photo from Bar Botanical

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:

Acorn Community Café, 769 Monroe St., Eugene, OR 97402

Acorn Community Café not only offers mouthwatering, hearty brunch and dinner menus, but also a tip-free concept with the option of paying-it-forward in lieu of a tip—so that diners (if they choose to) can contribute toward the cost of a meal for someone in the community who could use the assistance and a good meal. The gratuity is incorporated into the menu prices, so their employees are taken care of as well. So not only will you get to enjoy a brunch with biscuits and herb mushroom gravy or buckwheat pancakes topped with bananas, toasted walnuts, caramel, and maple syrup, but you will also have the opportunity to share in the sense of community that this café has created. If you are dining later in the day, the dinner menu offers delights such as the Grilled Radicchio Salad (made with grapefruit, toasted hazelnuts, and black barley with a charred lemon vinaigrette) and the Mash & Bourguignon (foraged mushrooms, carrots, and onions in a red wine porcini sauce, served over cream of celeriac mashed potatoes). Their shake menu includes the Salted Vanilla Bean and the “dine-in only” Irish Whisky Shake. All sweet tooths will be satisfied as well, with the bakery menu that includes a 9-inch Hazelnut Coffee Cake (vanilla hazelnut cake layered with coffee buttercream and hazelnut praline) and Lemon Curd Cupcakes. And in case you’re wondering, the recipients of the pay-it-forward meals eat from the same menu—no leftover vegan meatloaf served here.

Bar Botanical, 2025 Library Ave., Crozet, VA 22932

Bar Botanical’s celebration of plants is motivated by compassion for people and animals, as well as sustainability. They ask that you please tell their staff about any allergies or dietary restrictions. They will try their best to accommodate these and other special requests. Many dishes can be made gluten-free. Among the many menu choices, a few are: Seasonal Soup, Wonton Nachos with miso cashew cheese, cabbage slaw, bbq lentils, pickled onions, jalapeños, cilantro and avocado, crisp Fried Brussel Sprouts glazed with ginger garlic and furikake seasoning and Loaded Hash Browns–crispy triangle potatoes with miso cashew cheese, tamari ranch, coconut bacon, scallions, and furikake. Dessert-Empowered Plant Cakes declared free of gluten and refined sugar, are cashew-based cheesecake slices in rotating flavors like Raspberry Lemon Fig or Twix.

Tamarind Vietnamese Grill, 908 12 Ave. SW, Calgary, AB T2R 1K7, Canada

Looking for authentic Vietnamese cuisine that is completely plant-based? You should try Tamarind Vietnamese Grill & Noodles House. Coming from generations of family recipes, Tamarind has a plethora of Vietnamese dishes to try, including mouthwatering crispy noodle bowls, pad Thai, and traditional Vietnamese soups.

Umeke Market LLC, 1001 Bishop St., Ste. 110, Honolulu, HI 96813

Some of their breakfast options are a breakfast burrito, which includes a flour tortilla filled with organic tofu scramble, walnut ‘taco’ meat, local cabbage, brown rice, and sauce, or the loaded potato, which includes all the same but instead on a bed of roasted potatoes. They also provide the option to build your own plate lunch. You can pick from pono chili, red lentils, ‘ulu spinach daal, and much more. It is important to note that at Umeke Market you must park across the street and there are no bathrooms.

Vegan Castle, 2400 Santa Fe Ave., Long Beach, CA 90810

They serve all vegan food, specifically vegan sushi. Some of their best sellers include the shrimpless tempura roll, the rainbow roll, or their red dragon roll. They also serve French fries, spicy edamame, and miso soup. Some of their sushi rolls come with eatable flowers on top!

Vegan Chance Burger, 3524 12th St. NE, Washington, DC 20017

They are known for their build-your-own pizzas, as well as their most loved garden salad. They also serve Stromboli and calzones, as well as seven different types of burgers. Finally, Vegan Chance Burger also serves Pakistani and Indian cuisine!

Vegan Junk Food, 4501 Woodberry St., Riverdale Park, MD 20737

Vegan Junk Food offers a discount off your first order online! They are proudly a Veteran and woman owned restaurant. If you check out their website, they provide wonderful pictures of some of their menu items so that you can see what you would be getting. They offer Philly cheez’steaks made with soy protein, mushroom protein, kale, vegan cheese, peppers, and onions, as well as bang bang broccoli, which is crispy broccoli tossed in a light vegan tempura batter.

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

A Vegetarian Resource Group member contacted us with a question about when to take an iron supplement. Here’s what they said: “My health care provider recommended that I take a low-dose iron supplement once a day. I’m vegan and eat small meals and snacks throughout the day. When is a good time for me to take the iron supplement?”

And here’s our response:

Iron is best absorbed on an empty stomach, either about 1 hour before or 2 hours after meals so one idea would be to take your supplement right when you wake up and wait an hour or so to eat breakfast. If this isn’t feasible, you could take your supplement 2 hours after your last meal or snack of the day. Maybe taking it when you brush your teeth before going to bed, assuming you don’t have a snack right before bed, would work.

Although it’s ideal to take iron supplements on an empty stomach, some people get an upset stomach, nausea, or diarrhea if they don’t eat something along with their iron supplement. If that’s the case for you, try taking the supplement with a small meal or snack or immediately after a small meal or snack. You’ll absorb somewhat less iron but it’s likely that you’ll be getting more iron than if you didn’t take the supplement at all.

If you choose this option of taking your iron supplement with a small meal or snack, go for a meal or snack where you’re not drinking tea, herb tea, coffee, or calcium-fortified plant milk. All of these beverages can reduce iron absorption. Also, avoid foods high in phytate such as whole grains, dried beans, nuts, and seeds which can interfere with iron absorption. You might choose a snack of fruit, vegetables, and/or refined grains with your iron supplement.

If you use a calcium supplement, ideally you would take this at a different time than when you take an iron supplement.

Iron supplements may interfere with the absorption of some medications including levodopa, levothyroxine, penicillamine, tetracyclines, and bisphosphonates. Check with your health care provider about medications you are using and if they will be affected by supplemental iron.

To read more about iron sources for vegans see:

Iron in the Vegan Diet

Latin American Vegan Foods High in Iron

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

By Noelle Merveilleux, VRG Intern

Plenty of people wonder why a person is vegan. Luckily enough I got the chance to talk with a few other interns at The Vegetarian Resource Group about what led them to veganism.

To start, one of the interns named Sundari expressed that she finds herself having to clarify the differences between vegetarianism and veganism. There are some key differences between the two. For those that may not know, a vegetarian may consume dairy, eggs, or possibly honey while abstaining from meat while vegans refrain from animal product use and consumption altogether and as far as possible.

Accordingly, Nadely, another intern for the VRG, says that she is vegan primarily out of concern for the environment and animal suffering. Additionally, another person had said that he is vegan because he is concerned about three things: his impact on the environment, animal abuse and suffering, and his health.

Well, what about myself? I hold many of the same sentiments shared by my fellow interns and vegans alike. I’m glad that the environment can support a vegan lifestyle and that following a plant-based diet can be beneficial for health. However, animals are my main focus for veganism. The animals we consider commodities like cows, pigs, chickens, fish, and more are creatures that do value their lives, even if they can’t verbally express that. Because of this, it became obvious to me that as a vegan, I would be in line with this belief. I tell people that I know, who ask me why I’m vegan, that I can lead a healthy and productive life without using these animals as food, clothing, or entertainment, and can advocate for further pro-animal changes down the line. I know I’m only one person and can only do so much, but I hope that in the future, we will have collectively replaced the general view that these animals are commodities to be exploited for our sake with one that gives them agency over their lives to live for their sake.

Here’s what another student said when people asked her about her vegan diet.

https://www.vrg.org/blog/2016/10/18/what-do-i-say-when-people-ask-about-my-veganvegetarian-diet/

El Palote Panaderia in Dallas, TX

A Vegetarian Resource Group member recently visited Dallas, Texas and took some photos of vegan meals she enjoyed. Above is the taco plate with vegan longaniza from El Palote Panaderia in Dallas, TX.

These are the vegan nachos at American Airlines Arena.

Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer

This is the crispy cauliflower corn burger at Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer.

Visit The Vegetarian Resource Group online guide to veggie restaurants in the USA and Canada to see more veggie options in Dallas: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/Texas.php#c7

By Neha Vivek, VRG Intern

When you’re younger, you are accustomed to eating the food your parents put in front of you, relying on them to ensure you are getting your nutrients, even if it means eating stuff you don’t like. However, as you get older, you develop more autonomy over your meals as your parents become comfortable, allowing you to be in the kitchen and help with meal prep. Yet, with the new capabilities comes an unknown world of nutrition and cooking, so to help you start your journey below I’ve listed a couple of vegan dinners I made as a high school student that are easy and healthy to prepare.

To begin with, a sandwich is a classic meal that is quick to prepare and hard to mess up. I like grabbing my favorite bread, whole wheat bread, a black bean burger patty, and vegetables such as tomato, spinach, lettuce, and olives and quickly assembling a sandwich with Italian dressing to add flavor. Another similar idea is using the same ingredients and making wraps with a crumbled black bean burger patty or black beans, vegetables such as tomato, spinach, lettuce, and olives, and a dressing of your choice, be it Italian dressing or something a little more creative like buffalo sauce. Both of these recipes are great because when you have a busy schedule, they don’t require a lot of time, ingredients, or thought to assemble, making them a great meal to introduce yourself to meal prepping and cooking.

While the basic level of these sandwich recipes is fairly no cooking, an excellent way to begin learning more cooking techniques is alternating the filling of the sandwich or wrap by preparing different sauces, roasting or frying the vegetables, or even trying to season the protein such as tofu or tempeh from scratch.

While it may seem intimidating, tofu is absolutely delicious once you figure out how to prepare it.! A family favorite is to press the tofu for 30 minutes, cut it into cubes, and coat it with various spices, including turmeric, paprika, salt and pepper, and nutritional yeast. After coating the tofu, we let it marinate for 20-30 minutes and then place it in the air fryer until it crisps up. Then, you have delicious tofu to eat with various meals, including wraps or salads that can be prepared in advance for busy weekday dinners.

Expanding to salad ideas, while cutting up vegetables can be daunting, a great way to incorporate more vegetables is by eating more salads, which don’t have to be bland! You can make the meal exciting and fresh by playing around with the sauces, vegetables, protein sources, and carbs. A good tip I’ve found is if you find chopping vegetables hard, there are vegetable choppers where you place a vegetable between two surfaces and press the vegetable down into a blade to chop it up, allowing you to speed through the chopping process.

Another meal I learned when I first started cooking is tofu scramble. While the recipe sounds daunting, it’s simple and requires little prep or time. First, grab a block of tofu and press it for 20 minutes. Next, crumble the tofu into pieces and season it with paprika, turmeric, salt and pepper, and nutritional yeast. Let it sit while you cut up some vegetables. For tofu scramble, I love to use bell pepper, carrots, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach with black beans if I feel like adding more protein for satiety. After you finish your vegetables, heat up some oil in a pan and begin frying the vegetables until they are nice and roasted, seasoning as necessary. Finally, add the tofu and continue sautéing until the tofu is heated as well. I usually split my tofu scramble into a meal for a couple of days and eat it with a slice of toast on the side.

Overall, while cooking can seem overwhelming at first, as you begin to explore the world of food making, you’ll find that it can be enjoyable and a form of independence to choose what you put in your body. The key is to start with slow, manageable steps like cooking a meal a week or prepping one meal for dinner for the next two days. Good luck and happy cooking!

For more ideas, see https://www.vrg.org/teen/#plans

Sample all the delicious vegan food available in Maryland during Maryland Vegan Restaurant Month scheduled throughout March 2024. Here’s a partial list of some of the restaurants participating: Koshary Corner (Egyptian Street Food at RHouse in Remington, Baltimore), Land of Kush (Soul Food in Baltimore), Planta in Bethesda, Golden West Café (in Hampden, Baltimore), Harmony Bakery (gluten-free bakery in Hampden, Baltimore), Sweet27 (gluten-free restaurant in Remington, Baltimore), Applecore’s Bake Shoppe in Columbia, Planta in Columbia, Soul-Tarian in Suitland, etc.

More information can be found here:

https://www.facebook.com/mdveganeats

https://www.mdveganeats.com/

photo from The Ginger Mule

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:

73 Farm, National Union Building, 918 F St., Washington DC 20004

Would you care for vegan dishes inspired by the flavors of New Orleans cuisine? Take a visit to 73 Farm and try their vegan jambalaya. It is served with vegan sausage made from andouille pea protein and fluffy, red sauce rice. Though, someone out there might have a sweet tooth that goads them into trying something else during their visit. You might like their pralines made with oat milk cream, caramelized sugar, and pecans! In any case, make sure to try their beignets. They’re light and fluffy and will surely leave you satisfied. Look out for this hidden gem in Washington, D.C.!

Sushi But Like Vegan, 2800 10th St. NE, Washington, DC 20017

Located inside Tastemaker’s Foodhall. Enjoy vegan sushi options like the “Little Forest Box,” which is a vegan mild sushi box that includes: vegan cali rolls, vegan futomaki rolls, vegan inari sushi, avocado onigiri, and edamame. Another sample food option is the “Tofu Bao Buns,” which are stir-fried tofu, pickled radish and carrots, cilantro, scallions, cucumbers, and sweet chili sauce. Stuffed into three pillowy soft steamed buns.

The Ginger Mule, 449 W. 19th St., Ste. C-200, Houston, TX 77008

The Ginger Mule is a quaint, modern, and bohemian-inspired restaurant with a diverse plant-based cuisine with coffees and cocktails at their full bar! From their brunch menu, you’ll have options like French Toast, a Garden Omelet, and Jupiter’s Medley where you can design your own breakfast platter. Their main menu includes classic “nibblers” like Sweet Potato Waffle Fries, Cauliflower Bites, and Crispy Coconut Calamari, a pizza selection, and a “grilled favorites” section which includes their Kindness Burger, Enchiladas, and Gyro. Other staples include their Cozy Curry and Butternut Squash Lasagna. Need to satisfy your sweet tooth? Try their Franbrulee, Carrot Cake, or Tres Leches. Don’t forget to check out their non-alcoholic juices, mocktails, and alcoholic beverages that would all be perfect to drink at the Ginger Mule with their rustic ambience and indoor hanging plant vines!

Under the Mango Tree, 737 5th St., Miami Beach, FL 33139

Located just off the A1A on the south end of Miami Beach, Under the Mango Tree provides “cozy customer service and healthy food with a focus on sustainability and kindness.”  The menu consists mainly of sandwiches and salads, with some interesting extras. There’s the Patty Sammy (with a patty made from portobello mushroom, beets, black bean, and quinoa), the Buddha Bowl (featuring the same patty, along with vegan feta cheese, farro, and mixed vegetables), avocado toast, almond butter toast, smoothies, tacos, and more!

Vegan Planet Café, 2718 Granby St., Norfolk, VA 23510

Vegan Planet Café has great vegan options from pasta salad to Cajun mushroom pitas! They also serve vegan chicken sandwiches and a special vegan cauliflower and wings combo. Their “planet smoothies” also look refreshing and delicious!

Vegan Van, 3900 Elati St., Denver, CO 80216

Vegan Van has so many options to choose from and is highly cherished by the surrounding community. They serve fresh cut fries tossed in nacho seasoning, topped with nacho cheese sauce, seasoned seitan beef, sour cream, tomatoes, and jalapenos, along with homemade donuts!

Veganized, 1 Elm Row, New Brunswick NJ 08901

Veganized is a cozy restaurant serving healthy vegan cuisine using organic, local, fair trade, and seasonal ingredients. The establishment spreads across three floors, offering an inviting and elegant atmosphere complimented with art nuevo decor and paintings. Veganized is also known for its wide selection of alcohol, including unique cocktails that appeal to a widespread audience. Finally, if you stop by Veganized, make sure to try their mushroom dishes such as “Off the Grill” or “Hen of the Woods” or their take on American classics such as “Mackin Cheese.”

Add a touch of elegance and affordable, sustainable opulence to your next party with a dollop of kelp-based caviar.

Read the product review in Vegan Journal here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue1/2024_issue1_veggie_bits.php

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

Get a quicker, cleaner coffee fix at home or on the go with these single-serving powdered creamer packets.

Read the product review in Vegan Journal here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue1/2024_issue1_veggie_bits.php

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

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

If a food company develops a new product, the company cannot simply put statements on the label about the product’s health benefits. For example, statements such as “This food will lower your cholesterol” or “Eating this food will prevent dental decay” are not allowed. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must approve health-related statements on food labels.

In some cases, FDA conducts an extensive review of the scientific literature on a health topic. This is usually done when a food company or trade organization submits a petition to the FDA requesting this type of review. If, after this review, the FDA concludes that the evidence supports the health claim, they allow an “Authorized Health Claim.” An example of an Authorized Health Claim would be, “Low fat diets rich in fruits and vegetables (foods that are low in fat and may contain dietary fiber, vitamin A, or vitamin C) may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, a disease associated with many factors. Broccoli is high in vitamin A and C, and it is a good source of dietary fiber.”

In other cases, if certain scientific bodies of the US government or the National Academy of Sciences issue a statement about the relationship between a substance in a food and a health concern, the FDA can authorize a health-related statement on a food label that agrees with the scientific body’s statement. For example, a label could read, ““Diets rich in whole grain foods and other plant foods, and low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol may help reduce the risk of heart disease.”

In other cases, FDA may allow a “Qualified Health Claim.” This is done when there is some evidence for a relationship between a food, food component, or dietary ingredient and reduced risk of a health-related condition. There is not enough evidence for an “Authorized Health Claim.” Qualifying language must be used on the label such as “according to limited scientific evidence.” A “Qualified Health Claim” is usually the result of a food company or trade organization petitioning the FDA. An example of a Qualified Health Claim would be, “Supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 ounces per day of walnuts, as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet and not resulting in increased caloric intake, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. See nutrition information for fat content.”

In all cases, FDA provides requirements that must be met for the food. For example, in order to have a health claim about the benefits of reducing sodium, the food must be low in sodium. FDA may also require that certain words or phrases be used in the health claim or may specify the exact wording that must be used.

So, if you pick up a package of oatmeal and notice that the label says, “As part of a heart healthy diet, the soluble fiber in oatmeal can help reduce cholesterol,” you’ve seen an example of an Authorized Health Claim.”

To read more about health claims on food labels from the FDA see:

Label Claims for Conventional Foods and Dietary Supplements

A Food Labeling Guide: Guidance for Industry (see Appendix C and Appendix D)

To read more about food labels see VRG’s articles:

Natural on a Food Label: Don’t Be Misled

Allergy Information on Food Labels

What Does Healthy on a Food Label Mean to You?

Deciphering Food Labels

What’s Going On with Daily Values on Food Labels?

More About the Updates to the Daily Values on Food Labels