and taste.

The Maple Guild also innovates a host of food and beverage products including infused syrups, maple water, maple-sweetened iced teas, maple vinegar, and maple cream.

Different from some maple companies which purchase syrup from multiple small producers combining it into one large batch and selling it under their own label, The Maple Guild produces all of its maple syrup from start to finish on its own property. As the company states on its website: “We can even tell you what tree your syrup came from.”

The Vegetarian Resource Group asked The Maple Guild if their steam-crafting method involves an anti-foaming agent (also called a defoamer). Artisanal maple syrup producers traditionally used pig-derived lard although it is not too common today. Butter, milk or cream were also used in the past but are not typically used today.

The Maple Guild’s John Campbell, VP of Sales and Marketing, responded to us by email in June 2017 when we asked if they use an anti-foaming agent:
“We do not use any animal-derived anti-foaming agents. In fact we simply use the permeate that remains as we process sap into syrup as our anti-foaming agent . . . so it is all sap all the time!”

The VRG followed up with John by asking him to further explain what “permeate” is. He replied:
“As sap is processed into syrup utilizing our steam-crafting process, the water that is left over is known as permeate. We use this separated permeate water as our anti-foaming agent. Waste not!”

For more information on The Maple Guild see: http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Manufacturers/As-demand-for-maple-rises-The-Maple-Guild-invents-speedy-process?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=07-Apr-2017&c=yazB%2FDHFv2XAf93zZOHXlw%3D%3D&p2=

Common Defoamers in Maple Syrup Production
Today on a commercial scale, a plant-based product is most often used as a maple syrup defoamer.

Some farmers operate their own farms and sell only what they produce while other operations purchase syrup from small producers and resell. The VRG asked both types of businesses about their defoamers. Here is what we learned.

• Arnold Coombs of Coombs Family Farms® www.coombsfamilyfarms.com told us “We use an organic sunflower oil as a defoamer.”

• Ray Lewis of Square Deal Farms® squaredealfarm.org stated that “We use organic, GMO-free canola oil.”

• We asked Highland Sugar Works® owned by L.B. Maple Treat® http://www.lbmapletreat.com/ if they accept maple syrup defoamed by lard from any producers. They responded with: “No. We do not accept any maple syrup from any producers that use animal products as anti-foaming agents.”

When we followed up by asking: “Is Atmos® 300K (see below) permissible as a defoamer?” we learned “Yes, that is what everyone uses.”

• We also asked Leader Evaporator Company® www.leaderevaporator.com about defoamers and received a reply from Nola Gilbert who stated:
“We sell the Atmos 300K Defoamer. The Atmos is not approved for organic producers. Most organic producers use organic sunflower or organic safflower oil as a defoamer. There may be producers who still use lard, butter, milk or cream as defoamers, but most of the industry has moved towards commercially-produced defoaming agents or organic oil.”

Nola suggested that we contact Maple Specialists at the University of Vermont for more information about this topic. http://www.uvm.edu/extension/agriculture/maple

Here is what we learned from UVM Maple Specialist Extension Agent George Cook in July 2017:
“No animal-based defoamers are recommended. All recommended defoamers are vegetable oil-based. Organic producers do not use Atmos. They use organic safflower oil. Years ago, animal fat products were used…milk, cream, butter, etc. We do not recommend these today.”

Atmos 300K
Available commercially, Atmos 300K is an anti-foaming agent commonly used by many maple syrup producers. For example:
Sam Bascom of Bascom Maple Farms® www.BascomMaple.com told us that he uses Atmos® 300K: https://www.bascommaple.com/category/defoamer/

Sam sent us the MSDS sheet on Atmos 300K https://leaderevaporator.com/pdf_files/atmos-300k.pdf but he did not know if Atmos 300K’s mono- and diglycerides were vegetable-derived or not so we searched further.

The VRG contacted Vantage Specialty Ingredients®, http://www.rugerchemical.com/content/about-vantage-specialty-ingredients a distributor of Atmos 300K, to find out if the mono- and diglycerides in their formula are vegetable-derived. Robert Dowd of Vantage Specialty Ingredients sent us a Product Source Statement dated September 2016 about Atmos 300K from the manufacturer Corbion Caravan® http://www.corbion.com/: (see page 15 for listing https://www.noexperiencenecessarybook.com/bBZOq/emulsifier-solutions-corbion.html)
or
http://www.corbion.com/base/DownloadHelper/DownloadFile/8386

“Please be informed that the above-referenced product, manufactured by Corbion Caravan, is a mono- and diglyceride prepared from hydrogenated edible vegetable oils sourced from tall, palm and/or palm kernel.”

We followed up with Robert asking about the source of the tall oil which is listed in the Product Source Statement. Here is our question and his response:
Q: The Statement mentions tall oil as a mono- and diglyceride source. Tall oil is a byproduct of paper production. Is this what Corbion Caravan uses as its source? Or some other source?
A: Yes it is. It is the oil from trees.

For more information on tall oil:
http://www.gp-chemicals.com/Crude_Tall_Oil_Product_Category

Petrochemical-based propylene glycol is also an ingredient in Atmos 300K.

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 judgement about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group research, donate at:
www.vrg.org/donate

For information on other ingredients, see:
http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

By Davin Cheyenne

Most teenagers already have a preconceived notion about college and all of its many splendors. College is a fantasy for most high schoolers: dreaming of food halls stocked with fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy alternatives, and desserts sometimes unavailable is now within reach.

Before college, I became vegan my junior year of high school. It was very hard to be vegan in a public high school where the lunches provided were for meat eaters, but I made it work. I was ecstatic to hear that in most colleges there were vegan options beginning to be provided.

When I was accepted to my previous college, I was excited to see a station in the cafeteria dedicated to vegan options. However, the next year when I actually attended the college the station was gone, and the plant-based options were few. Because of this I was discouraged and my health began to degrade. I wasn’t eating like I used to: plentiful fruits and veggies every day. Thankfully I was chosen to become a part of a diversity program. I had to create a campus wide project to demonstrate leadership skills. So, I chose veganism as the central topic. I wanted to create a week of vegan meals for my school’s campus to taste test. The student population would provide feedback for vegan meal options on campus they would like. Before starting, I needed a name for it; I chose “Chicks Dig Vegans.”

In order to be successful, I had to contact my college’s food service. First, I scheduled a meeting with my school’s cafeteria chef. I provided the chef with a list of my goals for the project, a list of vegan menu options, and required paperwork from the cafeteria. The vision for my project was to raise awareness throughout my campus community and help incorporate delicious vegan entrees in the cafeteria. Some menu options included chia seed muffins, fruit with granola parfaits, vegetable lo mein, chili, casseroles, vegan pot-roast, imitation “tuna” sandwiches, etc.

To pull this off, I needed some assistance so I reached out to two friends for help. Throughout the week my friends created flyers to post around campus, and sent all students notifications and emails. Their help allowed the event to run smoothly. I had three vegan options served outside our cafeteria for all students, staff, and faculty to taste and provide feedback for what they wanted in the cafeteria. Some crowd pleasing menu options were a Mediterranean salad, sweet potato casserole, and chili. Some unwelcome choices were an “egg” salad and chia seed pudding.

My project was awarded the most attended. Due to the amount of participation and positive feedback my project received, the cafeteria within my college incorporated a vegan station, vegan meats, cheeses, spreads, and ice creams. We built a bigger community at my college: 200 out of the 1000 people who tested the meals gave us their emails to learn more about veganism and animal rights.

Some of the options served (that were incorporated into the cafeteria) were the chili, vegetable lo mein, and an Indian curry. As the leader of this project I was overwhelmed with the amount of positivity and success I gained at my institution by simply providing information about veganism. Of course the tasty samples helped gain more followers as well.

Now for those entering or already attending college and wondering about introducing more vegan options or vegan options at all and don’t know where to begin, keep reading:

First, contact your college’s food service chef by email or walk in to discuss your diet and some options you would like. For instance my cafeteria did not have any vegan ice-cream: something on campus many vegans wanted. By simply mentioning this to the chef and showing there was a high demand many vegans at my college were now able to eat cruelty free dessert with their peers. Another challenge was my cafeteria did not have any vegetables that were not cooked with some type of animal product. Since my health involved vegetables, I asked the chef to serve the vegetables without animal products. Remember, you need to be very specific about what you want because many college chefs are not skilled in vegan or vegetarian food preparation practices!

Second, start gaining a group of people at your school from the environmental, animal rights, and conservationist interests by participating in similar clubs on campus that also uphold your morals. Upon arriving at my university, it was very hard finding people to connect with who also shared my passion for veganism. So, I searched for clubs to get involved with. One club that I joined was Animals for Advocates, a group of students passionate about animal rights and a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle. After I joined this club, I gained more volunteers for my event. You will need many followers in order for your meal plan to be long term at your institution.

Third, stick with your mission. If you do not get what you’re looking for, be an example of it; sooner than later, more people will take notice. The passion and determination I have to cater to the needs of the vegan community, especially on my campus allowed me to make a huge impact not only at my cafeteria but throughout my campus. In the beginning I received little positive feedback for my idea. However, I kept advertising my event and asked people I connected with through campus clubs to sample the meals. These people brought along more students to try the food and make a conscious decision on what they liked. Finally, I recommend expressing your passion for a vegan lifestyle, and rouse a revolution!

I hope this helps you on your journey to a more humane and animal friendly meal plan on campus.

For more information, see http://www.vrg.org/teen/#college

Photo credit: Dana Rogers Photography http://www.danarogersphoto.com/

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Below are some recent 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

DaJen Café and Creamery
4845 N Orange Blossom Tr.
Orlando, FL 32810
DaJen Café and Creamery serves a variety of Jamaican cuisine. This includes Honey Ginger and Chipotle Cauliflower Bites, Jamaican Jerk BBQ Jackfruit Sliders, Jamaican Brown-Stew “Beef,” and Chick’n & Waffles Brunch. In addition to their meals, they also offer scoops, shakes, and sundaes made with Irie Cream, a dairy-free alternative to ice cream. Irie Cream is available in many unique and delicious flavors including Red Velvet Cheesecake, Lime in Da Coconut, and Rum Raisin’ the Roof.

Eden Burger
1437 N. High St.
Columbus, OH 43201
Located in the University District, Eden Burger offers classic fast food options with a vegan twist! Enjoy milkshakes, burgers, tempeh tenders, and fries. Eden Burger strives to use organic ingredients.

Fika Vegan Cantina
804 N. Limestone
Lexington, KY 40508
FIKA /fee-kah/ [n]: To stop for a moment to enjoy life with good food, good beer and good friends. If you want to enjoy a ride of flavor, imagination and magic, give Fika Vegan Cantina a try. Their menu has one meal for savory, sweet, decadent, or spicy lovers. If you’re feeling savory, we recommend trying their Min’s Lasagna which is prepared with seasonal organic and locally sourced veggies, house-made vegan ricotta, and gluten-free lasagna noodles from their friends at Lexington Pasta. Or if you’re feeling a little sweet, their Jackfruit Carnitas made with sweet and savory slow-roasted barbecued jackfruit, tucked into a gluten-free corn tortilla and garnished with sliced avocado, lime and cabbage Pico will do just the trick. Feel free to enjoy their large variety of drinks from the bar, and house made guacamole and chips!

The Fix + Co.
1 30th St.
Toronto, ON M8W 3B5 Canada
The Fix + Co. offers juices and smoothies made with seasonal ingredients. You can add vegan protein or other add-ons to any smoothie. Each smoothie is packed with healthy ingredients. For example, The Antidote contains kale, celery, cucumber, dandelion greens, Granny Smith apple, parsley, and lemon. The Fix + Co. Outdoor seating is available!

The Food Tank
239 West Center St.
Moab, UT 84532
The Food Tank creates vegan dishes using organic and local ingredients. The Kombucha, the Eggplant and Portobello Gyro, and the Chocolate Coconut bar are all highly praised.

GLAM Vegan
3301 NE 1st Ave.
Miami, FL 33137
“GLAM” is an acronym for “green living animals matter.” GLAM Vegan is located in Midtown Miami. Their signature flat breads are a menu staple. Be sure to try the Pear flatbread. GLAM also offers bowls such as the farro risotto. Outdoor seating available.

The Homegrown Smoker
8638 N. Lombard
Portland, OR 97203
The Homegrown Smoker is the ideal casual vegan restaurant to go to. It is kid-friendly, and has great outdoor seating, in which you can smell the delicious food being prepared. What could be better than vegan barbecue? One of the local favorites is the smoked rib plate, which is served with hush puppies. This delicious dish can be paired with appetizer of fried pickle spears, and the minted sweet tea can be drank to cool down. When you finish eating at the Homegrown Smoker, you can take a stroll through the St. Johns City Park.

Jet Black Coffee Company
11150 NE Weidler St.
Portland, OR 97220
With outdoor seating and free Wi-Fi, this bakery has tons of natural light and an urban nostalgia that will keep you coming back for more than the delicious coffee and vegan baked goods.

The Frying Dutchman Co.
72 Main St. West
Huntsville, ON P1H 1W9 Canada
The Frying Dutchman Co. offers vegan versions of your favorite food truck delights! Be sure to try the barbeque black bean burger and the chili fries!

The Juice Theory
514 Kings Hwy.
Brooklyn, NY 11223
There is something for everyone at The Juice Theory! They offer acai bowls, sandwiches and toasts, smoothies and juices, pre-made “grab and go” meals, and a “build your own salad” option. Many patrons have enjoyed the Avocado Bomb toast, the Burrito Love bowl, or the Chia pudding parfait.

Love Again Local
18 South Church St.
West Chester, PA 19382
This sandwich shop has an extensive selection of all vegan, GMO free meats, cheeses, dressings, and veggies to choose from to be stacked high on your choice of rolls and breads. Not to mention they have a Cuban sandwich dedicated to the owner’s father that is filled with vegan Cuban Pork, Ham, Salami, Swiss cheese, Dill Pickles, and Spicy Deli Mustard, and then grilled to perfection and held together by a Cuban roll. And not to leave seafood lovers out, they also have a sandwich named THE GF BFF* which is a ”Tuna” Sandwich made with your choice of Baked Tofu or Chickpea “tuna” salad, Spinach, Tomato, and a Dressing of Choice. This shop additionally serves salads, cookies, snacks such as fruit popsicles, and organic drinks.

Loving Heart
781 East Hwy 50
Clermont, FL 34711
Loving Heart serves everything from summer rolls and spring rolls, to crispy tofu and pad Thai. They also offer combo plates where you can try several items at once. Also enjoy smoothies and desserts!

Misfit Doughnuts & Treats
982 Monroe Ave.
Rochester, NY 14620
Misfit Doughnuts & Treats offers uniquely flavored doughnuts including Raspberry Rose, double chocolate “Darth Vader,” and S’mores. They also serve pie, cake, cheesecake, cupcakes, and truffles. Misfit Doughnuts are a treat for vegans and non-vegans alike!

Off The Griddle
6526 SE Foster Rd.
Portland, OR 97206
Off The Griddle holds special events such as Milkshake Monday and Sunday Brunch. Menu favorites include the Smokey Bleu Burger and the Buffalo Chick’n Mac & Cheeze. Off The Griddle also has many gluten-free options. They have free Wi-Fi.

Vegesaurus
Indianapolis, IN
This food truck serves up soul food. They offer delights such as Southern fried cauliflower and biscuits & gravy. Hours and location vary so be sure to follow Vegesaurus on social media.

By Casey Brown, VRG Intern

After interning with The Vegetarian Resource Group last year, I was very excited to have the opportunity to intern with them again this summer. Last summer, I had many great experiences working with the other interns on projects in the office, volunteering at numerous booths in the area, and visiting a summer camp and a soup kitchen in Baltimore. I was excited to learn that I would be able to revisit many of these places, including Our Daily Bread and Tuttie’s Place. I worked on numerous projects throughout this summer, which included volunteering at booths, adding to The Vegetarian Resource Group online restaurant guide, creating a vegan pizza guide, doing Veggie Bits reviews, writing another Vegetarian Action piece for the Vegetarian Journal, working on a research project, and more!

One of the first projects I worked on was creating a lesson plan for TuTTie’s Place. TuTTie’s Place is a nonprofit organization in Baltimore that holds a summer camp for individuals in the Baltimore area. VRG interns visited this camp last year to teach the students about the health benefits of veggie diets and were invited to come back and speak with the students again this year. A VRG volunteer and I created a lesson plan catering to the different age groups within the camp and planned new activities to do with the kids this year. Last year we spoke to the group as a whole, but this year we were able to work in smaller groups with the students. We found this to be effective since we were able to teach the kids based on their age level and get to know the students better since they were in smaller groups. We also brought multiple vegan snacks for the students to sample, so they could get a better taste of veganism. They were all really open to the idea of trying these foods and the majority of the students loved them. We decided to make banana ice cream (only putting frozen bananas through a Yonanas machine) with the students again this year since it is an easy, delicious, and healthy non-dairy dessert. Last summer, some of the students were hesitant to try banana ice cream since this treat was foreign to them. However, this year when we announced we would be making this dessert, we were greeted with screams; the students were overjoyed to be making this delicious dessert again! I had so much fun with the students and was so grateful for the opportunity to visit the camp for a second time.

Last summer, I visited Our Daily Bread twice while interning, and I was excited to take the new summer interns to visit the center this year. Our Daily Bread is a soup kitchen in Baltimore that operates a Hot Meal Program, which serves over 700 people every day. Last year when we visited, they told us that they had a high demand for vegetarian casseroles, with over ⅓ of the visitors preferring the vegetarian plate. The same was true when we visited this year, and the volunteers were extremely grateful for our donations. The Hot Meals Program relies on volunteers and donations to operate, and they stated that they often do not receive many of the vegan casserole options. These recipes are so easy to prepare, and I highly encourage everyone to get involved! I cooked the Creamy Bean and Potato Casserole with Carrots, which only took 10 minutes to prepare and an additional 20 minutes to cook! I definitely plan to continue preparing these casseroles for soup kitchens near my home since these recipes are so simple.

Over the summer, I have represented The VRG at many booths throughout Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. I was able to attend Central PA Vegfest, Richmond Vegfest, Waverly Farmers Market in Baltimore, DC Green Festival, and more. I always love attending these events since I am able to connect with many like-minded individuals who are interested in learning more about vegetarianism and veganism. I have met many inspiring individuals through these events and have been able to help many others by providing them with The VRG’s materials. I will be moving to Asheville, NC soon, and I plan to continue doing booths for The VRG in that location.

In addition to the events I have been able to attend, I have also worked on many projects in the office. One of the toughest jobs I had was writing Veggie Bits; this required me to sample many delicious vegan products for upcoming features in the Vegetarian Journal. I was able to try Eat Enlightened’s Roasted Broad Bean Crisps, Amy’s Vegan Margherita Swirls, Crazy Go Nut’s Walnut Butters and Flavored Walnuts, and much more! I will definitely miss being able to sample so many delicious vegan products once my internship ends. Another project I worked on was a frozen vegan pizza guide. In the past I have compiled and compared the different vegan cheeses and yogurts on the market, and this summer I worked on a guide for vegan pizzas. I also interviewed Cam MacQueen for a Vegetarian Action piece in the Vegetarian Journal. MacQueen is an entrepreneur and animal activist from Asheville, NC, and it was an amazing opportunity being able to learn more about her life. It was inspiring to hear about all of the activism she has done. One of the main projects I worked on throughout the summer was a research project that looked at studies involving a plant-based diet. The results from my research will not be available until next year, but I was able to learn a lot working on this project. Other volunteers assisted me with this project, and we were able to read through countless journal articles involving plant-based diets.

I am so grateful for all of the opportunities I have had this summer because of The VRG. I love being involved with this organization since it provides me with many unique opportunities to promote veganism. I have met many passionate and hard-working individuals through my internship and still stay in touch with the interns I worked with last summer. I plan to stay involved with The VRG by doing booths in Asheville, NC and working on additional projects when I have time.

For information on interning for The Vegetarian Resource Group, see:
http://www.vrg.org/student/index.php

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group education and outreach, donate at: www.vrg.org/donate

Or join at: http://www.vrg.org/member/cabdacae.php

The Vegetarian Resource Group will host a vegan dinner at LYFE Kitchen in Chicago (at Fairbanks and Ontario) on Sunday, October 22, 2017 during the annual meeting of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Meet VRG advisors Reed Mangels PhD, RD, Catherine Conway MS RD, Charles Stahler, Debra Wasserman, and vegetarian dietitians from around the country. The public is welcome.

MENU
-Edamame Hummus
-Kale and Cranberry Salad
-Ancient Grain Stir-Fry Bowl with stir-fried vegetables, beefless tips, quinoa, black rice, cilantro, and sweet chili-ginger sauce
-Vegan Thai Red Curry Bowl with garlic-lime tofu, broccoli, eggplant, peppers, peas, whole grain wheatberries, Thai basil, and coconut curry sauce
-Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie
-Tea or Coffee

The meal will be served family style. Note: Seating is limited!

TO RESERVE
Send $35 per person (includes tax and tip) with names to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203; Call (410) 366-8343 9am-5pm Mon.-Fri. EST to charge over the phone. Or pay at www.vrg.org/donate and write Chicago Dinner in the Comments.

# Attending X $35/person = $_____
Donation towards professional outreach: $_____
Total enclosed: $_____

Names of attendees:
Address:
Email:
Phone: