by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, recently published a position paper about vegetarian dietary patterns for adults.  According to AND, “a position paper is a critical analysis of current facts, data and research literature on a specific issue with high, or at least moderate, quality evidence.” Position papers from AND are based on systematic reviews of the research literature. I was one of a team of people who developed and authored this position paper.

The position paper begins with a paragraph summarizing AND’s position. Here’s what it says:

It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that, in adults, appropriately planned vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns can be nutritionally adequate and can offer long-term health benefits such as improving several health outcomes associated with cardiometabolic diseases. Vegetarian dietary patterns exclude meat, poultry, and seafood, and vegan dietary patterns exclude all foods of animal origin. Registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) and nutrition and dietetics technicians, registered (NDTRs) play a pivotal role in providing meal-planning strategies and evidence-based nutrition information to clients currently following vegetarian or vegan dietary patterns or who may benefit from and express interest in following vegetarian or vegan dietary patterns. RDNs and NDTRs can work with their clients to create tailored, lifestyle-oriented, nutritionally balanced, and culturally suitable vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns that optimize health benefits while reducing concerns about nutrient inadequacies. This position was approved in January 2025 and will remain in effect until December 31, 2032.

The paper goes on to provide information about the role of vegetarian, including vegan, diets in the prevention and management of chronic diseases, key nutrients for vegetarians, and vegetarian diets for older adults and for those with food insecurity. It includes recommendations for dietitians who work with vegetarians and vegans and with clients who are interested in or who could benefit from these diets. The paper says that AND “will advocate for  policies and legislation that support equitable access to more plant-based foods in a variety of settings (e.g., schools, childcare nutrition programs, federal assistance programs) and within clinical care to meet the cultural, customary eating pattern, religious, and sustainability preferences of individuals.”

Information from VRG’s poll of the number of vegetarian adults is included in the paper and several of  VRG’s resources, such as My Vegan Plate and Vegan Diets in a Nutshell are listed as helpful resources for practitioners.

The complete position paper is available at https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(25)00042-5/pdf

Raj S, Guest NS, Landry MJ, Mangels AR, Pawlak R, Rozga M. Vegetarian Dietary Patterns for Adults: A Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. J Acad Nutr Diet. Published online February 7, 2025. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2025.02.002

Vegan Meatballs

Olga Kouloufakos serves up a variety of Mediterranean vegan recipes in an issue of Vegan Journal. You can prepare Stuffed Tomatoes; Vegan Meatballs (based on mushrooms and oats); Moussaka; Pasta with Chickpea & Mushroom Pesto; and Lasagna.

Read her entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue3/2024_issue3_mediterranean_mainstays.php

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

A Vegan Journal article by Nava Atlas called “Collard Comforts” includes recipes for Stir-Fried Collard Greens and Cabbage; Spicy Collard Greens with Black-Eyed Peas and Tomatoes; Hoisin-Glazed Collard Greens and Sweet Potatoes; Rosemary Potatoes and Collard Greens with Vegan Sausage; and Roasted Collard Greens with Polenta and Brussels Sprouts. These delicious recipes can be found here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue4/2024_issue4_collard_comforts.php

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

The Vegetarian Resource Group has an extensive section on their website in Spanish. Feel free to share this information: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/information_in_Spanish.htm

Sample topics included are:

Recetas Veganas – Vegan Recipes

La Dieta Vegana – Vegan Diet and Nutrition

Spicy Chai Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream

Vegans know that you can prepare delicious cakes without eggs! Share these recipes from Sara Kidd that ran in Vegan Journal with your non-vegan friends and family: Glute-Free Vanilla Cake; Persian Love Cake; Roasted Carrot Cardamom Cake; Spicy Chai Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream; and Plum Butter Cake.

Read the article with recipes here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue2/2024_issue2_glorious_cakes.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

February 10, 2025

Thank you for the opportunity to submit comments on the Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on vegetarianism and the interrelated issues of health, nutrition, environment, ethics, and world hunger. Our health professionals, activists, and educators work with businesses and individuals to bring about healthy changes in schools, workplaces, and the community. Registered dietitians and physicians aid in the development of nutrition-related publications and answer questions about the vegetarian and vegan diet. For the past 31 years, we have commissioned polls exploring vegetarian-related issues, results of which are often used by researchers, the food industry, and the media. Financial support comes primarily from memberships and contributions.

We commend the Committee for their work and appreciate their attempts to promote more plant sources of protein as well as their commitment to having guidance be relevant to people with different needs.

Our comments will focus primarily on the vegetarian, including vegan, population of the United States and those who frequently opt to eat vegan/vegetarian meals.

The most recent polls commissioned by The Vegetarian Resource Group indicate that 6% of the adult and 5% of the child/adolescent U.S. population “never eats meat, fish, seafood, or poultry” and thus would be classified as vegetarian.^1,2 Approximately half of these adult vegetarians and 40% of the child/adolescent vegetarians “never eat meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy products, or eggs” and thus would be classified as vegan.^1,2 Table 1 provides details about the percentages of vegetarians and vegans in our most recent surveys.

Our polls also indicate that a substantial proportion of U.S. adults eat vegetarian, including vegan meals. Approximately 63% of U.S. adults always, usually, or sometimes eat vegetarian (including vegan) meals; 29% always, usually, or sometimes eat vegan meals.¹ Table 2 provides details about eating behaviors of U.S. adults.

As an organization that serves as a resource for those choosing vegetarian or vegan diets, we have often referred to the Healthy Vegetarian Dietary Pattern that was introduced in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines and was updated in the 2020 Dietary Guidelines to include patterns for ages 1 year and older. It is disconcerting to see that this pattern no longer appears to be a part of the most recent Scientific Report except for ages 12 through 23 months (Table E.1.3).

Vegan and vegetarian dietary patterns are associated with numerous health and environmental benefits.^3-6 Although the Scientific Report promotes use of more plant-based meal and dietary recommendation options, guidance seems to be lacking for those who wish to exclusively use plant sources of foods (vegan dietary pattern) or who want to eliminate meat, fish, poultry, and seafood (lacto-ovo, lacto, or ovo vegetarians).

While the Eat Healthy Your Way pattern is described as “a single, inclusive dietary pattern that offers flexibilities to support individual needs and preferences,” it is unclear to us how this pattern meets the needs and preferences of those who choose to avoid animal products or even those who do not wish to eat between 9.5 and 29.5 ounce equivalents of meat, poultry, and eggs on a weekly basis (Table E.1.2). The report alludes to “Dietary Pattern Flexibilities” in Box D.10.1 where flexibilities are described as “narrative advice around options for meeting nutrient needs outside of quantitative pattern recommendations.” We are hopeful that this narrative advice will include information about vegetarian and vegan eating patterns but are concerned about the vagueness of the explanation of Dietary Pattern Flexibilities. In addition, many users rely on tables, such as Table E.1.2 and will not be aware of any narrative advice in Dietary Guidelines 2025 related to vegan and vegetarian dietary patterns. We propose that Dietary Guidelines 2025 retains the Healthy Vegetarian Dietary Pattern that appeared in the 2015 and 2020 Dietary Guidelines.

A number of peer-reviewed studies have been published using food pattern modeling that demonstrate that various vegetarian, vegan, and near-vegetarian dietary patterns can be nutritionally adequate during different stages of the life-cycle.^7-11 These studies provide needed information about the adequacy of vegan and vegetarian dietary patterns but unfortunately do not appear to have been included in or considered for the Scientific Report.

The Scientific Report repeatedly indicated that there was insufficient data to allow the development of a vegan dietary pattern (Box D.10.2). This perceived lack of information should be addressed with support for research to be conducted on the food choices of vegans (no meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, eggs) in the United States. These results should be used to inform meal patterns in the future. Similarly, the Committee reported encountering challenges in acquiring data for newer plant-based alternatives.¹² Updating information in the database used to develop dietary patterns to incorporate additional foods commonly eaten by vegetarians, including vegans, especially fortified foods and replacements for animal-derived products should be a priority to support the work of future Scientific Committees.

We support the Committee’s recommendation to move the Beans, Peas, and Lentils Subgroup from the Vegetables Food Group to the Protein Foods Group to align with evidence to include more plant-based protein foods. We also support the Committee’s recommendation to reorder the Protein Foods Subgroups to list Beans, Peas, and Lentils first, followed by Nuts, Seeds, and Soy Products with Meats, Poultry, and Eggs listed last. This reordering communicates the importance of a greater focus on plant-based foods due to their health benefits. Educational materials developed in support of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines should promote greater use of plant-based protein sources.

While the Scientific Report discusses an increase in the quantity of Beans, Peas, and Lentils in the Eat Healthy Your Way pattern, the increase is relatively small as indicated in Table 3. We note that the highest increase is about 4/7 of an ounce equivalent (or about 2 tablespoons) more per day. We support a larger increase in the number of servings of beans, peas, and lentils because of the known health benefits of this food group. Users of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines should be provided with information on ways to reduce or eliminate meat, poultry, and eggs while increasing servings of beans, peas, and lentils and nuts and soy foods.

As educational materials are developed, we encourage the inclusion of more options to help consumers meet their needs for those nutrients that have been identified as public health concerns due to underconsumption. For example, although fortified soy milk is included in the dairy group, many consumers will not use 3 cups of fortified soy milk daily. We encourage providing other options including increased use of leafy green vegetables, calcium-set tofu, and calcium-fortified foods in addition to soy milk, such as other plant milks and orange juice, as sources of bioavailable calcium.

We support the Committee’s recommendation that future Committees consider examining the association of ultra-processed foods with risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and cognitive decline. Additionally, we urge future Committees to develop and use a more rigorous definition of ultra-processed foods. We are concerned that foods that may be eaten by vegetarians such as plant milks and commercial veggie burgers are being classified as ultra-processed foods.^13,14 Ultra-processed foods are thought of as being high in calories, salt, sugar, and fat and are often associated with being the foods we crave, despite having little to recommend them in terms of nutrition. This hardly seems like the correct category for foods such as plant milks or some brands of veggie burgers. One study of ultra-processed foods found that the entire category of “meat alternatives” which included veggie sausages and burgers, tofu, tempeh, and TVP supplied 0.2% of total calories.¹⁵ With this small representation, it is impossible to reach conclusions about the health effects of these foods compared to other foods commonly classified as ultra-processed.

Sincerely,

Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Nutrition Advisor, The Vegetarian Resource Group

Charles Stahler                                                                     Debra Wasserman

Co-Director, The Vegetarian Resource Group               Co-Director, The Vegetarian Resource Group

References

1. Stahler C, Mangels R. How many vegetarians and vegans are there? Vegetarian Resource Group. https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/CulturedMeatYouGov2022.pdf. 2022.
2. Stahler C, Mangels R. How many youth in the U.S. are vegan? Vegetarian Resource Group. https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/Yougov2021youthteenwriteup.pdf. 2021.
3. Craig WJ, Mangels AR, Fresán U, et al. The Safe and Effective Use of Plant-Based Diets with Guidelines for Health Professionals. Nutrients. 2021;13(11):4144. Published 2021 Nov 19. doi:10.3390/nu13114144
4. Springmann M. A multicriteria analysis of meat and milk alternatives from nutritional, health, environmental, and cost perspectives. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024;121(50):e2319010121.
5. Gibbs J, Cappuccio FP. Plant-Based Dietary Patterns for Human and Planetary Health. Nutrients. 2022;14(8).
6. Raj S, Guest NS, Landry MJ, Mangels AR, Pawlak R, Rozga M. Vegetarian Dietary Patterns for Adults: A Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. J Acad Nutr Diet. Published online February 7, 2025. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2025.02.002.
7. Hess JM, Comeau ME, Smith JL, Swanson K, Anderson CM. Vegetarian Diets During Pregnancy: With Supplementation, Ovo-Vegetarian, Lacto-Vegetarian, Vegan, and Pescatarian Adaptations of US Department of Agriculture Food Patterns Can Be Nutritionally Adequate. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2025;125(2):204-216.e17. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2024.08.001
8. Hess JM, Comeau ME, Swanson K, Burbank M. Modeling Ovo-vegetarian, Lacto-vegetarian, Pescatarian, and Vegan USDA Food Patterns and Assessing Nutrient Adequacy for Lactation among Adult Females. Curr Dev Nutr. 2023;7(12):102034. Published 2023 Nov 20. doi:10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.102034
9. Hess JM, Comeau ME. Modeling lacto-vegetarian, pescatarian, and “pescavegan” USDA food patterns and assessing nutrient adequacy for healthy non-pregnant, non-lactating adults. Front Nutr. 2023;10:1113792. Published 2023 Feb 7. doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1113792
10. Hess JM, Comeau ME. Application of dairy-free vegetarian and vegan USDA food pattern models for non-pregnant, non-lactating healthy adults. J Food Sci. 2022;87(10):4703-4713. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.16314
11. Hess JM. Modeling Dairy-Free Vegetarian and Vegan USDA Food Patterns for Nonpregnant, Nonlactating Adults. J Nutr. 2022;152(9):2097-2108. doi:10.1093/jn/nxac100
12. Taylor CA, Talegawkar SA, Fung T, et al. What are the implications for nutrient intakes when modifying the Protein Foods group and subgroup quantities within the Healthy U.S.-Style Dietary Pattern or Healthy Vegetarian Dietary Pattern? Food Pattern Modeling Report. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Nutrition and Economic Analysis Branch; 2024. doi:https:/doi.org/10.52570/DGAC2025.FPM03.
13. Orlich MJ, Sabaté J, Mashchak A, et al. Ultra-processed food intake and animal-based food intake and mortality in the Adventist Health Study-2. Am J Clin Nutr. 2022;115(6):1589-1601. doi:10.1093/ajcn/nqac043
14. Gehring J, Touvier M, Baudry J, et al. Consumption of ultra-processed foods by pesco-vegetarians, vegetarians, and vegans: associations with duration and age at diet initiation. J Nutr. 2021;151(1):120-131.
15. Rauber F, Laura da Costa Louzada M, Chang K, et al. Implications of food ultra-processing on cardiovascular risk considering plant origin foods: an analysis of the UK Biobank cohort. Lancet Reg Health Eur. 2024;43:100948. Published 2024 Jun 10. doi:10.1016/j.lanepe.2024.100948

Table 1. Recent Poll Results –Percentage of Adults, Children, and Teens in the U.S. who are Vegetarian or Vegan

^*Vegetarian defined as “never eat meat, fish, seafood, poultry”; vegan defined as “never eat meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy products, eggs.”

These surveys were conducted online within the United States by YouGov on behalf of The Vegetarian Resource Group among 2,889 U.S. adults and among 1,002 U.S. 8-17-year-olds.

Table 2. Recent Poll Results –Percentage of Adults in the U.S. who Usually, Sometimes or Always Eat Vegetarian or Vegan Meals ¹

This survey was conducted online within the United States by YouGov on behalf of The Vegetarian Resource Group among 2,889 U.S. adults.

Table 3. Amounts of Beans, Peas and Lentils Recommended in the 2020 Healthy U.S.-Style Dietary Pattern (HUSS) Compared to the 2025 Eat Healthy Your Way Dietary Pattern

photo from Honey Bear

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:

Cultiva, 215 Third St., San Juan Bautista, CA 95045

Cultiva farm-to-table restaurant offers a fully vegan seasonal menu. Sandwiches include the Mushroom Torte with soy and chipotle sauce; the Turky Classic made with house-made seitan and cheese; and the Alma with radishes, cucumbers, and pickled onions. The Harvest Bowl salad includes quinoa, delicata squash, broccolini, kale, and cherry tomatoes tossed in a citrus tahini sauce. The SJB salad includes kale, lettuce, radicchio, walnuts, pomegranate, butternut squash, and fresh onions with a red-wine vinaigrette.

Herbivore Patisserie, 474 Station Ave., Unit B, South Yarmouth, MA 02664

A completely plant-based bakery offering a diverse array of sweet treats that are made daily. Some sugary and scrumptious choices include the chocolate chip cookie, blueberry scone, cranberry scone, cinnamon roll, and strawberry shortcake. A few gluten-free options are usually available; sugar-free options are available upon request. The bakery has a rotating menu that changes every weekend and maintains a “dessert ATM” located within Cape Cod Mall. Custom ordering is also an option for pickup or delivery/shipment. Please note that cakes that were produced in such a manner were reportedly delicious, in addition to being creatively and painstakingly decorated.

Honey Bear, Broad Street Market, 1233 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg, PA 17102

The name Honey Bear was inspired by the nickname for their beloved dog, Mabel. In her honor and in honor of other past furry friends, they donate 100% of Pup Cup sales each year to a selected non-profit animal rescue. Their menu may vary weekly. They are sensitive to food allergies and dietary preferences and pleased to use mostly organic and non-GMO ingredients in their coconut milk and coconut cream based ice cream which is churned from scratch weekly. Some Vegan Pastries they have offered are Cinnamon Buns, and Blueberry Crumb Muffins. Vegan Ice cream flavors you might find on the menu are Black Star—double chocolate brownie, Lemon Blueberry Streusel Cake Crumbles, Brown Sugar Butter Pecan, Supernaut with Dark Star coffee, dark chocolate fudge and chocolate coffee bean bits, vanilla based Peanut Butter Ripple, No More Bad Days featuring Tucker and Co Oat Chocolate Chip Bars with caramel, almonds and more! They offer a variety of toppings. Get your scoops in cones, dishes or sundaes.

Jupiter Supper Club, 718 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701

Focused on the freshest ingredients, their menu is ever changing, as it reflects the seasons. Some dishes you might encounter are Grilled Watermelon Radishes with Campari apricots, shiitake confit, and spiced chili oil; Wood Fired Turnips with potato fondue and turnip green Pesto, Hummus, Naan and Zhug (a spicy chunky sauce originating in Yemen) with toasted pine nuts; Wild Mushroom Tempura; and Ditalini Pasta with shallot cream, Cauliflower Giardiniera and Rosemary. They craft a bevy of Specialty Cocktails. Need some grounding? Earth in a Glass offers Gin, Mezcal, spearmint, bergamot, pandan, basil and blue spirulina. Saffron Espresso Martini offers Vodka, Tequila, saffron, banana and cold brew. Desserts possibilities might include Dark Chocolate Panna Cotta or Roasted Banana Split with salted hazelnut caramel and dark chocolate mousse.

Odd burger, 4549 Kingston Rd., Scarborough, ON M1E 2P1 Canada

Odd Burger specializes in vegan fast food. This restaurant offers sides, “chickUN,” dessert, burgers, and more. All the ingredients used in specific dishes can be found on their website, where you can also place orders. Odd Burger also uses a variety of faux meats including house-made chickpea burgers, house-made sausage, gyro meat, and more! These are used in dishes like the “Vopper” burger and “Famous Style Fries”.

Vía Láctea, 2 Whitney Ave., New Haven, CT 06510

Vía Láctea, (AKA the Milky Way in English) serves house made pastries with gluten-free options and coconut milk-based vegan ice cream, crafted with unrefined sugar, in a galaxy of flavors. Some are seasonal stars such as Coquito or Pumpkin Chai; others are part of the cosmos like Mint Chocolate Cookie, Guava Panetela, Vanilla Bean Caramel, Coffee Chip, Berry Sorbet and more. Cone choices include Vanilla Waffle and Dark Matter Waffle. Vía Láctea focuses on achieving the ideal balance of creaminess, coolness and sweetness best suited to each flavor. They’re also mindful not to neglect aroma, incorporating herbs and flowers, acknowledging that as the frozen treat melts on the tongue, it releases flavor through its fragrance. Thoughtfully, their packaging is made of recycled materials and is recyclable.

Village of Om, 1915 S St, Sacramento, CA 95811

Salads include Burmese Chopped Salad of Fermented Tea Leaves, Lettuce, Cabbage, Tomatoes, Jalapenos, Chickpeas, Split Peas, Pumpkin Seeds, and Pesto Dressing and Better Meat Co. Rice Noodle Salad with Sautéed Rhiza, Garlic, Lemongrass, Onions Tamari, Rice Noodles, Lettuce, Cilantro, Mint, Daikon, Carrot Slaw, and Vinaigrette. Some soup choices are Asparagus Lions Mane Soup with Enoki, Wood Ear, and Shiitake Mushrooms, Carrots, and Peas or Buddha Belly Pho with Noodles, Spicy Lemongrass Satay, Shiitake Mushrooms, Tofu, Green Onion, Coriander, and Bean Sprouts.  A few of their Mains are Trumpet Iron Skillet Bulgogi–Grilled Trumpet Mushrooms, Onions, Kimchi, Daikon, and Broccoli; Vietnamese Crepe with Shiitake Mushrooms, Mung Beans, Tofu, Bean Sprouts, Asian Herbs, and Vinaigrette; Pad Thai Noodles with JustEgg, Mixed Vegetables, Shiitake Mushrooms, Tofu, Baby Bamboo Shoots, Bean Sprouts, Mint, and Cilantro; or Yellow Curry with Potatoes, Carrots, Peas, Chickpeas, Onions, Kabocha Squash, and Grilled Onions. You can even roll with their creative twist on plant-based Sushi. A few options are Up Beet Roll with a Spicy Vegan Mix, Tempura Mushroom and Jalapeños, Beets, and Teriyaki Spicy Orange Sauce or Smokey Vale Roll with Vegan Cream Cheese, Cucumber, Avocado, Smoked Carrots, Lemon, Chipotle Aioli, and Dill. There’s also a Nigiri Sampler showcasing one piece each of Seared Eggplant, Sautéed Trumpet Mushroom, Just Tamago, Lions Mane Mushroom, and Roasted Red Pepper. If you have room for Dessert, there’s Acai Tapioca Coconut.

fennel Freepik photo

By Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD

You can call it Florence fennel, you can call it sweet anise, and you can even call it finocchio. How will you know it when you see it? Fennel’s bulb looks like a white, Disney-esque celery stalk, tapering off to skinny (like the diameter of your index finger) stalks and ending with feathery leaves, reminiscent, in shape, of fresh dill. Fennel has a mild, licorice (as in the real stuff, black licorice) aroma and flavor. Used correctly, it is absolutely intoxicating.

Fennel can be eaten raw. Just de-string the bulb and the stalks with a vegetable peeler and crunch on it as you would celery. No time to create? Buy a bagged salad, slice some fresh fennel, toss in some walnuts and you have an upscale salad. If you are feeling elegant, and have steady hands, you can shave fresh fennel with a razor or cheese plane to extract maximum flavor.

The ancient Greeks thought of fennel as a symbol of victory and success. The ancient Romans thought fennel had the ability to sharpen eyesight. Herbalists will make a tea by boiling fennel and allowing it to steep, using it to soothe the stomach, help to digest fatty foods and to cleanse the system. Fennel is a good source of fiber, along with other nutrients such as Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

Fresh fennel can be thinly sliced, diced, or chopped and added to simmering beans or lentils, salsas, tomato sauce, mushroom dishes, or grains. Use fennel to add an extra layer of exciting flavor to sandwiches or wraps, to grilled veggie burgers or extra-firm tofu or seitan or eggplant slices, and to soups and to scrambled tofu. If you have extra fennel, you can cut the bulb into chunks, wrap in foil and grill or roast in the oven, to use as a side dish or as an aromatic condiment.

Enjoy this recipe!

Fennel Salad

(Serves 4)

Take a break from lettuce and dive into this crunchy, aromatic salad.

1 medium fennel (about ½ pound), peeled, leaves removed and cut into thin strips

2 red bell peppers (about ½ pound) deseeded and cut into thin strips

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

2 teaspoons cracked black pepper

Toss fennel and peppers in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil and pepper until frothy. Pour evenly over fennel and mix to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

In a Vegan Cooking Tips column that previously ran in Vegan Journal, Chef Nancy Berkoff said breakfast in a mug can be just one part of your morning meal, sipped leisurely during an early morning class or meeting; or it can be a gulp-able meal unto itself, taken on the dash.

Here’s some of her delicious combination suggestions:

Creamy Smooth: ½ cup fruit-flavored soy yogurt, ½ cup vegan milk, ½ banana, 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon thawed orange juice concentrate

Harvest Apple: ½ cup tofu or plain vegan yogurt, ¼ cup applesauce, 1 Tablespoon thawed apple juice concentrate, ¼ cup vegan milk, sprinkle of cinnamon

Potassium Plus: carrot juice, ¼ cup orange juice, ½ banana

Sunny: ½ cup orange juice, 2 ounces pineapple juice, ½ banana or 2 ounces of tofu or vegan yogurt, 3 ounces strawberries, 1 Tablespoon wheat germ

Ginger-Peachy: ½ cup sliced peaches, ¼ cup orange juice, 2 Tablespoons carrot juice, dash of maple syrup, dash of ginger

Apples Plus: apple cider blended with applesauce, apple juice concentrate, raisins, cinnamon

Banana Split: hot or cold milk blended with banana, berries, pineapple, cocoa powder (or chocolate syrup)

What the Bunny Knows: carrot juice blended with banana, celery, wheat germ, ­­orange juice concentrate

Read the entire column here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2013issue2/2013_issue2_quick_breakfasts.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the US only: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Mexican Inspired Spaghetti photo by Rissa Miller

Chef Roberto Carlos Perez shares a number of Mexican Fusion dishes in his Vegan Journal article. Enjoy Mexican-American Breakfast, No-Lomo Salteado Vegan Burritos, Mexican-Inspired Spaghetti, Fettuccine Roberto, and Al Pastor Cheeseless-Steak Sandwiches. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2023issue4/2023_issue4_mexican_fusion.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only, go to https://www.vrg.org/member/