Spread the word about the upcoming Texas VegFest — a FREE PUBLIC EVENT.

WHAT: Texas VegFest
WHEN: Saturday April 1st, 2017
TIME: 11am – 6pm
WHERE: Fiesta Gardens right off Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail in Austin

By Jeanne Yaoubou, MS

The VRG invited Qdoba in September 2016 to tell us about their vegan menu options. This is how Meg Prejzner, Brand Manager at Qdoba, replied:
“Absolutely, I am happy to share as Qdoba has quite a variety of options to cater to our vegan guests, including burritos (wrapped or bowl), Loaded Tortilla Soup, Knockout Tacos and taco salads.
Our menu is completely customizable, so those guests looking to avoid animal products can absolutely do so by customizing their dish to fit their tastes. For instance, our Bohemian Veg Knockout Taco does contain cotija and shredded cheese but any guest can absolutely ask that we do not include those items on their meal to fit their dietary preferences. Plus, our all-inclusive menu encourages our guests to load up on their favorite vegan options like guacamole, pico de gallo, beans, rice, fajita veggies, etc. at no additional costs. If a vegan guest is looking for more protein, double down on black beans. If they love guac, top it off — there’s no extra charge!

…[O]ur team members are also happy to swap out gloves or utensils when building any meal — we just ask our guests to let our team know of their individual needs and the team is happy to help further from there.”
(Note: One supplier of Qdoba’s cojita cheese lists “rennet” as an ingredient with no further specification. The other cheese suppliers for the Bohemian Veg Knockout Taco cheeses list only “enzymes” without source information.)

Qdoba lists its complete United States Ingredient Statement on pages 2-10 of this PDF file:
https://www.qdoba.com/static/downloads/allergen_chart_and_ingredient_statements__us.pdf
Based on our own assessment of their Ingredient Statement (i.e., no non-vegan or possibly non-vegan ingredients present) and before asking any further questions to Qdoba, the following Qdoba menu items appear vegan:

• black bean corn salsa
• black beans
• fiery habanero salsa
• flour tortilla (one type)
• guacamole
• pico de gallo
• pinto beans
• roasted chile corn salsa
• salsa verde

(Note: Sugar-containing menu items or those with other questionable ingredients are not included in this preliminary list nor are any fried products. See below for more information on menu items with these characteristics.)
We followed up with Qdoba in September 2016 and asked specifically about several microingredients in these and other entrée components listed in their Ingredient Statement. We also inquired about preparation and cooking methods.
We received a reply in January 2017 from Nicole Dionisopoulos, a PR Specialist who had worked with Qdoba’s culinary team in gathering the following information. Here is our Q&A exchange:

Q: Are any of the following prepared in meat broths or contain meat-based flavors?
– black beans
– brown rice
– cilantro lime rice
– pinto beans
A: No.
Q: Are the ingredients in the following menu components animal-derived?

– brown rice, cilantro lime rice: capric/caprylic triglycerides, mono and diglycerides, calcium stearate
– corn tortilla: natural flavors and enzymes
– flour tortilla (one type): mono- and diglycerides
– red chile sauce: natural flavor
– salsa roja: natural flavor
– tortilla soup: flavoring, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate
– whole wheat flour tortilla: mono and diglycerides, natural flavor, sodium stearoyl lactylate, enzymes
A: No.

Q: Are any of the following cooked in oil in which meat products have been prepared?

– corn tortilla chips
– corn tortilla strips
– corn taco shells
– flour tortilla bowl
– potatoes
A: No.

Q: Is there any cross-preparation of the following along with meat products or animal fats? Are they prepared on the same grill surface with meat products?

– fajita vegetables
– seasoned potatoes
A: No.

According to Qdoba’s ingredient statements, several menu components contain sugar. Because the chain told us (see above) that certain questionable microingredients also present in the items are not animal-derived, these menu components would be vegan except (possibly) for the sugar:

– brown rice
-cilantro lime dressing
-flour tortilla (one type contains dextrose)
– mango salsa
– red chile sauce
– tortilla soup (dextrose as well as sugar)
– whole wheat flour tortilla

The VRG asked Qdoba how they defined the words “vegetarian” and “vegan,” but as of this posting have not received an official reply to this question.

See their Ingredient Statement at: https://www.qdoba.com/static/downloads/allergen_chart_and_ingredient_statements__us.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.

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

For information on 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

Or join at http://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

By Julia Mathew, VRG intern

Having worked at a catering company for nearly seven months, I have had many first-hand experiences with accommodating vegetarians and vegans at various events. I would estimate that, typically, there are less than five vegetarians and vegans for every 100 guests at a given event. Although you may initially assume that there will be few, if any, veggie-friendly options at an event, always remember that communication with your event host and their coordinators is key and can make the biggest difference. I would suggest contacting the host of your event well in advance to ensure that there are sufficient options. This is not something to be ashamed of or looked down upon. Politely informing your host will only raise awareness and the demand for the catering company to offer more veggie-friendly options. Mainstream restaurants are now increasingly offering more vegetarian and vegan friendly items to their menu as a result of this same increase in demand and awareness!

Out of the passed hors d’oeuvres that my company offers, the edamame dumplings are the only option that is vegan-friendly. They do not contain eggs. The vegetarian appetizers almost always have some sort of cheese in them. Usually there is a spread of self-serve appetizers that includes artichoke hearts, sautéed mushrooms, roasted bell peppers, and avocados. None of these items contain butter or chicken broth and are cooked in oil as needed. In my opinion, these appetizers are more satisfying because they can be more readily eaten in abundance and without feeling lethargic after.

In terms of entrées, there is usually one vegetarian option offered at any given event, such as quinoa stuffed bell peppers (vegan) or sweet potato gnocchi. This option can often be made vegan, but other times dairy is infused in the meal. Some of the events I’ve worked at have had a specific vegan option, which was requested in advance. This is why being vocal about your dietary concerns is key! The vegetarian and vegan options often look very colorful, of variety, and aesthetically pleasing, making even the biggest meat-eaters curious. I’ve even had some people request a vegetarian or vegan meal, subsequent to seeing the healthy, hearty, and artful dishes of other guests at their table.

There have been a few events where guests were not able to voice their needs to the host or to a business for a more corporate event. Under these circumstances, talk to an event manager or coordinator present at the event. They will maintain constant communication with the kitchen to ensure that you will have a sufficient meal. Baked baby potatoes, grilled or sautéed vegetables, fruit, and salads are almost always offered by catering companies at any event. Even if the kitchen has not prepared a specific dish to satisfy your dietary needs in advance, they are often trained to be creative and to make ends meet in spontaneous situations. Ultimately, it is important to remember that it is a catering company’s utmost duty and priority to ensure that its guests and hosts are ecstatic about the food and service they received. They will go to great lengths to ensure that your needs and concerns are properly met, so do not be afraid to speak up!

For more information about catering, see:
http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/working_with_caterer.php
http://www.vrg.org/teen/soccer_banquet.php

By Natalie Allen, VRG Intern

“Hey, do you want to learn more about the issues that face our planet and share ideas on ways we can help?” This is my elevator pitch for the environmental club at my school. I would ask kids this and if they said yes, then I would go further into explaining to them about how they can get involved with the club at our school that does exactly that. I would make sure they knew what days a week we had meetings and in which classroom, so they were bound to join.

Like any other school club, starting up an environmental club is challenging. That is why everyone should have some basic tips, whether they find them online or have an adult mentor to teach them the ways. With this article, I hope to get you motivated and feeling confident when starting an environmental club at your school.

The startup process:
First, find a friend or friends who share the same interests and motivation as you do to start the club. This is the most important part because most clubs require a certain amount of students in order to get started. Also, having like-minded people in your club will motivate you to reach the limits with your club. Next, find a teacher or other staff member at your school that will be willing to be the advisor of the club. Typically, an environmental science or other science teacher would be the best option; however, do not limit yourself to asking another teacher that you feel would be happy to be the advisor.

Secondly, you’ll need to register the club with your school; most of the time a club must be approved by the principal. Once that has been done, advertise! Spread the word out to your entire school. This is where an elevator pitch comes in handy. Basically, an elevator pitch is a short spiel that you could give to someone during a fifteen second elevator ride. The elevator pitch is easy to memorize and won’t bore the person you are talking to. To advertise, you may also use the school announcements, post posters around campus, or host an informational night or booth during lunch for students interested. From my experience, I was surprised as to how many kids wanted to be a part of the club.

Your first meeting:
Once a set day during the week is established for the meetings to be held on, you will need ideas and goals for what the club can work towards achieving. On the first day, you will definitely be overwhelmed by the turnout, but over time students tend to drop out. So if you think it is too much to handle just wait. When the meeting begins you’ll probably want a sign-in sheet so you can keep track of the devoted members of the club. This is a great idea to maintain attendance and motivation in your club. Many students during the first meeting will not know each other and so having an icebreaker game is the best way to break the awkward silence. Try out these icebreaker games from icebrakers.ws: http://www.icebreakers.ws/. A great icebreaker game I have played with my club is having each member write down an open question such as, “What are three things you would take to a deserted island?” Next have everyone go around the room introducing themselves to each other and asking their question. After that have the members switch questions each time they meet with someone new. Do this until everyone has met each other. This is most likely all of the time you will have for your first meeting and so send your new members off with a sentence or two about what’s in store for the next meeting. What you want to accomplish during your first meeting is a feeling of excitement in the club, you want students to come back to the next meeting, tell their friends, and share the fun experience they had during the meeting.

After a few weeks, you may want to get together a group of officers for your club. These officers will be in charge of different things including scheduling events and handling money. You can get creative and name the leaders of your club after environmental terms each student knows a lot about like, President of the Endangered Species Student Activist Group or President of the Student Climate Change Network. By having these unique officer names, members of the club will be interested and able to learn more about an environmental topic that they are interested in by directly talking to each officer, whilst each officer has an important job to handle.

Goals to work towards and activities:
Once, you gain a committed group of people that attend your meetings every week, you’ll want to start generating activities for the club and even bigger goals to work up to. Some suggestions for the club to do on a weekly basis include announcing an environmental fact every day on the announcements, for example, “It takes 600 gallons of water to produce a ⅓ pound burger”. Also, create posters to not only promote your club but again like the announcements to spread quick facts that will make students at your school think twice about their everyday actions. You can also host park and school cleanups every month in your community. Host an e-waste recycling event, people are always needing to get rid of old phones and cords. You can invite and host a guest speaker from your community, such as a spokesperson from a local environmental organization.

These activities are exciting but meanwhile, your club can also be working towards a bigger goal. Think about something that your school needs, such as new recycling bins, a water bottle refill station, or even a school garden. These beneficial changes can improve your school in the present and the future. However, all of these things cost a lot of money, this is why fundraising should also be a big part of your club. Some ideas for fundraising include hosting a vegan bake sale! While being able to make money for your club you can also be educating your peers on the health benefits and especially the environmental benefits of eating a vegan diet.

Ask local businesses to support your club! More often than not, many local businesses would love to support your club in exchange for advertising. Specifically, ask a local vegetarian restaurant to sponsor your club in return for advertising on your school announcements or in your school newspaper, etc. Another great way to raise money is to host a movie night in your school’s auditorium. Screen movies such as, “GMO USA” and “Before the Flood” and invite people in your school and the community to attend. Charge five dollars for entrance or host a free event while also asking for donations. Having a snack bar will also bring in revenue. Think fresh popcorn and movie theatre candy! With the movie night, you are educating and generating money for future activism. Grants are also available for environmental clubs, applying to grants such as Annie’s Grants For Gardens: http://www.annies.com/giving-back/school-gardens/grants-for-gardens/grant-faqs and the Environmental Education Grants from the EPA: https://www.epa.gov/education/environmental-education-ee-grants are unique ways to give your club a funding boost.

Goals accomplished:
After your environmental club has been started up, you’ve probably already accomplished a lot and you may have enough money to see your goals come to life. Specifically, with the school garden idea, by growing local flowers and possibly fruits and vegetables you will be able to host a new home for some bees in the neighborhood, transform your school’s landscape into a garden oasis, and potentially use the vegetables and fruits you grow to host a farmer’s market or to use in your school’s cafeteria.

Overall, starting an environmental club at your school is a challenging task, yet the benefits are worth it. If you are looking to start an environmental club at your school, get started today, for the planet does not follow time. Have fun out there!

For additional club ideas, see http://www.vrg.org/teen/#activism

CJ CheilJedang has announced the launch of L-cysteine using raw sugar and glucose as raw materials, “while the majority of manufacturers in the market are using” a process that starts with duck feather as a raw material. The company noted that there was an unstable supply of L-cysteine due to reinforcement of the governmental regulations in China. L-cysteine and its derivatives are used for reaction flavors, bakery, and pet food items. See:
http://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/CJ-CheilJedang-Launches-Fermented-L-Cysteine-Through-Sustainable-Technology?type=article

The recall affects packages branded “Edamame — Soybeans in Pods,” dated between 01/03/2017 and 03/17/2017 with the UPC code 0-23012-00261-9.

The Edamame was sold at sushi counters in grocery stores, cafeterias and corporate dining centers in AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, ME, MI, MN, MS, NC, NH, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, and WY.

Retailers have been notified and the affected product should no longer be on sale. See:
https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm547260.htm?source=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
See: http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/20/health/edamame-listeria-recall/index.html

Passover starts at sundown on April 10th and runs through sundown April 18th. Vegans looking for some new vegan Passover items might want to try out Pereg Natural Foods new products certified kosher for Passover. According to a recent press release, they say:

“New from Pereg this year is Quinoa flakes, which simply is the whole quinoa seed flattened to make a flaky grain. Cook it up in 90 seconds to make hot cereal, or use it in recipes such as breakfast cookies, granola, granola bars, crisps and crumbles, and pancakes too. They are packed with nutrients and protein, and provide texture and flavor to your favorite recipes.

Baby Quinoa (Kañiwa) – Dark reddish-brown in color and about half the size of a tiny quinoa seed, kañiwa cooks up quickly to resemble a smaller version of red quinoa.  Unlike regular quinoa, kañiwa doesn’t have saponins, the coating that gives quinoa a somewhat slightly bitter flavor if not rinsed properly.  Kañiwa is a great source of iron and other important nutrients. Cooks recommend toasting the grain on a dry skillet or saucepan first, then cover with water in twice its volume – it will cook up in about 20 minutes. Great in recipes, too.

Also available new for Passover is Pereg’s White Quinoa (2-pound zipper bag), Quinoa with Mushrooms and Quinoa with Vegetables in 10.58 oz. canisters. Get creative with white quinoa – try cold salads such as kale and quinoa with Meyer lemon vinaigrette or quinoa with strawberries and pecans. Experiment as you would with rice and substitute quinoa in stuffed peppers, quinoa cheese casserole and quinoa meatballs.  In a hurry? Cook up Pereg quinoa blends with mushrooms or vegetables for a quick and delicious side dish.”

Complete information can be found here:
https://www.pereg-gourmet.com/products/passover-bundle

Also, the Vegetarian Resource Group has published two vegan Passover books. You can purchase them here:
Vegan Passover Books from The Vegetarian Resource Group

Dear Friends,

I’m writing to invite you/your supporters to take part in the Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale between April 15th and 30th, 2017. This is an opportunity to join in a global event that raises awareness of how delicious animal-free foods can be, while raising money for your group, or any other cause that you choose.

How does it work?

1. Participants register here: http://veganbakesale.org/

2. They bake and sell vegan goods (between April 15th and 30th if possible)

3. They give the money raised to a cause of their choice

That’s it!

The Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale has been running since 2009, and in that time has raised more than $300,000 for great causes on six continents. With increased interest in veganism all around the world, this is a great time to join in this global event and help promote animal-free foods even further!

You will find more information, tips, template media releases, promotional resources and vegan recipes at http://veganbakesale.org/.

All Bake Sales will be featured on the website, and we can also add your group’s logo to show that you support the initiative.

Please let me know if you have any queries – I’m here to help. Happy baking!

Nico Nettelmann
Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale co-ordinator

For more information see: https://www.facebook.com/veganbakesale

April 29, 20107 will be the People’s Climate March in Washington, DC. Participating will be the Plant-Powered Planet Protectors. They say:

A WorldWatch report estimates that 32,000 million tons of carbon dioxide are emitted by livestock production each year, while the U.S. EPA implicates animal agriculture as the largest emitter of methane, a much more powerful greenhouse gas.

For information see:
https://www.facebook.com/events/611460152388369

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

On P.F. Chang’s website https://www.pfchangs.com/menu/main/main-entres–vegetarian there is a vegetarian section listing the following entrées each designated by a vegetarian icon consisting of a young green plant with two leaves and a small stem:

• Ma Po Tofu
• Buddha’s Feast
• Stir-Fried Eggplant
• Coconut Curry Vegetables

There are other dishes tagged with the same undefined vegetarian icon appearing on several different pages of the main menu: https://www.pfchangs.com/menu/main/street-fare
• Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps
• Edamame
• Chili-Garlic Green Beans
• Sichuan-Style Asparagus
• Wok’d Spinach with Garlic
• Gluten-Free Wok’d Spinach with Garlic
• Gluten-Free Coconut-Curry Vegetables

Nothing is described as “vegan” on P.F. Chang’s website.

To find out more information about what the menu’s vegetarian icon means, The Vegetarian Resource Group spoke with and corresponded by email on several occasions from September 2016 through February 2017 with Kelly Pascal Gould of Pascal Public Relations, who responded for P.F. Chang’s after we first contacted the chain. She told us after relaying some information: “Since several different people answered your questions, please attribute all quotes and information to ‘P.F. Chang’s spokesperson.’”

In response to our question concerning the meaning of the vegetarian icon, P.F. Chang’s spokesperson said that “vegetarian menu items contain no animal products as ingredients and are prepared using designated vegetarian (clean) oil and/or water.”

When The VRG followed up by inquiring whether dairy and eggs are included in the term “animal products” P.F. Chang’s spokesperson responded: “’No animal products’ does include no dairy and eggs.”

When we asked if P.F Chang’s served any vegan entrées, P.F. Chang’s spokesperson told us:
“We don’t officially claim anything to be vegan on our menu because definitions for ‘vegan’ vary. Many of our vegetarian dishes qualify as vegan to some — but not others because in cases where a bit of sugar is called for in a sauce, for example. We use regular sugar, not vegan sugar.

However, the two dishes that are considered vegan by most are Buddha’s Feast and Coconut Curry Vegetables.
…[T]here is just a bit of sugar in both of the[se] vegan dishes…”

Later, upon our request, the chain sent us the ingredient statements for Buddha’s Feast and Coconut Curry Vegetables:
Buddha’s Feast Steamed:
Ingredients: broccoli, sugar snap peas, five-spice baked tofu (soy beans, water, soy sauce (water, soybeans, wheat flour, salt), soy oil, calcium sulfate), asparagus, carrots, shiitake mushrooms.
Coconut Curry Vegetables:
Ingredients: coconut milk (coconut extract, water, citric acid (as antioxidant), sodium metabisulfite (as preservative), tofu, broccoli, sugar snap peas, carrots, gluten-free soy sauce (water, organic soybeans, salt, organic alcohol (to preserve freshness)), rice vinegar (diluted with water to 4.2% acidity), bok choy, bamboo shoots strips (bamboo shoots, water), white mushrooms, tomatoes, peanuts, brown sugar, white onion, green onion, red peppers, shiitake mushrooms, soybean oil w/ citric acid added as a preservative, water, curry powder, cornstarch, chili paste (chili, salt, distilled vinegar, potassium sorbate and sodium bisulfite as preservative and xanthan gum), garlic, ginger root, sesame oil.

The word “Steamed” did not appear on the menu for Buddha’s Feast when we last checked in March 2017 (although it is listed on the Nutrition and Allergen Information page https://www.pfchangs.com/menu/nutrition/main/). Given the list of Buddha’s Feast ingredients on the website menu (five-spice tofu, savory sauce, asparagus, shiitakes, broccoli, carrots), and given other information from the chain regarding sugar (see above), The VRG inferred that the savory sauce in the stir-fried Buddha’s Feast must contain sugar. Prepared without the sauce, the steamed version of Buddha’s Feast appears vegan. We sought confirmation from P.F. Chang’s spokesperson about Buddha’s Feast and received this reply:

“Our menu may have changed slightly, but Buddha’s Feast can be ordered steamed or stir-fried. Since some vegans are opposed to the granulated sugar in the vegetarian sauce, I don’t usually list the Buddha’s Feast (stir-fried) as an option. The steamed version has no sauce and therefore no sugar.”

On the website allergen chart several vegetables such as steamed edamame and crispy green beans (but not the chili-garlic green beans) have egg indicated:
https://www.pfchangs.com/menu/nutrition/main/?allergy=true The VRG asked P.F. Chang’s if the vegetables had been coated with an egg wash and was informed:
“…the allergy listing on our website is for our guests with food allergies, so we take ingredients and potential cross contamination into consideration when we are determining which allergens to mark…The steamed edamame is marked for the egg allergen because it is steamed in the same piece of equipment as menu items that contain egg, but there is not any egg in the recipe…The crispy green beans are coated in a batter that contains egg as an ingredient, so the recipe cannot be altered…We do not use an egg wash on any of our other vegetables.”
[VRG Note: There are other vegetables on the Allergen Information page https://www.pfchangs.com/menu/nutrition/main/?allergy=true that are listed as containing egg and/or milk. They include:

• Cauliflower Tempura
• Orange Ginger Edamame
• Vegetable Spring Rolls
• Sriracha Hot Potatoes (select locations only)
• Wok-Charred Brussels Sprouts

P.F. Chang’s also specified that they use a “non-sugared soy sauce.”
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.