The following survey request is from a graduate student at Governors State University in University Park, Illinois. She is obtaining her Master’s degree in Theoretical Psychology. She is researching eating habits and aspects of spirituality for her thesis and is looking for a diverse group of participants including vegetarians and vegans.

You can click on the following link to access the survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/gradspiritualitysurvey

Thank you!

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.

The Cosmic Coconut

5101 Sanderlin Ave., Ste. 104B, Memphis, TN 38117

(901) 729-7134

Vegan/organic/juice bar/café. The Cosmic Coconut is best known for its smoothies and juices with such cheery names as ‘Peace, Love & Pears’ and ‘Good Vibrations.’ They also serve vegan snacks such as Acai Bowl, Steel-Cut Oats, and Coco-Nutties. Free Wi-Fi is available. The Cosmic Coconut is located in the Sanderlin Centre near Bikram Yoga and Muddy’s Bakeshop. Open Tuesday through Saturday for breakfast and lunch. Closed Sunday and Monday. Limited service, take-out, fresh juices, smoothies, espresso/cappuccino, soymilk, special beverages, VISA/MC, $.

Vedge Restaurant

1221 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19107

(215) 320-7500

Vegan/American. Vedge Restaurant offers an elegant dining experience of globally-inspired vegan cuisine. They use locally-sourced ingredients and their menu changes to reflect the seasons. Vedge is from the same husband and wife team of the popular Horizons. Reservations are accepted. Open Monday through Saturday for dinner. Closed Sunday. Full service, take-out, wine/beer/alcohol, VISA/MC/AMEX/DISC, $$$.

VSPOT Café

1908 N. Henderson Ave., Dallas, TX 75206

(214) 821-5555

Vegan/café/juice bar. The VSPOT Café offers a flavorful and fresh all-vegan menu. They utilize locally-sourced ingredients as often as possible. The café also features a juice bar. Open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. Open Sunday for lunch. Full service, take-out, catering, VISA/MC/AMEX/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 our restaurant update form.

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

Bo Muller-Moore, an artist in Montpelier, Vermont, has a small business selling T-shirts encouraging people to “Eat More Kale”. This is a sentiment that The VRG can heartily endorse. Unfortunately, not everyone feels the same way. You can read about the controversy at the Huffington Post.

With numerous groups pushing Meatless Mondays, Tofurky Tuesdays, or other campaigns to cut back on meat one meal or day per week, The Vegetarian Resource Group wondered how often Americans are eating vegetarian meals. In order to find an estimate, VRG commissioned Harris Interactive® to conduct a national telephone poll.

Seventeen percent of Americans stated that they “don’t eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry at many of my meals (but less than half the time)” and 16% don’t eat these foods at more than half of their meals (but not all the time). Thus, 1/3 (33%) of the country are eating vegetarian meals a significant amount of the time (in addition to vegetarians)! This is certainly good news for companies producing vegetarian foods. No wonder why so many restaurants have added vegetarian options.

In a 2008 Vegetarian Resource Group national telephone survey, 40% said when eating out they often order a dish without meat, fish or fowl. For those of you trying to get a handle on the population very interested in vegetarian foods, though not vegetarian, it appears to be 30% – 40% of the country.

HOW MANY VEGETARIANS ARE THERE?
In this survey, approximately 5% of the country say that they never eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry. About half of these vegetarians are also vegan; that is they also don’t eat dairy or eggs. Note that we had respondents select that “I never eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry” or “I never eat meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs.” Because we use the word “never” and give the definition rather than having respondents self define, our numbers may be lower than other polls. We also did not ask about honey.

METHODOLOGY
This survey was conducted by Harris Interactive by telephone within the United States on behalf of the Vegetarian Resource Group between March 30 and April 3, 2011 among a nationwide cross section of 1,010 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race, education, region, number of adults in household, and number of telephone lines were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.

In theory, with probability samples of this size, one could say with 95 percent certainty that the results for the overall sample have a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. There are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (e.g., non-response), question wording and question order, and weighting. It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors.

Maybe this is an issue where we can get Democrats and Republicans to agree and work together (over dinner). Six percent each of Republicans and Democrats also didn’t eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry, at one meal per week.

Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or fowl. Vegans are vegetarians who also don’t use other animal products such as dairy or eggs. The Vegetarian Resource Group is a non-profit which educates the public about vegetarian and vegan diets. It publishes Vegetarian Journal and the book Vegans Know How to Party, offers two $5,000 college scholarships to high school seniors who have promoted vegetarianism, maintains a national restaurant guide at http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php, and sponsors an e-mail list for parents of vegetarians http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vrgparents/. For more information, call (410) 366-8343; e-mail [email protected] write to VRG, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203; or visit http://www.vrg.org.

For more poll information, see http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/faq.htm#poll/a>.

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

VRG Research Director

In September 2011 we received an email from a long-time VRG member asking us to look into two ingredients she believed were mislabeled in skin care products she had seen at a store located close to Philadelphia. She told us that “silk amino acids” were listed as ingredients in products labeled “vegan.”

The VRG contacted James Youn of Worldway, a Korean company which produces silk amino acids for both food and cosmetic purposes. He told us that “we use only empty cocoons” in the production of silk amino acids. Silk amino acids may be found in some food supplements sold in the United States but, to the best of our knowledge, is not in any food products.

Interested readers may note that some Internet sources stated that silk worms were killed in the extraction process to obtain silk amino acids.

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 more information on food processing methods and food ingredients and to purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, please visit our website at http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

For updates on ingredients and other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our free 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 Visit us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/VegResourceGrp and friend us on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/thevegetarianresourcegroup

You can support The Vegetarian Resource Group research at
https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

VRG Research Director

In September 2011 we received an email from a long-time VRG member asking us to look into two ingredients she believed were mislabeled in skin care products she had seen at a store located close to Philadelphia. She told us that “marine collagen” was listed as an ingredient in products labeled “vegan.”

We contacted the owner of the store She stated that her source of marine collagen is “fish scales” and her source of silk amino acids is “the cocoon woven by the silk worm.”

When asked about the labeling, she said that she wasn’t aware of any discrepancy and rechecked them. She concluded that “vegan” was incorrectly placed on the website ingredient list and would be changed to “vegetarian.”

Collagen in Food Products

When working on this report, The VRG noted other places on the Internet where “marine collagen” is described as derived from fish scales and fish skin. It appears that fish are killed in order to extract the collagen.

However, The VRG noticed that one company uses “marine collagen” that it claims had been sourced from algae. Readers concerned about ingredient sources may wish to conduct a company inquiry before purchasing a product containing marine collagen.

As of this writing, it does not appear that marine collagen is used in any food products sold in The United States. Interested readers may wish to note that in October 2009 Nestlé® Malaysia introduced collagen-containing Nescafé® instant coffee as part of its Body Partner® line. According to cosmeticsdesign-europe.com, Singapore is the only country where this product may be found. The collagen in Nescafé’s® Body Partner® range is thought to enhance a youthful body image. Nestlé® Malaysia has not yet responded to the VRG’s request for more information about the source of its collagen.

Other websites and news sources reported in 2009 that collagen is added to some food products in Japan as a functional food ingredient. It may be added to noodles, jams, soups, burgers, or ice cream as an anti-aging compound. Known as a “beauty ingredient” in Japan, collagen chunks may be added to soups or “hot pots” (i.e., medleys of vegetables and meat or fish). Increasingly popular in Japan are dishes which are naturally rich in collagen such as pig’s feet, shark fin or chicken skin.

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 more information on food processing methods and food ingredients and to purchase our Guide to Food Ingredients, please visit our website at http://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php
For updates on ingredients and other information of interest to vegetarians and vegans, please subscribe to our free 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
Visit us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/VegResourceGrp
and friend us on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/thevegetarianresourcegroup

You can support The Vegetarian Resource Group research at
https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=1565

One of the best restaurants around is the Eden vegan café in Scranton, Pennsylvania. This eatery is a pleasant surprise in a historically non-vegetarian area. Eden features regional veganized specialties like Kielbasa and Peppers, Buffalo (chicken) Drumsticks in Hot Sauce, Meatball Subs, and “Old Forge” (Sicilian style) pizza, plus a nice variety of vegan desserts. Though surrounded by old buildings in a historic downtown, Eden has a new and fresh look. We’ve been there three times, and the counter service wait staff has always been super friendly and efficient. Diners varied from families with kids to college students to business people to seniors. In addition, the restaurant was always easily clean enough to take your non-vegetarian parents. Even the bathroom was bright and sanitary feeling. For information on Eden and other restaurants, see http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/Pennsylvania.php

A graduate of the Foreign Languages faculty at Belarusian State University in Minsk contacted The Vegetarian Resource Group in regards to translating the “Guide to Grains” article from the Sept/Oct 1999 issue of Vegetarian Journal. We were happy to grant her permission, asking that she include proper citations to the original article with her translation.

Click here to read the Belarusian translation.

Adapting articles and recipes to be legible for non-English speakers is a wonderful way to globalize the work of The VRG. If you are fluent in a language other than English and have interest in using your skill to widen the accessibility of vegetarian and vegan information we would be glad to hear from you. Email [email protected] for more information.

by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

VRG Research Director

Convenience store 7-Eleven® told The VRG in October 2011 that they now offer four pre-cooked vegan meals at one hundred locations in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. The ready-to-eat meals are manufactured and distributed by UNIVEG/Hot Cuisine America, Inc. ®, in Swedesboro, NJ.

UNIVEG/Hot Cuisine America® offers a wide variety of pre-cooked meals and distributes them widely. At this point, its vegan dishes represent a small, but growing, segment of their product offerings. UNIVEG/Hot Cuisine America® purchases ingredients from other companies then prepares meals with those ingredients according to recipes that it has developed. A senior staff member at UNIVEG/Hot Cuisine America® told The VRG that the vegan meals are prepared in a kitchen free of meat and dairy products.

The culinary team at the company is in the process of developing several more ready-to-eat vegan meals for 7-Eleven® and expanding their distribution to grocery stores such as Giant® in Maryland. “In the first quarter of 2012,” according to this staff member, customers may begin looking for vegans meals composed of, for example, a noodle component, a meat analog, and a vegetable, as well as ones like those currently offered at some 7-Eleven® stores in the northeast corridor (see below).

Many patrons enjoy the UNIVEG/Hot Cuisine America® meals eaten cold, but they may be heated as well. Heating them in the original containers is not recommended, according to the UNIVEG/Hot Cuisine America® staff member.

The VRG also spoke with Margaret Chabris, the public relations specialist for 7-Eleven®. She told us that the convenience store chain is “involved in intensive marketing research” and “moving positively in that direction [of offering more vegan meals at more 7-Eleven® stores.]” She stated that “it will be in select locations,” but that “it is too premature to say anything more at this time.”

Ingredient information about the four vegan dishes prepared by UNIVEG/Hot Cuisine America® and available at select 7-Eleven® stores is as follows (note: processing method of brown sugar is undetermined at this time):

Vegan Spinach Noodles with Vegetables
Ingredients: Spinach Pasta (durum wheat semolina, spinach powder, water), carrot, mushroom, sesame oil, onion, brown sugar, cilantro, apple cider vinegar, garlic, ginger, naturally brewed soy sauce, sea salt, spices. Contains: Soy, Wheat.

Vegan Pad Thai Noodles
Ingredients: Cooked pasta (durum wheat, water), cabbage, brown sugar, carrot, green onion, garlic, tomato, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, naturally brewed soy sauce, sesame oil, canola oil, sea salt, spices. Contains: Soy, Wheat.

Vegan Linguine Tikka Massala
Ingredients: Cooked pasta (durum wheat, water), water, spinach, red pepper, cilantro, sesame oil, tomato, brown sugar, garlic, spices, salt. Contains: Soy, Wheat.
.
Vegan Asian Linguine
Ingredients: Cooked pasta (durum wheat, water), cabbage, mushroom, naturally brewed soy sauce, carrot, brown sugar, green onion, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, cilantro, salt, spice. Contains: Soy, Wheat. The 7-Eleven® stores carrying the vegan meals are as follows (7-Eleven® directed us to this list found on the PeTA® website and described to us as “accurate” by 7-Eleven®):

A recent article on HLNTV.com explains the history behind the tradition of granting a Presidential pardon to a turkey on Thanksgiving. Here at The Vegetarian Resource Group, we think that’s a fantastic idea! Everyone should do it! For some ideas on what to eat instead, see our article “What Do Vegans And Vegtarians Do For Thanksgiving?“