photo from Vegan Agrivilla I Pini

Are you looking to stay in a vegan friendly hotel? Here’s a sampling of hotels around the world offering vegan food:

Acai Plant Based Hotel: They are located in Greece and have a plant-based restaurant on their premises. They offer cooking classes and yoga classes and are near a beach. Note they are opening in summer 2025. See: https://acairhodes.com/the-acai-hotel/

Beck Hall Hotel: Built in 1705 as a yeoman’s cottage, Beck Hall became a “wayfarers’ hostel” in the 1930s. Today you can stay in this updated 20-room hotel and enjoy dining in their vegan restaurant. Be sure to take walks and explore the area. https://www.beckhallmalham.com/

Ffarm Country House: Located in Wales in the UK, they have a vegan restaurant on their premises offering a wide variety of dishes and an afternoon tea. You can explore nearby castles and beaches. https://ffarmhall.co.uk/

Fivelements Retreat: Located in Bali, offers vegan meals, a wellness program and spa, plus more. See: https://fivelementsbali.com/

Koukoui Hotel: Situated in Greece, this hotel offers vegan cuisine, a spa, and fitness center. See: https://www.koukoumihotel.com/

La Vimea: Located in Italy, offers organic vegan meals, yoga sessions, and more. See: https://www.lavimea.com/

Mother Earth Vegan Hotel: Located in Costa Rica, this hotel offers a poolside vegan restaurant (room rates include breakfast for two), yoga studio, and more. Please note that children under 12 are not allowed and pets are not allowed. See: https://www.meveganhotel.com/

Palmaïa, The House of AïA: This Mexican establishment offers vegan cuisine, spa and wellness program, activities for kids, and more. See: https://thehouseofaia.com/

Paradiso Pure.Living: Vegan hotel in the Dolomites of Italy with vegan cuisine. See: https://paradiso-pure.com/?lan=ENG

Stanford Inn & Resort: Located in the United States in Mendocino, California, offers a variety of room accommodations including family suites. Ravens Restaurant on their property serves organic vegan meals. They offer spa services and are pet-friendly. See: https://stanfordinn.com/

Vegan Agrivilla I Pini: Located in Tuscany, Italy, near vineyards, olive groves, and gardens. They offer vegan cuisine, saltwater pool, and more. See: https://www.ipinitoscana.com/

Villa Vegana: Situated in Spain in a designated conservation area, you can enjoy vegan meals, yoga classes, plus more. See: https://www.villavegana.com/

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Can a vegan cheese or vegan yogurt provide calcium? It depends on whether the product is fortified with calcium. Fortified products have as much as 390 milligrams of calcium in a serving. To put this into perspective, the RDA for calcium for adults age 19-50 years and men 51-70 years is 1,000 milligrams per day and 1,200 milligrams per day for women over 51 years and for men over 70 years.

Although vegans don’t have to use calcium-fortified vegan cheese or vegan yogurt, it is heartening to see that these products are available. Our website provides information about other vegan sources of calcium.

Here’s how much calcium is found in some popular brands of vegan cheese and yogurt that have been fortified with calcium, listed from highest to lowest calcium in a serving:

Products with 300 milligrams or more of calcium per serving:

• So Delicious Unsweetened Vanilla Coconut Yogurt Alternative: 390 milligrams in ¾ cup
• So Delicious Unsweetened Plain Coconut Yogurt Alternative: 370 milligrams in 5 ounces
• Daiya Dairy-free Cream Cheese Original: 324 milligrams in 2 Tbsp
• Daiya Dairy-free Chive and Onion Cream Cheese: 323 milligrams in 2 Tbsp
• Daiya Dairy-free Chipotle Cheddar Shreds: 312 milligrams in ¼ cup (1 ounce)
• Daiya Dairy-free Mozzarella/Cheddar/Mexican Blend/Cheddar & Mozzarella/Italian Blend Shreds: 311 milligrams in ¼ cup (1 ounce)
• Daiya Dairy-free Spicy Monterey Jack Shreds: 310 milligrams in ¼ cup (1 ounce)
• Daiya Dairy-free Parmesan Shreds: 309 milligrams in ¼ cup (1 ounce)
• Go Veggie Vegan Cheddar/Mexican/Mozzarella Shreds: 300 milligrams in ¼ cup

Products with 200-299 milligrams of calcium per serving:

• Daiya Dairy-Free Strawberry Cream Cheese: 285 milligrams in 2 Tbsp
• Silk Plain Soymilk Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternative: 260 milligrams in ¾ cup
• So Delicious Plain Coconut Yogurt Alternative: 260 milligrams in 5 ounces
• Daiya Dairy-Free Cinnamon Twist Cream Cheese: 252 milligrams in 2 Tbsp
• So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Yogurt Alternative: 250 milligrams in 5 ounces
• So Delicious Strawberry Banana/Raspberry/Peach/Chocolate/Key Lime Coconut Yogurt Alternative: 230 milligrams in 5 ounces
• So Delicious Strawberry/Blueberry Coconut Yogurt Alternative: 220 milligrams in 5 ounces
• Silk Peach Mango/Blueberry/Strawberry Soymilk Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternative: 200 milligrams in 5 ounces

Products with 100-199 milligrams of calcium per serving:

• Silk Plain Almondmilk Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternative: 170 milligrams in ¾ cup
• Daiya Dairy-free Jalapeno Havarti/Smoked Gouda Block: 168 milligrams in 1 ounce
• Daiya Dairy-free Cheddar Block: 167 milligrams in 1 ounce
• Silk Unsweet Vanilla Almondmilk Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternative: 160 milligrams in ¾ cup
• Go Veggie Vegan White American/White Cheddar & Meatless Bacon Bars: 150 milligrams in 1 bar (21 g)
• Silk Vanilla Soymilk Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternative: 150 milligrams in 5 ounces
• Babybel Plant-Based Original/Fiery Hot: 140 milligrams in 1 piece (20 g)
• Daiya Dairy-free Cheddar/Mozzarella Sticks: 132 milligrams in 1 stick (22 grams)
• Silk Peach/Strawberry/Mixed Berry Acai Almondmilk Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternative: 130 milligrams in 5 ounces
• Silk Strawberry/Lemon/Blueberry Greek Style Coconutmilk Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternative: 130 milligrams in 5 ounces
• VioLife Just Like Mozzarella Shreds: 130 milligrams in ¼ cup
• Good Planet Mexican Blend/Cheddar/Mozzarella Shreds: 120 milligrams in ¼ cup (1 ounce)
• Silk Dark Chocolate Coconut Almondmilk Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternative: 120 milligrams in 5 ounces
• Daiya Dairy-free Cheddar/American/Provolone/Swiss/Smoked Gouda Slices: 100 milligrams in 1 slice (22 grams)
• Silk Vanilla Almondmilk Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternative: 100 milligrams in 5 ounces
• Silk Vanilla Greek Style Coconutmilk Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternative: 100 milligrams in 5 ounces
• VioLife Mexican Style Shreds: 100 milligrams in ¼ cup

Note that serving sizes vary. All information was obtained from product websites in April 2026.

To read more about calcium for vegans see:

A Vegan Calcium Plan

Calcium in the Vegan Diet

Latin American Foods High in Calcium

Calcium Content of Popular Indian Vegetarian Dishes and Ingredients

Calcium Supplements

Lower Risk of Hip Fractures in Vegan Women Using Calcium and Vitamin D Supplements

To read more about vegan cheese see:

Vegan Cheese for Pizza

Review of Vegan Packaged Mac & Cheese Products

The contents of this website and our other publications, including The Vegan 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 confirmation on your own.

Tex Mex Pasta Salad photo by Hannah Kaminsky

Hannah Kaminsky shares several delicious black bean-based vegan recipes in a previous issue of Vegan Journal. Feast on Colombian Black Bean Soup, Mole Enchiladas, Black Bean Chipotle Chile, Loaded Spanish Sweet Potatoes, and Tex-Mex Pasta Salad.

Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2023issue3/2023_issue3_modern_classics.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Blueberry Jam Drops photo by Hannah Kaminsky

Hannah Kaminsky shares recipes any mom would enjoy on Mother’s Day along with her favorite tea. Prepare Cucumber Tapenade Cucumber Sandwiches, Cheesy Dill Scones, Lentil Sausage Rolls, Blueberry Chia Jam, Blueberry Jam Drops, and/or Chickpea Egg Bites. Find the recipes and complete article from a previous issue of Vegan Journal here: https://www.vrg.org/blog/2025/05/09/enjoy-tea-and-sophisticated-bites-on-mothers-day/

To subscribe to Vegan Journal, visit www.vrg.org/member

Vegan Journal is published by The Vegetarian Resource Group. Enjoy in-depth original research, product and book reviews, scientific updates on veggie nutrition, delicious vegan recipes with gorgeous photos, plus so much more. Both long-term vegans and those new to a vegan life-style will enjoy this magazine.

To subscribe in the USA only, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/

By Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD

Summer is not too far off and we may be thinking about creating cool foods very soon. Before we close the kitchen for the summer months, let’s think about using dill in savory dishes.

Dill has been around the culinary scene, since, well, there WAS a culinary scene. Dill is referred to in the Old Testament and The Romans believed the inclusion of dill in a meal would bring joy and pleasure. Dill oil, obtained from pressing dill seeds, was used in medieval Europe as a medicine and antiseptic.

Fresh dill is usually available, packaged, in the produce section of the grocery store or sold as willowy green bouquets at farmers’ markets. Look for deep green, feathery leaves with a firm stem. The leaves may be slightly wilted, as this tends to happen immediately upon harvesting. Slightly wilted is okay, just avoid pale green, yellow, or dried-out looking leaves. Dill has a faintly fennel-like aroma (think: licorice) and should never smell moldy or earthy. Fresh dill is quite fragile, so it definitely needs to be stored in the refrigerator. To prevent drying, make yourself a little dill bouquet and place it in a small vase or glass filled with cold water. For less artistic storage, cover dill with damp towels. If, however, you go overboard and do too much dill acquiring, you can dry dill for later use in a microwave or low oven (an oven set to about 200 degrees), by placing it single-layered on baking sheets or microwaveable sheets. When fresh dill is not available, dried dill will have to do. Dried dill is sold as dill weed or dill seed. Do not keep dried dill for more than four months (stored in a cool, dry, dark place), as its delicate flavor will dissipate. Remember for dried herbs, we use half as much as for fresh herbs. So, for example, if a recipe calls for one Tablespoon of fresh dill, we would use ½ Tablespoon of dried dill.

Dill can go anywhere: in dough, batters, soups, stews, sauces, and salads. Fresh dill adds a subtle, caraway and fennel flavor to foods. Add dill at the end of cooking for the best flavor impact. Think you haven’t ever tasted dill? Think dill pickles and many salad dressings. Add dill to vegan cream cheese, sour cream, or plain yogurt for a sandwich spread or vegetable dip. Dill perks up the flavor of beets, cucumbers, cabbage, cream sauces, tofu, and veggie and grain stews Dill might have been the secret ingredient in many a comforting broth and soup!

Enjoy the following recipe!

Dill and Mustard Salad Dressing

(Makes about 1 cup)

1 Tablespoon silken tofu
2 Tablespoons prepared mustard
2 teaspoons orange juice concentrate
2/3 cup oil (sunflower or vegetable oil)
2 Tablespoons white wine or champagne vinegar
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons white pepper

Place tofu, mustard, and orange juice concentrate in the canister of a blender. Process until just blended. With the blender running, drizzle in oil until the texture you would like is attained. Add vinegar, dill and pepper, then blend on high for 30 seconds. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

photo from Freepik

Vegan Journal previously ran two articles on vegan grilling that you might find helpful:

Gourmet Grilling by Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD includes grilling tips as well as recipes for Grilled Eggplant, Mediterranean Grilled Portobellos with Pine Nuts, Curried Barbecue Tempeh, Roasted Pepper and Eggplant Dip, Pineapple Peach Salsa, Japanese-Style Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Sweet Peaches, and Roasted Corn. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/2002issue3/2002_issue3_gourmet.php

Nancy also wrote another article titled Outdoor Feast and it includes vegan recipes for the grill including Tofu and Potatoes Kebobs, Vietnamese “Beef” Salad, Lime and Chili “Steaks,” and Grilled Pineapple. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2015issue2/2015_issue2_outdoor_feasts.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA, visit: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

photo from Freepik

Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD, pens the Vegan Cooking Tips column in each issue of Vegan Journal. Working with the flavors you enjoy and the ingredients you have on hand, Nancy offers some suggestions for creating your own salad dressings:

Indian Curried Grapefruit Dressing:

• ¾ cup unflavored soy yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons coconut milk
• 4 Tablespoons grapefruit juice concentrate
• 2 Tablespoons grapefruit juice
• 2 Tablespoons curry powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Thai Peanut-Orange Dressing:

• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon chopped fresh chilies

Retro Green Goddess Dressing:

• ¾ cup soy sour cream or silken tofu
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon shredded nori (dried seaweed, such as used for sushi)
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tablespoon minced fresh tarragon

Italian Sun-dried Tomato-Rosemary Vinaigrette:

• 8 sundried tomatoes, minced
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ½ Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced

Chinese Sesame-Soy Dressing:

• ¾ cup rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon fresh orange juice

New England Thanksgiving Vinaigrette:

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 3 Tablespoons cranberry sauce
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vinegar

Healthy Chopped Veggie Vinaigrette:

• 6 Tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 4 Tablespoons chopped Roma tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons chopped bell pepper
• 2 Tablespoons chopped celery
• 2 Tablespoons chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh basil

Continental Shallot and Caper Dressing:

• 6 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons chopped shallots
• 1 Tablespoon drained capers
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Southwestern Chili Pepper Dressing:

• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chili (you determine the heat)
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 Tablespoons minced onion
• 2 Tablespoons tomato purée
• ½ Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Note: Each combination above makes a bit more or less than a cup of salad dressing.

To subscribe to Vegan Journal, visit www.vrg.org/member

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

In 1975, the renowned Harvard professor of Nutrition, Jean Mayer, wrote an opinion piece titled, “Is It Cereal or Candy?” Dr. Mayer was questioning the practice of fortifying sugary cereals with lots of vitamins and minerals to make them appear healthy. He described these cereals as “sugar-coated vitamin pills” (1).

Something similar is happening today with everything under the sun from candy bars to soft drinks being fortified with protein, a nutrient that most Americans get enough of without having to rely on protein-fortified gummies or similar products.

On a recent visit to a grocery store, I spotted pretzels with added protein. This snack food had 15 grams of protein in a 1 ounce serving. Where did that protein come from? According to the ingredient label, the product contained hydrolyzed wheat protein, carob seed protein, soy protein isolate, and wheat gluten – all potential protein sources. Contrast this with a standard bag of supermarket pretzels which contains 3 grams of protein in an ounce of pretzels. Both kinds of pretzels have 110 calories and over 250 milligrams of sodium per serving. Pretzels can be a decent snack food, albeit somewhat high salt, but do they need to have lots of protein added?

There are other ways to get 12 grams of protein (the difference between the protein that’s usually in pretzels and the protein in the protein-fortified pretzels). All of these foods have approximately 12 grams of protein:

• ¾ cup of canned or cooked black beans, chickpeas, or pinto beans
• ⅔ cup of canned or cooked lentils
• 1-½ ounces of seitan
• ½ cup of shelled edamame
• ⅓ cup of tempeh
• ½ cup of prepared textured vegetable protein
• ¼-½ cup of tofu
• 3 Tablespoons of peanut butter
• 1-½ cups of soymilk
• ¼ cup of tahini

The thing is, these foods provide protein as well as vitamins and minerals including iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, and B-vitamins. The protein-fortified pretzels, appear to mainly contain protein and a bit of fiber.

To paraphrase Jean Mayer, are these pretzels or “salty protein pills”? There are special circumstances where people need a lot of extra protein and where a snack fortified with protein can help but, for most of us, there’s no need to buy protein-fortified pretzels.

To read more about protein for vegans see:

Protein in the Vegan Diet

Protein for Vegans & Vegetarians

Protein for Vegan Children

Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Protein?

How Much Protein Do Vegans Need?

Reference

1. Moss M. Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us. New York: Random House; 2013.

The contents of this website and our other publications, including The Vegan 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 confirmation on your own.

Friday, July 31, 2026 to Monday, August 3, 2026.

Whether you’re new to advocacy or a seasoned changemaker, #TakingActionforAnimals has something for you. Explore workshops covering policy, advocacy, skill-building, coalition building and beyond. Visit the website to plan your TAFA schedule and use discount code ESMT26 to get $10 off full conference registration: https://cvent.me/mRA9Rr?RefId=Social+Media

If you attend this conference, please be sure to stop by The Vegetarian Resource Group booth and say hello.