By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Many dietary guidelines recommend a shift to a more plant-based diet and also recommend a reduction in use of foods that have been classified as ultra-processed. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recognize fortified soymilk as nutritionally equivalent to cow’s milk. Cow’s milk is considered a minimally processed food. Ironically, fortified soymilk has been classified as an ultra-processed food. You can read more about the NOVA system which is used to classify foods as ultra-processed here. A recent study examined the effect of substituting soymilk for cow’s milk on a variety of outcomes related to heart disease and metabolic health.

What is the study?

The study (1)  used statistical techniques to combine data from 17 studies of 504 adults. All studies were 3 or more weeks long and used a median of about 2 cups per day of fortified soymilk to substitute for about 2 cups of cow’s milk.

What did this study find?

Substituting soymilk for cow’s milk resulted in a reduction in blood pressure, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation). Substituting soymilk, including sweetened soymilk, for cow’s milk did not affect blood glucose, diabetes control, or insulin levels and had no effect on body weight or BMI.

Are there practical implications?

These results suggest that fortified soymilk should not be classified as an ultra-processed food that potentially has harmful health effects since health benefits were seen when cow’s milk was replaced by soymilk. Additionally, the study authors suggest that the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allow soymilk containing up to 5 grams of added sugar per cup (10% of the Daily Value for sugar) to be labeled as “healthy.” Fortified soymilk with 5 grams or less of added sugars per cup is a health-promoting replacement for cow’s milk.

Reference:

1. Erlich MN, Ghidanac D, Blanco Mejia S, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials of substituting soymilk for cow’s milk and intermediate cardiometabolic outcomes: understanding the impact of dairy alternatives in the transition to plant-based diets on cardiometabolic health. BMC Med. 2024;22(1):336.

To read more about vegan processed food, soymilk, and the use of “healthy” see:

Vegan Processed Foods – Embrace Them? Shun Them?

VRG Sends in Testimony to the FDA on the Labeling of Plant-based Milk Alternatives

The Vegetarian Resource Group Testimony to FDA Concerning the Use of “Healthy” on Food Labels

photo from Taqueria Vegana

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:

Cindy Snacks, 90A Washington Dr., Centerport, NY 11721

Cindy Snacks is much more than just a café, bakery, and deli because they also have a whole market! If you are looking for some good vegan snacks they are the place to go! You can grab some morning coffee, sandwiches, and a donut or two while also stuffing your pantry with fun vegan snacks. They put a lively turn on the pink-and-white aesthetic.

Grounds & Greens Café, 1369 Johnston Rd., White Rock, BC V4B 3Z3, Canada and A – 9124 Glover Rd., Langley, BC V1M 0E6, Canada

Grounds & Greens Café aims to focus on kindness, improvement, and sustainability. Making all their meals in house, they strive to provide nutritionally balanced, creative dishes, often with local ingredients. They list several gluten-free options. Also check their Current Promos for various Specials. There’s outdoor seating too. The witty menu includes several Bowl choices like Rice Rice Baby with crispy tofu, spicy peanut sesame sauce, soy mayo, cashews, cucumber, carrots, mango, and jasmine rice. Return of the Mac offers Cavatappi pasta, roasted mushrooms, cheesey sauce, parmesan, gremolata, and truffle oil. In the Bread section, Greens Toastie boasts pea and edamame hummus, tomato jam, avocado, crispy chickpeas, pickled red onions, basil, and tofu feta. Boujie Bread brings homemade ricotta, sautéed mushrooms, arugula, confit garlic and truffled walnut apple honey to name a few bread choices. There are lots of creative beverages to choose from! Here’s a peek at some sweet Treats: “butter cream”-iced Carrot Cake Cookie with candied pecans, Devil Wears Prada chocolate cupcake dolled up in beetroot and vanilla icing, Perfect Pear Doughnut paired with coconut pecan caramel icing, or Monkey Business Muffin taking dessert seriously with banana, walnut, chocolate chips and butter icing. But wait, there S’more Cookie with vanilla base, marshmallow and chocolate chips!

Khoe, 1370A E. Georgia St., Vancouver, BC V5L 2A8, Canada

Appetizers include Crispy Spring Rolls (filled with carrot, taro, vegan ground meat, mushroom, and vermicelli, served with vegan fish sauce) and Sweet Chili Tofu (crispy tofu tossed in sweet chili sauce, with crispy wonton chips and green onion). Bowls include Khoe Bowl (signature vermicelli salad bowl with crispy spring rolls, glazed tofu, and fresh salad, served with vegan fish sauce dressing), and Chick’n Vermicelli Bowl (marinated vegan lemongrass chick’n with a sweet & savoury soy glaze served on a vermicelli salad bowl, vegan fish sauce, and pickled veg.). They feature a “Combo for Two” (any 2 bowls plus a side or dessert of your choice). Banh Mi Sandwiches include Shroom Banh Mi (battered oyster mushroom with vegan red curry mayo, pickled veg, cucumber, cilantro, and Sriracha Revolver hot sauce). Baos include Chick’n Bao (marinated vegan lemongrass chick’n with a sweet and savoury soy glaze, vegan mayo, cabbage slaw, and cilantro). Dessert is Mango Tapioca (coconut tapioca dessert with mango purée topped with toasted coconut flakes and pistachios).

Rad Magic Subs, 2824 SE Gladstone St., Portland, OR 97202

Rad Magic Subs takes pride in supporting locally crafted vegan meats and condiments when possible! Local Portland residents love this charming restaurant. Each sub comes in exciting wrapping featuring a fun face motif, complete with their block print aesthetic. They have unique sandwiches as well as add-ons if you want to integrate more flavor! Their menu is very accessible and describes each sub’s flavor so you know exactly what you are getting. If you are a fan of imitation meats, try out the “Wedgewich” or “Golden One” which feature smoked deli slices. if you are more of a tofu fan they have that covered with their “Tofu-Two-Ways” and “Sunbeam.” During the summer the “Rad Magic” provides a refreshing bite and can be made into a gluten-free salad.

Sleepyhead Coffee, 735 Broad St., Chattanooga, TN 37402 and 2602 E. Main St., Chattanooga, TN 37404

Sleepy heads’ cute pink aesthetic complements their greenery and plants to create a cozy environment. Their delightful coffee and pastries provide a small treat to lighten your mood. The aesthetic of their coffee and treats rivals the atmosphere and each latte is complete with coffee-art. Their in house mugs match the pink atmosphere and can be filled with a variety of drink options. From classic expresso’s and cold brews to unique superfood blends and seasonal drinks, there is something for everyone. Their pastries are guaranteed to lift your mood with their fluffy textures and perfect portions.

Taqueria Vegana, 1543 Dupont St., Toronto, ON M6P 3S5 Canada

Their imitation meats are spot on. You can get an authentic carne asada taco or a loaded burrito. Each meal typically comes with chips and a flavorful sauce. Most reviews rave over the Taco Trio, which includes 1 Carne Asada, 1 impossible chorizo, and 1 Seitan Carnita. This dish gives you a selection of flavors that really highlight the authenticity of their tacos.

Vromage Cuisine, 7988 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046

Owner started making vegan cheese in Los Angeles in 2009; made from nuts and “aged to perfection.”  Salads include Caprese (mozzarella, tomato, and basil) and Organic Mixed Greens (Veganzola dressing and gluten-free bread crumbs). Open-Faced Sandwich (gluten-free or French sourdough bread with choice of Veganzola, Macon Brie, or Vromage Blanc). Vromage Platter (selection of Vromage served with nuts and fruit). Crunch Pizza (choice of Vromage served on crunchy crackers with mixed greens or arugula and tomato; Veganzola, mozzarella, or Vromage Blanc).

Image by Freepik

In the most recent issue of Vegan Journal, Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, reviews a study looking at the benefits of prescribing produce to individuals with various illnesses. Read her article here https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue3/2024_issue3_produce_prescriptions.php

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

By Ren Patel, VRG Intern

This delicious recipe is made from two components: a homemade salsa and a basic bean fry. The salsa was made with ingredients from Leominster High School’s local community garden. For those interested in promoting vegetarianism, community gardening is a great way to do so. It gets people to feel more connected to their food, which in the case of a garden is usually vegetables. This salsa consists of long thin, jalapeños and Hungarian hot wax peppers. These peppers are relatively sweet with a nice kick to them.

For those who have never made salsa before, it’s incredibly easy! Here is the general breakdown:

You will need spicy peppers, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, and seasonings. I used a mix of canned and fresh tomatoes for my recipe. However, you can do it either way! Canned tomatoes make it easier to get a liquid texture, while fresh ones will usually give you a chunkier texture. Once your blend or food process the onions together with the peppers, you can add in some tomatoes and seasonings. My salsa included salt, pepper, and a bit of cumin. I mixed everything together in a bowl along with some freshly chopped cilantro. If you prefer to follow a good recipe, I recommend this one by Kristine’s Kitchen.

     As for the nachos, I prepared these with pinto beans, onion, bell peppers, cilantro, and tomato. You can use either black beans or kidney beans based on what you prefer. I placed all the vegetables together and added some garlic, mushroom umami, black pepper, and cumin. To give it a saucier texture, I added some Chipotle Flavored Bitchin’ Sauce (an amazing vegan sauce that is made from an almond base)! Then I melted shredded Trader Joe’s vegan cheese into the beans, but you can top the dish with the cheese for the classic nacho look. Finally, I assembled my nachos by placing the beans on a bed of chips and topping them with homemade salsa!

Have fun experimenting with this recipe. It’s super fun to make with and for others. Sharing these nachos with my fellow gardeners was a great way for us to bond over the food we had grown. Since they were completely vegan, all of us were able to enjoy them! Consider making vegan party foods the next time you are with friends. It ensures everyone can enjoy the food and feel included. With that said, always inquire about allergies and health concerns since not everyone can eat nuts, gluten, or other foods. If you use gluten-free chips, this recipe is completely gluten-free. If you want to make it nut-free, try substituting the Bitchin’ Sauce for another vegan chipotle sauce.

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

A friend recently confided that she was trying to reduce her sodium intake. Her blood pressure is elevated. She’s trying, with her doctor’s approval, to see if she can lower her blood pressure by changing her diet. As we talked, I realized that, despite being open to the idea of reducing sodium, she wasn’t sure what changes to make. She’s already on the right track—she doesn’t use many processed foods, she eats a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, and she enjoys cooking. Here are some ideas I shared with her.

1. Read the Nutrition Facts section of the label. Different companies have products that vary in sodium content. Even if the label doesn’t say “low-sodium”, you may find a product that is lower in sodium than its competitors. For example, looking at a supermarket shelf of canned beans, I found a range of 90-450 milligrams of sodium per 1/2 cup serving. Choose the lowest sodium product, and you’ve saved as much as 360 milligrams of sodium.
2. Drain and rinse canned beans. You may have noticed that many recipes in Vegan Journal call for canned beans, drained and rinsed. The reason we suggest this is that up to 40% of the sodium in a canned product can be rinsed away. Therefore if you choose a can of beans with a label value of 200 milligrams of sodium, you can reduce the sodium by as much as 80 milligrams by draining and rinsing the beans.
3. Add no-salt added tomato sauce to jarred pasta sauce. Jarred vegan pasta sauce can be a convenience whether you’re using it on top of pizza crust, in vegan lasagna, or tossed with pasta. You can reduce sodium content by mixing it with purchased no-salt-added tomato sauce in the ratio of your choice—1 cup tomato sauce to 1 cup pasta sauce, 2 cups tomato sauce to 1 cup pasta sauce, etc. Add a little oregano and basil, if you like. If you decide to use the 1:1 ratio of pasta sauce to tomato sauce, you’ve reduced the sodium in a 1/2 cup serving of pasta sauce from, say, 470 milligrams to 255 milligrams.
4. Mix salty snacks with unsalted snacks. If you like to snack on salted nuts or salted pretzels, buy a bag of unsalted nuts or unsalted pretzels and make your own reduced-sodium mix. You can adjust the ratio of salted product to unsalted product, and as you get used to eating food with less salt, you may find that you’re using much more of the unsalted product and less of the salted one. If you start with a 1:1 ratio, you might save 75 milligrams of sodium in a 1/4-cup serving of nuts or as much as 250 milligrams of sodium in a 1-ounce serving of pretzels.
5. Toss the flavoring packet. Products like ramen noodles are convenient, but they are super salty. Much of their salt comes from the flavoring packet. You can discard it and flavor the noodles with a low-sodium spice blend. If that’s not an option, start by using just a small bit of the seasoning packet and taste before adding more. If you’re eating a package of ramen noodles, you could reduce their sodium from 730 milligrams to 25 milligrams just by discarding the unopened flavoring packet.
6. Make your own condiments. Salad dressings, barbecue sauce, salsa, even ketchup can be sources of lots of sodium. While you may not want to make all of these products, choosing a couple that you use frequently and finding recipes for them where you control the added salt (and use reduced-sodium ingredients where possible) can cut sodium markedly. For instance, a commercial barbecue sauce might have 300-400 milligrams of sodium per 2 Tablespoons. Making your own with tomato paste could give you a product with 20 milligrams of sodium per 2 Tablespoons. There are some commercial vegan reduced-sodium barbecue sauces, but I could find only one kind in area stores.
7. Find or make a low-sodium vegetable broth. Many vegan recipes call for vegetable broth. Packaged vegan broths could have 600 milligrams or more of sodium per cup. Vegan broth base or bouillon could result in broth with as much as 800 milligrams of sodium per cup of broth. You could make your own broth using fresh vegetables and adding little or no salt, use a commercial low-sodium vegan broth, or replace the broth in a recipe with 1 part of regular commercial broth and 1 part of water (or even more water and less broth). If you’re working with a well-seasoned recipe, it’s likely that you won’t even notice that you didn’t use as much broth as was called for. Replacing a cup of commercial vegan broth with a cup of low-sodium vegan broth could save as much as 680 milligrams of sodium.
8. Flavor food creatively. Salt is often added to commercial products as an inexpensive way to flavor food instead of using more expensive herbs and spices for flavor. If you do your own cooking, you can change that. Experiment with herbs, spices, vinegars, fruit juices, and other ingredients to enable you to cut the salt without sacrificing flavor.
9. When using a recipe, don’t feel bound to use the amount of salt called for. I’ve found that, in many recipes, I can use half or even less of the salt without noticing it. You can always add salt, but it’s hard to take it out once it’s been added to a dish. Many of our recipes in Vegan Journal call for salt to taste, encouraging the person preparing the recipe to use their own judgment rather than relying on someone else’s idea of how salty a dish needs to be. If you don’t add a lot of salt to a recipe, people can add the amount of salt that they like at the table.
10. Be aware of salty ingredients like miso, soy sauce, tamari, and liquid aminos. If the recipe has these ingredients, it probably doesn’t need additional salt. And, just as you might do with table salt, taste the dish before adding salty ingredients—it’s likely that you won’t need as much as the recipe calls for.

Southwest Quinoa & Beans uses a homemade no-salt spice blend. See both recipes on our blog:
No-Salt Spice Blend: www.vrg.org/blog/2022/04/20/mexican-inspired-no-salt-spice-blend/
Southwest Quina & Beans: www.vrg.org/blog/2022/04/21/southwest-quinoa-beans

photo by Olga Kouloufakos

Olga Kouloufakos shares a variety of Mediterranean vegan recipes in the latest 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

Summer Pad Thai photo from Sawatdee Thai Restaurant

Where: Sawatdee Thai Restaurant, Minneapolis, Minnesota

When: Sunday, October 6, 2024, 6 PM

Come meet dietitians from the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group as well as VRG members. The public is invited. You must preregister. You can pay at www.vrg.org/donate and write in the names of attendees and that this is for the Networking dinner.

BUFFET

Appetizers: Vegetarian Spring Rolls and Fried Tofu

Main Dishes:

Red Curry with Tofu

Summer Pad Thai

Combination Vegetable Dish with broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, napa, water chestnuts, tomatoes, and mock duck.

Plus: Brown Rice and White Rice and Coffee or tea and water

Dessert: Mango and Sticky Rice

Cost: $30 for VRG and Vegetarian Nutrition Practice Group members before September 15, 2024. $35 for others. $20 for two to ten year olds. Other drinks can be purchased from the restaurant separately.

PLEASE PAY at www.vrg.org/donate and write in the Comments: Networking Dinner with the Attendee names.  Or call (410) 366-8343. Or mail payment to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203. We look forward to seeing you there.

In the latest issue of Vegan Journal, we include a one-page graphic showing that the Carbon Footprint of Meat Pizza is Seven Times Greater than Vegan Pizza. Find the graphic on page 30 here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue3/VJ_issue3_2024.pdf

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

Hannah Kaminsky introduces herself as the newest Senior Editor of Vegan Journal. Read the piece here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue3/2024_issue3_note_research.php

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

Mushroom Marsala photo by Rissa Miller

Chef Joseph Solar shares a wide variety of noodle dishes in his recipe piece in Vegan Journal. Start cooking Stuffed Shells with Basil, Golden Beet Japchae, Mushroom Marsala, Classic Vegan Pad Thai, or Vegan Carbonara!

Find the complete article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2022issue4/2022_issue4_noodling_around.php

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