Are you searching for vegan work boots? The following online stores over safety work boots, including some with steel toes.

Amblers Safety from the UK offers some vegan safety shoes: https://www.amblerssafety.com/collections/vegan

Ethical Wares out of Wales in the UK offers several types of safety boots: https://www.ethicalwares.com/footwear/safety-footwear/

Stitchkraft located in Australia offers a wide variety of safety shoes and boots: https://www.stitchkraft.com.au/collections/vegan-friendly-work-boots-shoes

The Vegetarian Site from the USA offers two types of safety boots: https://store.thevegetariansite.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=84_100

Veganline located in London, England offers a safety shoe and boots: https://veganline.com/safety-boots-shoes

photo from Cider Press Vegan Gastropub

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:

100% HP, 605 C. Cerra, San Juan, PR 00907

Enjoy veggie burgers, quesadillas, empanadas, spicy “chicken” sandwich, Philly cheesesteak sandwich, onion rings, fries, and more.

Cider Press Vegan Gastropub, 3118 3rd Ave. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33713

The brick and wood accents create a sophisticated, fun atmosphere. There are several Appetizer choices. What happens when you cook a pickle? Try breaded Pickle Fries with a side of ranch to find out! Has a hard day has left you with a taste for the Big Easy? In one of the Sandwich offerings, Vegan French Quarter Shrimp Poboy, the “shrimp” is made possible by Konjac, a root vegetable which can offer a shrimp-like texture and takes on the flavors it’s prepared with. This dish is kicked up with a spicy Cajun sauce and Served on Poboy bread, direct from a New Orleans Bakery. One option in the Soup/Salad category, Tavern Chili, stars mushrooms and cauliflower with a supporting cast of beans, other veggies and smoky adobo seasoning. Of the many possible Entrees, King Oyster Mushrooms dress up as shellfish in Coconut Curry “Scallops” served with rice, tomato and green onions. Cider Press takes an innovative approach to “FISH” & CHIPS, using Banana blossom, the purple flower at the end of a banana bunch considered to have a mild taste–nothing like a banana. Banana Blossom can resemble the texture of fish, (so elusive in vegan cuisine). “Chips,” (French fries) tartar sauce, and malt vinegar help this dish to bloom. For Dessert there’s Hawaiian Malasadas—house-made Hawaiian Donuts, served with apple cinnamon kustard. Or, be a fool for love with Chocolate-Strawberry Fool —layers of chocolate brownie, strawberries, coconut custard, and whipped cream.

Hawker, 291 Augusta Ave., Toronto, ON M5T 1N9 Canada

Hawker is offers small plate shareable dishes inspired by nature. The Southeast Asian-inspired menu includes dishes such as a biryani with smoked poblano and lavender, dal with pomegranate and raita, and papadam with chickpea ferment and cherry tomatoes. A weekly churn ice cream is available on the sweet menu. A 6-course chef’s table tasting experience and vegan Indian brunch are also offered.

Lu Fats Ice Cream, 7135 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78752

Luv Fats Ice Cream is a Black family-run business that focuses on creating small batches of coconut milk and avocado-based vegan ice cream. They use as many local ingredients and flavors as possible, sourced from vendors and makers in Austin. Their ice cream features a rotating menu of uncommon flavors combining savory and sweet elements; steering clear of the cloying sweetness found in many desserts. Savory ingredients include bold herbs such as peppermint, thyme, pandan, rosemary, and sage; smaller amounts of caramel, chocolate, and jam are used to create an exotic pairing that quenches a sugar craving while avoiding artificial ingredients. The space is a bit small and is walk-up window service only, but they do have tables in the back to sit at which are mostly shaded.” Note that compost-friendly cups and spoons are available.

 Mama Pacha, 271 Av. Ing. Manuel Domenech, San Juan, PR 00918

Enjoy veggie burgers, salad, wraps, bowls, dessert, and more.

Out of the Bubble, 6230-A Rolling Rd., Springfield, VA 22152

Bakery specialized in creating “art you can eat” no matter what dietary restrictions and allergies you have: all products are free of dairy, nuts and legumes, and they have plentiful vegan, gluten-free and artificial dye free options, with careful procedures in place to avoid cross-contamination. Nearly all options are vegan by default (including using bone-free organic cane sugar), but please note that pre-made add-on decorative elements may contain animal products. They specialize in elaborate custom cakes, pies, cupcakes, cookies etc. with creative and impeccably executed edible decorations (past triumphs include 3D dinosaurs, ships, princesses, flowers, and much more) that can be ordered in advance, but they always have an assortment of cupcakes, cookies, muffins, and scones to select from in store, where they have some seating.

Sugar Babe Bakery, 317 E. Main St., Pullman, WA 99163

Satisfying a vegan sweet tooth is easy when you have a bakery filled with tasty treats! Whether visiting or living in the Pullman area, Sugar Babe Bakery is here to meet all your sugary needs. Although a fixed menu isn’t available, everything from cupcakes and cakes to “pop tarts” and pastries is consistently rotated each week to offer customers a diverse tasting experience. However, if you are interested in a particular item, you can place an order by contacting the bakery. Custom cakes and cupcakes are also available by pre-order only. On top of being made of 100% plant-based ingredients, several options are also allergy-friendly (gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free). Mochas, lattes, lemonades, hot chocolate, and hot apple cider are house-made drink options to wash down your treat as well. Customers can also place orders for treat boxes two days in advance.

The Green Beautiful, 168 Wilson St., Manchester, NH 03103

Striving to provide a safe space to rest, recharge, and enjoy sustainable and locally sourced meals, this cafe’s menu features bowls and sandwiches made with seitan-based protein, bagels with schmear, and several other creative items, including Monkey Muffins, Pumpkin Cruffins, and S’more Lattes.

December 15, 2022 FDA PRESS RELEASE

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reminding manufacturers that effective January 1, 2023, foods containing sesame will be subject to specific food allergen regulatory requirements, including labeling and manufacturing requirements. Sesame is joining the list of major food allergens defined in the law as the result of the Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research (FASTER) Act, which was signed into law April 23, 2021. Sesame joins eight other major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans.

We remind consumers that foods already in interstate commerce before 2023, including those on retail shelves, do not need to be removed from the marketplace or relabeled to declare sesame as an allergen. So depending on shelf life, some food products may not have allergen labeling for sesame on the effective date.  Consumers should check with the manufacturer if they are not sure whether a food product contains sesame.

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.

The Vegetarian Resource Group continues to be very busy on a daily basis. Below are some examples of successes and activities. Your support is greatly appreciated! You can donate to VRG at www.vrg.org/donate

Here’s a sampling of some of our accomplishments and outreach:

• VRG Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, presented a webinar for Women’s Health Dietetic Practice Group and Vegetarian Nutrition Practice Group titled “Vegetarian and Vegan Diets Prior to and Throughout Pregnancy: A Practical Update.” VRG Foodservice Advisor Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD, presented on tips for serving vegan options in long-term care facilities at a meeting of the Maryland Dietetics Health Care Communities.
• The Vegetarian Resource Group staff did a virtual in-service for ten University of Maryland dietetic students.
• VRG commissioned a YouGov national poll to find out how many adults are vegan or vegetarian. Results are published in Vegan Journal and at vrg.org
• The Vegetarian Resource Group submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration on Labeling of Meat or Poultry Products Comprised of or Containing Cultured Animal cells.
• The Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research asked to reproduce VRG’s My Vegan Plate in print and electronic content for use with patients and health care providers.
• Congratulations to The Vegetarian Resource Group Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, who the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has selected as the recipient of the 2022 Excellence in Community and Public Health Practice Award. The award was presented to Dr. Mangels at the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo™ (FNCE®) in Orlando, Florida.
• VRG donated 1,000s of handouts that were distributed in New York City, Long Island, Boston, Baltimore, Kalamazoo, Quincy, Daytona Beach, Albany, Hoboken, and many other places. VRG exhibited at the Richmond VegFest in Virginia, Raleigh VegFest in North Carolina, San Francisco VegFest in California, and Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo™ in Orlando, Florida. Finally, we hosted over 20 virtual interns/volunteers this past year. They all worked/are working on a number of exciting outreach and research projects!

This is just a small sampling of what we are doing at VRG every day. Thank you so much! We couldn’t do this without your support.

You can donate directly to VRG at www.vrg.org/donate

You can also mail donations to The Vegetarian Resource Group, PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203 or call in your donation to (410) 366-8343 Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm EST.

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

The WIC (Women, Infants, Children) Program was developed to protect the health of low-income pregnant and post-partum people, infants, and children up to age 5. The program provides participants with vouchers that are used to purchase specific foods that are identified as being nutritious. WIC served about 6.2 million participants each month in fiscal year 2021, including almost half of all infants born in the United States. WIC is administered by the USDA, which recently announced proposed changes to the WIC food package. According to USDA’s website, “the changes will increase the current level of assistance while providing WIC state agencies with more flexibility to tailor the packages to accommodate personal and cultural food preferences and special dietary needs and increase variety and choice for WIC participants, making the program more appealing for current and potential participants.”

The goals of the proposed changes include providing “accommodations for people with… cultural and personal preferences (including, but not limited to, vegan and vegetarian diets”). It is gratifying to see this acknowledgement of vegan diets since this is something that The Vegetarian Resource Group has been promoting for many years when we submitted comments to the USDA related to WIC.

The proposed changes include

• Permanently increasing the fruit and vegetable benefit so that the dollar amount of vouchers to purchase fruits and vegetables increases 3-4 fold.
• Promoting the use of whole fruits over fruit juice..
• Expanding whole grain options to include foods like quinoa, millet, kamut, wheat berries, cornmeal, teff, buckwheat, and whole-wheat pita, English muffins, bagels, and naan.
• Providing more non-dairy substitution options such as soy-based yogurts and cheeses. These products would have to provide a specified amount of calcium and protein and, for yogurt, vitamin D. The USDA is considering including other types of plant milk in addition to soy milk if nutrient content meets requirements.
• Requiring canned beans to be offered in addition to dried.
• Requiring states to allow peanut butter and legumes to substitute for eggs. Allowing states the option of substituting tofu for eggs. The current WIC regulations do not allow substitutions for eggs.

The Vegetarian Resource Group will submit comments on the proposed changes to the WIC food package. The entire text of the proposed changes can be found here along with a link allowing you to submit your comments about the proposed changes. Comments are due by February 21, 2023.

To read more about the WIC program see:

WIC Programs Offer Foods For Vegans

WIC Farmers Market Program

Revisions to the WIC Food Package Make Sense (2014)

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/

Are you looking to put a new spin on your New Year’s Eve/Day meal? If so, a previous Vegan Journal article by Anna Lam serves up a number of creative Southern-style ideas including Cornbread Flapjacks with Jalapeño-Mayhaw Jelly, Hoppin’ Johns, Turnip Greens, and Seitan Ham. Have a terrific 2023!

Find the recipes here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2017issue4/2017_issue4_new_year.php

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

Thank you to more generous donors, in 2023 The Vegetarian Resource Group will be awarding $30,000 in college scholarships! Deadline is FEBRUARY 20, 2023.

We will accept applications postmarked on or before FEBRUARY 20, 2023. Early submission is encouraged.

Applicants will be judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegetarian (vegan) diet/lifestyle. Payment will be made to the student’s college (U.S. based only). Winners of the scholarships give permission to release their names to the media. Applications and essays become property of The Vegetarian Resource Group. We may ask finalists for more information. Scholarship winners are contacted by e-mail or telephone. Please look at your e-mail.

If you would like to donate to additional scholarships or internships, go to www.vrg.org/donate

Applications

Please click here to download a PDF of the application. However, applicants are not required to use an application form. A neatly typed document

Please send application and attachments to [email protected] (Scholarship application and your name in subject line) or mail to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

If emailing, please put your essay in a separate attachment with your first name and last initial. A PDF or Word document is preferred, but if you send a Google document, make sure permission is given so readers can access it. For more information call (410) 366-8343 or email [email protected].

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that food labels identify the food source of all major food allergens used to make the food. These allergens are cow’s milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and, as of January 1, 2023, sesame. The label must state the species of fish (for example, bass, flounder, cod) and Crustacean shellfish (for example, crab, lobster, shrimp). A sharp-eyed reader recently pointed out that the category Crustacean shellfish does not include shellfish that consumers may think of being shellfish such as clams, scallops, mussels, and oysters. These are classified as Molluscan shellfish and are not required to be listed as allergens on food labels in the United States. Most mollusks have a shell with two halves that are connected by a hinge. Other animals including octopus, snail, and squid are also classified as Molluscan shellfish and are not required to be listed as allergens.

You may wonder how this information is relevant to vegans or vegetarians who would not eat shellfish in any form. If you, like me, scan the tiny print on labels looking for “Contains statement” listing of food allergens to see if the food contains non-vegan ingredients like dairy, eggs, fish, or shellfish, you might think a food is vegan-friendly when in reality it has oyster extract as an ingredient. The oyster extract is required to be included in the ingredient listing but it doesn’t have to be included in the “Contains statement” at the end of the list of ingredients.  “Contains milk, wheat, and soy” is an example of a “Contains statement.”

According to FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education), the FDA does not consider
molluscan shellfish (scallops, clams, mussels, and oysters) to be a major allergen, so these types of shellfish do not have to be declared on food labels. Canada recognizes both kinds of shellfish as allergens.

I’ve learned my lesson, if I suspect a product could contain oysters, squid, or other Molluscan shellfish, I’ll take a careful look at the full list of ingredients.

To read more about vegans and food allergies see:

Food Allergies and a Vegan Diet

A Soy-free, Nut-free Vegan Meal Plan

Can Anything Be Done to Reduce the Risk of a Baby Developing a Peanut Allergy?

Sesame Seeds to be Included in the List of Food Allergens on Food Labels

Recent topics brought up include:

– Internships available with Factory Farm Awareness Coalition

– East Carolina University is recruiting pregnant vegan and vegetarian women to participate in a research study that examines urine and breast milk iodine concentration.

– New YouTube PETA Christmas Video featuring Toby the turkey

– The Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship Program for graduating high school seniors promoting a veggie lifestyle in their community is offering $30,000 this year.

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.