Posted on
November 16, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Are you looking for some alternatives to Turkey this
Thanksgiving? Fortunately, there are many options today.
Field Roast offers these choices: 1. Celebration Roast with Traditional Bread Stuffing and Gravy – made with fresh onions, celery, cranberries and butternut squash.
2. Hazelnut Cranberry Roast en Croute – a rich, hazelnut-infused grain meat stuffed with Field Roast sausages, crystallized ginger, cranberries and apples – wrapped in a savory puff pastry. It’s even Toaster Oven friendly! See: https://fieldroast.com/products/#roasts-loaves
Posted on
November 15, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Recent topics brought up
include:
– Halloween candy vegan suggestions
– Announcement for vegan Halloween event in New Jersey
– Vegan books for children
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRGparentsandkids is intended to be a
group that offers support for families raising children on vegan diets and for
vegan kids around the world. We envision it as a place to get advice about a
wide-variety of topics: pregnancy, birthday parties, school lunches, Halloween,
non-leather apparel, cruelty-free products, summer camps, and more. Please use
it as a place to share your wisdom, seek advice, or just find a sympathetic
ear. The goal is to offer support.
Consequently, any profane, defamatory, offensive,
or violent language will be removed. Feel free to disagree, but do so
respectfully. Hateful or discriminatory comments regarding race, ethnicity,
religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or political beliefs will not
be tolerated. We expect that posts should relate to vegan diets and lifestyles.
The Vegetarian Resource Group reserves the right to monitor all content and ban
any user who posts in violation of the above rules, any law or regulation,
SPAM, or anything otherwise off topic.
Please share this information
with any veggie families that you know! Thanks.
Posted on
November 15, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is a professional
association for dietitians. At their recent virtual meeting (Food and Nutrition
Conference and Expo), one presentation’s focus was on plant-based alternative
“meats.”
I found the remarks of one speaker, Christopher Gardner, PhD
of Stanford University, especially interesting. He suggested that instead of
asking if plant-based “meats” are good (or bad) we should consider if the
question of goodness or badness is being asked in terms of personal health,
environmental sustainability, and/or personal beliefs and values related to
animal rights. In addition, instead of trying to assess goodness or badness, we
should consider what these plant-based “meats” are replacing. Are they being
used instead of animal products or plant-based whole foods?
This way of framing the question is helpful when, for
example, a reporter asks, “Are you concerned about children eating faux meats?”
it’s impossible to make a simple “yes” or “no” response. Am I concerned if a
child eats an occasional veggie burger or unchicken nuggets? No, not at all. Am
I concerned if that’s pretty much all they eat for long periods of time? Yes,
but my concern is with what’s missing and the lack of variety, just as I’d be
concerned if a child only ate bread or eggs or hamburgers. If the veggie burgers and unchicken nuggets
are being used to replace hamburgers and chicken nuggets, I’d consider that to
be a positive switch for health, environmental, and ethical reasons as well as
from a food safety standpoint. If the veggie burgers and unchicken nuggets are
replacing bean burritos or tofu and vegetable stir-fries most days, that would
not be a positive move, in my opinion.
The next time someone asks if plant-based “meats” are good
or bad, think about the many ways that this question can be answered.
Posted on
November 12, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Below is a list of some of the restaurants, caterers, and
groups offering vegan meals/potlucks for Thanksgiving (both before and on that
day) alphabetically by state. If you’re looking for some new recipes to prepare
for Thanksgiving, visit: http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vegan_thanksgiving.php
We wish you a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!
Posted on
November 12, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Due to the generosity of an
anonymous donor, The Vegetarian Resource Group each year will award $20,000 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. 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.
Posted on
November 11, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
photo from Yoga-Urt
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):
BJ’s Bites serves tacos, cauliflower
bites, tofu bites, fries, and a baked Mac and Cheese dish that’s too good to
pass up! They also offer soft serve for dessert!
Estella’s Vegan Dessert Boutique, 19120 Grand River Ave.,
Detroit, MI 48223
Family recipes form a key element of
this black-owned bakery’s offering. There are four flavors available at the
bakery: red velvet, lemon, chocolate turtle, and strawberry crunch. Their
facility was once a bookshop, with seating limited to 6 people. When customers
arrive, they can anticipate a warm, family-friendly atmosphere.
Grandma’s Kitchen, 123 South Catherine St., Montour Falls,
NY 14865
This charming restaurant in the center
of Montour Falls serves up all-vegan versions of classic American breakfast and
lunch foods. The old-timey décor with family pictures and plenty of light
creates a cozy ambience in which to enjoy the likes of casseroles, scrambles,
salads, soups, and shepherd’s pie — or just a selection of teas or coffee and
baked goods. Menu, handwritten on a chalkboard, varies daily, but you can be
sure they will offer a variety of delicious, filling, plant-based options to
choose from.
Green Street Eatery, 7 Emerson Ave., Levittown, NY 11756
Green Street Eatery was previously a
subway station on the south side of Hempstead T’pike in Levittown, behind the
racetrack. The north and west storefronts are connected by a huge outdoor mall
that stretches all the way to Hicksville Rd. The staff is kind and
accommodating. The food’s quality and portion sizes are outstanding. Definitely
check out the Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos, Vietnamese fries, Seoul Bowl, and so
much more! Brunch dishes on Sunday include pancakes, French toast, smoothies,
and donuts.
Kula Ice Cream Shop, 9883 Pacific Heights Blvd., Ste. F, San
Diego, CA 92121
This female-owned shop offers pints of
plant-based ice cream. They also offer customized items. Customers may select
from 12 lip-smacking varieties such as Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Lava Cake,
Unicorn Poop (which sounds odd), and others. Scoops come with a house-made waffle
cookie and can be served on a cone or in a cup. The vegan and gluten-free cone
selections include waffle, sugar, and cake. Some of the ice creams are made
with various nuts and seed bases to accommodate each customer’s preferences and
sensitivities. Not all ice creams contain nuts; some are soy-based. They also
sell seasonal sorbets (water-based). Kula Ice Cream Shop also sells ice cream
with trace quantities of alcohol. They ship once a month to California, Nevada,
and Arizona. The ice cream is packaged in compostable and recyclable materials.
Preference, 360 Boniface
Pkwy., B11, Anchorage, AK 99504
Preference is a low-impact business
that uses biodegradable forks and cups to reduce waste. The menu varies weekly,
so be sure to check it out before you go.
The Cocinita Miami, 70 SE 5th St., Ste. 107, Miami, FL 33131
Vegan cuisine is no longer boring! From
tacos to arepas, this restaurant serves a wide range of delectable and
nutritious Latin-inspired plant-based cuisine. With charming outside seating,
the ambiance is earthy and clean. The staff is really courteous and
knowledgeable, and they provide prompt and excellent service.
Yoga-Urt, Kenneth Village, 1407 W. Kenneth Rd., Glendale, CA
91201; 2211 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026; and 1700 Ocean Park Blvd.,
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Yoga-Urt is a California-based soft
serve and smoothie shop. The soft serve is made with a homemade almond cashew
base, almonds, and organic ingredients, as well as probiotics. Smoothie pies,
ice cream sandwiches, kombucha, coffee, tea, all organic, and gluten-free
waffle cones are on the menu.
Zonk Burger, 2919 Race St., Fort Worth, TX 76111
Zonk Burger is an all-vegan fast-casual
burger restaurant in Fort Worth’s River East area that serves a limited,
straightforward menu of burgers, hand-cut fries, salads, desserts, and
beverages. They do not serve Impossible Burger, Beyond Meat, or Gardein since
they aim to develop unique dishes. Kindly notify the cashier of any allergies
so that they can answer specific inquiries or check with the kitchen. Customers
may sit and enjoy lunch, happy hour, or dinner on the exterior, which is pink
and has an attractive patio with blue chairs and yellow and white umbrellas.
Posted on
November 11, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Catherine is a Vegetarian Resource Group 2021 video contest
winner. She said:
I am interested in veganism because I care about the life
and well-being of animals. After learning about the factory farming process and
animals being impregnated, mutilated, slaughtered, etc. and the environmental impacts
like deforestation and the release of methane in the air, I went on a plant-based
diet and began supporting cruelty free brands.
Posted on
November 10, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
A reader highly recommended Blaze Pizza, which they said is
a national build your own pizza chain. You can build your own pizza with vegan
cheese and crust. For example, see:
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.
Posted on
November 10, 2021 by
The VRG Blog Editor
Saisravya is a Vegetarian Resource Group 2021 video contest
winner. She said:
I became interested in vegetarianism to increase my
awareness of its impact and variety of benefits. I quickly noticed that there
weren’t many resources helping with the process of switching to a no-meat diet.
Hence, I researched and compiled a list of tips to help with the process.
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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