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by Alexandra Holzinger and Emily Shoemaker, VRG interns

Introduction

In recent years, the concept of an “Ultra-processed Food” (UPF) has entered the policy world as a topic of high priority concern nationwide. It stems from the alleged harms that come from your standard junk food; some of which include higher rates of heart failure, high cholesterol, and obesity, becoming significantly more prevalent and publicized issues. The problem? Junk food isn’t a formalized group of foods. They are, however, often categorized by their highly processed nature allowing for fillers, additives, and sweeteners to bulk up the product while reducing its vitamin content and other nutrition values.

History and Context

Thus, the concept of an UPF was born. Researchers at the Center for Epidemiological Studies in Health and Nutrition (housed at the University of São Paulo in Brazil) broke up the food we eat into three major categories, called the NOVA food classification system.¹ The study was done in 2010 as a result of “the obesity pandemic” that was arising globally.² The groups went as follows: Unprocessed or minimally processed foods, processed foods, and ultra-processed foods (for more information, see Ultra-processed or Smartly Processed? ). They found that diets consisting mainly of UPF were linked to increased “risk of obesity and other nutrition-related chronic diseases.”²

While their article does use some general rules for classification, the main qualifier for a UPF is “food products that are ready to eat or ready to heat with little or no preparation,” resulting from “the processing of several foodstuffs”. This definition does not clearly distinguish between unhealthily processed food and food specifically processed to be more healthy and nutritious for the sake of a person’s diet.² The NOVA system specifies that foods with preservatives and fortifiers are considered minimally processed, however some state governments in the U.S. have adopted similar definitions, without specifically categorizing fortified foods.¹

 The Five Definitions

As state governments began to take an interest in UPFs, they needed a solid way to define them. Specifically, many states focused on the current UPF content in school lunches as children are limited to the variety of meals offered in their cafeteria. In fact, all states that we found at this time which have taken a stance on UPF have done so in the context of ensuring that students are served healthy school lunches. The only exception to this scope is New York, who has elected to require education on UPF be taught to kids in public schools instead. Inspired by the NOVA food classification system, state legislatures are hoping that these new regulations will operate as a means of protecting the nutritional integrity of public school lunches, ultimately aiming to promote health in the nation’s youth.³

Each state’s UPF regulations prevent school cafeterias from serving foods that fit that state’s definition of an ultra-processed food, but protect the students’ right to bring any food in a packed lunch. There are five general definitions total, with two being more common than the rest. The most common definition has been dubbed “the standard 11” (utilized by Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Arizona, and Utah). These state regulations define ultra-processed foods as any food or beverage that contains potassium bromate, propylparaben, titanium dioxide, brominated vegetable oil, yellow dye 5, yellow dye 6, blue dye 1, blue dye 2, green dye 3, red dye 3, or red dye 40.^4-14

Some states are regulating school menus to allow only a percentage of listed items to be UPFs, and others propose total bans. In South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky, Arizona, and Utah, the associated bill has already been enacted. However, for Florida and Texas, their bills have since died, in both cases due to a full ban being impractical for their existing school systems. In Missouri, New Jersey, and North Carolina, the proposed bill has been referred to other committees for further consideration.

Other states have taken to grouping by a food’s general contents, commonly defining ultra-processed foods as any food or beverage that contains high amounts of saturated fat, sodium, added sugar, or nonnutritive sweeteners; surface-active agents, emulsifiers, stabilizers and thickeners, propellants, aerating agents, gases, colors and coloring adjuncts, flavoring agents and adjuvants, flavor enhancers, nonnutritive sweeteners.^15-17 Three legislatures are currently working on or with bills under this definition: California, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. All three propose a full ban on UPF in public school lunches.

California has enacted this bill into law, also banning “restricted school foods,” which evidently cause chronic diseases, are hyperpalatable, or are high in saturated fat, added sugar, or salt.¹⁵ Illinois’ version of this bill is currently in the House Rules Committee for further review, before it will eventually be moved to the House floor for a final vote.¹⁶ As for Pennsylvania, the bill is pending in the House Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee after referral on April 21, 2025.¹⁷ Its definition breaks UPF up into healthy and unhealthy categories using “healthy” as defined by the FDA, with only “unhealthy” UPF being restricted.

Massachusetts has created a unique definition for ultra-processed foods, including foods that contain substances never or rarely used in kitchens and additives designed to make food more palatable, appealing, or preservable. This includes high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated or interesterified oils, hydrolysed proteins, flavors, flavor enhancers, colors, emulsifiers, emulsifying salts, sweeteners, thickeners, nitrates, nitrites, preservatives, and anti-foaming, bulking, carbonating, foaming, gelling, and glazing agents.^18-20 This bill is yet to be passed as of the time of writing of this article, and is currently pending in the House Ways and Means Committee. Its scope has been highly contested, as there are very few verifiable ways to determine the “substances never or rarely used in kitchens.” Even if that hurdle could be jumped, banning all foods that have added sweeteners, thickeners, flavors, hydrolysed proteins, and nitrate preservatives bans the vast majority of foods found in your typical lunch box, such as most breads, most deli meats, most condiments, and many plant-based meat substitutes.

West Virginia’s definition of a UPF combines aspects of both Massachusetts’ and California’s bills, banning a food or beverage product that is industrially manufactured using a series of mechanical, chemical, or biological processes not typically performed in a household kitchen; as well as foods containing any two or more ingredients whose primary purpose is to enhance palatability, texture, appearance, or shelf stability.^21,22 The bill was introduced and passed through both chambers, but failed to be signed by the governor before the legislative session ended in March, 2026. Its scope faced many of the same problems as Massachusetts.

The last state with an ultra-processed food definition is New York, the only state not regulating UPFs inclusion in school lunches and instead focusing on educating kids on their harms as well as labeling laws. ^3,23,24 A UPF is defined as any food or beverage that contains high amounts of saturated fat, sodium, added sugar, preservatives, or artificial ingredients. This bill is active in the Assembly Education Committee. Its scope has very little impact on an UPFs availability and mainly affects their labeling and public image.

Effects on Vegan Diets

Each state’s definition of an ultra-processed food leaves various foods excluded. Though many foods linked to chronic disease are predictably excluded from school lunch, many nutritious vegan and vegetarian staples such as plant milks, plant-based meat alternatives, nutritional yeast, and other fortified foods are left with varying levels of accessibility.

According to the standard 11, plant milks, plant-based meats, nutritional yeast, and other fortified products are not considered UPF. However, due to the presence of emulsifiers and stabilizers, plant milks and plant meats that contain emulsifiers or stabilizers could be banned from schools in Illinois, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Massachusetts, if the bills are enacted. Plant-based milks that have been staples in school lunches such as Pacific Food, Kikkoman Pearl, Ripple, 8th Continent, and Silk Soy all contain at least one of the following emulsifiers or stabilizers: xanthan gum, carrageenan, soy lecithin, sunflower lecithin, gum arabic, guar gum, gellan gum, and locust bean gum.^25-29 As for plant-based meats, popular brands such as Impossible Burger and Beyond Burger include methylcellulose as the primary emulsion stabilizer.^30,31 Though California’s bill also rejects emulsifiers and stabilizers; soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, and other similar nondairy milks are specifically exempt.

Additionally, West Virginia’s definition includes foods and beverages that are industrially manufactured using processes that are “not typically performed in a household kitchen” and creates unclear boundaries. The formulation processes for fortified products are not generally conducted in household kitchens, making their processing classification uncertain.

Conclusion

While not all states have begun classifying UPFs, the vast majority that have generally leave vegan diets alone. Of the 15 states with UPF definitions in play or previously in play, Massachusetts, West Virginia, Illinois, and Pennsylvania would apparently ban plant milks and plant meats from being served in public school lunches due to the emulsifiers and stabilizers present. Massachusetts and West Virginia (if the bill is reintroduced) may additionally ban fortified products from being served, though it isn’t currently clear how those distinctions will be made. It is important to note, however, that many of these bills are early on in their approval process, and it is unknown if exceptions will be made as these laws move through their respective legislatures. We’ll be interested in the testimony of manufacturers of various plant-based products.

For more information on UPFs legislation at the federal level, [insert link to federal bill article here].

References

1. Food classification Nova | nupens. (2023). In Nupens | Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health. https://nupens.fsp.usp.br/en/food-classification-nova/
2. Monteiro CA, Levy RB, Claro R M, et al. A new classification of foods based on the extent and purpose of their processing. Cadernos de Saúde Pública. 2010;26:2039–2049
3. An act to amend the education law, in relation to requiring instruction on nutrition in schools, no. A11087, The New York State Senate (2026). https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A11087
4. Ultra-Processed Food, no. SB 1826, The Florida Senate (2025). https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2025/1826
5. Relating to prohibiting ultraprocessed food from being served or sold to students in public schools., (2025) (testimony of Partisan Bill), 89(R) HB 3292, Texas Legislature (2025). https://capitol.texas.gov/Search/DocViewer.aspx?DocId=89RHB032921B&AllWords=&AnyWords=ultraprocessed&ExactWords=&CustomWords=&DocType=B
6. SNAP Lunches no. S. 589, South Carolina General Assembly (2025). https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/589.htm
7. SNAP Lunches no. H. 4339, South Carolina General Assembly (2025), https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess126_2025-2026/bills/4339.htm
8. AL HB580. Alison Legislature State Alabama (2026). https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2025RS/HB580-int.pdf
9. AN ACT Relating to School Nutrition 25Rs HB 439. Kentucky General Assembly (2025). https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/25rs/hb439.html
10. Ultra Processed Foods in Schools, MHB2887, Missouri House of Representatives. (2026). https://house.mo.gov/billdocumentmobile.aspx?year=2026&code=r%20&bill=hb2887
11. An Act Concerning Ultraprocessed Food, S946, New Jersey Legislature. (2026) https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/S946/bill-text?f=S1000&n=946_I1
12. House Bill 874, North Carolina General Assembly. (2025). https://www.ncleg.gov/billlookup/2025/h874
13. Arizona Healthy Schools Act, no. 2164, Arizona House of Representatives (2025). https://www.azleg.gov/legtext/57leg/1R/laws/0052.pdf
14. Foods Additives in Schools, no. HB0402, Utah House of Representatives (2025). https://le.utah.gov/~2025/bills/static/HB0402.html
15. Pupil nutrition: restricted school foods and ultraprocessed foods of concern: prohibition, no. AB-1264, California Legislative Information (2025). https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1264
16. House Bill 5507, Illinois General Assembly (2026). https://ilga.gov/Legislation/BillStatus/FullText?GAID=18&DocNum=5507&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=167481&SessionID=114
17. An act Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled “An act relating to the public school system, including certain provisions applicable as well to private and parochial schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the laws relating thereto,” in school health services, providing for unhealthy ultra-processed food prohibited in competitive Foods.”, no. HB1132, The General Assembly of Pennsylvania (2025). https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/text/PDF/2025/0/HB1132/PN1417
18. An Act Relative to Healthy School Lunches, no. S.401, General Court of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts (2025). https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S401
19. An Act Relative to Healthy School Lunches, no. H.4562, General Court of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts (2025). https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4562
20. An Act Relative to Healthy School Lunches, no. H.539, General Court of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts (2025). https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H539
21. West Virginia Code §18-5D-3A. Unsafe food additives prohibited. https://code.wvlegislature.gov/18-5D-3A/ (accessed July 26th, 2026)
22. To Ban Ultra-processed Foods (Exempt Drinks) from Schools in West Virginia, no. HB5481, West Virginia Legislature (2026). https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb5481%20intr.htm&yr=2026&sesstype=RS&i=5481
23. An act to amend the agriculture and markets law and the public health law, in relation to food and food product advertising, no. S7487B, The New York State Senate (2026).
24. An act to amend the agriculture and markets law and the public health law, in relation to food and food product advertising, no. S7487C, The New York State Senate (2026).
25. 8th Continent Original Soymilk, half gallon, Price Rite. (2026). https://www.priceritemarketplace.com/sm/planning/rsid/127/product/8th-continent-original-soymilk-half-gallon-00053859070663 (accessed July 26th, 2026)
26. Original Dairy-Free Plant-Based Milk, Ripple Foods (2026). https://dev.ripplefoods.com/original-plant-milk/ (accessed July 26th, 2026)
27. PEARL® Organic Soymilk Smart Original, Kikkoman USA (2026). https://kikkomanusa.com/products/pearl-organic-soymilk-smart-original/ (accessed July 26th, 2026)
28. Pacific Foods® Original Ultra Soy Milk, Plant Based Milk, Campbells Food Service (2026). https://www.campbellsfoodservice.com/product/ultra-soy-original-beverage/ (accessed July 26th, 2026)
29. Original Soymilk | Silk®, Silk (2026). https://silk.com/plant-based-products/soymilk/original-soymilk/ (accessed July 26th, 2026)
30. FAQ, Impossible Foods (2026). https://faq.impossiblefoods.com/hc/en-us/articles/360018937494-What-are-the-ingredients-in-Impossible-Beef-Meat-From-Plants (accessed July 26th, 2026)
31. Beyond Burger | Vegan Patties with Avocado Oil | Beyond, Beyond (2026). https://www.beyondmeat.com/en-US/products/the-beyond-burger/beyond-burger (accessed July 26th, 2026)

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By chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD

It’s often interesting to talk about “what’s better for you: cooked or raw fruits and vegetables?” The answer, which has been debated since, well, people have been cooking, is generally “it depends.”

Our blog column is too short to get into details about raw versus cooked philosophies. We’ll try to have a fast, “food for thought” column, rather than attempting to get into the very fine points. Several generalities on this topic could be:

1. Prepare fruits and vegetables the way you enjoy them, so you will be willing consume them on a regular basis!
2. Over processing (boiling for extended periods of time, for example) is rarely a positive for fruit and vegetable enjoyment or for nutrient value; Overcooked Brussel sprouts never won any flavor or vitamin awards.
3. Nutrition is not meant to be an “always or never” routine. Fresh spinach salad one day, steamed garlic spinach the next day… each menu item offers some type of and level of nutrition. “Cooking” may mean up to only 118 degrees for some and roasting over a wood fire for others; raw may mean plucked from the tree and eaten or microwaved for thirty seconds and cooled; each technique provides some level of nutrition.

Way back when, there may have not been a great deal of choice whether fruits and vegetables were cooked or processed, or not. If you lived in an area that had year-round crops, you could have some guarantee that fruits and vegetables would be available throughout the year, no processing needed. If you lived in a limited-growing climate, then fruits and vegetables needed to be cooked or processed to ensure a steady food supply.

If we listen to food technologists, we understand that the way fruits and vegetables are cooked or warmed does make a difference in nutrient availability and absorption. Some nutrients will be better absorbed if veggies or fruit are prepared or eaten with a small amount of healthy fat. The fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E, and K, and nutrients found in plants, especially beta-carotene, lycopene, and carotenoids, are better absorbed when a bit of fat is included. So, for example, vegetables or fruit in a salad, served with a small amount of dressing, avocado, or nuts can help with absorption of fat-soluble nutrients. As a rule of thumb, we are speaking about a teaspoon or so of fat per serving. Larger amounts of fat don’t improve the amount of absorption.

Heat breaks down cell walls, releasing nutrients. For example, cooked or heat processed (sun-drying would be one technique) tomato products tend to have higher levels of available lycopene than raw tomatoes. Vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, asparagus, cabbage, and peppers supply more carotenoids or flavonoids to the body when cooked or warmed than when eaten raw. Oxalates and phytates are substances found in many fruits and vegetables, and can impede the ability to absorb calcium and iron. Light cooking or heating helps to break down these substances, allowing the body to absorb more calcium and iron.

Water soluble vitamins, Vitamin C and all the B vitamins (B6, B12, folic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, etc.) are heat sensitive. Fruits and vegetables eaten for these vitamins may supply more nutrients if consumed raw. Broccoli and cauliflower, chard, peppers, beets, and radishes contain nutrients that may “leech out” if exposed to a lot of cooking liquid or prolonged heat. If it is desirable to cook these fruits or vegetables, try to use the cooking water (which may contain some of the nutrients lost from the cooked vegetables). Soups, vegetables stews or borscht are ways to obtain water soluble vitamins, as is using the cooking water to prepare rice, grains, pasta or beans.

Both mushrooms and spinach benefit from gentle cooking or heating to release nutrients. The B vitamins found in mushrooms, and the calcium and Vitamin K found in spinach are better absorbed when these veggies are quickly blanched or sautéed.

Of course, this information needs to be considered in the context of regular intake. A menu plan that contains a variety of fruits and vegetables on a regular basis should contribute to health. Varying preparation techniques are helpful, as well… a spinach salad one day, vegan creamed spinach the next day. If fruits and vegetables are more of an “I should really do this” with small portions on an occasional basis, rather than “I really look forward to this” with multiple portions throughout the week, than, hopefully, the maximizing of nutrients will be a consideration.

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by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

High blood pressure (also called hypertension) affects close to a third of adults globally. Generally, it is defined as a blood pressure reading of 130/80 mm Hg or higher. High blood pressure makes it harder for the heart to pump blood. If high blood pressure is not treated, it increases the risk of having a heart attack or a stroke or of dying from heart disease.

Reducing sodium intake is a cornerstone of prevention and treatment of high blood pressure. While sodium is significant, another nutrient, potassium, also plays an important role. Potassium helps to balance the amount of salt in one’s body.

Increasing potassium intake along with reducing sodium intake is increasingly being seen as the best dietary strategy to promote for population-based recommendations to reduce the risk of high blood pressure (1, 2).

Vegans eating a mostly whole foods diet are likely to get abundant potassium from the dried beans, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds that make up the majority of their diet. Vegans in general tend to have somewhat higher intakes of potassium than nonvegetarians (3). Perhaps that’s why studies show that vegans have a lower risk of hypertension (4,5).

If you’d like to increase your potassium intake, try adding more cooked dried beans to your meals, especially if you’ve been eating a lot of processed plant meats which tend to be high is sodium. Eat fruits and vegetables for snacks. Consider trading in some commercial bread, which tends to be high sodium, for a filling whole grain or starchy vegetable. A cup of cooked quinoa has close to 300 milligrams of potassium while a cup of mashed sweet potatoes has 572 milligrams of potassium. You can control how much salt you add to the grain or starchy vegetable, thereby controlling sodium and increasing potassium.

To read more about potassium see:

Thinking About Potassium

The New Sodium and Potassium Recommendations and What They Mean for You

References:

1. Sriperumbuduri S, Welling P, Ruzicka M, et al. Potassium and hypertension: A state-of-the-art review. Am J Hypertens. 2024;37:91-100.
2. Fukagawa NK, Welling PA, Johnson J, et al. Rethinking the impact of dietary sodium and potassium on blood pressure to advance public health. Am J Clin Nutr. 2026;124:101396.
3. Mangels R, Messina V, Messina M. The Dietitian’s Guide to Vegetarian Diets, 4^th edition. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2023.
4. Fraser GE. Vegetarian diets: what do we know of their effects on common chronic diseases?. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;89:1607S-1612S.
5. Appleby PN, Davey GK, Key TJ. Hypertension and blood pressure among meat eaters, fish eaters, vegetarians and vegans in EPIC-Oxford. Public Health Nutr. 2002;5:645-654.

The contents of this website and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and 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.

By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) first learned of a new meat alternative called Redefine Meat in 2022. Initially, we had wondered if it was just the latest example of a food product manufactured via precision fermentation (PF), a process usually involving animal genes taken from a virtual DNA library and inserted into microbes who in turn produce an animal or dairy protein such as gelatin or casein, respectively. For example, in 2021, we reported on Perfect Day’s called “animal-free” whey, now used in many food and beverages products available at major chain retailers.

Simultaneously growing in popularity in the early 2020s was cell-cultured (i.e., lab-grown) meat, culminating in the 2022 approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration followed by the 2023 approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for two companies to manufacture and sell cell-cultured meat products in the U.S. So, The VRG also wondered if Redefine Meat could be a cell-cultured meat product.

We reached out to Redefine Meat by email in 2022 and asked them to confirm the following:

“1. Your products contain no animal-derived ingredients.
2. There is no animal- or dairy-derived genetic material used to make your products at any step in the process. This includes no animal DNA (including genes coding for dairy ingredients) from a digital library.”

Robin Fine, a business development representative at Redefine Meat, replied promptly and told us: “Redefine Meat products are made from plant-based ingredients and are 100% vegan. They include ingredients from a variety of food groups recommended in a balanced diet, including proteins, carbohydrates and vegetable-based fats. Additional information about our products can be found in the product section of our website.”

In search of more clarity on the manufacture of Redefine Meat, we asked Fine to be more specific by inquiring:

“We know that the words “plant-based” and “vegan” mean different things to different people. So, to get clarity on how you’re using them, could you please confirm that your products:

“1. Contain no animal-derived ingredients at all (including microingredients like animal-derived stearic acid or dairy-derived whey as well as macroingredients like gelatin or beef fat)

2. No animal- or dairy-derived genetic material – including virtual DNA – was inserted into microbes to produce animal and/or dairy proteins later used in your products. Nor was animal- or dairy-derived genetic material used in any other way during product design or manufacture.”

Fine responded simply by stating: “Our products do not contain any of the [above] ingredients or materials and are 100% plant-based.”

Assured that Redefine Meat is neither manufactured by PF using animal genes nor cell-cultured meat, The VRG emailed Fine in June 2026 about the availability of Redefine Meat in the U.S. We learned from Fine:

“We are available at various foodservice establishments in the East Coast mainly in the [New York City, Boston, and Connecticut] areas, and we are working on expanding to more areas. Our current distributors are:

• Chefs Warehouse
• Ace Natural

We are also actively working on launching retail in the USA…[Now]…you can try almost all of our products at Next Stop Vegan in Brooklyn. ”

When we asked Fine for a list of restaurants or stores where people can find Redefine Meat now, Fine advised:

“You can use our online location finder to search for restaurants serving our products in the United States. Most of our current locations are in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania…As restaurant menus may change, we always recommend contacting the restaurant in advance to confirm that they currently serve our products.”

The contents of this posting, our website and our other publications, including 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.

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group research, join at https://www.vrg.org/member/cabdacae.php

Or donate at www.vrg.org/donate

Mountain Springs 

3254 Spirit Lake Cutoff Road

Spirit Lake, ID 83869 

(208) 263-2273

Assisted living (16 beds), hospice (8 beds), memory support (8 beds open Fall 2026)

Sample menus on their website include a vegetarian menu with scrambled tofu and a black bean burger. A special meals menu notes that “all meat dishes can be substituted with tofu or plant-based product.”

Save money by eating vegan. Enjoy this inexpensive, easy to prepare dinner demonstrated by Vegan Journal editor Hannah Kaminsky.

For more affordable vegan recipes, go to https://bit.ly/vj-budget Visit Vegan Journal and The Vegetarian Resource Group at https://www.vrg.org/

See the Hearty Macaroni video at https://youtube.com/shorts/YeeFVkrSll4?feature=share

Navya said: Promoting veganism has been a central part of my life, as I am passionate about the ethical, environmental, and health benefits it offers. Since I am vegan myself, I educate others through social media by sharing posts from vegan advocates, and I discuss the advantages of plant-based eating with friends. In high school, I created a research project for my AP Language and Composition class, arguing how the consumption of animal products harms society. For my visual component, I designed a children’s book to explain the importance of veganism. Here is the video link to a vegan cheesecake recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsTkyyAQ-2o&t=35s

The deadline for the next Vegetarian Resource Group video contest is July 15, 2027. See https://www.vrg.org/videoscholarship.php

See other videos here: https://www.vrg.org/veg_videos.php

And https://www.youtube.com/@VegResourceGrp/shorts

For information about VRG’s $5,000 scholarships for high school seniors who have promoted veganism, see https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar  The next deadline is February 20, 2027.

To support VRG’s outreach to young people, join at https://www.vrg.org/member/cabdacae.php

Or donate at vrg.org/donate

The following is being added to our list of senior residences which offer vegan dishes.

Brightview Wayne

By Brightview Senior Living

1139 Hamburg Turnpike

Wayne, NJ 07470

(973) 587-2343

Independent living, assisted living, memory care, enhanced care

Sample menu displaying a “vegetarian” icon includes an Everyday Menu which contains a vegan black bean burger, Impossible burger, and a vegan meatball and spaghetti with vegan marinara sauce dish. (There is no vegetarian icon next to either the bistro burger or spaghetti and meatballs dishes because meat options are available for these items.) According to a chef there, vegan stir-fry with tofu (as a main entrée) is likely offered 2x/month. A vegan soup is likely offered 2x/wk. The butternut squash/spinach pasta contains a cream sauce.

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By Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD

Although we rarely seem to get much beyond slicing and enjoying it, watermelon is a “total utilization” fruit. We can use the interior, the juice, the seeds, and the rind! If you are in “cut up and enjoy” mode, use watermelon as an accompaniment to summer meals; it’s great with sweet items (cereal, vegan yogurt, baked goods) or savory (grilled veggie dogs or burgers, pasta salad). If you want to get melon-creative, cut watermelon into stick shapes and freeze; you’ll have your own watermelon-sicles which can be eaten as a snack, used instead of ice cubes, or tossed into the blender with other smoothie ingredients (watermelon daiquiris, anyone?). If simple desserts work for you, thinly slice watermelon, sprinkle with rose- or orange-blossom water and served chilled. Mango chunks or slices can be alternated with sliced watermelon for a colorful dessert. If fresh mango is not available, frozen mango will work well.

If you’d like to go savory, with your watermelon, you can use watermelon cubes to “tame the heat” in curries and chilies, in veggies salad with onions and garlic, and in stir-fries or sautés (add small watermelon cubes at the last minute, or use as a garnish). Try a “watermelon steak” (a thick slice of watermelon, rind removed) topped with slices of ripe avocado and shredded jicama, chopped parsley, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.  If you would like to get adventurous, do some research for a watermelon or watermelon rind curry recipe, popular in Caribbean and South Asian cuisine.

When slicing watermelon, be certain to capture the juice to use in salads, smoothies, or cold beverages. If you have extra watermelon, blend it to create watermelon juice, refreshing on its own or when combined with other fruit or veggie juices (carrot, cucumber, spinach, etc.).

If your watermelon comes with seeds, save them! Use only the mature, black seeds, and discard the white, small seeds. Collect the seeds, place them in a colander or strain and rinse very, very well, until they are squeaky clean. Spread the cleaned seeds on a baking sheet and allow to dry in a sunny area, or in a low oven. You can skip this step and pat the seeds dry, but very dry seeds roast best. Preheat a large frying pan and add seeds, stirring and turning until they are roasted (you’ll want to taste one to see if the desired texture has been reached). When seeds are roasted, mix together a small amount of salt with water, pour over the seeds, and allow the water to dissolve while stirring. Store your new salty snack in an air-tight container.

Pickled watermelon rind takes a bit of time to prepare, but is really worth the effort! The Watermelon Council, watermelon.org, has step-by-step instructions. Pickled watermelon rind is a versatile condiment, so tasty that it’s hard to refrain from just eating it right out of the jar!

Carnaless is a vegetarian food trailer with plant-based Mexican options. Lunch tacos such as the beefless and chickenless fajitas are made with mushrooms, grilled peppers, and onions. Extras include plant-based mozzarella and beans.

For more information, see www.carnaless.com