More and more senior citizens
in the United States are vegan or eat vegan food several times a week. Some
seniors may eventually choose to move into a senior independent or assisted
living establishment. Other seniors may need to move into a nursing home or
other type of senior facility. How do you know if the facility you’re
considering offers vegan options?
The Vegetarian Resource Group
maintains an online guide to veggie-friendly senior facilities. Some offer
vegan options on a regular basis and some offer vegetarian food and upon
request will provide vegan food. With demand from seniors, more and more
establishments will eventually add vegan meals.
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):
4th & State, 152 E. State St.,
Columbus, OH 43215
Whether you’re
brunching the morning away or looking for a delicious dinner on a night out,
4th & State has it all. Stop by in the morning, and you might have a hard
time choosing just one item from their breakfast menu. From the Chik’n N’
Pancakes to the 4th Street Combo, a Vrunchwrap, coffee, and your choice of
hashbrowns, homefries, or sauzage, you can’t go wrong! For lunch and dinner
indulge in American favorites such as burgers, milkshakes, and fries or conquer
the Maui Wowie pizza, a stuffed crust BBQ base piled high with bacun, chik’n, red
onions, pineapple, jalapenos, and a drizzle of ranch, that will leave you
saying WOW!
Devi’s Donuts, 3600 E. Anaheim St.,
Long Beach, CA 90804
Menu includes many
sweet flavors of 100% vegan donuts and also cinnamon rolls.
Etérea, 511 E 5th St., New York, NY
10009
Located in the East
Village, two blocks South of Tompkins Square — a neighborhood packed with great
bars and vegan establishments — this spot stands out by specializing in
innovative Mezcal/Tequila cocktails and Mexican/SoCal-inspired vegan plates.
With a Mexican themed décor featuring vibrant colors, flowers and cozy but
classy seating, Etérea has an impressive list of mezcals and tequilas, and
numerous unique cocktails developed by mixologist Sother Teague (also of
popular bitters-focused Amor y Amargo, just round the corner). These include
the Corn Cob Pipe (with Blanco Tequila, Poblano, Lime, Corn, and Cilantro), and
Panic at Hibisco (with Añejo Tequila, Pepita Orgeat, Citrus Blend, and
Hibiscus). Head Chef Xila Caudillo has
created a wide range of plates, including a highly-rated guacamole, Tacos, Corn
Ribs Elote, Tamales, and Corn Pudding featuring rosemary meringues, candied
pecans, and blackberries. All items containing nuts and soy are clearly
labeled. Reservations suggested.
Revolution Health Kitchen, 150
Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115
Revolution Health
Kitchen offers a variety of smoothies, juices, bowls, and a daily soup. There
is also a chiller stocked with prepared vegan salads and other grab-and-go
items. Their made-to-order juices are freshly squeezed and include Sweet Beet
with kale, beets, carrots, and other mineral-dense ingredients. Bowls can all
be customized with a variety of toppings. Revolution Health Kitchen also offers
different meal plan options that provide up to 3 days’ worth of food and
beverages designed to promote health.
Seitan Rising Café and Bakery, 2
Morgan Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11237
Seitan Rising Café
and Bakery is a woman owned vegan queer café with amazing pastries and food.
They have a great variety of pastries such as scones, cake donuts, pound cake,
and more. In addition they have a variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinner
options such as Triple Threat (our pepperoni, salami, and mortadella, with
cheese, lettuce, roasted red pepper, onion, pepperoncini, mayo, and vinaigrette
on a ciabatta hero), Chickie Caesar Wrap (our chicken with greens, sun dried
tomato, onion, croutons, house-made Caesar, parm cheese on a wrap), and Hammy
(our ham, tofu scramble, cheese, hollandaise, and spicy ketchup on a roll). They
are located just north of Flushing Avenue.
Vegan Friendly Foods, 4608 Bennington
Ave., Baton Rouge, LA 70808
One of Yelp’s top
100 places to eat in the US for 2021, Vegan Friendly Foods offers fully vegan
southern food and a fun atmosphere. Fan favorite dishes include the poboy, Mac
and cheese, backsliding, potato salad, cauliflower, and more!
Whether you’re a
meat-eater, a longtime vegan, or a brand-new vegan, you’re sure to find
something to enjoy at Vegan Treats, Meats, and Eats! This food truck offers a
wide range of comfort foods—like chili, burgers, and burritos. With their
unique “Soul Food Sundays,” you can order dishes like chicken wings, ribs, or a
fish dinner— all without the meat. Don’t forget to grab a strawberry lemonade
or a slice of vegan carrot cake to complete your meal!
Wizard Burger, 74 North Pearl St.,
Albany, NY 12207
Although the Wizard
Burger might not be magic, its flavorful dishes are out of this world. Satisfy
any craving with one of their unique creations from the Second Breakfast
Burger, a potato bun topped with an impossible burger patty, just egg scramble,
maple syrup, and tater tots, to the Magic-ano, pulled “pork” and an Impossible
patty on a potato bun. Or if you are looking for a dessert that will cast a
spell on your appetite try the Pixie Storm, sweet potato tater tots piled high
with gooey marshmallows, maple syrup, and a chocolate drizzle!
Peace Advocacy Network is excited to invite Rissa Miller, senior editor of Vegetarian Journal Magazine and organizer of Baltimore Vegan Drinks, to join us for a discussion about Navigating Life as a New Vegan.
From talking to family and friends about your lifestyle to attending social events (safely!) to traveling, Rissa has you covered with 26 years worth of advice, tips, and insightful suggestions from her experience participating in almost every kind of activism you can imagine.
Did you know that around 100,000 people in the United States
die prematurely each year due to air pollution resulting from human activities
(like driving)? And that about 20,000 of those deaths are linked to
agriculture? I had no idea of this issue until I read a recently published
study conducted by scientists from the United States and the United Kingdom.
This study attributed 15,900 deaths per year in the United
States to air pollution related to food production and estimates that 80% of
these deaths are related to animal-based food production. There are numerous
ways that food production contributes to air pollution. For example, livestock
waste (urine and feces) and fertilizer applications result in ammonia
production. Ammonia is estimated to be associated with 69% of deaths related to
air quality from food production. Particulate matter from dust from tillage,
dust kicked up by livestock hooves, field burning, and emissions from
agricultural equipment is estimated to be associated with 27% of food
production air quality-related deaths.
Red meat production has the greatest impact on health damage
related to air quality. The health effect of red meat production on air quality
is estimated to be 10 times higher than that of nut and seed production and 15
times more than that of the production of other plant foods. Production of
eggs, poultry, and dairy products all have a greater impact on deaths
attributed to food production air quality than does production of plant foods.
The researchers developed mathematical models to predict the
effect of dietary changes in the United States on deaths due to
agricultural-related air quality. Substituting poultry for red meat would
potentially result in a 40% decrease in deaths, shifting to a vegetarian diet
would potentially decrease deaths attributed to air pollution related to food
production by 76%, and a shift to a vegan diet would potentially decrease
deaths by 83%. Thus, a national shift to a vegan diet could prevent more than
13,000 deaths per year from food production-related air pollution alone. That’s
not to mention other environmental and health benefits.
Nothing beats a simple graphic to get the vegan message out!
The Vegetarian Resource Group created My
Vegan Plate to display on outreach tables at various events. If you live in
the United States, you can request copies of this handout to distribute by
emailing us at [email protected]
Have you ever wondered if an
ingredient listed on a food label is vegan or not? The Vegetarian Resource
Group has an online guide to food ingredients that lets you now whether a
specific food ingredient is vegan, vegetarian, non-vegetarian, typically vegan,
typically vegetarian, may be non-vegetarian, or typically non-vegetarian.
Veg-curious? Vegetarian? Vegan? This program is for you! You will learn how to be a healthy vegetarian/vegan, how to deal with social situations, and how to get started as a vegetarian/vegan. We’ll also talk about being a vegetarian athlete as well as ideas for simple meals and snacks. Bring your questions to this interactive session.
Reed Mangels, PhD, RD is a Nutrition Advisor for the non-profit, educational
Vegetarian Resource Group (www.vrg.org) and the nutrition editor and a regular
columnist for Vegetarian Journal.
Registration is required to receive a link and password. Deadline to
sign-up will be 1 hour before the program begins.
Links and passwords will be emailed at least 30 minutes before the program.
The virtual room will open 3 minutes before the program begins. We do recommend
everyone “arrive” at least 10 minutes before the program to ensure
you are able to enter the “room.” If you do not receive an email with
the program link at least 30 minutes before the program begins, please check
your spam and other folders. If still unable to find it, please use the Chat to
ask a team member for help.
For those under 18 years of age who may be joining us, we recommend that a parent/legal guardian be with you during the meeting. Learn more about Zoom at zoom.us.
*Reminder – Those not on the Guest List will not be considered registered, and will not receive a virtual “ticket”. Registration accepted on a first come first serve basis.
To request an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act for library-sponsored events, please call 408-808-2000 at least three business days prior to the event.
According
to their website, ASR
Group is the world’s largest refiner and marketer of cane sugar. In the United
States, ASR produces sugar under these brand names: Domino Sugar, Florida
Crystals, and C&H Sugar.
In
April and May 2021, The Vegetarian Resource Group spoke with Michael Burchell,
Senior Director, Global Corporate Quality and Daryl Sabourin, Global Director
of Sustainability, about sugar processing at ASR.
We
learned that they currently use three different methods for cane sugar
decolorization and purification:
Cow bone char
Ion exchange resin using a polystyrene bed (a non-biodegradable, fossil fuel-derived plastic)
Granular activated carbon (GAC) using coal or coconut husks
ASR
Group employs all of these methods at various refineries around the country.
Burchell
told us that all three processes yield sugar of comparable purity and quality.
Because each type of refining requires its own type of costly, specialized
equipment that has a functional life of 50+ years, changing processing methods
is not frequently done.
Baltimore’s
refinery converted completely away from bone char filtration in June 2015.
Burchell stated that concern about using animal material, especially in light
of zoonotic diseases, was one reason they made the switch.
At
the Baltimore location, Domino now uses granular activated carbon (sourced from
both coal and coconut husks) and ion exchange resin for processing.
The
Yonkers, NY refinery eliminated bone char in the ’80s. It currently uses
granulated activated carbon, as does the South Bay, FL refinery which has
always been bone char-free.
By
contrast, the ASR sugar refineries in Crockett, CA and Arabi, LA use bone char
filtration.
In
the 1990s, 90% of the cane sugar industry was using cow bone char as a filter.
Burchell points out, however, that the ASR Group was already 40% bone char-free
in the ’90s.
Burchell
estimated that today, 65% of all ASR sugar is bone char-free.
Burchell
told The VRG that consumers can tell if a particular package of Domino Sugar,
Florida Crystals or C&H Sugar is completely bone char-free if the lot
number appearing on the label begins with 1, 4, or 6.
The
carbon footprint of cane sugar
Michael
Burchell informed The Vegetarian Resource Group that methane gas was the energy
source driving the sugar processing in some refineries. And where granular
activated carbon was used, coal was one of the source materials.
Both
methane gas from fracking and coal from mining are fossil fuels. The burning of
fossil fuels is the leading cause of our climate crisis.
We
wanted to know more about how the fossil fuel (also called carbon) footprints
of the three industrial methods for cane sugar processing compare. This
information may help educate climate-conscious consumers when they are deciding
which foods and beverages to purchase.
Burchell
directed us to Daryl Sabourin, ASR Group’s Global Director of Sustainability.
Sabourin
was unable to tell us exactly how the fossil fuel footprints of the three sugar
processing methods compare. His company has not determined what they are.
Sabourin estimated that a complete assessment would cost “at least $70,000.” It
isn’t required by the government and no other companies are conducting this
type of analysis.
When
consumers want this information and believe the extra cost through raised
prices (or tax credits?) are worth it, companies may start conducting this type
of analysis. A complete environmental impact assessment, including a fossil
fuel footprint analysis, would provide essential information about the total
environmental costs of production methods. This information would allow
businesses to transition toward using only the methods which have the smallest
environmental and fossil fuel footprints and be leaders in
sound sustainability practices.
Sabourin
estimated that for the granular actived carbon (GAC) method, coal, itself a
fossil fuel, would have a higher fossil fuel footprint than coconut husks. He
also estimated that since bone char manufacture and regeneration require
extremely high temperatures for extended times, the bone char method would have
a higher carbon footprint.
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.
Looking for a healthy dessert? Why not try a dessert
smoothie! Ivy Grob (a former VRG intern) shared some of her recipes in a
previous issue of Vegetarian Journal including Strawberry Shortcake,
Banana Chocolate, Berry Cobbler, Peanut Butter Cup, Peach Pie, and Apple Pie
Smoothies. Read the article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2016issue3/2016_issue3_dessert_smoothies.php
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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