By Casey Brown, VRG intern

Taking Action for Animals (TAFA) is an animal rights conference presented by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). This is a unique conference that allows people to learn effective strategies for animal advocacy. It was held June 17-June 20, 2016, and throughout the weekend various workshops, sessions, and lobbying opportunities were offered. This event included speakers Wayne Pacelle, the President and CEO of HSUS; David Carter, the 300-Pound Vegan; and Dr. Michael Gregor, the author of How Not to Die.

As an intern with The VRG, I was able to volunteer at the conference to share our resources with the community. Many people who visited the conference were interested in cooking and eating more plant-based foods. They were eager for recipes and information pertaining to a vegan lifestyle. We were able to provide them with many of our resources including our Vegetarian Journal, recipe books, and brochures addressing the environmental benefits to a plant-based diet, nutritional aspects to veganism, and much more. It was inspiring to hear everyone’s stories during the conference. We spoke with a man from South Africa who bonded with his young niece through nature, and he was looking forward to sharing resources with her to show her the connection between nature and food. There were multiple people that were looking for resources they could take home to share with others. People wanted copies of The VRG Journal to put in their break rooms at work, coloring books to share with their students, and any additional resources to carry around and share with people they meet throughout the day. It was inspiring to see the changes and initiatives people are taking in order to spread the lifestyle throughout the world, and it is exciting to be a part of this movement. Overall, this was a fun event, and it was a great opportunity to educate the community and interact with other organizations.

To volunteer at VRG booths or in other ways, contact Brigette at [email protected]

To support VRG outreach, donate at www.vrg.org/donate

Many readers have told us how wonderful the Ben and Jerry’s new vegan ice cream is. Two members told us that they took a factory tour and had great vegan ice cream afterwards. For those of us who have been vegan for decades, how amazing that now you can take your kids or grandchildren here.

Ben and Jerry’s Factor Tours

Raven wrote in response to this previous Vegetarian Resource Group blog/Faceook posting:
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2015/05/19/being-vegan-at-a-theme-park/

I had a great experience at Universal Orlando with vegan food. Better than Disney, which I didn’t expect. Disney was still good. But I found everyone at Universal going above and beyond to accommodate me. It was so sweet and appreciated. Amazing staff!

Hard Rock Cafe made me a veggie fajita and the manager answered all of my questions, she let me know the fries were fried with the meat. At the 3 broomsticks in Hogsmeade I was able to get a completely vegan meal and everyone was very nice about helping to accommodate me. The pumpkin juice at each cart is veggie (if you eat sugar). Moes has burritos that are vegan, they have tofu and veggies. This location doesn’t offer the free chips and salsa like other Moe’s locations. Check their website for all the ingredients list and their FAQ uses the term “vegan” so the company gets it.

I went to one of the Irish restaurants (Finnegan’s maybe?) with my family and I couldn’t eat anything on the menu, so the chef came out and offered to make me a salad with potatoes (cooked in oil) served with oil and vinegar dressing (which I really enjoy, but others may find bland). Mythos restaurant made me a vegan risotto that was delicious! Probably my favorite meal. My hotel was very sparse. At Cabana Bay I only ate salads with oil and vinegar (I think?). Because we had a car I also went to a grocery store and bought non-perishable snacks, so I had some fruit and a protein bar every morning. There may have been more; I just can’t remember though. I know we went to Buba Gump (which if I was with other vegans I would normally just avoid cause duh! fish is in everything) and they tried very hard to find vegan food. I think they offered a salad with veggies, and I passed and ate at Moe’s again instead. It wasn’t nearly as hard as I imagined it would be. I went in August of 2015.

Sunday, October 16, 2016, 6 PM

The Vegetarian Resource Group will host a vegan Thai dinner at My Thai Vegan Café in Boston on Sunday, October 16, 2016 during the
annual meeting of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Meet VRG advisors Reed Mangels PhD RD, Catherine Conway MS RD, Debra Wasserman, and vegetarian dietitians from around the country. All are welcome.

MENU:
Tom Kha, Thai Coconut Soup with tofu
Thai Mango Salad
Nam Prik Kaeng Kari with tofu (Yellow Curry) and brown rice
Pad See Ew. Wide rice noodles with Chinese broccoli and vegan gluten.
Fruit cocktail for dessert or other fruit
Tea and cold water

This will be a plated sit down dinner.

TO RESERVE: Send $30 person (includes tax and tip) (Under eight is half
price) with names of attendees to The Vegetarian Resource Group,
P.O. Box 1463,
Baltimore, MD 21203.
Call (410) 366-8343.

You can also pay at www.vrg.org/donate and write Boston Dinner in the Comments. Refunds after September 30th only if your seat can be replaced.

Hope to see you there!

By Sasha Keenan

Since 1983, The Chicago Diner has been Chicagoland’s 100% vegetarian comfort food hub, serving up vegan shakes and juicy plant-based burgers. All menu items are vegan or can be made vegan, and many menu items are available gluten free.

The first thing I noticed when I walked into The Chicago Diner was the stylish yet grungy ambiance. With brick walls, dim lighting, and a giant red marquee that reads ‘Meat free since ‘83,’ it was obvious to me that I had found myself in a hipster haven. Every customer looked relaxed and happy with giant plates of mouthwatering food in front of them.

My waitress was bubbly and helpful, and it was clear to me that she knew the menu well. Since I had a tough time narrowing my options down because everything sounded delicious, she was happy to give me a few recommendations. I ended up ordering a strawberry milkshake, Cajun black bean burger, and a cinnamon roll.

The vegan milkshake with soy based ice cream came out within five minutes in an old fashioned soda fountain glass topped with non-dairy whipped cream and a cherry. I was thrilled to find it tasted as good as it looked, if not better. It wasn’t overly sweet and tasted like fresh strawberries as opposed to strawberry syrup. Although I tried my best to enjoy the milkshake slowly, I would be lying if I didn’t admit it was gone within minutes.

My burger was ready within 15 minutes, and was also an impressive sight: a crispy black bean patty topped with onion, mushrooms, spinach, tomato, jalapenos, (vegan) “cheddar,” and creole mustard and paired with waffle fries. While the burger was not reminiscent of a meat product like some of the other menu items are intended to be, it brought together a perfect combination of flavors and textures.

I certainly saved the best for last. I’ve always loved vegan cinnamon rolls, and Chicago Diner blew me away with theirs. First of all, it was giant, but I’m not complaining because that meant I was able to bring some home for later. The outside was slightly crispy, the inside irresistibly gooey and flavorful, the whole roll slathered with creamy frosting. The leftovers tasted just as good.

My meal was on the pricier side, but I did order a lot of food. Overall, The Chicago Diner’s prices are reasonable considering the quality and portion sizes they offer. While The Chicago Diner is the perfect place for herbivores to indulge, even meat-eaters would be thoroughly impressed by this gem of a restaurant.

For more info on The Chicago Diner, see http://www.veggiediner.com/

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

Speaking of Vegan is a podcast covering all things vegan and has generated over 5,200 listens (some several hundred listens per episode, and growing!). They interview all sorts of movers and shakers in the vegan world, from leaders in the vegan movement, chefs, athletes, and authors, to entrepreneurs and animal rights activists.

They would love to continue to spread the vegan message and get the word out about their podcast.
See: www.speakingofvegan.com

We received a question from a reader about portable vegan foods they could carry and consume while doing endurance sports. Here is our response:

Hello Neil,
Thank you for contacting The Vegetarian Resource Group! We are happy to help with your inquiry about portable foods for endurance sports.

*In our July 1999 issue of The Vegetarian Journal, Heather Hedrick, MS, RD wrote a short article titled “Velo Ventures for Vegans” detailing meal plans for vegan cyclists. See:
http://www.vrg.org/athlete/VeloVenturesForVegans.pdf

*Dr. Enette Larson-Meyer, PhD, RD wrote a book called “Vegetarian Sports Nutrition.” There is a short review of the book on our blog, but I do recommend purchasing it so you can learn to customize your meal plans to your specific needs.

You can purchase the book through The Vegetarian Resource Group website here — http://www.vrg.org/bookstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=79

*Here are some links on our website that contain information for vegetarian athletes —
SPORTS NUTRITION GUIDELINES FOR THE VEGETARIAN
http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/athletes.htm

VEGAN BACKPACKING
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2013issue2/2013_issue2_vegan_backpacking.php

TEEN ATHLETES
http://www.vrg.org/teen/#athletes

A REVIEW OF VEGETARIAN SPORTS NUTRITION BY D. ENETTE LARSON-MEYER
http://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/06/29/review-of-vegetarian-sports-nutrition-by-d-enette-larson-meyer/

http://www.vrg.org/bookstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=79

*JAKE’S JERKY

Jake’s Naturals, a new natural foods company has recently introduced a new vegetarian jerky. Jake’s Authentic Smokehouse Vegetarian Jerky is made from organic ingredients and is vegan. For more information go to http://www.jakesjerky.cc
Other vegan Jerky’s:

PRIMAL SPIRIT FOODS – PRIMAL STRIPS MEATLESS VEGAN JERKY
http://www.primalspiritfoods.com/

TURTLE ISLAND TOFURKY JERKY
https://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Tofurky-Peppered-2-Ounce-Packages/dp/B000LKXRI6

VIANA ORGANIC VEGAN JUMBO SNACK SAUSAGE
http://thevegetariansite.com/cgi-bin/miva?Merchant2/merchant.mv+Screen=PROD&Store_Code=S&Product_Code=SnackSausage&Category_Code=meat+alternatives

STONEWALL’s JERQUEE
https://store.veganessentials.com/stonewalls-jerquee-p75.aspx

LOUISVILLE VEGAN JERKY
http://www.lvjco.com/

Please make a donation to The Vegetarian Resource Group by visiting www.vrg.org/donate. We are a non-profit organization so we rely on your support to provide free resources, complete research projects, and to do community outreach!
*DISCLAIMER: The contents of this email/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 consult a healthcare professional.*

There will be a wellness Festival this Saturday, July 9, 2016 at Hanlon Park, located at the corners of the 3300 Block of North Hilton St. and Liberty Heights Ave. in Baltimore, Maryland. The purpose of the event is to introduce the community to alternative, holistic, spiritual, and complimentary health and wellness practices http://phentermine-med.com that supports a healthier lifestyle. The focal point of the event is a meditative walk for Peace around the Ashburton Reservoir that is located at the center of the Park. We want everyone to walk and pray for peace in Baltimore City.

Contact:

Brenda Boyd, CAO
TuTTie’s Place
PH: 410.466.5373
[email protected]
www.tuttiesplace.org

Trifecta Nutrition delivers organic veggie meals to your home or office.

http://trifectanutrition.com/vrg

Use coupon code TRYVEGAN for 30% off your first order.

By Sierra Young

The Green Boheme, located in Roseville, California is the only raw vegan restaurant in a hundred mile radius. That being said, it has gone beyond exceeding my expectations for my first raw vegan restaurant experience. The venue, although small, was charmingly rustic. On Monday nights, chef and owner Brooke Preston hosts Dine & Demos where she explains the process of making the audience’s dinner and its nutritional value. The raw vegan meals are made with foods not exceeding 107 degrees Fahrenheit.

Everything is made with fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and seasonings that are organic, soy free, gluten free, grain free, and refined sugar free. The restaurant offers fresh pressed juices, smoothies, all day breakfast and lunch/dinner options, coffee, drinks, and desserts. I tried an enchilada with cashew cheese sauce and “sour cream” with a side of jicama rice and a nut and seed “bean” mix. The dehydrated corn wrap was stuffed with portobello mushrooms, avocado, and salsa. Its shocking resemblance to a typical enchilada astounded me. The meal is not what I pictured as a raw vegan enchilada.

As a fan of any restaurant that serves breakfast all day, I also tried the fruit stuffed, yogurt topped crepe. The “crepe” was also made with a dehydrator. Although the accuracy of the flavors was satisfying, my only concern was the lack of variety of fruits inside, as I only had strawberries and blueberries. I finished my meal with a chocolate pie. The chocolate mousse was so appetizing and the nut crust topped off the texture.

I am excited to return to my new favorite restaurant and try a matcha latte or a “BLT.” Check out the rest of their menu and more information on their website: http://thegreenboheme.com/

Vegan/vegetarian restaurants in the USA and Canada can be found at www.vrg.org/restaurants