Vegan dietitian John Westerdahl sent us this information:

The new motion picture Hacksaw Ridge tells the story of Corporal Desmond Doss, a Seventh-day Adventist combat medic who unarmed, single-handedly rescued 75 soldiers during the battle of Okinawa, in the midst of a hail of enemy gunfire. The battle is recognized by historians as one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. For his unselfish acts of heroism, Doss was awarded America’s highest military distinction the Congressional Medal of Honor. Doss, a Private First Class at the time of the Battle of Okinawa, is presented as a devout Seventh-day Adventist, who holds firm to keeping the Sabbath, a vegetarian diet, and refusal to bear arms of any kind. He was maligned and physically abused by fellow recruits and ostracized by commanding officers who sought to drum him out of the Army.

Desmond Doss, who passed away ten years ago, was a devout member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Here is an interview of Desmond Doss.

http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.32978/mv0001001.stream?start=2062&clipid=d25083e237

VRG will be having its 35th pre-Thanksgiving vegan potluck on Sunday,
November 20th at 5 pm. The event is open to the public and is being held
in the Roland Park section of Baltimore City at the North Baltimore
Mennonite Church, 4615 Roland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21210. The cost is
$4 per adult (children can attend for free) plus a vegan dish that
serves 4 per adult in your party. We are also collecting canned veggie
food that will be distributed to those in need. Please share the
information with your friends!

Details on this event can be found here:
http://www.vrg.org/VeganThanksgivingPoster2016.htm

For Thanksgiving recipes, see
http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vegan_thanksgiving.php

VRG’s book VEGANS KNOW HOW TO PARTY makes a great holiday gift.
To purchase go to:
http://www.vrg.org/bookstore/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

Panera has a Featured Eat Well, Your Way Vegan Menu on its website where this restaurant chain’s working definition of “vegan” appears:

At Panera, [“vegan”] means no animal sources: no meat, fish, shellfish, milk, egg or honey products, and no enzymes and rennet from animal sources allowed.
https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/featured-menu/curated-menus.html#Vegan

Complete ingredient information is easily accessed under each item’s photo on Panera Bread’s website.

Sorbitan monostearate is an ingredient in Panera breads which is used in the production of the yeast in the breads. Since a part of this ingredient (i.e., the stearate) could be derived from tallow, we wanted to determine its origin. Panera told us in September 2016 that this ingredient is “vegetable-sourced.”
Here is a list compiled by The VRG of vegan bread products at Panera:

• Country
• Sourdough
• French Baguette
• Sea Salt Focaccia
• Ciabatta
• Sesame Semolina
• Rye

Sara Burnett, Director of Wellness and Food Policy at Panera Bread, confirmed that the dextrose in the French Baguette, Sea Salt Focaccia and Ciabatta “is wheat-based” (i.e., not derived from cane sugar).

Following are questions that The VRG asked Sara accompanied by her responses. The chain was
very helpful and willing to accommodate.

Q: Has the sugar and/or brown sugar in the following been filtered through cow bone char?
• Hoagie Roll
• Blueberry, Everything, Plain, and Sesame Bagels
• Steel Cut Oats with Apple Chips & Pecans
• Steel Cut Oats with Strawberries & Pecans
• White Balsamic With Apple-Flavored Vinaigrette in the Ancient Grain & Arugula Salad
• Roasted Tomato Sofrito Blend of the Modern Greek Salad with Quinoa
• Pickled red onions of the Greek Salad
• Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing of the Seasonal Greens Salad and in the Kid’s Seasonal Greens Salad

A: My understanding is that there are two types of sugar sources (beet and cane). The cane sugar producers still employ the use of bone char (natural charcoal) for filtering, while beet sugar producers do not use bone char. We source both cane and beet sugars for our menu, so we cannot guarantee for all instances the sugar used in all products from all vendors that the bone char (natural charcoal) method is not used. [VRG Note: Today, most, though not all American-processed cane sugar is whitened through a cow bone char filter.]

Looking at all of the bagels’ ingredients The VRG notes that with the exception of the Blueberry, Everything, Plain and Sesame Bagels, all of which contain sugar and/or brown sugar, all of the other bagels at Panera Bread contain dairy and/or honey.

The VRG also asked Sara several specific questions about certain menu options which could be made vegan if one or two components were left off. We wanted to determine if these dishes arrived pre-made at the restaurant or were prepared in-house such that certain components including dairy products and sugar especially in dressings or sauces could be left off. We inquired:

Q: May the Ancient Grain & Arugula Salad (specify “without chicken”) be ordered without the White Balsamic with Apple-Flavored Vinaigrette?
Q: May the Greek Salad and the Kids Greek Salad be ordered without the feta cheese? Without the pickled red onions?
Q: May the Seasonal Greens Salad and the Kids Seasonal Greens Salad be ordered without the Balsamic Vinaigrette?
Q: May the Modern Greek Salad with Quinoa be ordered without the roasted tomato sofrito blend and feta cheese?
Q: May the Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich be ordered without the crumb topping and feta cheese?
Q: May the cinnamon sugar topping be left off of the Steel Cut Oatmeal with Apple Chips & Pecans and the Steel Cut Oatmeal with Strawberries & Pecans?
A: We welcome order modifications to our menu items, including those you’ve suggested…

Q: May the Power Almond Quinoa Oatmeal be ordered without honey?
A: Yes. The honey is not included in the base recipe.

Q: Is cinnamon without added sugar available in-store for your oatmeal dishes?
A: Yes.

Q: Are almond and/or soy milk options for your smoothies? Can someone purchase a fruit smoothie with almond and/or soy milk only?
A: Yes. We have almond milk available in-cafe that can be requested in a fruit smoothie…The smoothies just have to be requested as “no yogurt; add almond milk.” The smoothie bases are all dairy-free…We introduced a carrot pineapple smoothie this fall that is vegan.

Q: Is the natural flavor in the White Balsamic with Apple-Flavored Vinaigrette in the Ancient Grain & Arugula Salad all-vegetable?
A: Yes, [the natural flavor is] all-vegetable.

Q: Are the natural flavors in the smoothies, blueberry bagel and in the Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich from all-vegetable sources?
A: Natural flavors are all from botanical sources.

Q: Do you offer a non-dairy cream cheese spread for the bagels?
A: As for the non-dairy, we offer peanut butter and preserves in cafe upon request. We do not have a non-dairy “cream-cheese like” spread.

Q: On your Panera Kids Menu there is a peanut butter & jelly sandwich served on Classic White Bread which contains milk. Can a non-dairy bread be substituted?
A: All of our sandwiches can be made on any other bread on the menu.
On the vegan menu page of the Panera website appears the following disclaimer:

All items are prepared in the same kitchen area where non-vegan products are prepared. We can prepare your order as you would like it to be; however, we cannot guarantee there will be no cross-contact between our ingredients.
Panera’s Director of Wellness and Food Policy provided more detail about their kitchen protocol:
We portion all our meats in the same area as fruits/vegetables; however our practice is to wash surfaces and equipment in between the different ingredients being prepped. We store meat and plant ingredients on our lines side by side, however we do our best to prevent any cross contact between any and all ingredients. Similar to allergens, if a guest is highly concerned about preparation, they should ask to speak to a manager who can do their best to address the guest’s concerns.

Readers may also be interested to know about Panera Bread’s No No List: https://www.panerabread.com/content/dam/panerabread/documents/panera-no-no-list-05-2015.pdf

Glycerides, which could be animal-derived, will be permanently removed from Panera’s menu by the end of 2016. Several animal ingredients also appear on this list but are not currently in any menu items. These are carmine/cochineal, lard and L-cysteine. Panera states that its list is not exhaustive.

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.

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

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

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group research, donate at www.vrg.org/donate
Or join at http://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

VRG has compiled a list of vegan recipes that you can prepare and add to your Thanksgiving spread. Recipes include:

LEMONY LENTILS WITH PUMPKIN (see: http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vjpumpkin.htm)
CREOLE PATTYPAN SQUASH (found here: http://www.vrg.org/recipes/squash.htm)
KOREAN BARBECUED TOFURKY (found here: http://www.vrg.org/recipes/tofurky.htm)
FRUITED BREAD STUFFING (visit: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj97nov/97bstuff.htm)
MASHED POTATOES AND MUSHROOM GRAVY (see: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj98jan/981vegan.htm)
CRANBERRY-APPLE COBBLER (visit: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2000nov/2000novcranberry.htm)

To see many more recipes, visit:
http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vegan_thanksgiving.php

According to CBS NEWS, Under the U.S. Food Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, food companies must identify major allergens if that food is an intended ingredient. These foods include wheat, egg, milk, peanuts, fish, shellfish, soy and tree nuts.

CBS states, “However, if food is produced on shared equipment, there’s still a risk that some trace of an allergen may be in the product. As a result, food makers began adding what is known as precautionary allergen labels. They state that a product “may contain” a specific allergen or that a food is “manufactured in a facility” that has products containing a specific allergen.
Those precautionary labels are voluntary, both in the United States and Canada…”

In a survey, however, about half of the respondents thought those precautionary labels were required by law. See: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-confusing-state-of-food-allergy-labels/

By Casey Brown

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to volunteer with The VRG at DC Vegfest. This is an annual event that is organized by Compassion Over Killing. Every year it includes various speakers, restaurants, non-profit organizations, and commercial businesses. This year the event featured speaker and vegan body-builder, Torre Washington, a cooking demonstration by Land of Kush, a Kids Zone with games, yoga, and a child nutritionist, and over 150 vendors like Vegan Treats and Dr. Bronner’s. It is a very popular event with over 15,000 estimated visitors throughout the day!

Many people at the event were either vegans/vegetarians or they were interested in making the transition, and they were all excited to receive many of The Vegetarian Resource Group’s resources. Our Vegetarian Journal was very popular since everyone was interested in receiving more information and vegan recipes that they could try! Our journals are packed with product and book reviews, delicious recipes, health information from our vegan dietitian, and much more! VRG’s “My Vegan Plate” handout and “Heart Healthy Eating Tips” were also popular among the crowd. These resources are great for both vegans and aspiring vegans hoping to improve their diet. The guides provide practical tips to help people learn how to cook, shop, and plan their diets better, so they can eat healthier. Our “Vegan Diets in a Nutshell” brochures are always popular since they provide detailed information for aspiring vegans and they simplify the information, making the transition easier for everyone! These brochures describe the typical foods that vegans eat and the common nutrients that people are concerned about when making the transition. Among the children, our coloring books were very popular, and many kids walked away from our booth with a huge smile on their face and they couldn’t wait to get home so they could color! The Kids Zone also had copies of our coloring books for the kids to use while they were there.

DC Vegfest is always a huge festival, and it was really exciting to walk around and see so many people at the event with VRG’s resources and reading copies of our Vegetarian Journal while they were waiting in long lines for food! I am looking forward to the event next year and to The Vegetarian Resource Group’s annual Pre-Thanksgiving potluck this coming Sunday. Information for the potluck can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/VeganThanksgivingPoster2016.htm!

To volunteer to help at VRG booths, contact Brigette at [email protected]

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

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

Medline Plus (National Institutes of Health)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Information Center: Human Nutrition and Food Safety https://www.nal.usda.gov/human-nutrition-and-food-safety

Centers for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/

National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/

Oregon State University Micronutrient Information Center
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic

Dietary Guidelines for Americans https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/

Foods (FDA) http://www.fda.gov/Food/default.htm

Food Safety Information http://www.foodsafety.gov/

Office of Dietary Supplements (NIH)
https://ods.od.nih.gov/

Child Nutrition Programs (USDA) https://www.fns.usda.gov/schoolmeals

USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory
http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=80-40-05-25

Economic Research Service (USDA) Food Choices and Health
http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-choices-health.aspx

Vegan and Vegetarian Nutrition Research: 35 Years of Changes and What to Expect for the Next 35 (September 14, 2017)
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2017/09/14/vegan-and-vegetarian-nutrition-research-35-years-of-changes-and-what-to-expect-for-the-next-35/

And also visit www.vrg.org

From a student:

I’ve made a survey for those who have worked in the food service industry as vegetarians and the unique outlook on the industry from that stand point. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WB8W3NB

Thank you.

Like No Udder (a Vegan Ice Cream Shop in Providence Rhode Island) is donating 10% of their ice cream sales to The Vegetarian Resource Group on Thursday November 10, 2016. They are located at 170 Ives Street in Providence, RI and are open 1-9 pm that day. Their ice cream is handmade mostly from organic ingredients and they offer both hard and soft serve ice cream, toppings, shakes, floats, and more. Thank you Like No Udder for your support!

For information on Like No Udder, visit their website: http://like-no-udder.com/

Field Roast offers three different options:

1. Celebration Roast with Traditional Bread Stuffing and Gravy – made with fresh onions, celery, cranberries and butternut squash. (product sheet)
2. Hazelnut Cranberry Roast en Croute – a rich, hazelnut-infused grain meat stuffed with Field Roast sausages, crystallized ginger, cranberries and apples – wrapped in a savory puff pastry. (product sheet) It’s even Toaster Oven friendly!
3. Smokey Forager’s Roast – mushrooms, wild huckleberries, and rice stuffing wrapped in a rich smokey tomato grain meat seasoned with spices. (product sheet)

Hilary’s is offering an exclusive Holiday Stuffing. It is vegan and gluten-free. The ingredients include a blend of organic millet, leafy greens and hemp seeds together with celery, apple, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme See http://www.hilaryseatwell.com/products/holiday-stuffing/

Tofurky offers Tofurky Roast and Gravy. The Roast includes stuffing. For details see: http://www.tofurky.com/what-we-make/holiday/feast/

Gardein sells a Savory Stuffed ‘Turkey,’ a Holiday Roast, and Turk’y Cutlet. For more information see: www.gardein.com

Vegetarian Plus offers a Vegan Whole Turk’y with Gravy and Stuffing. For details see: http://vegetarian-plus.com/product/all-natural-vegan-whole-turkey/