Have you ever wondered if plants contain cholesterol? Reed Mangels, PhD, RD answers this question in the latest issue of Vegetarian Journal. See: Cholesterol in Plants?

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA, see: vrg.org/member

Sophisticated and refreshing, Chef Morgan’s Greek Bowls are sure to please a crowd any time of year. Try her recipe for Greek Marinated Tofu on top of couscous and veggies, all smothered in lemon tahini dressing for lunch, dinner, snacks, or even a meal on the go. See this Vegetarian Resource Group video at: https://youtu.be/Q53AiF75M5k

More videos at:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvSyCToa_i9fA4D5CLCAFWw
https://www.vrg.org/veg_videos.php

Each issue of Vegetarian Journal features book reviews. Our latest issue features The Vegucated Family Table and Vegan Revolution.

Read the entire column here: Book Reviews

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA, see: vrg.org/member

Each issue of Vegetarian Journal features a column titled Scientific Update, by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD. The latest column covers the topics of Vegetarian Diet Associated with a Lower Risk of Cataract; Vegan Diet Offers Health Benefits Regardless of Blood Type; and Soy Isoflavones Associated with Moderately Reduced Risk of Heart Disease.

Read the entire column here: Scientific Update

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA, see: vrg.org/member

Tocaya, with over 20 restaurants in California and Arizona, states that they have vegan and vegetarian options. Some of their selections are Take and Bake Nachos (seasonal), Shredded Kale and Quinoa Salad, Street Corn en Fuego Bowl, Spicy Chick’N Soup, and Mushroom & Jalapeno Quesadillas. You can select Vegan Chick’n, Adobo Tofu and Vegan Mozzarella.

For more information go to https://tocaya.com/menu/ and select vegan.

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian 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.

For information about veg restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, see https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

There are times during these last days of summer when I crave a frozen dessert. There are no pints of vegan ice cream in the freezer nor do I want to walk or drive to the store. I happily turn to one of my seasonal favorites – banana soft-serve.

     Some preparation is needed for this dessert to happen. It’s based on frozen bananas so when I have overripe bananas on the counter, I peel them, cut them into slices and put them in a container in the freezer.

     When I’m ready for dessert, I take out the equivalent of one frozen banana and put it, unthawed, in the food processor. I add a spoonful of cashew butter or any other nut or seed butter and sometimes a drizzle of maple syrup. I close the food processor and process until the mixture is creamy – it comes together around the blades. Other frozen fruits can be added before processing or you can slice fresh fruit and use it to top the soft-serve. Vegan chocolate chips and nuts are other possible mix-ins or toppings.

     That’s it – in about 3 minutes I have a cold, creamy dessert. It doesn’t keep well so it should be eaten right away. You can double or triple this recipe for more servings.

     The lovely cup holding the soft-serve in the photo is from vegan potter, Molly Cantor. See more of her work here: http://www.mollycantor.com/ and here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MollyCantorPottery

By Lucia Rivera, VRG Intern

Plantega — the New York City program spreading plant-based options throughout local bodegas — cites community interaction and connection as central to its mission and work. Playing a significant role in these interactions are the Plantega Community Advisors (CA): local community members “responsible for community engagement, field marketing, in-store inventory management and quality control,” according to the Plantega website.

Community Ambassador Jailene Encarnacion is one of three CA’s currently working for Plantega, which has ten current locations.

“As a Community Ambassador, it is my job to directly speak and interact with the community, bodega workers and their customers. And as I am now coming up on my 9th month working at Plantega, I can honestly say that no other work I could be doing right now, is as community involved as this one,” Encarnacion said.

Additionally, Encarnacion explained how, after initially being introduced to Plantega, she “ultimately decided to apply for the job, because I like what Plantega stands for. I wanted to make it easier to bring affordable vegan/plant-based food into NYC as a whole, and I knew that this was going to be the best way to do that.”

On a similar note, Community Ambassador Ava Nadel is a four-year vegan familiar with bodegas and her home area, whose passions also align with Plantega.

“As a Brooklyn native and vegan, I am able to represent two unique communities. I’m so happy to represent a NYC staple of my childhood/adolescence. However, I’ve only been vegan for four years — I was always jealous of my non-vegan friends being able to pop into their local bodega and freely order [from] any menu. Plantega has completely changed that,” Nadel stated.

Part of Plantega’s goal is to be both community powering and to empower the community, according to Plantega head Nil Zacharias. For Encarnacion, this goal is reached in part through the way that the Plantega team reflects the NYC communities. Community Ambassadors can also help bridge language divides between the Plantega team and local bodegas, as different NYC neighborhoods very in culture and demographics.

“Although none of what we do is about racial justice, it is important to highlight that the whole team is made up of people of color, just like how NYC is. We represent what NYC looks like. We work with the people that feed NYC, from the most broke resident, to the richest citizen in these five boroughs,” Encarnacion stated.

Furthermore, Nadel explained how “Plantega is 100% a community initiative.” As their website ensures, “Plantega was created by New Yorkers for New Yorkers.” Nadel uses her own experiences to connect with both bodega employees and the bodega customers — who then become Plantega customers.

“Not only has the consumption and demand for plant-based foods increased exponentially, so has the demand for accessibility. Thus, Plantega empowers bodegas to offer exactly that!” Nadel shared. “In order to connect with store owners/workers, you have to remember you weren’t always vegan yourself and that a large portion of the customers base won’t always be people who are 100% vegan; some people like to dabble, some are curious, and some may not have had the same access to resources and education on plant-based foods and veganism you or I may have.”

Regardless of personal experience, Encarnacion enthusiastically recommends for “anyone and everyone” from NYC to apply to be Plantega community ambassadors. Nadel further suggested that “anyone who is sociable and goal minded, who enjoys hopping around the 5 boroughs, […] apply to be a CA. I have increased my knowledge around the plant-based revolution and have built so many connections both within the vegan community and within bodegas!”

In the end, since its conception during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Plantega team has built its program with help of Community Ambassadors and the NYC communities themselves. You can read more about Plantega here: vrg.org/blog/2021/08/19/plantegas-collaboration-with-bodegas-and-activists-promoting-vegan-items-in-latino-grocery-stores/, or learn more about them at their website: https://eatplantega.com.

For resources in Spanish, see vrg.org/nutshell/information_in_Spanish.htm

The contents of this posting, our website and our other publications, including Vegetarian 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.

Mod now has what they call dairy-free cheese and plant-based Italian sausage as options for their pizzas. For more information, see https://modpizza.com/menu/#pizzas and https://modpizza.com/allergen/

Here are Mod locations: https://modpizza.com/store-directory/

For info on other quick service restaurants, go to https://www.vrg.org/fastfoodinfo.php

To find veg restaurants in the U.S. and Canada, go to  https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian 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.

Breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner, or an anytime snack! This simple recipe by Leslie Gray Street will come together in a snap and please any crowd. Toss together chopped vegetables like mushrooms, Brussels sprouts and red onion, with shredded hash brown, and flavor with smooth cashew cream and salsa. Everything goes on one sheet pan and after 25 minutes in the oven, your meal is ready to garnish and enjoy! Easy enough for a late night snack. Tasty enough to serve to brunch guests.

Go to this VRG video at https://youtu.be/MgFyjYKAUd0

More videos at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvSyCToa_i9fA4D5CLCAFWw
https://www.vrg.org/veg_videos.php

The latest issue of Vegetarian Journal features Nutrition Hotline: When to Start Feeding Infants Solid Foods, by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD.

Read the entire column here: vrg.org/journal/vj2021issue3/2021_issue3_nutrition_hotline.php

To subscribe to Vegetarian Journal in the USA, see: vrg.org/member