In each issue of Vegan Journal, we review exceptional vegan books. Baking Vegan Bread at Home offers a wide range of vegan bread recipes including Old-Style English Muffins; Backyard Hamburger Buns; Rustic Homemade Rye Bread; Irish Soda Bread; Morning Muesli Bread; Orange Cranberry Bread; and Garlic Herb Vegan Naan Bread.

Read the entire book review here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue1/2025_issue1_book_reviews.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only here: https://www.vrg.org/member/

photo from iStock

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

While some companies use “plant-based” as a synonym for vegan, others may use it to describe a product whose main ingredients are plants but that could also contain animal-derived ingredients. We were curious about how companies were identifying their products. Were they saying they were vegan? Plant-based? Plant-based and vegan?

As a part of a larger project looking at plant milks, we checked websites to see if products were identified as “vegan,” “plant-based,” or something else. We looked at 51 brands whose products included soymilks, grain-based milks, pea protein-based milks, nut milks, seed milks, and coconut milks. Since some products are only available in a limited part of the United States, we relied on website information and did not look at package labels unless a picture of the package was included on the company’s website.

Information was collected in 2024 and verified in early 2025. Some websites were straight-forward, and it was easy to see if they described their products as vegan. In other cases, we searched areas included “About Us” and “FAQs” to see if products were described as vegan.

Overall, we found that 32 of the 51 brands (63%) that we examined said their plant milks were vegan and one said their plant milks were vegan-friendly. Of the remaining 19 brands, 13 described products as plant-based but did not specifically say they were vegan (25% of all brands). In many cases, products appeared to be vegan with short lists of ingredients, none of which would be animal-derived. Four brands (8%) did not say they were vegan or plant-based but indicated that they were dairy-free or non-dairy. One of these brands contained honey. One brand did not indicate that it was vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, or non-dairy.

Out of 51 brands:

• 33 identified their plant milks as vegan or vegan-friendly
• 28 identified their plant milks as plant-based
• 36 identified their plant milks as non-dairy or dairy-free
• 1 did not identify their plant milks as vegan, vegan-friendly, plant-based, non-dairy, or dairy-free

There was some overlap of categories with some brands using more than one term to identify their plant milks.

We don’t know why companies choose to identify or not identify a product as “vegan.” If you are curious about a specific product, and whether it is vegan, contact the company.

Thank you to VRG interns Aashay Mody, Ren Patel, and Neha Vivek and VRG volunteer Mae Y. Soon who collected information for this article.

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 read more about the phrase “plant-based” see:

What Does Plant-based Actually Mean?

What Does Plant-based Mean to the Public?

For information about plant milks see: Milk Alternatives

Recent topics brought up include:

– Vegan power! Our 16-year-old son Henry, born and raised vegan. We are so proud of Henry! This picture is the last moment of the classic sprint finals on Friday at the Michigan State Meet. It was a very exciting finish. Henry came up from behind and ended in 2nd place less than a second behind the winner.

– I remember hearing about a few people who were able to get some vegan related books and movies into their local high schools. Does anyone here know who did this successfully? I have someone who would like to reach out to our local school system and would like a bit of guidance before doing this.

– Lil’ Gourmets treats babies and toddlers to fresh, whole food ingredients with flavors inspired by global cuisines. Read our review in Vegan Journal: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue4/2024_issue4_veggie_bits.php

https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRGparentsandkids is intended to be a group that offers support for families raising children on vegan diets and for vegan kids around the world. We envision it as a place to get advice about a wide-variety of topics: pregnancy, birthday parties, school lunches, Halloween, non-leather apparel, cruelty-free products, summer camps, and more. Please use it as a place to share your wisdom, seek advice, or just find a sympathetic ear. The goal is to offer support.

Consequently, any profane, defamatory, offensive, or violent language will be removed. Feel free to disagree, but do so respectfully. Hateful or discriminatory comments regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or political beliefs will not be tolerated. We expect that posts should relate to vegan diets and lifestyles. The Vegetarian Resource Group reserves the right to monitor all content and ban any user who posts in violation of the above rules, any law or regulation, SPAM, or anything otherwise off topic.

Please share this information with any veggie families that you know! Thanks.

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we are sharing these vegan recipes by Enette Larson, PhD that you can prepare for today’s festivities.

Colcannon
(Serves 4)

1 pound potatoes, sliced
2 medium parsnips, peeled and sliced
2 medium leeks
1 cup soymilk
1 pound kale or cabbage
½ teaspoon mace (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons margarine
Parsley

Cook the potatoes and parsnips in water until tender. While those are cooking, chop the leeks (greens as well as white parts) and then simmer them in the soymilk until soft. Next, chop the kale or cabbage and cook until tender.
Drain the potatoes, and season with the mace, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked leeks with soymilk. Finally, blend in the cooked kale or cabbage and margarine. The texture should be that of smooth potato with well distributed pieces of leek and kale or cabbage. Garnish with parsley.

Scannels’ Soda Bread
(Makes 1 loaf; 8 slices)

1-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup oat bran
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon organic sugar
2 Tablespoons caraway seeds
¼ cup currants or raisins
1 cup soymilk plus 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Mix the dry ingredients well. Blend in the caraway seeds and currants or raisins. Add soymilk stirring to make a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead for 1 minute. Shape into a round loaf and put into an 8-inch oiled round pan. With a floured knife, cut an X into the top. Bake loaf at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut into slices when cool.

Each issue of Vegan Journal includes reviews of the latest scientific research related to the veggie lifestyle. Topics covered in the most recent magazine include Whole-Food Plant-Based Diet During Treatment for Metastatic Breast Cancer, as well as Vegan Diets for Male Body Builders.

Read the entire column here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue1/2025_issue1_scientific_update.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only here: https://www.vrg.org/member/

apple pie photo from Freepik

National Pi Day on March 14th recognizes the mathematical constant π. The day is celebrated by pi enthusiasts and pie lovers alike! Chef Nancy Berkoff’s previous Vegan Journal article called Easy as Apple Pie features recipes for Maple Apple Pie, Apple Cream Pie, Apple Pie: Hold the Sugar, Apple Pie with Whiskey, plus more. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2006issue3/2006_issue3_pie.php

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

Share this handy poster with family and friends. You can also print it out and post it on your refrigerator. See: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/VeganDietsinaNutshellPoster.pdf

photo from iStock

Below is a vegan recipe for Hamentashen from The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook, by Debra Wasserman. Hamentashen is the popular baked treat served during Purim, which starts the evening of March 13th in 2025. If you are unable to purchase prune or poppy seed filling in your local supermarket, simply purée a few pitted prunes with a little fruit juice. You can also use puréed apricots as a filling.

Hamentashen
(Makes 15)

1-1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup water
½ cup applesauce
3 Tablespoons orange juice
5 Tablespoons prune or poppy seed filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all the ingredients, except the filling, together in a large bowl. Knead dough for a few minutes. Separate into 3 balls. Cover balls of dough with a slightly damp towel and refrigerate for about 3 hours. Remove from refrigerator and roll balls of dough out to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out approximately 15 four-inch rounds. Place 1 teaspoon prune or poppy seed filling in center. Form a triangle out of the rounds of dough by folding in edges, but still leaving some space in the middle of the dough for the filling to remain mostly uncovered.

Lightly spray a baking pan and place the hamentashen on the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until dough is brown. Serve.

The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook is a vegan cookbook published by The Vegetarian Resource Group and can be purchased here: VRG Book Catalog

In the Nutrition Hotline column of the latest issue of Vegan Journal, Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, answers the question Are all ultraprocessed foods bad? According to Reed, many foods eaten by vegans such as plant milks, veggie burgers, and plant protein-based meat and egg substitutes are being classified as ultraprocessed. Even foods such as tofu and tempeh have been catergorized as ultraprocessed. Dr. Mangels feels this is concerning.

Read the entire column: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue1/2025_issue1_nutrition_hotline.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only here: https://www.vrg.org/member/

photo from Marian

The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Here are some recent vegan restaurant additions. The entire guide can be found here: www.vrg.org/restaurant

To support the updating of this online restaurant guide, please donate at: www.vrg.org/donate

Here are some new additions to VRG’s guide:

Bad Garden Kitchen, Champion Forge Center, 398 Harrisburg Ave., Ste. 500, Lancaster, PA 17603

Bad Garden Kitchen aims to provide easy going, fun food and vibes. A couple of their Sandwiches are Brawler with hand-breaded chick’n fillet, house-made buffalo sauce, crisp lettuce, and tangy pickles and Mushroom Meltdown featuring cheesesteak with peppers, onions, and melted mozzarella. They serve several Burgers like Shroom Doom handcrafted mushroom-quinoa patty with melty vegan cheddar, lettuce, pickles, red onion, and their house spread for a creamy, tang. Or heat things up with a Firestorm of crispy jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, buffalo sauce, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and house sauce. One of the Bowl selections is Spicy Southwest serving up greens, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, roasted red peppers, red onion, cilantro, grilled chick’ n, and creamy chipotle cilantro lime dressing. Whether you like your Franks cheesy, smoky-sweet (as in Sweet Havoc) or BBQ, Bad Garden Kitchen has a Frank for you. If sausage is the missing Link, they have you covered with grilled peppers, onions and spicy mustard. Some Sides are Sweet Sin Potato Fries—sweet, salty, and lightly seasoned and Rings of Onion, thick and crispy. For Dessert there are Milk Shakes and Soft Serve.

Bar Vegan, 2424 Distillery St., Baltimore MD 21230

Enjoy grilled street corn, onion rings, steak fries, maple glazed Brussel sprouts, quesadillas, fried mushroom wrap, fire roasted artichoke salad, general Tso Chik’n, bangin’ brownie, and more.

Beyond the Bun, 1165 S. Stemmons Fwy. #128, Lewiston, TX 75067

Beyond the Bun is a grab-and-go sandwich shop serving all plant-based sandwiches, sides, and desserts. Deli-style sandwich options include the Italian Cuban with ham, provolone, Dijon, and dill pickles on a focaccia bun; roast beef with Swiss, roasted onions, and horseradish sauce on an onion poppyseed brioche bun; and chicken BBQ with pickled red onions on a sub-style brioche bun. Sides include spicy Dijon potato salad and dill pickle slaw. The dessert menu includes cake sandwiches in vanilla cream, chocolate, and strawberry as well as cookies and ice cream.

Marian, 301 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 103, Raleigh, NC 27603

The atmosphere might be called modern Art Deco with botanical touches. Lunch possibilities include French Onion Soup with mushroom cabernet caramelized broth, onions, thyme, a baguette, and cashew gruyere as well as Chef’s Quiche made with Just Egg, asparagus, parm, mushroom, vegan bacon, and fennel apple salad, plus many more menu items. A couple of their numerous innovative Specialty Cocktails are Nancy with malt scotch, house-made Drambuie, fig bitters, brulée fig, and a rosemary sprig, and Cali Mojo blending Empress Elderflower Rose Gin, Limoncello, tonic and dried flower garnish. Evening brings several choices like Meatball a la vodka showcasing Impossible Mushroom Meatball, cashew ricotta, basil caviar, parm, and crostini; Marrow featuring King Oyster, wild mushroom, veg marrow pâte, grilled crostini, truffle pearl, and wild violet; as well as Papas Huancaína–potato croquettes with Peruvian cheese sauce, aji Amarillo, salsa Criolla, and winter pansy to name a few. Their Fondue service features oat cheese, white wine fondue, assorted breads, veg crudités, and seasonal fruits. Bread service includes a daily bread selection, herb butter, olive and sun-dried tomato tapenade and radish. There’s even a Vegan Caviar plate. Depending on timing, the menu might include Chunk™ Wellington puff pastry with stone ground mustard, wild mushroom duxelles, au jus reduction and haircot vert, or Tofu Scissor Noodles with hand cut dumpling, gochujang, chili crisp, kimchi curtido, black sesame, and scallion to note a couple of the many possible Seasonal Plates. A few of the myriad choices for Brunch are French Toast La Foster featuring sourdough, butter-rum maple, banana, walnut, and cocowhip; Mediterranean Omelet with Just Egg, vegan feta, parmesan, asparagus, sundried tomato olive tapenade, and arugula; Belgian Chickun and Waffle offering cornflake crusted chicken, Fresno pimento cheese, and hot hunee arugula; Granola Parfaits, and many more dishes. Two Dessert possibilities are Foster banana cake with whipped buttercreme, Raleigh rum, walnut crumb, and coconut caramel or Tres Leches made with coconut milk, almond milk, vanilla, coconut cream, and cinnamon.

Project V Bakery, 4650 E. Sunset Rd., Ste. B, Henderson, NV 89014

Project V Bakery bakes bite size treats with International flair. Dreaming of Hawaii, Japan, Denmark? Instead of being an armchair traveler, let your taste buds transport you with Malasadas, Hawaiian sister to the sugar donut, or the equally popular Butter Mochi for a crispy, chewy, buttery combo. Another Hawaiian treat, Poi Mochi is made with taro root and fried. There’s also Flavored Mochi which is a bit like the popular Japanese ice cream, but in pastry form and flavors like Cotton candy, Honeydew or Pineapple. Let’s not forget the Danish—Fruit or Specialty with French whispers in its slightly croissant texture. Choose almond frangipane or a sweet chocolate chip cookie ganache center. Can’t decide between the fudge Brownie and the Cookies, have a Brookie! There are also Mini Cupcakes and Mini Loaves in flavors that rotate weekly. Savory options include Sourdough Croutons, Impossible Sausage Rolls with buttery cheese stuffed bread and Not Pockets in several flavors, the most popular being Pizza. Drink selections are Ramune Japanese soda, Hawaiian Sun Juice in flavors like Strawberry Guava Nectar, Lilikoi Lychee, and more.

S.O.P.-STL/ Straight Outta Plantz, 3301 Meramec St., St. Louis, MO 63118

S.O.P.-STL prides themselves on using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. They serve various sizes of Black Bean and other plant-based burgers like Garlic BBQ Pineapple and Mushroom Onion, with shredded cabbage, on toasted buns, and your choice of house relish such as Sweet and Spicy, Yin Yang, or Boom. Meatless Chkn Poppers come dry rubbed or saucy with Teriyaki, Lemon Pepper, and more. Bianca’s Chopped Chkn Hero has cabbage and red onion, sauced with your choice of Stone Ground Garlic Mustard or Garlic BBQ. They offer several variations of Spring Mix Green Salads like the Mediterranean with black and green olives, cheese, and sun dried tomatoes. Among their many sides are Garlic Cheese Seasoned Onion Rings, a myriad of Fries such as Sweet Potato Garlic Maple, Cajun, and more. There’s a Kids Menu too. Craving Dessert? Enter Crumbled Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie. If your sweet tooth enjoys a bit of savory too, you might try Ginger Beer Pop with Ginger Beer, fresh ginger, minced garlic, simple syrup, freshly made vegan caramel, vegan ice-cream, and red pepper flakes for some icy heat!

The Fix, 600 E. 31st St., Kansas City, MO 64109

Offering a taste of nostalgia with its plant-based comfort food, The Fix is situated in a restored vintage drugstore. Some house favorites include Fried Burrito featuring Impossible meat, tofu, black beans, onion, tomatillo, and cilantro in cashew queso with breakfast potatoes and rice, as well as house-made, battered, fried Carolina Chicken Sammie with Carolina sauce and spicy Ancho slaw. There are also plant-based burgers, tacos, a couple of salads, and Build Your Own Sammie, choosing your base, bun, toppings and sauce. They offer a Kids Menu too. Snack selections are onion rings with ranch, pretzel bites, fried pickles, mozzarella sticks, cauliflower wings, and more. Weekend Brunch brings their popular Sausage and Cheese Biscuit with Impossible sausage, melted cheese, house-made Garlic mayo or strawberry jam with breakfast potatoes; Everything Cashew Ricotta Bagel, toasted, with house-made cashew, almond ricotta, pea tendrils, and carrot microgreens, pancakes; breakfast tacos; buffalo maple chicken biscuit, and more. Specialty drinks include Ice Cream Soda Floats and Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Oreo, Espresso, or Malted Milkshakes. Check their Happy Hours and Daily Deals too.