If you live in Washington, DC or will be visiting this area, you will be happy to know that DC Veg Restaurant Week Will Be Held from May 7-14, 2022. Some participating restaurants include HipCityVeg, Fruitive, Rasa, D.C. Vegan, Equinox Restaurant, and many more.

For further details, see: https://www.facebook.com/DCvegweek and https://vegdc.org/.

photo from Yumz Vegan Bakery & Café

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: http://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

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 (Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many are doing take-out and/or delivery now):

B.A.D Gyal Vegan, Marietta Square Market, 68 N. Marietta Pkwy. NW, Marietta, GA 30060

B.A.D Gyal Vegan is a Caribbean fusion vegan restaurant. All the cuisine is made from scratch and is unique. Voxtail’s plant-based oxtail, mac & cheese, crispy wings, fried skrimp, ackee spring rolls, organic coconut rice & peas, Yankee jerk burger, and other delectable dishes are available.

Florish, 2307 S. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa, FL 33629

Florish offers made-to-order vegan pizzas and bowls, freshly baked sweets, and local craft beers. Pizzas and bowls are made with hand-crafted dough, herb-roasted vegetables, plant-based meats, and house-made cheeses and sauces. Signature pizzas include the classic Margherita with red sauce and cashew ricotta as well as the Bohemian Jack with creamy white sauce and BBQ pulled jackfruit. Signature bowls include the Buffalo Soul with seasoned brown rice, buffalo breaded chicken, and creamy ranch drizzle as well as the Sun Goddess with ginger-lime rice, roasted chimichurri cauliflower, and golden turmeric vinaigrette drizzle. Pizzas and bowls can also be customized with choice of sauces, cheeses, proteins, base, and vegetables.

House of Vegano, The Body Electric Athletic Company, 655 31^st St. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33712

House of Vegano gives customers a new perspective on sushi and Japanese dishes with a plant-based twist. One of the most popular plates is the Volcano Roll, made with avocado, cucumber, locally-grown Lion’s Mane mushrooms, spicy mayo, eel sauce, sriracha, gluten-free panko breadcrumbs, scallions, and vegan caviar. Need something a little more filling? Try the Tom Kha Ramen – Chili Lemongrass broth with coconut milk, topped with corn, scallions, and Vegan “Vork” Belly. All dishes are made with various exotic mushrooms and fruit as fish substitutes to add a fresh flavor punch. Choose from cold-pressed juices or Beech Kombucha (made with lemongrass, lavender, and pineapple) to quench your thirst as you dine.

Midtown Vegan Deli and Market, 5071 E. 5th St., Tucson, AZ 85711

Midtown Vegan Deli is located the corner of Rosemont Blvd. and 5th Street. Their mission is to help animals and earth through education, sustainability, and encouraging others. They hope to express this passion through the food they serve and sourcing locally when possible. Served all day, breakfast might be a Yogurt Granola Parfait, Balsamic-glazed Avocado Toast with herbs, or Breakfast Burritos featuring “Cheddah” and soyrizo or sausage, among other fixings. Salads include the Mediterranean with artichoke, red pepper, hummus, feta, olives and garbanzo beans to name a few in the abundant ingredient list, as well as potato, pasta, and macaroni salads. You might also enjoy their Cold Turkey sandwich with turkey and avocado on sourdough! Maybe the Philly is more your speed with Portabello mushrooms, soy curls, peppers, onions and wiz on a hoagie. How about the Reuben, with pastrami, sauerkraut, cheese and Thousand Island dressing on rye? There are plenty more sandwich choices, plus you can also make any sandwich into a wrap. Ask about their rotating soup and house-made juice and smoothie options.

Planta Queen, 1201 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

Planta Queen is inspired by Asian cuisine that focuses on being sustainable and upscale in their offerings. Try vegan sushi made with ingredients such as watermelon and mushrooms. Some standout dishes include sweet corn dumplings, truffle fried rice, pad Thai slaw, and jackfruit wings. Planta Queen is a great restaurant if you are look for inventive food that is served in a stylish ambiance.

Sinful Bakery, 1714 Webster St., Houston, TX 77003

Pop tarts, kolaches, cinnamon buns, cookies, cookie dough, monkey bread, turnovers, cheesecakes, and a variety of other treats are available. With limited dine-in capacity, the décor is quite charming, cute, and old fashioned.

Vegan Crave Burgers & Bakery, 1599 Iron St., North Kansas City, MO 64116

This soy-free establishment prepares baked goods in-house along with burgers and sandwiches. Sunday brunch items include Carrot Cake Cinnamon Roll, Creative Chik’n Biscuit, Biscuit and Gravy, and Unique Spicy Seitan Chick’n Sandwich.

Yumz Vegan Bakery & Café, 3490 State St., South Salt Lake, UT 84115

Serves traditional Mexican and Puerto Rican flavors without relying on animal products. A very extensive menu includes tacos (check out the birria tacos, made with jackfruit marinated in peppers and spices), empanadas, chimichangas, chilaquiles, enchiladas etc., in addition to the bakery which serves dairy-free tres leches cakes, pastries and cookies, alongside horchata and different coffee options — they even sell Mexican candy! Family-friendly atmosphere with a dedicated kid’s menu, karaoke, live music and dancing, in a bright Mexican diner-style décor with colorful murals.

Here is a brand new video of the song Gentle Creatures! I hope you like it and if so, please share and subscribe for more vegan videos! –Bob Pyle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXNv3xJtCtk&list=RDMMpXNv3xJtCtk&start_radio=1

Photo from Angelhearts Diner

By Chen Zeng

It can be difficult to be vegetarian/vegan as a college student. But no need to worry at Cornell University; there are a lot of vegetarian/vegan options available at dining halls and restaurants on campus. In this post, I have listed some off-campus vegetarian/vegan friendly dining options.

Moosewood

The Dewitt Building, 215 N Cayuga St., Ithaca, NY 14850

(607) 273-9610

Hours: 5PM – 9PM Wed – Sun

Moosewood is a restaurant located in downtown Ithaca. It is famous for publishing 13 vegetable-focused cookbooks. The restaurant specializes in vegetarian, vegan, and ethnic cuisine. Their menu changes once in a while and most vegetarian dishes can be made vegan upon request. The price here is on the expensive side. So for college students this might not be your everyday dining option but definitely check it out when you’re celebrating special occasions.

Collegetown Bagels

College Ave

(607) 273-0982

420 College Ave., Ithaca, NY 14850

Hours: 7AM – 9PM Sun-Thurs; 7AM – 10PM Fri & Sat

Delivery Hours: 8:30AM – 5PM Daily

State Street

City Centre Building

(607) 273-2848

301 East State St., Ithaca, NY 14850

Hours: 7:30AM – 4PM Daily

East Hill

(607) 273-1036

329 Pine Tree Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850

Hours: 6:30AM – 6PM Daily

Collegetown Bagels started in 1976 and they are ranked as “30 Best College Sandwich Shops in America.” They have 3 locations in Ithaca with 1 near campus and 2 off-campus. They are most famous for bagels and there are a variety of vegetarian and vegan spreads to choose from. They also have sandwiches and wraps made with vegan alternatives products like JUST eggs and Beyond Meat. Additionally, they serve pizza on bagels if you’d like something indulgent. If you prefer something light, check out their green and grain bowls.

Angelhearts Diner

(607) 319-4205

401 E. State St., Suite G2, Ithaca, NY 14850

Hours: 12PM-6PM Thu-Fri, 9AM-3PM Sat-Sun

Angelhearts Diner is a classic diner style restaurant and it is 100% vegan. They serve comfort food made from scratch. You’ll find all-day breakfast, burgers, sandwiches, fries, and dessert options on the menu. Some of the popular dishes are Philly cheeze steak, buffalo bites, and a beet burger. If you have a sweet tooth, check out their pancakes, donuts, and soft serve oat milk ice cream.

Greenstar Food Co-op

Cascadilla St.

(607) 273-9392

770 Cascadilla St., Ithaca, NY 14850

Hours: 8AM – 9 PM Daily

Collegetown

(607) 882-2667

307 College Ave., Ithaca, NY 14850

Hours: 8AM – 9PM Mon – Fri; 9AM – 9PM Sat & Sun

 DeWitt

(607) 273-8213

215 N Cayuga St, Ithaca, NY 14850

Hours: 8AM – 9PM Mon – Fri; 9AM – 8PM Sat & Sun

 Greenstar Co-op is a natural grocery store that offers a lot of fresh made to-go foods. And there are a lot of choices for vegetarians and vegans. You can find salads, sandwiches, wraps, soups, rice/noodle bowls, and sushi at all stores. At the Cascadilla St. store, you get customizable sandwiches, wraps, and noodle bowls. Definitely check it out when you’re shopping for your weekly grocery.

 Pokelava Hawaii Poke Bowl

(607)-339-0322

206B Dryden Rd., Ithaca, NY, 14850

Hours: 11AM – 9PM Sun – Thu; 11AM – 9:30PM Friday & Saturday

Pokelava offers a vegetarian tofu poke bowl option on the menu. But they are highly customizable. You can start by picking a base, whether it is rice bowl, burrito, salad or zucchini noodles. Then choose your protein, mix-ins, flavor, topping and crunch. Most of the items on the menu should be vegetarian-friendly but double check with the store if you’re on a vegan diet.

For information on other veg restaurants around the USA and Canada, see

https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

The contents of this posting, our 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.

Hiking, walking, and camping are great ways to get outside, enjoy nature, and unwind from your day-to-day life. We’ve got all the info you need to put together your own sweet or savory trails mixes, make vegan homemade oatmeal bars, and more. These ideas are great for the outdoors or car trips or even just to keep handy for snacking.

See video at https://youtu.be/IpYVzxt7OKQ

Recipe for Cherry Ginger Oat Bars: https://www.vrg.org/blog/2022/02/18/cherry-lime-ginger-oat-bars/

Vegan Hiking Boot Guide: https://www.vrg.org/blog/2019/07/09/are-you-looking-for-vegan-hiking-boots-heres-some-online-stores-selling-them/

Recipe for Homemade Trail Mixes: https://www.vrg.org/blog/2022/02/16/trail-mixes/

Vegan Hiking On the Appalachian Trail: https://www.vrg.org/blog/2020/01/29/hiking-while-vegan/

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.

In honor of The Vegetarian Resource Group’s 40th anniversary later this year, three members have pledged a $8,500 match. So your donation to support vegan education will be doubled. You can donate at www.vrg.org/donate and write MATCH in the comments area. Thank you!

For short cooking video, see https://youtu.be/84T8Nph3NGU

Enjoy this Chili Fries recipe and other low-cost vegan dishes from Skyler Kilmer. See: https://www.vrg.org/blog/2020/10/15/vegan-at-the-dollar-tree-store/

Recent topics brought up include:

– Member posted: “I’m looking for quick vegan lunch ideas for toddlers attending a nut free school. We have twin, 3.5 y/o daughters who are not picky eaters but we pretty much rotate the same 3-4 lunches each week.” Suggestions were given.

– Posted info on The Vegetarian Resource Group’s Essay Contest for Kids

– Information on vegan summer camps was shared.

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.

Chen Zeng wrote this based on his experience as a student researcher while pursuing his Master of Food Science at Cornell University.

Vegan cheese alternatives is one of the categories that is growing rapidly in recent years and different styles of vegan cheese alternatives (mozzarella, cheddar, pepper jack, etc.) have started to pop up. In general, there are two categories of vegan cheese alternatives available produced with different processing techniques. Starch-based cheese products usually come in shredded or sliced form and they are produced by simply mixing all the ingredients together. Nut-based cheese products are usually sold as a spread or block and they are produced in a way similar to dairy cheese, which involves fermentation and aging. Even though these two types of cheese alternatives fill out part of the market demand, many in the past both lacked certain properties that consumers are looking for. For the starch-based cheese, they usually have very little amount of protein as starch is used to mimic the melting and stretching properties of dairy cheese. For the nut-based cheese, they have a certain amount of protein and nutritional value but the texture is very different from dairy cheese and they are not suitable for people with nut allergies. Consumers are looking for a product that is high in protein but also has dairy cheese-like texture.

My project on fava bean based vegan cheese is targeted at filling out this market blank by creating a vegan cheese product that has some amount of protein while maintaining a desirable stretching and melting properties. Unfortunately, the limiting factor of the texture of vegan cheese is plant protein itself. Casein, a type of dairy protein, has the unique properties of melting and forming stretchable strings upon heating. It is difficult to find a substitute for dairy protein in the plant protein world simply because the protein structure and the way protein molecules interact with each other are different between casein protein and plant protein. A 1:1 substitution of plant protein to casein protein in vegan cheese will end up with a product that is tough and doughy in texture. To solve this problem, some forms of processing is needed to improve the functionality of plant protein so that a higher amount of protein can be incorporated into the cheese without compromising texture. There are mainly three types of processing that include physical, chemical, and enzymatic processing. Extrusion processing, a form of physical processing, was chosen for this study. Extrusion is commonly used to produce vegan meat analogs, pasta, cereal, etc. Ingredients will go through mixing, heating, and shearing stages and finally through a die to form the ideal shapes. Many research studies suggested that extrusion processing is also capable of alternating plant protein orientation and possibly improving the functionality of protein besides the common uses. Therefore, we tested out this hypothesis with fava bean protein and used the products that came out of this process to make our final vegan cheese product. Compared to a prototype using unprocessed fava bean protein, extruded fava bean protein prototype has shown a 40% improvement on stretching quality and 10% improvement on melting quality. This extruded fava based vegan prototype is also able to achieve a comparable texture profile (stretchability and meltability) as commercial vegan cheese but with a higher amount of protein at 10%.

These promising results are suggesting that plant protein could be an option for protein-rich vegan cheese products after proper treatment and dairy protein is not a necessary element to produce protein-rich cheese with good texture. Despite the promising results from stretch test and melt test, this study did not address much on the evaluation of the sensory aspects of the extruded fava cheese prototypes. In the future, this project will shift toward investigating the sensory aspect and further improving the stretching and melting properties of protein-rich vegan cheese to the next level.

The contents of this posting, our 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.

Below is a list of some of the vegan chicken-style products available today.

Alpha Foods offers Original Chik’n Nuggets Sizzlin’ Spicy Chik’n. Chick’n Strips, Crispy Chick’n Patties, and Sizzlin’ Spicy Chik’n Patties. For more details, see: https://www.eatalphafoods.com/products#NUGGETS

BeLeaf produces Drumsticks, Half Chicken, Patties, Nuggets, and Crispy Nuggets. See: https://www.beleafvegan.com/MeatlessProducts.php

Better Chew offers Fried Chicken Nuggets. See: https://eatbetterchew.com/

Beyond Chicken offers Beyond Chicken Tenders. For details, see: https://www.beyondmeat.com/en-US/products/beyond-chicken-tenders

Daring Foods produces Plant-Based Chicken Pieces in several varieties including Original, Breaded, Cajun, and Lemon & Herb. For information, see: https://www.daring.com/

Field Roast sells Classic Nuggets and Buffalo Wings. See: https://fieldroast.com/products/

Gardein offers Ultimate Plant-Based Chick’n Tenders, Chick’n Fillets, and Chick’n Nuggets. They also offer Crispy Chik’n Sliders, Chick’n Patties, Golden Chick’n Nuggets, Nashville Hot Chick’n Tenders, Spicy Gochujang Style Chick’n Wings, and Chipotle Georgia Style Chick’n Wings, Chick’n Strips, Teriyaki Chick’n Strips, Seven Grain Crispy Tenders, Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick’n, Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Wings, Chipotle Lime Flavored Chick’n Tenders, and Lightly Seasoned Chick’n Scallopini. For details on all these products, see: https://www.gardein.com/chickn-and-turky

Hungry Planet produces Chicken Pattie sand Chicken Chipotle Patties. Visit https://www.hungryplanetfoods.com/ for information.

Impossible Foods sells Chicken Nuggets and Wild Nuggies. See: https://impossiblefoods.com/products/chicken

Jack & Annie’s offers Nuggets made from Jackfruit. See: https://www.jackandannies.com/our-products/nuggets/

Lightlife produces The breaded Plant-Based Chicken Tenders and Plant-Based Fillets. See: https://lightlife.com/our-food/?active_filter=chicken

Lily’s Vegan Pantry offers Ginger Chicken, Chicken Bites, Gong Bao Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken, Lemon Chicken, Smoked Drumsticks, Chicken Nuggets, Whole or Half Chicken, and Chicken Legs. See: https://www.lilysveganpantry.com/Vegan_Chicken_s/1516.htm

Morning Star Farms offers MorningStar Farms® Veggie BBQ Chik’n Nuggets; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Chik’n Nuggets; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Buffalo Chik Patties®; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Original Chik Patties®; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Zesty Ranch Chik’n Nuggets; and MorningStar Farms® Veggie Sweet Mustard Chik’n Nuggets. For details on these products, see: https://www.morningstarfarms.com/en_US/products/chikn.html

Sweet Earth sells Frozen Vegan Mindful Chi’n. See: https://www.goodnes.com/sweet-earth/products/mindful-chikn/?tag=10951&category=8381

Tofurky sells Chick’n in several flavors including Lightly Seasoned, Thai Basil, Sesame Garlic, and Barbecue. For more information, see: https://tofurky.com/what-we-make/chickn/

VFC Foods offers Chick’n Fillets, Popcorn Chick’n, and Chick’n Bites. See: https://vfcfoods.com/en-us/