Posted on
September 16, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
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.
Posted on
September 15, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
The latest issue of Vegetarian
Journal features a recipe piece titled “Raise a Toast,” by Jason Yowell.
Enjoy recipes for Frico Caprese; Mushroom Medley Toasts with Herbed Cashew
Cheeze; Seitan “Brat” Crostini; Sweet Potato Toasts with Beet Purée; BLT
Toasts; and Sweet Cream & Fruit Tartine.
Posted on
September 15, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Photo from Dash and Chutney
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):
Algorithm,
Philadelphia, PA (Location varies each day open)
Food truck serving coffee, sandwiches, tacos, and more!
They try to use locally produced items as much as possible. Enjoy a seitan
cheesesteak sandwich, crispy tofu tacos, spicy house-made kimchi, Korean
barbecue fries, bread pudding, and much more.
Dash
and Chutney, Chattahoochee Food Works, 1235 Chattahoochee Ave. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
This Upper Westside neighborhood food stall serves vegan
Indian street food from various regions of India. Dishes served include Samosa
Chaat, Vada Pav, and a Mumbai Grilled Sandwich.
Kelewele,
Dekalb Market Hall, 445 Albee Square W., Brooklyn, NY 11201
Kelewele is a popular Ghanaian street food snack made from
plantains. At this establishment, enjoy a wide variety of dishes featuring
plantains such as plantains and rice, veggie plantain tacos, baked goods, and
even plantain ice cream.
KraVegan,
Orange Park Mall Food Court, 1910 Wells Rd., Orange Park, FL 32073
Located in the food court of the Orange Park Mall, the
same team behind the KraVegan food truck and bakery (whose cupcakes and
specialty items are available here) offers all-vegan versions of comfort food.
Their menu is vast, including (but not limited to) buns, tacos, and hoagies
with a wide range of fillings; Ribz; Kalamari; Mac n’Cheeze; Ackee Scramble;
and gumbo. You can be sure that whichever option(s) you choose will pack in
bold, tasty flavors with ample seasoning and carefully selected ingredients
cooked with love. Provides for all the
family with both a dedicated kid’s menu and adult drinks on offer.
Om
Sabor, Phonobar, 370 Grove St., San Francisco, CA 94132
Located in the Phonobar, Om Sabor offers “cosmic vegan
vibrations with universal flavors.” With several different catering menus,
happy hour taco Tuesday, and a regular menu, Om Savor provides a variety of
options to customers. Try their Chorizo Flautas, Hibiscus Flower Tacos,
Guajillo Peanut Curry, and The Lavender Scoop for dessert.
Peaceful
Provisions, 383 Main St., Beacon, NY 12508
From blueberry-pistachio to passion fruit tea to cinnamon
sugar and many more, Peaceful Provisions offers vegan donuts made with quality
ingredients—in addition to other pastries. This family owned business also
regularly updated their menu, which can be found on their social media sites
alongside great pictures.
The
Naughty Vegan, Old Towne Pasadena, 20 East Union St., Ste. 170, Pasadena, CA
91103 and 4th Street Market, 201 E. 4th St., Santa Ana, CA 92701
The Naughty Vegan offers a 100% plant-based, Asian fusion
menu. Menu items include a variety of sushi rolls and bowls as well as sides
like tempura, rice, and loaded fries. Specialties include naughty rolls such as
the nami nami roll with vegan shrimp tempura, sakura’s sweet potato roll with
fried sweet potato tempura, and the surf & turf sunny roll with tempura
shrimp. House-made seitan beef and chicken are featured in several dishes
including the teriyaki chicken and beef broccoli. Located within a food court.
Urban Vegan, 915 Broad St., Newark, NJ
07102
Urban Vegan offers healthy food, using locally-sourced
ingredients, in a casual, friendly manner, thereby fulfilling its mission of
proving that being vegan can be easy. The only hard part is trying to decide
which items to order from the menu that celebrates American regional foods,
such as the Southern-inspired biscuits, the Philly cheesesteak, or the
all-American burger. The country biscuits are baked daily from scratch. And
make sure to leave room for a fruit shake, like the Piña Colada made with coconut
milk, pineapple, banana, lime and agave.
Vegan
by El Zamorano, 3011 Harbor Blvd. #A, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
This taqueria and Mexican restaurant is affordable,
authentic, and best of all, it’s fully vegan. Its purpose is to provide vegan
Mexican cuisine to the community of Orange County, putting a new spin on
traditional, well-loved foods. Everything is made fresh by experienced chefs.
Choose from one of their many inexpensive tacos, such as the classic chorizo
taco, or the more unique hibiscus taco. Also offered are a selection of
burritos, tortas, quesadillas, and more. There’s something for everyone to
enjoy, including gluten-free and soy-free options.
Posted on
September 14, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Broke Bank Vegan
highlights Mexican cuisine with a plant-based twist. Here, you’ll find food
that is cheap, easy to make, and delicious for vegans and non-vegans alike.
Below find a sample recipe for Papas con Chorizo found
on this terrific blog.
Rinse and scrub the potatoes, then cube into ½-inch
chunks. Add the potatoes to a saucepan with a generous pinch of salt and enough
water to cover them. Bring to a boil with the lid on.
Once
boiling, reduce the heat to simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until potatoes are just
tender when pierced with a fork. Drain the water off and set the potatoes
aside.
Heat
1-2 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions
and sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until turning translucent.
Turn
the heat up to medium-high and add in the potatoes. Cook for another 5-6
minutes to crisp up the outsides.
Add
in vegan chorizo and stir gently to combine with the
potatoes and onions. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, or until the chorizo
is heated through.
Taste
and season with salt as necessary. Garnish with chopped cilantro, spicy chiles,
or salsa, and serve with a side of warm corn tortillas!
Posted on
September 14, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
For the past 45 years, the USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan has been
the basis for calculating the amount of SNAP benefits that households receive. The
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federal program that
provides nutrition benefits to low-income individuals and families. These
benefits are used at stores to purchase food.
The Thrifty Food Plan provides an indication of the U.S.
government’s expectation of food costs for a household. The plan represents the
cost to purchase groceries for a family of four – an adult male and female,
ages 20-50, and two children, ages 6-8 and 9-11. According to the USDA, this
plan is supposed to reflect the cost of a “meet the nutritional needs of an
average person consuming a healthy, cost-conscious diet at home.” Although the
Thrifty Food Plan cost is adjusted monthly for inflation, there has been no
change in the foods used in the plan for the past 15 years. During that time,
there have been changes in nutrition recommendations and in people’s food
habits. As a result, it was exceedingly difficult to buy an adequate amount of
healthy foods using the cost calculations from the old Thrifty Food Plan.
The USDA recently updated the foods and food groups included
in the plan. The updates to the plan are based on the cost of food, nutrients
in food, nutrition guidance, and what Americans eat. Cultural factors and
convenience were also considered. For example, the old plan’s costs for legumes
were calculated using dried beans. The revised plan uses canned beans,
acknowledging that many households will not spend hours cooking dried beans.
This change does not mean that households should not use dried beans, rather,
it calculates food costs using canned beans. Other vegan convenience foods that
were used to calculate the cost of a thrifty meal plan were baby carrots,
packaged salad greens, and salsa. The “dairy” group costs included the cost of unsweetened
soy milk. The new plan estimates that 24% of a household’s food budget will be
spent on vegetables, 16% on grains, 14% on fruit, 14% on dairy, 25% on “protein
foods,” and the remainder on miscellaneous food items.
For a family of four receiving the maximum SNAP benefit, the
new plan would result in an additional $34 per week for a total of $193 per
week. The amount of SNAP funds that households receive varies based on household
composition and income. The hope is that this additional money will help
families receiving SNAP benefits purchase healthier foods.
For low-cost vegan menus based on USDA’s SNAP budget see: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2020issue2/2020_issue2_vegan_menus.php (These are based on the cost for the old Thrifty Food Plan. Nonetheless they provide specific ideas for eating a nutritious vegan diet on a limited budget).
Posted on
September 13, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
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
● 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. 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 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.
Posted on
September 10, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
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.
The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on veganism and the interrelated issues of health, nutrition, ecology, ethics, and world hunger. We have been helping health professionals, food services, businesses, educators, students, vegans, and vegetarians since 1982. In addition to publishing the Vegan Journal, VRG produces and sells a number of books.
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