photo from Fivelements Retreat Bali Ubud

Are you looking to stay in a vegan friendly hotel? Here’s a sampling of hotels around the world offering vegan food:

Acai Plant Based Hotel: They are located in Greece and have a plant-based restaurant on their premises. They offer cooking classes and yoga classes and are near a beach. Note they are opening in summer 2025. See: https://acairhodes.com/the-acai-hotel/

Fivelements Retreat: Located in Bali, offers vegan meals, a wellness program and spa, plus more. See: https://fivelementsbali.com/

Koukoui Hotel: Situated in Greece, this hotel offers vegan cuisine, a spa, and fitness center. See: https://www.koukoumihotel.com/

La Vimea: Located in Italy, offers organic vegan meals, yoga sessions, and more. See: https://www.lavimea.com/

Mother Earth Vegan Hotel: Located in Costa Rica, this hotel offers a poolside vegan restaurant (room rates include breakfast for two), yoga studio, and more. Please note that children under 12 are not allowed and pets are not allowed. See: https://www.meveganhotel.com/

Palmaïa, The House of AïA: This Mexican establishment offers vegan cuisine, spa and wellness program, activities for kids, and more. See: https://thehouseofaia.com/

Stanford Inn & Resort: Located in the United States in Mendocino, California, offers a variety of room accommodations including family suites. Ravens Restaurant on their property serves organic vegan meals. They offer spa services and are pet-friendly. See: https://stanfordinn.com/

Vegan Agrivilla I Pini: Located in Tuscany, Italy, near vineyards, olive groves, and gardens. They offer vegan cuisine, saltwater pool, and more. See: https://www.ipinitoscana.com/

Villa Vegana: Situated in Spain in a designated conservation area, you can enjoy vegan meals, yoga classes, plus more. See: https://www.villavegana.com/

Each issue of Vegan Journal includes a Vegan Cooking Tips column by Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD. In her latest column she shares tips for preparing vegan dishes with juice. Read her column here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue3/2024_issue3_cooking_tips.php

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

photo from Merrell

Enjoy the outdoors: you may want to go hiking in the USA, Canada, and/or Europe. Below is a list of online stores offering vegan hiking boots and shoes.

Avesu Vegan Shoes out of Germany sells Lowa hiking boots and shoes. See: https://www.avesuveganshoes.com/brands/lowa-com.html

Eco Vegan Shoes out of the Netherlands offers vegan hiking shoes and boots. See: https://www.eco-vegan-shoes.com/vegan-hiking-boots-walking-shoes

Ethical Wares out of Wales in the United Kingdom offers a wide variety of hiking boots See: https://www.ethicalwares.com/footwear/walking-boots-and-shoes/

Merrell in the USA offers some vegan hiking shoes. Search under “vegan hiking shoe or boot.” See: https://www.merrell.com

REI offers several vegan hiking shoes and boots. Search under “vegan hiking shoe or boot.” https://www.rei.com/

Thesus headquartered in Toronto, Canada and will ship hiking shoes for women to Americans. Search under the word vegan boot. See: https://thesusoutdoors.com/

Treksta USA offers hiking shoes and boots for men and women. See: https://trekstausa.com/product-category/vegan

Will’s Vegan Store in London, England offers hiking boots for men and women. See: https://us.wills-vegan-shoes.com/

Saturday, September 28 and Sunday, September 29, 2024

For info see: https://bostonveg.org/foodfest/

If you are attending, please come by The Vegetarian Resource Group booth and say hi.

Be sure to follow The Vegetarian Resource Group on Instagram: @vegetarianresourcegroup

Ever wonder which vegan foods are high in magnesium? Reed Mangels, PhD, Rd, answers that question in the latest issue of Vegan Journal. Read the article here https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue3/2024_issue3_thinking_about_magnesium.php

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

The Vegetarian Resource Group will have a booth at Maryland Vegan Fest this Saturday. Location is Roots Market in Clarksville, MD. Hours are noon through 4pm. Stop by and say hello!

Anna Markulis completed an internship with The Vegetarian Resource Group and describes what she did in this Vegan Journal article: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue3/2024_issue3_vegan_world.php

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

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

 The Good Food Institute is a nonprofit think tank whose stated goal is “to make alternative proteins as delicious, affordable, and accessible as conventional meat.” They support the development of plant-based meats (meats produced directly from plants), cultivated meats (meat produced via cell culture), and fermentation (using microorganisms to produce alternative proteins). Their 2023 State of the Industry Report: Plant-based Meat, Seafood, Eggs, and Dairy was developed to inform food system stakeholders about the alternative protein market. This 91-page report was filled with thought-provoking details. Here are a few that I found particularly intriguing:

Six in ten U.S. households purchased plant-based foods in 2023. I assume that this means processed foods as opposed to fruits and vegetables. Purchasers of plant-based foods tend to be younger, from higher income households, and to have graduate degrees compared to the average household.

In 2023, in the United States, 36% of consumers reported eating plant-based meat; 25% of U.S. consumers ate plant-based meat at least once a month. Most consumers who ate plant-based meats also ate animal-based meat; only 5% ate plant-based meat exclusively.

Consumers in the United States said that improvements in taste and cost would make them more willing to eat plant-based meat.

In 2023, retail plant-based sales in the United States were $8.1 billion, down from $8.2 billion in 2022. Plant-based meat and seafood, ice cream, and cheese dollar sales declined 9% or more compared to 2022. Dollar sales of plant-based baked goods and creamers were at least 8% higher than in 2022.

Plant-based milk sales accounted for almost 15% of total milk dollar sales in 2023. The plant-based milk category reached $2.9 billion in sales in the United States in 2023.

In India, a Vegan Foods Regulation was finalized in 2022. Vegan product producers must apply to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India for approval for their products to be labeled as vegan.

You can download and read the full report here.

The latest issue of Vegan Journal includes an article by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD concerning whether you are getting enough iodine in your diet. Read the article here https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue3/2024_issue3_enough_iodine.php

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