Due to the generosity of anonymous donors, The Vegetarian Resource Group each year will award $30,000 in college scholarship money to graduating U.S. high school students who have promoted veganism/vegetarianism in their schools and/or communities. Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or fowl. Vegans are vegetarians who do not use other animal products such as dairy or eggs.

One award of $10,000 and two awards of $5,000 will be given. Additionally, $10,000 in scholarship money will be awarded to graduating high school seniors specifically living in New York City, NY. Entries may only be sent by students graduating from high school in spring 2022. Deadline is February 20, 2022. We will accept applications postmarked on or before February 20, 2021. Early submission is encouraged!

Applicants will be judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegan/vegetarian diet/lifestyle. Payment will be made to the student’s college (U.S. based only). Winners of the scholarships give permission to release their names to the media. Applications and essays become property of The Vegetarian Resource Group. We may ask finalists for more information. Scholarship winners are contacted by e-mail or telephone. Please look at your e-mail.

For details on the contest, see:

http://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

Please join Host Sheri DeMaris from RVN Television with her guest, Rissa Miller, Senior Editor at the Vegan Journal magazine as she demonstrates two amazingly delicious vegan pizzas using a white bean, garlic spread as sauce. If you are looking for not only a magazine with great recipes but also articles on the latest research on the benefits of a vegan diet you will want to pick up a copy!

Through February 14^th see video at: https://rvntelevision.com/episode/macro-magic-with-rissa-miller/

The large grocery retailer Kroger predicted ten top food trends for 2022. Fifth is PLANeT based foods for the health of the planet. This includes plant-based foods, but also aspects of reducing waste. See: https://ir.kroger.com/CorporateProfile/press-releases/press-release/2022/Kroger-Announces-10-Food-Trend-Predictions-for-2022/default.aspx

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):

Aleph Eatery, 1889 Powell St., Vancouver, BC V5L 1H8 Canada

Béchamel eggplant, miso tahini risotto, hibiscus flower rolls, zaatar ceviche, hummus, and other dishes are available at Aleph Eatery.

Eat Your Feelings, 4208 Clinton St., West Seneca, NY 14224

Vegan chocolate birthday cake, cookie cake, cookie butter cake slices, raspberry turnover, and more are available at Eat Your Feelings bake shop.

Mindful Baking, 5035 W. Montrose Ave., Chicago, IL 60641

Located close to Milwaukee Avenue, near Portage Park Theater. Like many great notions, Mindful Baking arose out of a personal health challenge. Pastry chef, Diane Mejia was diagnosed with severe gluten intolerance. With a goal of providing delicious healthy food and packaging that’s 100% biodegradable and recyclable, their apt motto is: “Peace of mind? Peace of cake!” All products are gluten free and vegan. Besides tried and true old favorites, Mindful Baking offers sheet cakes and round cakes in serendipitous base flavors like “Hey Amy” –Chocolate infused with pomegranate, and Banana with Salted Caramel. Watch for special monthly flavors too. Past monthly flavors include Rainbow Cake and Oreo Grenache. If you’re craving something savory, you may select from three hot sandwiches: Vegan Tuna, Breakfast Sammie and see a mouthwatering photo of the Avocado Toast on Instagram. Heaped with colorful veggies and texture, it seems to celebrate abundance. For a sweet treat, check out their Facebook page or Instagram photos of swirled cupcakes, festive, silky glazed donuts, brownies, and more.

Radici, 214 S. Elm St., Greensboro, NC 27401

Radici serves dishes such as kale and chicory Caesar, grilled heirloom carrot, smoked lentil tempeh, broccoli Aleppo fondue, roasted carrot, buckwheat brownie cake, and more.

SoulGood, 1201 Oakland St., Denton, TX 76201

Vegan Belgian waffles, fried oyster mushrooms, vegan chick’n’ strips, guacamole, breakfast tacos, hash browns, BBQ Pull My What burger, Lolly tamales, and more are available at SoulGood.

The Abbey Café, 546 Queen St., Fredericton, NB E3B 1B9 Canada

The Abbey Café & Gallery serves black bean, sweet potato, Cajun “chick’n” burritos; Abbey panini; beet and vegan feta panini; green goodness cold bowls; Caesar salad; coconut curry hot bowls; and much more.

Unity Taqueria, 5420 Ridge Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19128

Breakfast tacos, breakfast newcomer burritos, burrito bowls, steak tacos, chicken burritos, churros, HALT nachos, guac and quesos, and more are all available at Unity Taqueria. The food is all fresh, tasty, and flavorful. The restaurant hires people who are in recovery or have recently left the criminal justice system.

Wicked Garden Alchemy, 8145 SE 82nd Ave., Portland, OR 97266

Breki burritos, Grim reaper, stuffed French toast, vegan crunch wrap sandwich, English muffin sandwiches, skewers, and other unique dishes are available at Wicked Garden Alchemy. They are in the Cartlandia food cart pod.

In honor of The Vegetarian Resource Group’s 40th anniversary later this year, three members have pledged a $8,500 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!

Comfort Food: A Special Treat to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Are you still looking for a Valentine’s Day gift? If so, you might want to prepare a vegan meal for your family, friends, co-worker, etc. to show your admiration. Nothing beats comfort food, and we have published many articles on this topic throughout the years in Vegetarian Journal. Delicious vegan recipes can be found in the articles below. Enjoy!

Baby Boomer Cooking (Nov 2010)

Comfort Foods (Feb 2019)

Comforting Casseroles (Feb 2007)

Modern Vegan Comfort Food (Feb 2016)

Vegan Comfort Foods (Jan 1998)

Vegan Versions of Familiar Favorites (Jan 2000)

Subscribe to Vegan Journal (formerly Vegetarian Journal) in the USA only by visiting https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Mark, a Jamaican-born cook, established a vegan food truck in 2017 and in August 2021 opened his first brick and mortar location in Boynton Beach, Florida. Located in a small strip mall, Natuurlik features delicious vegan Caribbean food. We sampled the Curry Bean Stew consisting of chickpeas and lima beans, in a turmeric sauce with curry leaf and coconut milk. It is served with wild rice (or a choice of another grain), plantains, and delicious fresh vegetables. We also enjoyed a refreshing Whipped Coffee, which quite honestly can be consumed as dessert! Some of the other items found on their menu include a BBQ Jackfruit Meal, Seitan Tacos, Vegan Crab Cakes, Avocado Toast, Cassava Fries, Fresh Juices, Smoothies, and more. This casual restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating.

For more information see: https://natuurlik.net/

The Vegetarian Resource Group’s online restaurant guide of veggie restaurants in the USA and Canada can be found here: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

Please join Host Sheri DeMaris from RVN Television with her guest, Rissa Miller, Senior Editor at the Vegan Journal magazine as she demonstrates two amazingly delicious vegan pizzas using a white bean, garlic spread as sauce. If you are looking for not only a magazine with great recipes but also articles on the latest research on the benefits of a vegan diet you will want to pick up a copy!

Through February 14^th see video at: https://rvntelevision.com/episode/macro-magic-with-rissa-miller/

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

According to the Non-GMO project, a genetically modified organism (GMO) is “a plant, animal, microorganism or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering or transgenic technology. This creates combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and virus genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.” Bioengineered plants or animals have had a new gene inserted in them to give them a new trait, potentially one that is considered useful such as being resistant to a disease.  

Polls have consistently shown that consumers are in favor of using product labels to identify foods that contain genetically engineered ingredients or GMOs.

On January 1, 2022, the USDA’s rules for labeling products with GMOs went into effect. Foods can say, “contains a bioengineered ingredient” or can have a round label that says “bioengineered” or “derived from bioengineering” or can be labeled with a phone number or a QR code that consumers can use to get more information.

Consumer organizations are concerned because many consumers are not familiar with the term “bioengineered.” Also, consumers may not have smart phones or be unfamiliar with the technology for QR code access.

In addition, just because a package doesn’t have a label, there’s no guarantee that it doesn’t contain genetically modified ingredients. Products containing GMO corn, soybeans, or sugar do not have to be labeled if the levels of DNA in the final product is “not detectable.” So, for example, if high fructose corn syrup, derived from GMO corn is used in soda, and the DNA from the corn doesn’t show up because of the processing that has been done, the soda does not have to be labeled. Products made from crops containing 5% or less of genetically engineered ingredients also don’t have to be labeled. In contrast, the European Union (EU) standard is much lower (0.9%) to allow for accidental contamination. Animal products, such as milk and eggs, from animals whose feed contained GMOs do not have to be labeled.

Marion Nestle, author of Food Politics and other books, describes the new labeling rules as “useless.” Fortunately for those consumers who don’t want their food to contain GMOs, other certifications such USDA Organic and NON-GMO Project Verified are still allowed to appear on packages.

For more information see:

Food Politics blog: USDA’s GMO-labeling Rules, Such As They Are, Go Into Effect

The Washington Post: The USDA’s New Labeling for Genetically Modified Foods Goes Into Effect Jan. 1

USDA: BE Disclosure

Microbial Rennets and Fermentation Produced Chymosin: How Vegetarian Are They?

Genetically Modified Microbial Rennet: How Vegetarian Is It?

What can you pack for a vegan lunch? Whether you’re going to school, work, a picnic, or on a road trip, you need options for lunch. Check out 50 ideas to fill your lunch bag!

See this Vegetarian Resource Group Video at https://youtu.be/kqoFDjQO2fs

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