Eden Café offers up a wide range of delicious vegan dishes including deep dish pizza, make-your-own salads, hearty sandwiches, desserts, and more. Be sure to stop by this restaurant when in the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Pennsylvania area.

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):

Boca Fresca, 676 Cherry St., Winter Park, FL 32789

Build your own Boca bowl with a Puerto Rican twist. Options include apastelao, mofongo, pernil, coconut ranch, cilantro zest, and more.

Dharma Southern Kitchen, Market on South, 2603 E. South St., Orlando, FL 32803; Armature Works, 1910 N. Ola Ave, Tampa, FL 33602; and Henry’s Depot, 212 W. 1st St., Sanford, FL 32771

The orange bird, pulled jackfruit from Carolina BBQ, Dharma Fried Chick’n, BBQ cauliflower, and more are offered. With sitting in the front and a private garden in the rear with light music playing, the ambiance is hipster, stylish, and relaxed. Parking is available both in front and behind the building.

Hollycake House, 300 Main St., Ste. 25, East Rochester, NY 14445

Hollycake House is a café-style cake house that not only has gorgeous vegan cakes, but also vegan breakfast and lunch. Some of the cakes they offer include Vanilla Cookies & Cream Cake and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake. For breakfast and lunch they offer items such as Avocado Toast, Fruit & Yogurt Parfait, and Chick’n Salad, as well as bakery items like jumbo muffins and danishes. On their coffee menu, Holly Cake House has everything from lattes to frappuccinos. Their bakery offers gluten-free options.

Koshari Mama, 585 Somerville Ave., Somerville, MA 02143

Enjoy delectable Egyptian foods made with rice, lentils, eggplants, chickpeas, pasta, and more that are all flavorful.

Meek’s Vegan Pizza, Blodgett Food Hall, 2616 Blodgett St., Houston, TX 77004

Meek’s provides a variety of pizzas, including Plug’s Lawyer, Brunch, Mean Green, Big Chill, stuffed peppers, and more.

Secret Vegan Café, 38 McEntee St., Kingston, NY 12401

Tucked away on a corner in the heart of a residential neighborhood half a mile from the touristy Rondout area, this cozy café offers quality Dutch and American comfort food.  With bright, down to earth décor including a beautiful mural of a tree with birds, and both indoor and outdoor seating, Secret Vegan Café offers vegan versions of both American fare like espresso, cheeseburgers, pancakes, and apple pie, and the kinds of snacks you would be more likely to find late at night in a bar in Amsterdam: the fluffy doughnut/beignet-like oliebollen fried in avocado oil; and bitterballen, breaded and fried croquettes filled with mushrooms rather than the traditional meats.  Made, like the rest of their menu, with locally sourced, Non-GMO and mostly organic ingredients, these unique bitterballen are also shipped nationwide through their brand Vegan Junk Food.

SomethinGood To Eat, 2210 Larchmere Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44120

Sweet fries, messy mac, BBQ jack mac, excellent bread, nice nuggets, and salad are among the tasty foods served. Outdoor dining, as well as a comfortable eating room and a contemporary interior.

The Lafayette Place, 1978 N. Farwell Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53202

The Lafayette Place serves fruit bowls, veggie burrito, southern Po’boy, soup, avocado toast, chorizo Joe, and more.

Recent topics brought up include:

– Highlighted new vegan book for kids

– Shared vegan Thanksgiving Suggestions

– Sources for vegan non-leather boots for the family

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 The Vegetarian Resource Group’s 40th anniversary next year, a member has pledged a $5,000 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!

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

A reader contacted us because their nonvegan friends were saying that there was no need to avoid cheese or whole-fat dairy products even though these foods are high in saturated fat. There’s been some talk in the popular press lately about whether saturated fat is harmful and whether the saturated fat in dairy products is an issue.

Saturated fat is a kind of fat that is most often solid at room temperature, unlike oils, which are liquid. Foods like red meat, cheese, whole milk, ice cream, butter, lard, and tropical oils (palm, palm kernel, and coconut oil) all have high amounts of saturated fat. Despite being oils, tropical oils are very high in saturated fat (1).

Diets high in saturated fat are associated with higher blood levels of LDL cholesterol, which increases risk of heart disease. Additionally, a diet high in saturated fat makes it more likely that cholesterol will build up in blood vessels, leading to a greater risk of heart disease and stroke. A meta-analysis of high-quality research studies in which saturated fat was replaced with unsaturated fat found that heart disease risk was reduced by about 30%, similar to the risk reduction when statin drugs are used (2). Because of the evidence for harmful effects of saturated fat, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, recommends that those age 2 years and older get less than 10% of their calories from saturated fat (3).

Although dairy products can contain significant amounts of saturated fat (more than the upper limit for saturated fat for an entire day in a cup of premium ice cream), some research does not find higher risk of heart disease associated with greater use of higher fat dairy products (4). Additionally, one study did not find an association between higher blood levels of fats from dairy products and increased risk of heart disease in older adults (5). Of course, many other factors such as overall dietary composition could have affected these results. Other studies show that replacing the saturated fat from dairy products with vegetable fat is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke (6). In one study, replacing as little as 5% of a day’s calories from dairy fat with unsaturated fat was associated with a 24% lower risk of heart disease (7).

Plant foods (other than tropical oils) are lower in saturated fat than dairy products and meat and are a healthier choice. The limited amount of saturated fat in many vegan diets could help to explain why vegans are less likely to die from heart disease than are nonvegetarians.

References

1. Eyres L, Eyres MF, Chisholm A, Brown RC. Coconut oil consumption and cardiovascular risk factors in humans.  Nutr Rev. 2016 ;74:267-80.

2. Sacks FM, Lichtenstein AH, Wu JHY, et al; American Heart Association. Dietary fats and cardiovascular disease: A Presidential Advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2017; 18;136(3):e1-e23.

3. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. December 2020. DietaryGuidelines.gov

4. Hirahatake KM, Astrup A, Hill JO, Slavin JL, Allison DB, Maki KC. Potential cardiometabolic health benefits of full-fat dairy: The evidence base. Adv Nutr. 2020;11(3):533-547.

5. de Oliveira Otto MC, Lemaitre RN, Song X, King IB, Siscovick DS, Mozaffarian D. Serial measures of circulating biomarkers of dairy fat and total and cause-specific mortality in older adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018;108(3):476-484.

6. Yu E, Hu FB. Dairy products, dairy fatty acids, and the prevention of cardiometabolic disease: a review of recent evidence. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2018;20(5):24.

7. Chen M, Li Y, Sun Q, et al. Dairy fat and risk of cardiovascular disease in 3 cohorts of US adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016;104(5):1209-1217.

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

The American Heart Association recently issued a scientific statement “2021 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health.” This statement replaces their earlier recommendations which were published 15 years ago. While the focus of this statement is heart health, it also considers dietary effects on cancer, diabetes, kidney function, and Alzheimer’s disease as well as environmental effects of food choices.

Based on all of these considerations, the American Heart Association recommendations include:

• “Choose healthy sources of protein – mostly protein from plants (legumes and nuts)”
• “Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, choose a wide variety”
• “Choose foods made mostly with whole grains rather than refined grains”

While these guidelines do not call for a vegan or vegetarian diet, they do encourage choosing more plant foods and illustrate the importance of plant foods for a healthy diet.

These guidelines also address ultra-processed foods and say, “Choose minimally processed foods instead of ultra-processed foods” with the caveat that some healthy foods may be categorized as ultraprocessed. In contrast to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services a year ago, the American Heart Association guidelines address the environmental impact of commonly consumed animal products, especially red meat.

To read the entire text of the American Heart Association’s Guidelines see 2021 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

To read more about our take on ultra-processed (and processed) foods see:

Beware of Diets Based on Ultra-Processed Foods

Vegan Processed Foods: Embrace Them? Shun Them?

Octopuses, crabs, and lobsters are capable of experiencing pain or suffering, according to a review commissioned by the UK government, which has added them to a list of sentient beings to be given protection under new animal welfare laws. The report by experts at the London School of Economics looked at 300 scientific studies to evaluate evidence of sentience, and they concluded that cephalopods (such as octopuses, squid and cuttlefish) and decapods (such as crabs, lobsters and crayfish) should be treated as sentient beings.

The report said lobsters and crabs shouldn’t be boiled alive.

For more information, see: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/lobsters-octopus-and-crabs-recognised-as-sentient-beings?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_source=994c7ffd-9c00-4347-9563-bc9a0754ecad&utm_content=immediately

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/22/europe/uk-sentient-beings-crabs-octopus-and-lobsters-scn/index.html.

Here’s recipes for mock crab cakes.
https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2016issue4/2016_issue4_john_shields.php

Despite the present pandemic, The Vegetarian Resource Group continues to be very busy on a daily basis. Below are some examples of successes and activities. Your support through Combined Federal Charity (CFC) or your Local/State Campaign is greatly appreciated! You can also donate directly to VRG at vrg.org/donate

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

● VRG Nutrition Advisor Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, did a webinar on a Plant-Based Diet for 31 Days. Reed also spoke at six virtual seminars for the San Jose Public Library in California. There were separate sessions for teens and parents. VRG interns assisted. Reed also supervised a Mexican graduate student intern from Wageningen University in the Netherlands who completed an extensive project on vegan Latin American foods high in calcium.

● Our VRG volunteer health coach Marcia Schveibinz conducted a webinar for the Lafayette, Louisiana Public Library.

● VRG commissioned a YouGov national youth poll to find out how many 8- to 17-year-olds are vegan or vegetarian. Results are published in Vegetarian Journal and at vrg.org

● The Vegetarian Resource Group submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration on Labeling of Foods Comprised of or Containing Cultured Seafood cells. See: vrg.org/blog/2021/03/10/the-vegetarian-resource-group-submitted-this-testimony-to-the-fda-concerning-labeling-of-seafood-produced-from-cultured-seafood-cells/

● VRG researcher Jeanne Yacoubou did a podcast with one of VRG’s interns discussing the environmental impacts of diets. Based on his questions, Jeanne will also be doing some updated research on chocolate, bone char, and gelatin. We’ll report on this in the future. Jeanne also compiled a list of several recent (2015 to the present) scientific reports that reveal the relationships between dietary choices and our climate crisis. See vrg.org/blog/2021/02/24/vegan-and-vegetarian-diets-and-our-climate-emergency-scientific-updates-2015-2021/

● VRG donated money to Land of Kush (a vegan restaurant in Baltimore, MD) to give away vegan meals to needy individuals. We also sent I Love Animals and Broccoli and El Arco Iris Vegetariano coloring books to a group in Florida coordinating Vegan Restaurant Week in their area, and that wanted to give a packet to families as they picked up meals. VRG exhibited at the Richmond VegFest in Virginia. Finally, VRG hosted over 25 virtual interns/volunteers this past year. They all worked/ are working on a number of exciting 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.

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):

Boulevard of Greens, 2700 Horne St. #110, Fort Worth, TX 76107

Their menu includes bowls, pumpkin pie, cookies, muffins juices, and more.

Eden Café & Bakeshop, 109 Main St., Batavia, NY 14020

Cauliflower wings, buffalo cauliflower wraps, nachos, carrot dogs, burgers, and more may be found on their menu.

Honest Pastures, 1328 N. Great Neck Rd. #104, Virginia Beach, VA 23454

If you are looking for yummy vegan sandwiches, Honest Pastures offers delicious options that you can design. Choose your choice of bread, plant-based meats, plant-based cheeses, and a variety of toppings such as vegetables and sauces. The sandwiches go perfectly with one of the mocktails, limeades, and sodas they offer. Honest Pastures Inc. is also widely known for its unique vegan meat products that you can purchase on their website or order for local pick-up. You can find them at the Old Beach Farmers Market during the market season.

Littleburg Vegetable Kitchen, 5 Sanborn Ct., Somerville, MA 02143

Littleburg is a meal delivery service, however you may sit at the pub next door while waiting for your meals. Every Monday, a new menu with main courses, sides, and desserts is released. Zucchini fries, mushroom pita, coconut cake, and pistachio-dipped zucchini tenders are sample dishes. The cuisine is creative and the service is welcoming.

Norma’s Plant-Based Cuisine, 351 S. State Rd. 434, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714

Located inside a bookstore, Norma’s serves foods such as Impossible picadillo, stir-fried veggie rice, Asian salad/wraps, pizzas, and more. There are various indoor seating options that are both spacious and inviting.

The Natural Oasis, 288 Monroe Ave., Rochester, NY 14607

Breakfast bowls, BLTs, chipotle curry soup, paninis, wraps, sandwiches, and other items are among the menu’s offerings. They do not provide alcoholic beverages; however, you are welcome to bring your own.

The Stand, 85 Mill Plain Rd., Fairfield, CT 06824

The Stand is a nice cozy cafe with lots of bird-themed wall art. It is located in an outdoor shopping center near a highway. Some of the dishes they offer include Seitan Bagel Sandwich, Breakfast Burrito, Grilled Tempeh Reuben, Tofu Banh Mi, Skinny Buddah Bowl, Miso Kale Salad, Hummus Plate, Cookies, and Smoothies.

The Walrus, 948 Edgewood Ave. South, Jacksonville, FL 32205

The Walrus food selections include pesto panini, VLT, chocolatey smoothies, and much more. The atmosphere is hip and romantic with a stylish interior as well as outdoor dining. Great live music, open mic, and showcases of local artists.

Yeah! Burger, 1168 Howell Mill Rd., Ste. E, Atlanta, GA 30318

All-day breakfast offerings include Breakfast Burritos, Pancakes & Sausage, plus more. For lunch and dinner enjoy items such as Buffalo Chicken Salad, Cobb Salad, Chicken Tenders, Southern Chick, Hand-Cut Fries, Onion Rings, Organic Baked Beans, Napa Slaw, and so many other dishes.

Are you searching for non-leather vegan shoes, bags, belts, etc.? If so, check out this list maintained by The Vegetarian Resource Group of online vegan shops worldwide selling these items: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/leather.php#mailorstores