Are you looking for ideas for replacing eggs in recipes, especially when baking? This article offers some egg substitute suggestions.

To replace one large egg, use approximately:

½ cup puréed or mashed very ripe banana
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
¼ cup puréed peaches
¼ cup prune purée (works very well with chocolate and carob products)
2 Tablespoons orange juice concentrate, plus 1 Tablespoon mashed banana
For more information, see: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2007issue2/2007_issue2_egg_replacers.php

Are you or someone you know raising a vegetarian or vegan child? If so, you may want to join a network of parents interested in exchanging ideas on various vegetarian/vegan topics including: finding a vegan summer camp, vegan dining options at Disney World, what can I pack in my child’s lunchbox, how have you and your child dealt with the dissection issue in school, can you recommend a veggie-friendly pediatrician or dietitian, is there a veggie children’s group in my area, etc.

For more information on this online Yahoo Group see: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/vrgparents/info

Did you know that the largest user of fresh water is the livestock industry?
Water is directly needed for drinking and cleaning of animals. And that’s a lot
of water when we’re talking about over 10 billion animals raised for food in
the United States alone every year. But the biggest way animal agriculture
consumes water is indirectly. A large amount of fresh water is used to grow
the feed that livestock animals eat. By comparison, it takes a lot less water
to grow the grains, beans, legumes, fruits, and vegetables that make up a typical vegetarian diet.

VRG’s “Save Our Water The Vegetarian Way” Brochure

Show your friends how eating a veggie diet saves water. Share this brochure:
http://www.vrg.org/environment/water_brochure.php

Enjoy articles including Vegan Dishes Without Added Oil, Salt, or Sugar, The I-Can’t-Chew Vegan Diet, Do Vegans and Vegetarians Stay Veggie?, Nutrition Hotline: Ways to Encourage Toddlers to Eat Vegetables, and Vegetarian Action: Mark Rifkin, Vegan Registered Dietitian.

See: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2014issue1/index.php

The Vegetarian Resource Group has just released a new and improved version of The Vegetarian Journal’s Food Service Update and made it available to the public online. This Food Service Update includes the “names and addresses of over 85 companies offering vegetarian food items in institutional sizes listed alphabetically and by subject.” This is undoubtedly an indispensable resource for food service providers who wish to include more vegetarian and/or vegan options for their patrons and for advocates of increased availability of vegetarian dishes everywhere! This guide includes basic foods like beans, breads and grains as well as specialty items such as faux meats and vegan cheeses. If you’ve ever wondered how to make providing vegetarian/vegan options easier for food providers at your job, church, university, retirement community or hospital or your children’s school, camp, or sports activity, this guide can provide them with resources that are going to make this change seem like a realistic and mutually beneficial one!

The Vegetarian Journal’s Food Service Update can be found both in HTML and PDF format at http://www.vrg.org/fsupdate/FSUProducts2014.php

By Jeanne Yacoubou
The Vegetarian Resource Group Research Director

Alternate names: calcium dichloride, E509
Commercial source: mineral
Used in: canned fruits and vegetables, canned beans, pickles,
confections, tofu, sports drinks, soft drinks, beer, certain dairy cheeses
Used for: firming, coagulating, sequestering (in foods); replacing
electrolytes (in beverages)
Definition: Besides several major industrial uses (deicing roads,
oil/gas well drilling) calcium chloride is most often used in foods to
keep them firm or in beverages to establish mineral balance.
Manufacturers:
Occidental Chemical Corporation told us by email that no “animal
products or animal by-products” are in their calcium chloride.
http://www.oxy.com/OurBusinesses/Chemicals/Products/Pages/CalciumChloride.aspx
TETRA Technologies, Inc. wrote to us that their calcium chloride is
“…not derived from animal content.”
http://www.tetrachemicals.com/Products/Calcium_Chloride/Liquid_Calcium_Chloride/FCC_Food_Grade.aqf
FBC Industries, Inc. wrote that their calcium chloride is not
animal-derived but from a “natural brine source.”
http://www.fbcindustries.com/Calcium_Chloride.aspx
Coalescentrum Inc. states that there is “…no animal ingredient in the
product itself nor in the manufacturing process.”
http://www.coalescentrum.com/index_files/Page604.htm
Classification: Vegan
Entry added: April 2014

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications,
including The 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 employees or company statements. Information
does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best
judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research
or confirmation may be warranted.

For additional ingredient information, visit
http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

By Yasmin Radbod
a former VRG Intern

Recently I spent eight lovely days in Sydney, Australia, mainly in Ultimo. I had no time to look up vegan options and did not know what to expect. When I first arrived I was bombarded with fast food chains, pubs, and endless coffee shops. My friend lives on Goold Street right off George Street in the heart of the city. University of Technology Sydney (UTS) has a giant campus in the area that makes for a young and lively feel alongside Darling Harbour, just a fifteen minute walk from the campus. George Street also has a free bus that goes from Sydney Harbour to UTS.

The harbours have many upscale dining options that have your average vegan items such as hummus, salads, fried vegetables, nuts and chips, and salsa at pubs. The best vegan options are found along the downtown area near UTS and Central Station train stop. Sydney has a large Chinese population and also many Chinese restaurants. As someone who lived in China for a year and has traveled since all over China, I can confidently say that Sydney has the most authentic Chinese food outside of China. The Chinese cuisine is more reasonably priced, too, and there are little restaurants specializing in different Chinese cuisine serving hot pot, dumplings, cold dishes, fried dishes, etc. I love hot pot and frequently ordered a large bowl of mixed vegetables with dried tofu for $11.50 AUD. It comes with rice and there is delicious hot chili sauce made fresh with vinegar and soy sauce available just like in China. The mixed vegetables include what you would find in China: different types of mushrooms, bean sprouts, various lettuces, and more. There was one small restaurant that had a sign advertising vegan braised eggplant dumplings, which I ended up eating four times in those eight days! One dumpling cost one dollar, which is cheaper than dumplings found in the actual Chinatown strip in Sydney. This place even served free oolong tea and authentic sauces.

Vegan braised eggplant dumplings

Walking down George Street towards The Notre Dame campus there is a small restaurant called Hari’s Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurant (157 Broadway, Ultimo). I spoke to one if the owners several times. He said although he thought there are few vegans in Sydney, there are many vegetarians. Australia does not have the name brand vegan options we have in The States like vegan cheese and mock meat companies. However, Hari’s makes their own vegan cheese from soy and their personal size vegan pizza is delicious.

Sydney has a lot of potential for more vegan options. It is a beautiful, safe and welcoming city with so many things to do.

Thanks to Yasmin Radbod (a former VRG intern) for contributing this information.

By Jay Lavine, MD

Based on manuscripts published as a book after his death (*The Emergence
of Ethical Man*, 2005), it turns out that the preeminent 20th century
Jewish scholar, the late Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, known to be a
rationalist and independent thinker, was a strong proponent of ethical
vegetarianism. He points out that the first rule in the Bible was that
“man, like animal,” should “live solely upon vegetables and fruits.” He
describes the Biblical attitude toward meat eating as being very
negative: “There is a distinct reluctance, almost an unwillingness, on
the part of Torah to grant man the privilege to consume meat. Man as an
animal-eater is looked at askance by the Torah. There are definitive
vegetarian tendencies in the Bible.”

He goes on to say that, when humans became corrupted before the Flood,
man “overreached himself, created a new demand, a sinful insistence upon
something which by right does not belong to him, namely, on life that is
equal to his, on flesh that is not different from his own…” A
concession was made to allow man to eat meat, at which time “the Torah
began to regulate the ‘murder’ of other lives, to restrict its
practice…” He points out that the Bible later describes the craving for
meat as a “lust, illicit demand.” He continues, “Animal hunters and
flesh-eaters are people that lust. Of course it is legalized,
approved. Yet it is classified as “ta’avah,” lust, repulsive and brutish.”

Unlike many religious leaders, he does not place humans in a separate
category from that of the other animals: “Particularly man and animals
are almost identical in their organic dynamics that is equated with
life, and there is no justifiable reason why one life should fall prey
to another.” He adds, “Not only human life, but life in general is
divine…” While not equating humans with non-human animals, he
nevertheless places all life, from plants to humans, on a continuum, and
he talks about the similarities among all of the higher animals,
including humans. For him, vegetarianism is not merely an unattainable
ideal but rather a goal that all should pursue.

More of Jay Lavine’s writings are at jewish-medicine.org

This time of year, sometimes nothing beats biting into a solid chocolate bunny or some other sugary confection. If this seems like something you’d enjoy, then join us for the run down of vegan friendly Easter candies and chocolates!

Amanda’s Own Confections
According to their website, every chocolate and candy Amanda’s Own Confections makes is vegan besides their jelly beans and marshmallow clusters, so pick out your favorite chocolate bunny or adorable Easter themed chocolate medallion and go to town!

Chocolate Decadence
All of Chocolate Decadence’s chocolates are dairy-free and vegan. Feeling fancy? Check out their “Gourmet Easter Basket” which includes a Pure Dark Chocolate Easter basket filled with 2 Chocolate-Covered Caramel Eggs, 2 Double-Chocolate Eggs, 1 Chocolate-Covered Coconut Ball, and 1 Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Ball.

Premium Chocolatiers
Premium Choclatiers offers a variety of Easter themed vegan candy including truffles and peanut butter filled rabbits but perhaps their most unique item is the white chocolate bunny rabbit lollipop.

Vegan White Chocolate Bunny Lollipop from Premium Chocolatiers

Sjaak’s Organic Chocolate
Among other Easter themed treats, Sjaak’s Organic Chocolate offers a giant tub of solid dark chocolate eggs wrapped prettily in spring colored foil. If that wasn’t enough, they also have a “peanut butter crunch” chocolate egg.

Vegan Essentials
Vegan Essentials not only offers the fleeting pleasure that comes with eating chocolate, they also offer adorable keepsakes. Booja Booja Hand-Painted Easter Egg Truffle Boxes come with 3 truffles in flavors such as Hazelnut Crunch, Toffee, Champagne, Espresso and Ginger as well as a beautiful hand painted wooden gift box.

Booja Booja Hand-Painted Easter Egg Truffle Boxes

Pangea
Pangea keeps it classic with vegan chocolate bunnies. You can choose either the “Divine Treasures” which include 5 miniature dark chocolate bunnies or the tried and true Tall Solid Dark Chocolate Easter Bunny.

Rose City Chocolatier
Rock City Chocolatier has a number of vegan offerings including fruit jellies, cordial cherries, chocolate peanut butter candies, chocolate bark and chocolate covered pretzels all clearly marked vegan!

Vegan Chocolate Sampler from Rose City Chocolates. Includes Vegan Dark Chocolate Nut Clusters and Barks, and Vegan Dark Chocolate covered pretzels

Interested in making your own homemade Easter “Eggs”? Check out this article from The Vegetarian Resource Group: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2010issue1/2010_issue1_matzo.php

Expected to be available for retail sale “in the first half of 2014”
according to David Hart Vice President of Marketing at Qualitas Health,
Ltd., manufacturer of Almega PL™, this microalgal-derived omega-3 fatty
acid is a pure form of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) without either of two
other omega-3 fatty acids important in human health present: alpha-linolenic
(ALA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Flaxseed and chia seed are abundant
sources of ALA. EPA and DHA are most abundant in certain fish, krill or
algal oils.

Currently Almega PL™ is available as a bulk ingredient to the dietary
supplement industry.

Almega PL™ comes from the micro-algae Nannochloropsis oculata. A study
conducted by Qualitas Health and published in the journal Lipids in Health
and Disease, concluded that Almega PLTM is a good source of EPA in humans (1).
Dr. Isaac Berzin, founder and CTO of Qualitas Health, observed that
Almega PLTM is an alternative to fish and krill for vegetarians.
The VRG asked the Vice President of Marketing at Qualitas Health the
following questions about Almega PL™ in March 2014. This is excerpted
from that exchange:

Q: How is your product different from other algal-derived omega-3s in
terms of the relative amounts of DHA and EPA?
A: Almega PL™ contains only EPA… The most common algal omega-3 on the
market contains only DHA in a triglyceride form.
Q: Do you have a comparison table of other algal omega-3s showing how
their DHA:EPA ratios compare to yours? If not, can you make a
qualitative comparison?

A: There are not too many vegetarian omega-3s on the market. Almega PL™
contains EPA; Life’s DHA™ (from DSM/Martek) contains only DHA; and there
is a new product from DSM containing both EPA and DHA, in general a 1:2
ratio, also in triglyceride form. There are a handful of other companies
looking to manufacture and market algal omega-3s, but to the best of our
knowledge, these are not at commercial scale.

Q: On your website it states that “Algae are fed carbon in order to
grow.” Is the carbon derived from cane sugar or corn?
A: Almega PL™ is grown in open ponds in the desert of West Texas. The
main energy input is sunlight and the carbon source for Almega PL™ is
[carbon dioxide] CO2. This CO2, a greenhouse gas, otherwise would be
released into the atmosphere. Instead, the algae perform photosynthesis
and turn the CO2 into oxygen. Other processes, like those used to
manufacture algal DHA, use sugar as the carbon source, and external
energy to maintain temperatures.

Qualitas Health also notes on its website:

Qualitas Health’s omega-3 supplements are extracted from a natural (not
genetically modified) strain of microalgae…Algae omega-3 oil does not in
any way deplete marine animal populations or threaten the delicate
eco-balance in our oceans. Our farm-grown algae grow in ponds on
non-arable lands, using local aquifer salt water only…The major energy
required to grow our algae is naturally available sunlight…Harvesting of
the algae is performed in a low-energy process without the use of toxic
chemicals, and the output harvest water is recycled back into the farm
activities…Our production process does not generate any harmful waste
products, and co-products are used in animal feed and biofuels
production for minimum waste.

Readers interested in finding out more about upcoming retail
availability of omega-3 products containing Almega PL™ can visit
www.almegapl.com.
Those interested in learning more about DSM’s vegetarian algal omega-3
products may visit:
http://www.dsm.com/markets/foodandbeverages/en_US/products/nutritional-lipids/life-dha.html
http://www.dsm.com/markets/foodandbeverages/en_US/products/nutritional-lipids/life-omega.html

1. Kagan ML, West AL, Zante C, Calder PC. Acute appearance of fatty
acids in human plasma–a comparative study between polar-lipid rich oil from the microalgae
Nannochloropsis oculata and krill oil in healthy young males.
Lipids Health Dis. 2013 Jul 15;12:102. . doi: 10.1186/1476-511X-12-102.

The contents of this article, our website, and our other publications,
including The 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 employees or company statements. Information
does change and mistakes are always possible. Please use your own best
judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research
or confirmation may be warranted.

For additional ingredient information, visit
http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

Researched by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director