Taco Bell wrote to The Vegetarian Resource Group:

We’re particularly excited to announce that our new certified-vegan seasoned rice will replace the existing certified-vegetarian seasoned rice in all U.S. stores starting June 15, 2017. We believe that all of our fans should have menu choices that reflect their lifestyles, without having to compromise on flavor, which is why our menu offers 37 certified vegetarian and vegan ingredients that can be customized more than 5.7 million ways.

As always, you can visit ta.co to learn more about our ingredients, read more about all of our commitments and check out our article specifically on how to eat vegan at Taco Bell.

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

Annica Kreider, VP of Brand Development for Mellow Mushroom told us in 2014 that the chain was considering a few more vegetarian and vegan menu options and that they were hopeful that they would be added within a year. http://www.vrg.org/blog/2014/12/17/vegan-options-at-mellow-mushroom/

We recently checked the company website in March 2017 and viewed a “Herb Veggie Burger” featuring quinoa and kale. Roasted Potatoes also appeared on the menu. 

We noticed in May 2017 that the Herb Veggie Burger was no longer on the corporate menu. http://mellowmushroom.com/corpmenu

We wondered if it had been removed from all locations. The Vegetarian Resource Group called several Mellow Mushroom restaurants around the country to find out.
We were surprised that all six Mellows that we had contacted stated that they served the Herb Veggie Burger. What was even more surprising were the different answers we received when we asked if this menu offering was all-vegetable (i.e., vegan).

We first called three Mellow restaurants in the Maryland-Virginia-Washington, DC area. The managers at all of these locations stated that they served the Herb Veggie Burger.

The managers at the Washington, DC and Maryland stores put us on long holds and checked on its ingredients. They both stated that the Herb Veggie Burger was all-vegetable. They also stated that the bun on which it is served contained no dairy nor L-cysteine.

A Virginia Mellow manager said quite the opposite. “The Herb Veggie Burger is not vegan because it contains egg as a binder.” He voiced agreement with the others saying its bun was dairy- and L-cysteine-free. However, unlike the first two managers, he stated that the bun is automatically buttered; guests must request that butter be left off.

We next ventured West and called three more Mellow Mushroom restaurants in Utah, Arizona, and Iowa.

A Utah Mellow Mushroom employee, upon hearing our call requesting a vegan menu item, called a vegan employee to the phone. She put us on hold several times during our conversation to check and double check for us as we repeated our question in several different ways asking specifically about egg and dairy. Finally she stated that dairy, but not egg, was in the Herb Veggie Burger.

An Arizona Mellow Mushroom manager stated just the opposite: the Herb Veggie Burger contained egg but not dairy.

The Iowa manager concurred with the Virginian and Arizonan stating that egg served as a binder in the Herb Veggie Burger. He also noted the automatic bun buttering; visitors needed to request that it be left off.

The Iowa manager volunteered additional information: all of the Mellow menu is “veganizable” except for four items:
• Herb Veggie Burger (egg)
• Pesto (animal rennet)
• Holy Shiitake Pie (butter)
• Stuffed Portobello Mushroom (butter)

Five of the six Mellow Mushroom restaurants which we contacted provided the same information about the Roasted Potatoes: They are prepared in the oven away from meat items. They are roasted with fresh olive oil and no butter. However, the Virginia manager told us that the potatoes were prepared with butter.
Given the variety of responses from these six Mellow Mushroom restaurants, The VRG called them again in June 2017.

Usually the host/hostess answered the phone. He or she would put us on hold; relay our question to the kitchen and/or general manager; and get back with a response. Our goal was to find unanimous agreement among all of the restaurants since we didn’t have an answer from the corporate office. Here is what we learned the second time around:

• The Maryland Mellow Mushroom told us that egg, but not dairy, was in the Herb Veggie Burger. Butter is automatically spread on its bun unless requested otherwise. There is no butter in the Roasted Potatoes.
• A Washington, DC Mellow Mushroom announced that the Herb Veggie Burger had just been taken off of the corporate menu and they had no more left in stock. No butter was used to prepare the Roasted Potatoes.
• A Virginia location of this chain stated that Herb Veggie Burgers had just been removed from the menu. There was no butter on the Roasted Potatoes.
• This time, the host at the Utah location stated that the Herb Veggie Burger had egg in it. He added that there was no butter on the Roasted Potatoes.
• No more Herb Veggie Burgers were available at an Arizona Mellow Mushroom location. The host also said that there was no butter on the Roasted Potatoes.
• An employee at an Iowa Mellow Mushroom told us that there was no egg nor dairy in the Herb Veggie Burger. Recalling what we had been previously told by the manager at that same location last month, we asked him to check into it again. He returned from a brief hold stating that egg served as a binder in the Herb Veggie Burger.

Thinking that we had collected all of the information needed in our second round of calls, we were surprised to hear next, upon asking in Iowa about the Roasted Potatoes, that a butter spray containing “natural butter flavor” and milk was used to coat the potatoes before they were roasted.

So we went back again and called the first five Mellow Mushroom restaurants to find out if they used a butter spray. This time we asked specifically about a butter spray (not just butter).

• The Maryland Mellow Mushroom hostess told us “no.” We asked her to check with her manager. She returned stating that she had checked with both the kitchen and general managers who concurred: no butter or butter spray.
• The Washington, DC Mellow Mushroom host put us on hold then initially told us that a butter spray was used on the potatoes. When we probed further to see if dairy were also in the butter spray, he transferred us to the manager. She stated that the spray had neither butter nor dairy; it contained only soy and canola oils.
• A Virginia Mellow Mushroom hostess told us that she would check with the kitchen and returned saying that butter spray was applied to the potatoes. Then we asked if dairy were in the spray. She said that she would check again and then she put the receiver down. After being disconnected, we called back and asked to speak to the manager. The person identified herself as the manager. We asked “Is there milk in the butter spray on the potatoes?” I heard her relay my question as “Is there milk in the potatoes?” She returned by saying “There’s no milk in the potatoes.” I repeated my initial question. I heard her correctly relay the question the second time. She came back on and said that there was milk in the butter spray used on the potatoes.
• In Utah, the host put us on hold and later said that there was not any butter spray used. When we indicated that other Mellow Mushroom restaurants do use a butter spray he called a kitchen employee over to the phone. The kitchen employee reiterated that there was no butter spray used on the potatoes.
• A hostess at a Mellow Mushroom in Arizona transferred our call to another employee. When I repeated my question about butter spray I heard him ask someone else in the restaurant: “Is there butter on the potatoes?” We corrected him and again he put us on hold. He returned saying butter (not butter spray) was used on the potatoes but a guest can request that it be left off.

Given the differences between the six Mellow Mushroom locations which we contacted, The Vegetarian Resource Group recommends that before ordering, diners ask to speak to the general and/or the kitchen manager about menu items in order to determine how they are prepared at a particular location. Ask to see a list of ingredients if possible.

Note: “natural butter flavor” may or may not be derived from dairy butter. You must contact the company which manufactured the product containing it to be sure. “Artificial butter flavor” is not derived from dairy butter.

Note: The allergen page at the corporate Mellow Mushroom website indicates that the Roasted Potatoes do not contain milk. http://www.nutritionix.com/mellow-mushroom/menu/special-diets/premium?allergens=milk 

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.

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

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

Information on additional restaurant chains is at http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

You can find vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the U.S. and Canada here.
http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

By Anna Lam

Baylor University has been gradually improving and expanding its menu options for vegetarians. Once left having to choose between the salad bar or French fries, vegetarian students now actually have a vegetarian station at the Penland Crossroads dining hall dedicated to making exclusively vegetarian (and most of the time, vegan) food. This is a useful and timely feature of on-campus dining, since more and more college students are reporting the importance of having vegetarian menu items, according to a 2004 study by ARAMARK, the food service Baylor has partnered with for on-campus dining.

Students can find various vegetarian or vegan menu items at other stations as well. The dining hall staff display signs with the menus for each station and indicate if food items are vegetarian or vegan. Otherwise students can also visit the Baylor Dining Services website at https://baylor.campusdish.com/ to read the menus online, where items are also marked as either vegetarian, vegan, or both. Additionally, there are a few eateries on campus from which students can purchase vegan food from including Freshii, Which Wich, and Starbucks.

To be sure, there is also always a representative for vegetarian students on the Student Dining Hall Advisory Board. This ensures Baylor has an ear for feedback from vegetarian students and can respond as appropriate, as Baylor can always work towards expanding the variety offered to its vegetarian student population.

For a sample of vegan options at other colleges, see http://www.vrg.org/teen/#college

Bullying: When you’re a Vegetarian or Vegan Teen
by Shannon Borgoyn

Being a teen can be hard: trying to figure out who you are and what you want to do with your life are big tasks. On top of this, deciding to go vegetarian or vegan can add another level of difficulty to the game of life. According to their 2014 online national poll, Harris Poll (for The Vegetarian Resource Group) found that 4% of young Americans aged 8-18 are vegetarian (including vegan). This will most likely grow as young people discover vegetarianism and veganism. Regardless of vegetarianism’s and veganism’s growth, not all people know what it is or understand it. Meat has always been considered the focal point of most western dishes. So, it can be hard for most people to wrap their minds around having all-plant dishes. Because of this, people may be curious, guilty, or aggressive when faced with vegetarians or vegans.

I am a vegan. In my experience, people have been open-minded and genuinely curious about my lifestyle. They ask: “How hard is it? Where do you get your protein? What do you eat?” In high school, I was vegetarian and this was usually the case for me: people were curious because they didn’t know about my lifestyle. However, I’ve also experienced people who aren’t so open-minded. I’ve encountered some of these people in real life. I took cooking classes in high school, so my lifestyle was quickly noted. While many people were supportive, I felt left out when the non-vegetarian majority chose the meals we prepared, which were not vegetarian-friendly. Also, I have had negative online experiences. There are people (“trolls”) who purposely say things to get a response and feed off of it. In my case, they try to “weed out the vegan” or comment purposely vegan-offensive things to get vegans to respond (usually negatively). These types of situations can be very tough to handle and it can be hard to know how to respond.

To get an idea of others’ experiences, I interviewed VRG interns: Casey Brown and Davin Sims. Casey was vegetarian in high school and became vegan in college. When asked about her loved ones’ responses to her decision, she replied that “everyone was fine” and that it “didn’t ever come up” in conversation. She said that the people in her life are “really open and supportive” about her lifestyle.
   
Davin ate meat for her first two years in high school and transitioned to veganism in her last two years. Because of the change in her lifestyle Davin lost much weight. People noticed, commented, and were curious about her lifestyle change. Davin said that this was contrary to what she thought would happen. Davin attended an inner-city public high school and knew that people who changed weren’t always “well-received.” These changes included dietary changes. So, she was surprised to find out that this wasn’t the case for her. Because of veganism, she was able to make new friends. In college, Davin started a vegan and vegetarian outreach club to provide foods for vegan and vegetarian students. Some people in the club who knew Davin as vegan didn’t respect or accept her decision to stop being totally vegan at school (due to limited vegan food available), though she was still vegetarian.
   
VRG volunteer coordinator Brigette Dumais weighed in on her high school experiences. She said she was vegetarian in high school for one year. When she “stopped eating meat,” she found it to be “a struggle” because she was “made fun of.” Additionally, she felt left out when eating with non-vegetarian people. The experience she recalled to me most vividly was when she was involved in band. The band’s bus had stopped at a McDonald’s for food. Brigette was unprepared because she hadn’t brought any food with her. Additionally, she felt like she had to “choose between being hungry and eating meat.” She also recalled another experience with a family member not accepting that she considered fish to be a meat. When Brigette became vegan after college, reception from her partner was easy, since they did it together and he did the cooking. There was no negativity from her friends or family, but more curiosity and questions because of lack of knowledge.
   
When people are purposely insensitive or hurtful towards you, one course of action is stand your ground and believe in your decision. If they attempt to question or mislead you, keep firm and reply calmly (but firmly) that this is who you are and you’re not going to change. If you have gathered enough information, you should be able to calmly and confidently respond in a way comfortable for you.

It is good if you have friends with you who support and understand your choice; they can stand with you against the bully. It may be helpful for you to join or form a vegetarian support group. If this isn’t the choice for you, you can always ignore the bully. Some bullies are fueled by attention and will stop bothering you when you ignore them. Don’t be a bully back to them; being mean only makes them meaner and things can get out of hand. If the situation escalates, it might help to go to an adult or teacher you trust.

Sources:
https://www.stopbullying.gov/what-is-bullying/
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-02/vegetarians-vegans-hated-bullied-australia-richard-cornish/7680900
https://theveganmom.com/2010/11/12/vegan-kids-bullying-is-it-a-problem/
http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/Polls/2016_adults_veg.htm
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2014/05/30/how-many-teens-and-other-youth-are-vegetarian-and-vegan-the-vegetarian-resource-group-asks-in-a-2014-national-poll/
http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/bullies.html

A new Netflix original movie titled Okja was premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Okja is about a young South Korean girl named Mija whose pet (a fictitious super pig species that resembles a hippo) is kidnapped by an industry who wants to slaughter the animal. The film follows the girl on her journey to save her beloved pet from the meat industry.

Okja will be released on Netflix on June 28, 2017, where you can watch it here. Share with friends and plan a movie night to watch the film’s Netflix debut! https://www.netflix.com/title/80091936

Here is the trailer:
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/vegan-film-coming-to-netflix-from-cannes/

“At the recent Quaker Spring Gathering in Painted Post, New York, a very informational veggie booth was exhibited. Betsy Root worked to put together the display for the event, as seen in the above photo. Vegetarian Resource Group member Karen Peissinger connected Betsy to VRG, who provided some handouts for this outreach.”

Brussels Sprouts at Cruciferous in LA

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

Cienfuegos
95 Ave. A
New York, NY 10009
Cienfuegos serves vegan versions of classic Cuban meals. Many folks enjoy the Mushroom & Tomatillo Croquetas and the Cuban Sliders. Happy hour is from 5pm-7pm daily. Live Latin Jazz music is performed from 7pm-10pm on Mondays.

Cruciferous
1253 Vine St. #8
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Cruciferous serves family style dishes. All their pastas are made from scratch. General Tso’s Brussels Sprouts and Potato Gnocchi are popular menu items. 20% gratuity is included in your bill.

Farmacy Vegan Kitchen and Bakery
803 N Tampa St.
Tampa, FL 33602
Farmacy Vegan Kitchen and Bakery is located inside the Duckweed Urban Grocery store. They offer juices and smoothies, bowls, baked goods, and wraps. Sample items include Marinated Kale Salad, Spanish Lentil Soup, and BBQ Black Bean Meatballs. They also have gluten-free options.

Majani Restaurant
7167 S. Exchange Ave.
Chicago, IL 60649
Enjoy vegan soulfood dishes including a Po Boy sandwich, black eyed pea burger, and black eyed pea tacos.

Taqueria La Venganza
Location varies (pop-ups)
Oakland, CA
Taqueria la Venganza does “pop-ups” around Oakland and the Bay Area. Check their website for hours and locations, as they vary daily. “Carne Asada” tacos and Chorizo are a few examples of Taqueria la Venganza’s veganized Mexican cuisine.

Taste
236 Bridge St.
Phoenixville, PA 19460
Taste is a wine bar that offers small vegan appetizers and plates. They have truly unique menu items including lavender popcorn, fancy cheeses, and desserts such as the milkshake cupcake. Taste offers private wine-tasting parties. Call in advance to book your reservation for private tastings.

The Cookie Counter
7415 Greenwood Ave. North
Seattle, WA 98103
Vanilla, Mint Chip, Chocolate, and Strawberry vegan ice cream is always available. Additionally there are flavors that rotate weekly and seasonally, including Blackberry Lemon, Roasted Peach, and Strawberry Rhubarb. You can place special /bulk orders online at https://www.seattlecookiecounter.com/vw-ice-cream-truck The Cookie Counter has a weekly ice cream truck! See https://www.seattlecookiecounter.com/vw-ice-cream-truck for the schedule. The truck is also available for catering. The Cookie Counter has gluten free cone options.

Truce
526 Selby Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55102
Whether you’re looking to revitalize your body after a workout or you just want a fresh-tasting drink after a long day, Truce is a solid option to check out for the best all-organic freshly produced juicy goodness. Make sure to try the Glow Greens juice which includes the unusually tasty ingredient, dandelion greens, along with grapefruit, pear, cucumber, romaine, parsley, and orange.

Under the Sun
244 E. 3rd St.
Long Beach, CA 90802
Whether or not you are vegan, vegetarian or even a meat eater this place will open your mind up to a raw food frenzy. With two different menus to provide living foods and juice tonics this restaurant is making its mark in the plant based community. Under the Sun offers positive spin offs to a lot of America’s most loved meals while also introducing different cultural medicines in the form of tonics and infused meals such as the Tu-Nah wrap and the LBC sandwich. Along with its desserts like Cheezecake Slice and Doh! Nut Bites any first timer with definitely be a lifelong returner.

Earth Island (manufacturer of Follow Your Heart Products) has been Awarded Gold Level Zero Waste Certification

The Vegetarian Resource Group received the following information from Earth Island. Congratulations!

On behalf of Follow Your Heart, we are very excited to share with you that Earth Island, the manufacturing facility for Follow Your Heart products, has been awarded Gold Level Zero Waste certification from Green Business Certification Incorporated (GBCI), making Earth Island the first plant-based food manufacturing facility in the U.S. to achieve such a title. Earth Island earned the Zero Waste Gold status by diverting 97% of its waste from the landfill as well as fulfilling additional green initiatives over the past 12 months.

In order to achieve Gold Level Zero Waste certification, Earth Island met a strict set of guidelines outlined by GBCI which includes diverting at least 90% of overall waste from landfills and implementing a comprehensive program to reduce and divert waste through strategic purchasing, material reuse, composting, increased recycling, and employee education. Earth Island analyzed every aspect of its operation to classify and quantify all sources of its waste and then identify where waste could either be reduced through increased recycling or composting, or eliminated through reusing materials. Through their efforts, Earth Island diverted nearly 100 tons to recycling, composted 136 tons, and re-purposed 228 tons of materials.

Join us for our first Vegan Night in Pittsburgh at the Pirates VS Orioles game

Starting at $87.06 per person* Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Contact Donna at Green Earth Travel for more information
[email protected] or call 301 229-5666

Take me out to the ball game!
Take me out with the crowd
Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks
I don’t care if I never get back

Join the Pirates, Meatless Monday Pittsburgh, vegan enthusiasts, and all animal lovers for our first Vegan Night!
Join us for one night in Pittsburgh for a Pirates VS Orioles game,
A historical event as this is the first game ever to block seats off for vegans!
We will stay at the SpringHill Suites Marriott,
1 ticket per person and vegan breakfast the next morning (breakfast is not included in price)

*Cost per person double occupancy $127.98
Single occupancy $209.66
Triple occupancy $100.75 per person
Quad occupancy $87.06 per person
We can get up to six people in a room so please email directly for price.

Price includes:
1 night hotel at the SpringHill Suites Marriott
Hotel taxes
1 ticket to the game
Vegan dinner and appetizer
Each ticket includes access to the exclusive Vegan Menu in the Picnic Park from 5:30 – 7 p.m. and a Corner Box seat for the Pirates vs. Orioles game.

What is not included:
Gratuities to the hotel staff
Parking $25
Optional vegan breakfast.

Menu includes:
Pretzels, Chips and Dips (house chips with French onion dip, corn chips with smashed avocado salsa, pretzel sticks with Local PA maple mustard)
Power Chop Salad (kale, cabbage, grilled vegetables, garbanzo beans, sunflower seeds, pepitas, citrus-dijon dressing)
Ultimate Vegan Burger (beefless beef patty, lettuce, tomato, dill pickles, vegan house sauce, sesame seed bun)
Buffalo Cauliflower (vegan ranch dipping sauce)
Sweet Potato Tacos (black beans, cilantro, salsa verde, tortilla threads, nondairy sour cream, flour tortilla)
Watermelon and Berries

No refunds on baseball tickets.
$50 cancellation fee for the room until September 3rd
September 4th-no refunds

Contact Donna at Green Earth Travel for more information
[email protected] or call 301 229-5666

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

The VRG received an email from a reader who asked “…if there was any information on mozzarella cheese used at Grimaldi’s Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria.” See: https://www.grimaldispizzeria.com/

Our reader told us that he had dined at the Cedar Hill, Texas Grimaldi’s where “the manager said there was no animal rennet in the mozzarella cheese.”
Ingredient listings do not appear on the company’s website. So in April 2017 The Vegetarian REsoruce Group placed an unofficial call to Grimaldi’s corporate office requesting this information and left a voicemail.

The next day we received a call back from Nina at Grimaldi’s corporate office. She told us that “there is no animal rennet in the mozzarella cheese used on the Garden Pizza.” Nina added that “the Romano-Spice Blend which is sprinkled on top does contain animal rennet.”

The Garden Pizza is described on their website as being Grimaldi’s “Traditional Pizza topped with fresh Roma tomatoes, sliced onions, mushrooms and black olives.”

We also asked Nina if the dough conditioner L-cysteine, which is most often derived from poultry feathers, was used to make their dough. She said “L-cysteine is not in our dough.” We also asked about lard and she again said “No lard.”

Lacking a formal statement from Grimaldi’s about their vegan menu items, we sought to confirm all of the information that we had gathered above. So The VRG placed several random calls to Grimaldi’s restaurants in Arizona, California and Colorado. Managers at four Grimaldi’s locations confirmed all of the preceding information.

We also learned that the Romano-Spice Blend is “automatically put on pizzas. When ordering, customers should request that it be left off.”
According to all four managers at various Grimaldi’s locations, butter is not used on the pizza crust. The pizza sauce is “all-vegetable” with no meat, meat flavors nor dairy.

They told us that vegans could order the Garden Pizza without the cheese.

The VRG also inquired about the Kale Chopped Salad which is described on the menu as consisting of “kale, romaine lettuce, artichokes, cucumber, red onion, shaved Italian cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives tossed in a lemon vinaigrette.”

The four managers with whom we spoke unanimously agreed that the Kale Chopped Salad “could be ordered without the cheese.” All four put us on hold while they checked into the lemon vinaigrette ingredients. All relayed to us after a brief pause that there was neither honey nor dairy in the lemon vinaigrette. One manager mentioned that a guest could always request “oil and vinegar on the side.”

For information about other restaurant chains, see http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

For information about vegetarian and vegan restaurants, see http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

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

To join, go to http://www.vrg.org/member/cabdacae.php

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.