By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

Available only in Canada, Santa Fe and Mediterranean Signature McWraps® debuted in late August 2013. The VRG spoke with Ontario Customer Relations Specialist Diana in September 2013 to find out more information about the new wraps. We were told that both wraps can be made to order without milk- and egg-containing components such as the cheeses and sauces. All of the components’ ingredients are listed on McDonald’s Canada website: http://www1.mcdonalds.ca/NutritionCalculator/IngredientFactsEN.pdf

Santa Fe Signature McWrap®
As stated on the McDonald’s Canada website, the Santa Fe McWrap® is made with “…tomatoes, red onions, shredded lettuce, fire roasted corn & black beans, with crispy tortilla strips. Topped with Monterey and cheddar cheese, with chili lime glaze and southwest sauce – all wrapped in a warm whole wheat soft-shell tortilla.”

We learned that the black beans do not contain meat or animal-based flavors. (In the Ingredient Facts document, the beans are listed under the entry for “Southwest Salad Vegetable Blend.”) The Monterey and cheddar cheeses are made with microbial enzymes. The chili lime glaze is listed as containing plant-based natural flavors and appears all-vegetable from the website Ingredients Facts document. Also from that listing, the southwest sauce contains “frozen egg yolk.”

Diana called us back within thirty-six hours of our initial conversation with answers to more of our questions about the McWraps®. Regarding the McWraps®, she stated that: (1) “The ‘flavoring preparation’ in the whole wheat tortilla is not animal-based”; and (2) “The natural flavor in the chili lime tri-colored tortilla strips is not animal-sourced.” The tortilla is listed in the Ingredient Facts document as containing monoglycerides of an unspecified source. The tortilla dough conditioner ingredients do not include L-cysteine.

Mediterranean Signature McWrap®
The McDonald’s Canada website states that the Mediterranean McWrap® contains “…tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, shredded lettuce and feta cheese, topped with roasted garlic hummus and feta sauce, all wrapped in a warm whole wheat soft-shell tortilla.” The Ingredients Facts document lists this menu item as containing “Lemon Crispy Onions” as well. Customer Relations Specialist Diana confirmed this.

According to the website’s Ingredients Facts document, it appears that the hummus is all-vegetable. The Lemon Crispy Onions in the Mediterranean McWrap® are listed as containing natural flavors of an unspecified source.

Customer Relations Specialist Diana told us in her call back to us that the feta cheese crumbles and the feta in the Mediterranean sauce contain “lipase that is animal-based.” On the Ingredients Facts document, the Mediterranean sauce is also listed as containing “frozen egg yolk.”The McDonald’s Canada website contains a FAQ page which states that there are thousands of consumer questions on it along with responses from McDonald’s Canada. http://yourquestions.mcdonalds.ca/ The page lists inquirers’ locations and often shows their thumbnail photos. There is a search function on this page for easy information retrieval. Many questions are specific to certain menu items but several are quite general (and candid) about McDonald’s Canada policy on a wide range of food topics. There are questions related to vegetarian and vegan issues.

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 judgrment about whether a product is suitable for you. Further research or confirmation may be warranted.

Fast food and quick service chain ingredient and menu item updates are located here: http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

Reviewed by Debra Wasserman

What I like about this book is that instructions are given for both outdoor and indoor grills. Apartment dwellers can enjoy grilled vegan cuisine, too!

Chapter 1 offers helpful information for those that are new to grilling. The last chapter of the book includes recipes for marinades and other condiments.

Next, dive into all the wonderful recipes. Starters include Roasted Garlic, Cajun Mushrooms, Stuffed Jalapeño Chiles, and Grilled Baby Artichokes. You can prepare side dishes including Mexican Slaw, Ethiopian Bean Skillet, or Asian Sesame Noodles.

Be sure to move on to Soups and Sandwiches including Roasted Corn Chowder and Teriyaki Portobello Burgers. Some main dishes offered are Red-Eye Tofu Steaks, Seitan Ribz, Quinoa-Stuffed Poblanos, Broccoli and Cheeze Calzones, and Porcini and Sausage Paella.

Finally, don’t forget to prepare dessert over a grill. Enjoy Maple-Glazed Grapefruit or Pineapple and Pomegranate Couscous Cakes.

Grills Gone Vegan (ISBN 978-1-57067-290-3) is a 188-page book. It is published by Book Publishing Company. You can purchase this book from our online catalog here.

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Rice milk is a popular plant milk, with usage ranking below soymilk and almond milk but ahead of other plant milks. Rice milk is the most common grain-based plant milk. Other grains used commercially to make milks include oats, quinoa, and a mixture of 7 grains. Grain milks are similar, from a calorie standpoint, to almond milk with 45 to 160 calories in an 8-ounce serving. As is true for other milks, flavored milks (vanilla, chocolate, carob, for example) will have more calories than unsweetened or original milks. Rice milk provides little protein and is typically lower in sodium than almond milk. Rice milk’s consistency is often thinner than soymilk or almond milk. Oat milk and 7-grain milk are higher in protein than rice milk but do not have as much protein as soymilk. Most grain milks have vitamin D, calcium, and vitamin B12 added although some products are not enriched and not all contain vitamin B12. If you’re relying on plant milks as a source of vitamin B12, be sure to check the product label.

Brown rice is the base for all brands of rice milk that we found. Pacific Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods 365 brand are made with organic rice. Some varieties of Rice Dream are organic – this is indicated on the package. Pacific oat milks are organic as are their 7-grain milks and Dream Blends’ products. An upcoming issue of Vegetarian Journal will have more details about grain milks.

To find out more about grain milks from Dream Blends, Pacific, Rice Dream, 365 brand, and Trader Joe’s, take a look at this chart:
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/milk_alternatives/grain_milks_table.pdf

You may also be interested in information on Nut and Seed Milks: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/milk_alternatives/nut_and_seed_milk_table.pdf

Thanks to VRG interns Candice Kalinski and Gabrielle Rapsis for helping to collect product information.

Please join us for a vegan networking dinner during the annual meeting of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics! The restaurant is walking distance to the Convention Center. VRG’s Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels and VRG staff will participate in a discussion. Reserve your space by September 8th.

WHERE
Café Th
2108 Pease Street
Houston, TX 77003

WHEN
Sunday, October 20, 2013, 6 PM

MENU
Spring rolls with tofu
Vegetable Noodle Soup with rice noodles, tofu, and vegetables including squash, portabello mushrooms, and bok choy
Yellow Curry with cauliflower, green beans, carrots, and potatoes
Vermicelli with Lemongrass
Stir-Fried Tofu with tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers
Rice
Tea

Cost: $25 per person. Includes tax and tip.

Menu subject to change. Please reserve by September 8th to make sure you’ll have a seat. Space is limited. Please send $25 to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203. Or pay online at www.vrg.org/donate and write in Th Dinner and the attendees’ names in the comments. Or call (410) 366-8343 between 9 AM and 5 PM Eastern time, Monday to Friday to pay with a Visa or MasterCard. Refunds only if we can replace your seat.

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

The Country’s Best Yogurt (TCBY) recently announced the debut of its newest frozen yogurt formulated with Silk® Chocolate Almondmilk (http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/8/prweb11007934.htm). The dairy-free frozen dessert was automatically shipped for a 12-week run to all full-service TCBY locations (approximately 250 stores) and is available as an optional item to the over one hundred other TCBY locations co-branded with other food chains such as Subway or Blimpie.

In a few days after its arrival in TCBY stores across the United States, Silk® Chocolate Almond already had sold out in many locations according to a TCBY Retail Customer Service Specialist. “It sold out much more quickly than predicted…[More Silk® Chocolate Almond] is being made and should arrive in stores in two weeks,” The VRG was told by phone in mid-August 2013.

We also learned from TCBY that Silk® Chocolate Almond “should become a core item” at all locations. Other flavors of the almondmilk frozen yogurt will most likely follow.

Silk® Chocolate Almond is 98% fat-free as well as dairy-free. Its ingredient list reads:

Almond Milk (Filtered Water, Almonds), Sugar, Polydextrose, Tapioca Maltodextrin, Corn Syrup, Dextrose, Dutched Cocoa (Cocoa processed with alkali), Locust Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Pure Vanilla Extract (Water, Ethyl Alcohol, Vanilla Bean Extractives), Sunflower Lecithin, Salt, Calcium Carbonate. Contains the following live active cultures: S.thermophilis, B. lactis, L. acidophilus, L. lactis, L. casei, L. rhamnosus, L. bulgaricus

Silk® Chocolate Almond nutrition facts:

Calories: 110; Calories From Fat: 15; Total Fat: 1.5g; Saturated Fat: 0g; Trans Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 40mg; Total Carbohydrates:
28g; Dietary Fiber: 5g; Sugars: 16g; Protein: 1g

A TCBY employee told The VRG that “TCBY adds sugar and corn syrup to Silk’s® almondmilk to make Silk® Chocolate Almond frozen yogurt.”

Silk’s® ingredient statement for its Dark Chocolate Almondmilk appears on its website http://silk.com/products/dark-chocolate-almondmilk:

Almondmilk (Filtered Water, Almonds), Cane Sugar, Cocoa (Dutch Process), Sea Salt, Natural Flavor, Locust Bean Gum, Sunflower Lecithin, Gellan Gum.

Stated on the Silk® website, its Dark Chocolate Almondmilk is “free of dairy, soy, lactose, gluten, casein, [and] egg.”

According to a TCBY press release, TCBY and Silk® are celebrating their partnership in creating Silk® Chocolate Almond with “The Perfect Match” campaign on social media. More information is available on the TCBY website: http://www.tcby.com/

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.

More fast food information can be found at http://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php.

These vegan restaurants were recently added to our online restaurant guide. To find restaurants in your area, visit: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php.

Grasslands
http://www.grasslands.to/
478 Queen St., W., Toronto, ON M5V 2B4
(416) 504-5127
Vegan/contemporary. Grasslands, near the heart of Toronto, is an upscale restaurant that offers elegant dining and all-vegan cuisine. The menu is small but creative with dishes like Mustard Crusted Tempeh, Seitan Roast, and Skewers (with tempeh, tofu, and market vegetables). Reservations are accepted. Open Tuesday through Sunday for dinner. Closed Monday. Full service, wine/beer/alcohol, VISA/MC, $$-$$$.

Love Shack
http://www.loveshackmemphis.com/
2886 Walnut Grove Rd., Memphis, TN 38111
(901) 323-2288
Vegan/juice bar. This small juice and smoothie bar is Memphis’ only vegan drive-thru, offering a wide array of juices, smoothies, lattes, and homemade baked goods. Try the Pomme Carrote Cannele which is a fruit cider containing apple, carrot, lemon, and cinnamon. Choose from a variety of smoothies including the Avocet-Lait which is a blended avocado shake with coconut, coconut milk, pineapple, stevia, and lime. Outdoor seating is available. Open Monday through Saturday. Closed Sunday. Counter service, take-out, fresh juices, smoothies, espresso/cappuccino, soymilk, VISA/MC/AMEX, $.

My Nature
http://www.mynatureocmd.com/
1301 Atlantic Ave., Ocean City, MD 21842
(410) 289-1808
Vegan/raw foods/organic. Vegan options in Ocean City are no longer limited to fries and salads! Come to this raw oasis to try a variety of raw/vegan salad bar options including mashed cauliflower “egg” salad, raspberry crepes, lentil burgers, and more. Save room for a shot of wheatgrass or a banana split with almond crumbles. My Nature also doubles as a bookstore and indoor garden – many ingredients used in the entrées are grown in the store! This eatery is located on the boardwalk, beneath the Phillips Beach Plaza Hotel on 13th Street. Open daily for three meals. Counter service, take-out, catering, fresh juices, soymilk, VISA/MC/DISC, $$.

Upton’s Breakroom
http://www.uptonsnaturals.com/breakroom/
2054 W. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60612
(312) 666-7838
Vegan/café. Upton’s Breakroom is an all-vegan café in West Town. Menu items are inexpensive and tasty. Try their Tempeh Sandwich, Fried Bacon Mac, Pastrami Sandwich, or BLT — everything is vegan! The café is attached to Upton’s Naturals factory; they manufacture seitan products. Open daily for three meals. Counter service, take-out, VISA/MC, $.

Vegan Paradice
http://www.veganparadice.com/
846 Texas St., Fairfield, CA 94533
(707) 428-0110
Vegan/natural foods. Vegan Paradice offers delicious, homemade, and creative vegan meals. Some of their unique menu items include the Sausagy Cheez Sandwich, Terrific Tofu Burger, and Surprise Me! Chili Dog. This gourmet café prepares their food thoughtfully with the freshest of ingredients. Vegan Paradice is a locally-owned, husband and wife family business. Outdoor seating is available. Open Sunday through Thursday for lunch. Closed Friday and Saturday. Counter service, take-out, delivery, catering, VISA/MC/AMEX/DISC, $.

By Priscilla Soto Vargas

This event took place in Wheaton, Maryland, where there is a large Hispanic community. Since this was a Salvadorian festival, the majority of the event attendees were from El Salvador. However, we talked to people from Honduras, Mexico, India, the United States, etc. Thank you to Annabelle (Cuban background) who connected us with Alexandra, a nutrition student in El Salvador, who sent us El Salvadorian recipes to hand out. This is truly an international world.

This experience was different from the previous outreach booth I did due to the fact that the Spanish language was heavily used. Therefore, Karen (Mexican background), Laura, and I were able to apply our language skills with those who were interested in obtaining more information about vegetarianism. At the same time, we were exposed to Salvadorian food, drinks, desserts, crafts, as well as live music.

Some people at the festival seemed unaware of vegetarianism; others came to us and proudly mentioned that they didn’t eat meat. One lady came with her eight-year-old daughter and said to me, “We don’t eat any meat at our house, and I would like to buy a book with new recipes in English because it helps my kids improve their reading skills.” I personally thought that was a great way to bond with your children while they learn to read and cook.

Being a native of Costa Rica, I understand that Hispanics can be shy and sometimes feel intimidated to ask questions, especially when they have to speak English. Therefore, I am sure they liked the fact that we spoke their native language, and also that we offered the Vegetarian Journal to them.

Hispanic families tend to be very united. At this event I observed that parents, grandparents, and children were present enjoying the Salvadorian Festival to the fullest. We handed out plenty of our Spanish vegetarian coloring booklets to children. It truly put a smile on their faces.

This was a great experience for us since it gave us the chance to observe, interact, and learn from a different culture.

If you would like to volunteer at VRG booths, please contact Soren at [email protected].

If you would like to donate towards vegetarian outreach, please donate at http://www.vrg.org/donate

Are you a high school student graduating in 2014? Don’t forget about our annual college scholarship!

Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, each year we give two awards of $5000 in college scholarship money to graduating U.S. high school students who have promoted vegetarianism in their schools and/or communities. For more information and to apply: see
http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm.

To see a video on Kitty Jones, a previous Vegetarian Resource Group scholarship winner, visit:
http://www.girlwholovedanimals.com/girlwholovedanimals/index.html

If you are a federal government employee, you can support The Vegetarian Resource Group through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). Look for us under Health & Medical Research Charities of America.

Please also remember VRG in other workplace fund drives, matching gifts, etc.!

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Coconut milk seems to be the new darling of the plant milk world. With a mild flavor and relatively few calories, coconut milk can be used to replace other plant milks in recipes or as a beverage. Note that we’re talking about aseptically packaged or refrigerated varieties rather than canned coconut milk. Beverages like So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage and Silk Pure Coconut are based on coconut cream with water added so that they are lower in calories and fat. The coconut milks that we’re referring to have 100 calories or less per cup (somewhat more in specialty flavors) compared to over 400 calories in a cup of canned coconut milk.

Coconut milk serves mainly as a source of calories, fat, and carbohydrate. Some vitamins and minerals may be added. Coconut milk is not nutritionally equivalent to soymilk (or cow’s milk) and would not be a good choice as a main beverage for someone with higher protein needs unless they are meeting their protein needs from other foods.

We were able to find close to 20 different varieties of coconut milk on grocery aisles and in the refrigerated section of grocery stores. Look for more information about coconut milks and other plant milks in an upcoming issue of Vegetarian Journal.

To see detailed information about the nutritional content and ingredients in coconut milk from Dream Blends, Silk, So Delicious, and Trader Joe’s, take a look at this chart: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/milk_alternatives/coconut_milks_table.pdf

Thanks to VRG interns Candice Kalinski and Gabrielle Rapsis for helping to collect product information.

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