By Aileen McGraw, VRG intern

Breakfast and lunch: the two ingredients behind brunch, a well-loved culinary hybrid. This sturdy, satisfying meal makes the morning wait worthwhile. A fusion of comfort food and morning and afternoon staples, brunch brings opportunity to mix flavors and classic dishes. Make comfort food compassionate with a vegan brunch – it’s definitely do-able! With resources found via VRG and well-honed creativity, a cruelty-free brunch tastes as delicious as ever.

In planning your mid-morning menu, draw inspiration from daily meals. What are favorite vegan breakfasts and lunches? Use pantry essentials like bagels, English muffins, oatmeal, and granola or branch out with dishes like Jamaican Gingerbread that bring together breakfast’s sweetness with the spicy kick of ginger and cloves. I love getting creative with classics like peanut butter; its saltiness allows me to give typically syrup-laden dishes like waffles new dimensions. Thinking back to childhood family gatherings, I remember fruit adding a light, vibrant taste to our coffee and cream dominated brunches. Begin and finish off a hearty meal with fresh fruit – there’s no better way to bridge the flavors of breakfast and lunch. Craft a seasonally unique brunch by visiting local farmer’s markets or grocery stores for in-season fruit.

From fruit selection to presentation, brunch caters to personal style. Be it continuing a tradition or starting a new adventure, try hosting a weekend late-morning brunch. Put on a lazy Sunday potluck and share the work and preparation; serve brunch buffet-style or design your own table settings; capture the brunch hour spirit with a theme like All-American Diner, Mexican-inspired ‘Huevos’ Rancheros or ‘Chicken’ Chilaquiles, or a protein power brunch.

Feeling adventurous? Explore close-by restaurants and cafés, using the VRG Restaurant Guide as a starting point! Fill up on vegetarian activist Marla Rose’s vegan brunch survey of her native Chicago, Vegan Brunch Options in Chicago, for ideas on how to approach your own city brunch-scape. Take breakfast-lunch delicacies to exotic heights and delve into the links found on VRG’s Bed & Breakfasts and Retreats.

Hungry for more inspiration? See below for articles and brunch recipes aimed to please any palate, sweet or savory. Read Jennifer McCann’s review of Vegan Lunch Box and peruse the VRG Bookstore to find brunch-friendly resources like Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz ($19.95).

Helpful VRG Articles and Links:
Not Just for Breakfast: Light Pancakes and Waffles
Vegetarian Journal 2009 Issue 1: A Relaxing Weekend Brunch
Vegetarian Journal 2004 Issue 1: Super Savory Breakfasts
Vegetarian Journal May/June 1998: Cereal – It’s Not Just for Breakfast Anymore!

VRG Brunch Recipes:
Cranberry Tea Punch
Tofu Scrambled ‘Eggs’
Smoky Scrambled Tofu
Apple ‘Sausage’ Stir Fry with Beans
Grits Italiano
Lemon Syrup
Oatmeal Pancakes
Strawberry Pancakes
Jamaican Gingerbread
Breakfast Banana Cake
Stovetop Rice Pudding
Breakfast Tofu Links
Potato Tofu Breakfast Hash for a Week
Whole Grain Vegan Quick Breads
Vegan Comfort Foods

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

Since January 2011, Yard House restaurants have offered gardein™, an all-vegetable, high-protein food developed by Garden Protein International, as an option in twenty-five menu items available at all of its locations in over a dozen states. Those interested may find a listing of locations at Yard House’s website: http://www.yardhouse.com/locations/

The VRG spoke with Carlito Jocson, executive chef and partner at Yard House, about their menu. Jocson emphasized that “Although Yard House is not a vegan restaurant, our gardein™ option provides everyone a chance to go meatless if they so desire while dining at Yard House and enjoying many of our signature dishes.”

On a page devoted to its gardein™ menu options, the Yard House website clearly states at the top (italics by Yard House):

“gardein™ is a chicken or beef substitute made from soy, wheat, pea proteins, vegetables and ancient grains. Yard House offers a variety of menu selections made with gardein™ that do not contain meat, fish, poultry, shellfish or product derived from these sources, but may contain dairy or eggs. Please note that Yard House is not a vegan environment as we share cooking surfaces, equipment, and storage areas with both animal and non-animal food products. Although we will make every effort to meet your dietary needs we cannot 100% assure there will be no cross contact.”

Jocson told The VRG that a “separate sautee pan is used to heat the pre-made gardein™ served at Yard House…the pan is sanitized between uses but is not exclusively used for gardein™ all the time. Anything charbroiled is prepared on a common surface…A common utensil sanitation bucket is changed every hour in the kitchen.”

At Yard House, a gardein™ option is available for the following appetizers: gardein™ Buffalo Wings (dressing contains dairy); gardein™ Firecracker Wings, and gardein™ Jerk Wings. Jocson pointed out to us that the firecracker sauce is mushroom-based, and does not contain oyster extract, as it often does at other restaurants and once did at Yard House before he reformulated it. The firecracker sauce contains honey. The gardein™ Jerk Wings come with a rum BBQ sauce that is made with a Worcestershire sauce containing anchovies.

Another Yard House appetizer that may appeal to vegetarians and vegans is the lettuce wrap filled with shiitake and portabella mushrooms. The wrap also contains other stir-fried ingredients: smoked tofu, pine nuts and green onions. There are three sauce choices for the wrap: the sweet chile sauce, the spicy peanut vinaigrette, and the firecracker sauce. All three contain honey.

Yard House signature entrées containing gardein™ rather than meat or chicken include: the gardein™ BBQ Chicken Pizza; gardein™ BBQ Chicken Salad; gardein™ Béarnaise Sliders; gardein™ Chicken Rice Bowl with Brown or Jasmine Rice; gardein™ Classic Sliders with Cheddar Cheese; gardein™ Fried Chicken Strips; gardein™ Mac and Cheese; gardein™ Orange Peel Chicken with Brown or Jasmine Rice; gardein™ Penne with Chicken; gardein™ Spicy Thai Chicken Pizza; and gardein™ Thai Chicken Noodle Salad with Spicy Thai Vinaigrette.

Among the entrées listed above, the two that are free of all animal ingredients are the gardein™ Chicken Rice Bowl and the gardein™ Orange Peel Chicken. The sauces or dressings for all of the other entrées contain dairy, egg, and/or honey. Jocson told The VRG that the pizza dough contains honey.

When The VRG inquired about the sources of enzymes used to make the cheeses included in many of their menu items, Yard House contacted all of their cheese suppliers. We learned that all of the mozzarella cheese on their pizzas is made with “microbial rennet.” Some of their other cheeses, notably the Parmesan, Pepper Jack, and Fontina, comes from suppliers who use animal rennet while other suppliers of these cheeses use microbial rennet. Because there are several suppliers, the restaurant cannot guarantee the source of the enzyme in the Parmesan, Pepper Jack, and Fontina cheeses. As of February 2012, one feta cheese supplier at Yard House uses animal rennet while another did not specify. Most Swiss cheese suppliers use microbial rennet but one supplier did not specify its enzyme source.

Yard House also offers gardein™ as an alternative to meat or chicken on many of its burgers and sandwiches. The multi-grain bun appears to be all-vegetable and does not list L-cysteine as an ingredient, but since suppliers may change, Jocson told us that Yard House cannot guarantee this. The otherwise all-vegetable onion poppy seed bun contains L-cysteine. The French Fries appear to be free of all animal ingredients. They are not fried separately from animal-based menu items.

Among the “snacks” on the menu, patrons looking for options free of all animal ingredients should note that the hummus and accompanying pita or flatbread appear free of all animal products. Chilled edamame is also free of animal ingredients. Yard House guacamole contains dairy. The Truffle Fries contain milk. The Sweet Potato Fries are all-vegetable (without the dipping sauce). They are not fried separately from animal-based foods.

Yard House’s French Onion Soup is made with beef and chicken broth. The Organic Tomato Bisque contains milk but does not contain an animal-based stock.

Also of interest to some patrons may be the hongas and rajas (mushrooms, peppers, and onions) taco and the pinto bean casserole served at Yard House. The taco may be ordered without the jack and feta cheeses. Yard House told us that the pinto bean casserole contains no animal ingredients and may be ordered without the cheese blend topping. The tortilla appears free of all animal ingredients but since suppliers vary, Yard House cannot guarantee this.

All of the desserts at Yard House contain eggs and/or dairy.

Readers may find nutrition information about Yard House menu items at http://www.yardhouse.com/docs/yhnutritionalinfo.pdf

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.

To purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, please visit our website: http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=8

For information on food ingredients, fast food, and for other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our enewsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/

There are many ways to stay connected to The Vegetarian Resource Group!
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By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

An online reader asked us if maltitol was a vegan ingredient. Maltitol is one of many polyols (sugar alcohols) used as sugar substitutes. Sugar alcohols are common in confections and baked goods. They are also widely used in the pharmaceutical industry. The VRG reported on another common polyol, glycerol, in September 2012: http://www.vrg.org/blog/2012/09/24/glycerol-and-mono-and-diglyceride-updates-mostly-vegetable-derived/

Here is a list of some common polyols (other than glycerol) found in food:

• Erythritol
• Isomalt
• Lactitol
• Maltitol
• Mannitol
• Sorbitol
• Xylitol

In July and August 2012, The VRG contacted several companies which manufacture polyols. The unanimous opinion was that they are all vegetable-derived. The notable exception is lactitol which is derived from cow’s milk.

A marketing department representative from Ingredion, (formerly Corn Products International, Inc.), a manufacturer of several polyols, told us that they use corn. Cargill told us: “Besides the isomalt which is only produced in Germany from sugar, the rest of the polyols in the United States are produced from corn. Erythritol can be produced from other carbohydrate sources (i.e. sugar), but currently is only produced from corn.” A sales representative from Danisco stated that xylitol may be a by-product of the paper industry, coming from hardwood trees.

A general manager at Mitsubishi Shoji Foodtech Co., Ltd. based in Japan told us by email that “all of the [following] polyols are of non-animal/vegetable origin:
maltitol, sorbitol: from corn or cassava starch; erythritol, mannitol: from sugar; xylitol: from xylose or corn cob.”

A document that we received in August 2012 from a Customer Care Assistant from DuPont Danisco, one of only a few manufacturers of lactitol, stated that they use lactose from cow’s milk to manufacture lactitol. Another employee of the company told The VRG that lactitol “…is becoming very common in oral health products, and in the food industry…there is a growing demand for it.”

A polyol specialist at Cargill told us in July 2012 when we asked if cow bone char filters were ever used in polyol processing: “I am not aware of bone char being used. Decolorization is normally done via activated carbon and ion exchange resin.”

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.

To purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, please visit our website: http://www.vrg.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=8

For information on food ingredients, fast food, and for other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our enewsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/

There are many ways to stay connected to The Vegetarian Resource Group!
Get our blog delivered right to your inbox: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheVRGBlog
Like us Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thevegetarianresourcegroup
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/VegResourceGrp

To support ingredient research, donate at http://www.vrg.org/donate or join at https://www.vrg.org/member/cabcaibe.php

By Whitney Blomquist, VRG Intern

In preparing to attend the 2012 Natural Products Expo, I had the opportunity to view a webinar sponsored by New Hope 360 and Natural Foods Merchandiser. This webinar discussed the current natural products market and how the gap between natural and conventional retailers is rapidly narrowing. Concerns mentioned by the presenters included:

• Sales increases for supplement stores, with reasons linked to a larger product mix and increased retail space
• Decreased sales for health food stores
• Increased internet retailers
• Increasing competitive threats from large retailers

Though there may be competition between avenues of distribution, after attending the Natural Products Expo in Baltimore, Maryland, it was clear from the crowds and enthusiasm amongst attendees that the natural products industry is flourishing. I had the opportunity to interact with activist, entrepreneurs, established businessmen and women and fellow non-profit workers.

The VRG’s booth was located in a back corner of the ‘New Products’ showroom this year. Last year we had been placed in a prime location so we were expecting a little less interaction at this expo. To our surprise we were even busier than last year!

We distributed information and offered resources to many different companies and individuals. Organizations wanted to work with us to get the word out about their product or service or distribute our resources to their consumers.

An employee of Choc and Nut, who came to visit VRG’s booth, discussed his efforts to break into the American food market with us. Look for an upcoming product review for his vegan version of Nutella.

Geetha Pai was looking for resources that could help her expand her operations. Geetha puts on cooking demos to show people how to cook healthy meals for their families and she founded a company that sells eco-friendly, handmade baskets and bags whose profits are shared with charities. She explained what an impact her cooking classes have on these families and filled us in on her charity work. Geetha was similar to so many that stopped by our booth at the Natural Foods Expo, sharing amazing stories with us and taking away useful information that will benefit their endeavors.

Walking around the expo was a great adventure and I discovered so many new products. For example, EdgyBurger’s vegan butternut squash, spinach and quinoa burger, washed down with Suvva Juice, a sweet, cacao based fruit juice was a pallet pleaser. My favorite treat was Maggie’s Conscious Vegan Cuisine black beluga lentils with Thai green curry. It was delicious!

I tried some samples from Lavera, a cosmetic company that offers over 100 vegan products. The organic wild rose and organic macadamia nut moisturizing cream truly moisturizes and smells great too! Andrew Eisenberg from Awearables, LLC introduced me to the new vegan alert wristband for children; a stylish wristband for little vegans that alert adults of children’s allergies or diet practices. I had the chance to chat with the founder of Smile Squared, a company that sells bamboo toothbrushes. For every toothbrush Smile Squared sells they send a toothbrush to a child in need who doesn’t own one, a simple idea that is making a huge difference!

I was exposed to the difficulties faced by those trying to break into the natural products market and how important it is to network with everyone you meet. For 30 years, VRG has always been happy when we can help new, innovative businesses.

The Natural Products Expo brought together businesspeople with similar interests and values, establishing connections that will continue to grow. I look forward to witnessing additional development of vegan products at next year’s show.

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.

Desert Roots Kitchen
414 S. Mill Ave., Ste. 111, Tempe, AZ 85281
(480) 382-0228
Vegan. Desert Roots Kitchen offers an ever-changing vegan menu of global cuisine. Using as many local ingredients as possible, the restaurant caters to all allergens including gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free. They are a great place for a quiet lunch. Outdoor patio seating is available. Desert Roots is located in the Mill Avenue Shops Courtyard in downtown Tempe. Open Monday through Friday for breakfast and lunch. Closed Saturday and Sunday. Limited service, take-out, catering, smoothies, soymilk, VISA/MC/AMEX/DISC, $.

Dulce Vegan Bakery & Café
1994 Hosea L. Williams Dr., NE, Atlanta, GA 30317
(404) 624-7417
Vegan/bakery/café. Dulce Vegan offers completely vegan desserts that are allergy-friendly and free of processed sugars. This bakery/café also serves vegan sandwiches, soups, salads, breakfast items, coffee and tea. Try the ‘chicken’ salad sandwich made with tempeh, almonds and cranberries followed by a slice of moist coconut cake. These cruelty-free treats will not disappoint! Dulce is located in the Kirkwood neighborhood of Atlanta. Open Tuesday through Saturday for breakfast, lunch, and early dinner. Open Sunday for breakfast and lunch. Closed Monday. Counter service, take-out, catering, espresso/cappuccino, VISA/MC/DISC, $.

Feel Good Guru
917 Queen St., W., Toronto, ON M6J 1G5
(647) 748-5800
Vegan/organic/raw foods/juice bar. Feel Good Guru is an all-vegan eatery offering organic and local raw foods. Try menu items like Raw Karma Pizza, the Earth Burger, Feel Good Falafel, or the Make Kale Not War Salad. They are primarily a take-out restaurant with just four seats, however, there is a huge park across the street where they encourage people to dine al fresco on the restaurant’s handmade picnic blankets. Feel Good is eco-conscious and even uses bikes for delivery (Queen West area). Open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. Closed Monday. Counter service, take-out, delivery, catering, fresh juices, smoothies, soymilk, VISA/MC, $-$$.

Radical Eats
3903 Fulton St., Houston, TX 77009
(713) 697-8719
Vegan/Mexican. Radical Eats is a completely vegan restaurant serving Mexican cuisine with a side of punk rock! Try their famous vegan tamales or the all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch buffet. They use local ingredients, support area farmers, and even have their own community garden. Visit their website to view their calendar of events and home delivery options, or let them cater your next event! Radical Eats is located in the Northside Village area of Houston. The restaurant is closed between lunch and dinner, so please call ahead for hours. Open Tuesday through Saturday for three meals. Open Sunday for brunch. Closed Monday. Limited service, take-out, delivery, catering, VISA/MC/DISC, $-$$.

Please help us keep our restaurant guide current and accurate. Restaurants continually change locations, new ones open, and others close. To let us know about any restaurants we should add, delete, or if our existing entry should be changed, please complete the form here:
http://www.vrg.org/travel/restupdate.php

If you would like to volunteer with maintaining and updating The Vegetarian Resource Group restaurant guide, please email us at [email protected]. Thank you!>

Successful vegan restaurant is for sale in the Southern California resort town of Ojai. This completely turnkey establishment has a fully-equipped kitchen and a beautiful outdoor patio. $90,000. Only serious buyers should inquire. For more information, please contact Rick at [email protected].

If you’re in Philadelphia in early October, be sure to sign up for these events sponsored by the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group. Both events are open to the public. Advance registration is appreciated. Both events will be held at Friends Center, 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102 (Friends Center is a red brick building on the northwest corner of 15th and Cherry Streets, only a block away from the convention center).

Vegucated Documentary
*Friday, October 5 @ 6:00p*
Screening of Vegucated an award-winning documentary that follows three meat and cheese loving New Yorkers who agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks. VRG Advisor Reed Mangels will be a panelist for a post-film discussion.

Powered By Plants: What We Know About Vegan Athletes
Enette Larson-Meyer, PhD, RD and Matt Ruscigno, MPH, RD
*Saturday, October 6 @ Noon-1:15pm*

Vegan Diets: What the Experts Say About Vitamin B12, Minerals, Protein, and Essential Fats
Ginny Messina, MPH, RD and Jack Norris, RD
*Saturday, October 6 @ 1:30-3:00pm*

*Register here: http://www.eatright.org/dpgevents

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

Glycerol, (also known as glycerin or glycerine), is a common ingredient or common starting material of other ingredients found in many foods and personal care products. When fat molecules, such as triglycerides, are broken down in a chemical reaction, glycerol is formed. Animal fats (e.g., beef tallow) or vegetable oils are the common starting materials for glycerin formation.

The VRG wanted to determine how much of the commercial production of glycerol today is from animal fats. We contacted Cargill, a leading glycerin manufacturer, in July 2012. We spoke with a senior employee in the Dressings, Sauces, and Oils division. We were told that “…ever since the 1950s, when animal-based sources were becoming less popular, vegetable oils have been used to produce the vast majority of glycerol today…In the last thirty years, palm oil from Indonesia has become a common source today…Personal care products may still use tallow but it’s small, too, today.”

A glycerin product manager at Cargill provided some data to support the general trends noted above. He wrote in a July 2012 email that “[T]otal glycerin usage in the United States is about 45 million lbs. per month. Approximately 30% is non-kosher tallow-based and 70% would be vegetable-based. That includes imports of vegetable-based glycerol and all the glycerin made here in the United States.”
Mono- and diglycerides, used in most breads and baked goods as well as in a wide variety of other foods, are formed by chemically joining glycerol to fatty acids found in animal fats or vegetable oils. The mono-and diglycerides principally act as emulsifiers, preventing breads and baked goods from crumbling or going stale, and/or keeping oil and water components of a food together (e.g., in salad dressings). Based on the data given above, the percentage of vegetable oil-sourced mono- and diglycerides commercially used today in the United States is also approximately 70%. Collected data from other sources are in agreement with this estimation (see our Guide to Food Ingredients).

Glycerol also has many industrial uses. There is renewed interest in it as an antifreeze component because it is a renewable resource unlike other common antifreeze components. http://www.astmnewsroom.org/default.aspx?pageid=2115&year=2010&category=Standards%2FTechnical

Glycerin is a by-product of biodiesel production. This “waste glycerin,” (and, to a lesser extent, that produced from used cooking oil, which is increasingly being used as a biofuel today), has greatly increased the supply of glycerin in the market. Much work is currently being done on ways to produce biofuels from waste glycerol. See, for example: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070626115246.htm, http://www.environmental-expert.com/news/is-glycerine-primed-to-end-fossil-fuel-domination-250532, and http://www.asme.org/kb/news—articles/articles/renewable-energy/waste-not-used-cooking-oil-energy-source

To purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, please visit: http://www.vrg.org/ingredients

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 information on food ingredients, fast food, and for other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our e-newsletter at http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/

There are many ways to stay connected to The Vegetarian Resource Group!
Get our blog delivered right to your inbox: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheVRGBlog
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thevegetarianresourcegroup
And follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/VegResourceGrp

A reader sent us this information from the burger chain Smashburger:

Thank you for contacting Smashburger where we strive to be every city’s favorite burger place. Unfortunately, our Black Bean Burger is not vegan. I have listed out the ingredients that can be found in the Black Bean patty below.

Black Bean Patty:

• Black beans
• Red Onions
• Jalapenos
• Hot Sauce
• Cilantro
• Eggs
• Cheddar Cheese
• Cumin
• Garlic Seasoning
• Tortilla Chips
• Croutons

Vegan Drinks has kindly made us their beneficiary for September. If you are in NYC one week from today, please come and say hi!

Thursday, September 27, 2012
7pm-10pm
Fontana’s Bar [21+]
105 Eldridge Street, Lower East Side, NYC [map]
Benefits The Vegetarian Resource Group
DJ Grand Format
Food from La Pirata Kitchen