VRG asked the following in a national Harris Poll. See: vrg.org/blog/2020/08/07/how-many-adults-in-the-u-s-are-vegan-how-many-adults-eat-vegetarian-when-eating-out-asks-the-vegetarian-resource-group-in-a-national-poll/

Which of the following, if any, best describes your eating behavior?

I never eat meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs.
I never eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry.
I never eat meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs when eating out or getting takeout, but eat one or more of these foods at home.
I never eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry when eating out or getting takeout, but eat one or more of these foods at home.
When eating out or getting takeout, I sometimes eat meals without meat, fish, poultry, dairy, or eggs.
When eating out or getting takeout, I sometimes eat meals without meat, fish, or poultry.
None of these.

We considered those that never eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry; plus those that never eat meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs, as vegetarian. We classified that second category of vegetarians who don’t eat dairy or eggs also as vegan. Because we use the word “never” and don’t just ask if a person considers him/herself vegetarian, our numbers may be lower than others. Be wary of comparing to polls in other countries that ask if you are vegetarian or vegan, since people may self define differently. We did not ask about honey.

     More than half of the U.S. adult population (54%) always or sometimes eats vegetarian (including vegan) meals when eating out. One fourth (25%) of U.S. adults always or sometimes eats vegan meals when eating out. Six percent of American adults are vegetarian (including vegans) all the time, and half of the vegetarians are also vegan (three percent of American adults).

We asked the following additional question, which may be of interest to businesses, marketers, researchers, academics, students, social scientists, and religious leaders.

This survey also asked, “Which of the following when making decisions, is your ethics at least one consideration? Please select all that apply.”

To see the chart with the resulting answers see: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/harris2020ethics.pdf

While 45% of Americans say ethics is at least one consideration when making decisions about food, 64% of vegetarians (including vegans) did so, and only 34% of those that never eat vegetarian or vegan meals. Only 14% of all Americans and 5% of vegetarians say ethics is not at least one consideration when making decisions about any of the aspects listed. It is interesting that most Americans say ethics is at least one consideration when making decisions among the aspects listed here, but which aspects have consideration of ethics when making decisions varies by individual.

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of The Vegetarian Resource Group from June 22-24, 2020 among 2,074 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For survey methodology, please contact [email protected]. Please note that this poll was taken during the Covid-19 pandemic. We do not know what influence, if any, that may have had on the survey answers. See: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/faq.htm#poll for more poll information

The Vegetarian Resource Group has been approved for inclusion in the federal government CFC charity list. The CFC code number 10601. If you are a federal worker, we appreciate your support. If you are not a federal government worker, you can support our veg outreach and education in your workplace campaign. For some workplaces that do matching donations, see:  www.vrg.org/donate

Thank you so much for your support!

By Lucia Rivera, VRG Intern

As part of the 2020 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo, which is professional education for dietitians, nutrition experts Breana Killeen, Michelle Jaelin, Rahaf Al Bochi, Manju Karkare, and Tessa Nguyen presented an Education Session Spotlight titled “Asian Cuisine: Beyond the Soy Sauce.”

     The session focused on nutrition and diet in the five regions of Asia: East, Southeast, Central, South, and West. All five speakers described staples in the respective regions, and gave the audience suggestions for creating regionally informed Asian cuisine recommendations.

     Vegetarian and vegan staples like rice, legumes, soy, breads, and vegetables were touched on during the session, in addition to notes on the way religion lessens certain meat-eating in some regions. In South Asia, for example, legumes are often used as a primary source of protein, for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

     I believe that the information presented can also be applied well to daily life for travelers or for those eating out at any kind of Asian restaurant. For example, vegans can learn to keep an eye out for specific non-vegan ingredients that may be commonly used in different cuisines, such as fish sauce in the Vietnamese cuisine. Contrastingly, it is also useful to know what vegan dishes you can look out for, like the West Asian hummus made primarily from chickpeas.

     Breana Killeen specifically spoke to the importance of not just “grouping together” all Asian people and cuisines. One way this can be avoided is through getting adequately familiar with regional Asian cuisine staples and traditions. The presentation first focused on East and Southeast Asia.

     The major staples in East Asia are rice and protein, which are used in [non-vegetarian] dishes like South Korean Bibimbap and fried chicken. South Korean dishes also make use of key condiments including yondu and gochujang, which is a soybean and red pepper-based sauce.

     Gochujang is one of the ingredients used to create the spicy aspect of some South Korean dishes, in addition to garlic and ginger. For sour flavors, people can make use of plum or apple vinegar. Sweet ingredients commonly used are rice syrup and Asian pears, the latter which can be found in western grocery stores as well.

      In Southeast Asia, however, rice and protein staples are used in different ways. In Vietnamese cuisine, for example, rice is often used to make noodles and rice paper for pho and summer rolls, respectively. Vietnamese cuisine also includes the use of chicken, pork, seafood, and soy for protein, whether that be as tofu, soybeans, or another form. Vietnamese condiments also range from soy sauce to Viet huong fish sauce to pork floss.

     The ingredients that are used in Vietnamese cuisine to achieve salty, spicy, sweet, sour, and unique flavors also vary from those used in South Asia. For example, salty ingredients commonly used are fish sauce and soy sauce, while for spicy dishes bird’s eye chiles and jalapeños are common in addition to ginger and garlic. Sour limes, lemons, and vinegar are also ingredients used in Vietnamese cuisine (not as often in South Korean dishes), in addition to unique lemongrass, Thai basil, and turmeric. Lastly, in order to sweeten the flavor of some dishes, onions, sweetened condensed milk, and five spice is used often in Vietnam.

     Despite their differences, both Vietnamese and South Korean cultures emphasize communal eating and the inclusion of certain flavors and non-vegetarian staples like pork, in their cuisine.

      Next in the session, Michelle Jaelin described the staples and common ingredients of Central Asia, which includes China, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan.

     In Central Asia, the cuisine varies sharply between China and the countries often referred to as the ‘Stans.’ In Tajikistan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan, some key protein sources are horse meat, Mongolian khorkhog (a traditional barbeque meat dish), kumis (fermented mare milk), suutei tsai (milk tea), and shubat (fermented camel milk). In these countries wheat is also used in a variety of breads, like lepyoshka bread in Kyrgyzstan.

     Rice, however, is an important staple throughout all of Central Asia. While white rice is common, plov, or pilaf, also is a dish from the ‘Stans.’ In Mongolia, budaatai khuurga is a rice dish traditionally eaten with meat and vegetables. Rice noodle varieties are also prominent in Central Asian cuisine. When it comes to spices and herbs, chiles are used often in the Sichuan province of China, but Chinese 5 spice, green onion, and garlic are used more widely.

     Chinese cuisine also features beef, egg, fish, pork, tofu, seitan, and insect sources for protein. It is important to note, however, that many of these originate from different regions of China. For example, BBQ pork is a traditional Cantonese dish, while tofu is used more often in Sichuan. In Chinese cuisine, you will also not find as much dairy as in the rest of Central Asian food.

     In respect to condiments, they are more prevalent in China, where soy sauce, chili oil, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing rice cooking wine, oyster sauce, black bean garlic sauce, rice vinegar, and doubanjiang (bean chili paste) are all used. Specifically to achieve spicy flavors, peppercorns, hot pepper oil, chili paste, cayenne pepper, and more are used. Sweet flavors in Central Asia are achieved with sugar, hoisin sauce, rock sugar (crystallized sugar), dried fruit, and more. Overall, though, less fresh fruit and vegetables are used in the ‘Stans’ than in China.

     After discussing Central Asian cuisine, Manju Karkare spoke on South Asian cuisine, which spans across Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, and Nepal. The rice staple in South Asia is used through both long grain basmati rice dishes and short grain rice dishes. The former is primarily used on special occasions.

     Flatbread is another staple of South Asian food, and can be found in the form of naan in Northern India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, but also in the form of chapati, puran poli, dosa, poori, and paratha in other regions.

     For protein, people in South Asia make use of both plant and animal protein sources. More specifically, chicken, seafood, and mutton are common animal protein, while pork and beef are uncommon due to the religious demographics. Plant proteins include beans, lentils, and sprouted beans, which are eaten by both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Dairy is consumed in the form of ghee, buffalo milk products, and paneer, in dishes like rasmalai (cream and cheese dumplings).

     Additionally, South Asian foods include many nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, in addition to coconut. Coconut is used green, fresh, mature, or as milk. Coconut is one of the sweet ingredients commonly used, in addition to jaggery (unrefined sugar), dates, golden raisins, and dairy cream. Spicy flavors come from the use of chiles, cumin, coriander, cloves, garam masala, ginger, and garlic. Sour flavors can be achieved through the use of tamarind, green mango, yogurt, buttermilk, lemon, and fermented foods as well. Ingredients unique to South Asian and Indian cuisine include saffron, rose, jasmine, turmeric, and cardamom.

     When shifting to West Asian cuisine, we can see that there is even more diversity between regional Asian dishes. West Asia includes Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Some of the major staples in West Asian cuisine are legumes; fruits and vegetables; grains; bread; yogurt; animal proteins; and fats, oil, and nuts.

     When it comes to legume use, fava beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, and lentils are often used in dishes like soup, falafel, and hummus. Common fruit and vegetable ingredients are olives, radishes, cucumbers, spinach, eggplant, zucchini, peppers and more. An example of a dish that makes use of these ingredients is a yogurt dip with mint, cucumber, radishes, and olives.

     Grains eaten in West Asia range from cracked wheat (bulgur) to freekeh, to various kinds of rice. Bread is also used, specifically pita bread, saj bread, and lavash bread.

     For protein, yogurt is often used, whether it be as a drink, dip, or within cooked meals. Common animal sources of protein are meat kabobs, shawarma, and fish, but not pork.

Nuts (such as pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, and pistachios) are often roasted, but pistachios are also used fresh. Ghee and extra virgin olive oil are also staples in West Asian cuisine.

     Lastly, sumac, cumin, baharat, zaatar, turmeric, saffron, and cardamom are all spices common in West Asia. Tahini, a sesame seed paste, is also used, in addition to pomegranate molasses, which is made from boiled down pomegranate juice.

     Overall, all this knowledge can be used to be specific and accurate when preparing, describing, or creating recipes inspired by different parts of Asian cuisine. For example, people should avoid using words like ‘global’ or ‘ethnic’ to describe dishes, and focus on being regionally specific instead of using phrases like ‘Chinese fried rice.’ It is also important not to describe food by comparing it to another staple dish, such as saying something is the Asian version of a taco or hamburger.

     Asian cuisine is much more detailed and diverse than sometimes presented, but it is always possible to gain culturally sensitive and accurate knowledge on regional cuisine, and appreciate the differences between those cuisines as well.

For vegan ethnic cuisine recipes, see:

https://www.vrg.org/journal/CookingAndRecipes.htm#cr-ethnic-cuisine

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.

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

I recently got a question from a Vegetarian Resource Group member asking for supplement recommendations for a vegan 11-year old boy who doesn’t always eat as well as his parents would like but who generally has a pretty healthy diet. Here’s what I suggested:

The nutrients I think are most important for growing boys and that are potentially challenging in a vegan diet are vitamin B12, vitamin D, zinc, and calcium.

Here’s the amount of each that they need:

These amounts are the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for each nutrient. As parents, you’re likely to be the best people to assess what your child is eating and to see if there are other possibly problematic nutrients. For example, if your child doesn’t eat many fruits or vegetables, I’d be concerned about vitamin C and vitamin A. If they eat mostly carbs and not many beans or soy products, they may need supplemental iron.

     If they are using fortified foods consistently, they may be getting calcium and vitamin D and possibly vitamin B12. I’ve included zinc on the list of important nutrients because it may not be as well absorbed from plant foods and is needed for growth and development. You can see more about these nutrients on VRG’s website.

     If you think your child’s diet is low in one or more of these nutrients, look for a vegan children’s supplement that supplies the nutrients of concern. If the supplement has more vitamin B12 than the RDA, that is not likely to be a problem. Supplements made for adults may have more of some other nutrients than is recommended for children so stick with children’s vitamins. Many multi-vitamin/multi-minerals supplements don’t supply much calcium so, if your child isn’t using a calcium-fortified plant milk or plenty of green leafy vegetables, they may need a calcium supplement. See which supplements supply the nutrients you’re most concerned about, in amounts close to what is recommended for children (or somewhat lower if their diet already has some good sources of these nutrients).

     If in doubt about the adequacy of your child’s diet or for specific supplement questions, consult a registered dietitian with expertise in vegan nutrition.

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/field-roast/  

No Evil Foods offers The Pardon. See: https://www.noevilfoods.com/products/the-pardon/

Tofurky offers Tofurky Roast and Gravy. The Roast includes stuffing. They also have a Ham Style Roast. For details see: https://tofurky.com/what-we-make/roasts/ham-roast/

Vegetarian Plus offers a Vegan Whole Turk’y with Gravy and Stuffing. It is available through Vegan Essentials online: https://store.veganessentials.com/vegan-whole-turkey-by-vegetarian-plus-p3801.aspx

The Vegetarian Resource Group Book Catalog offers a wide range of vegan books. Your purchases support our outreach!

The Kick Diabetes Cookbook

Gluten-Free Tips and Tricks for Vegans

Simply Vegan

Vegans Know How to Party

Plant-Powered Families

Artisan Vegan Cheese

The Indian Vegan Kitchen

The 4-Ingredient Vegan

The Almond Milk Cookbook

Vegan for One

Vegan Microwave Cookbook

Vegan Soul Kitchen

The Joy of Vegan Baking

Vegan Brunch

The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook (vegan cookbook)

The Vegan Lunchbox (for kids and adults)

Teff Love (Ethiopian vegan cooking)

More Fabulous Beans

Soups On!

Nona’s Italian Kitchen

Food Allergy Survival Guide

Vegan Meals for One or Two

The Natural Vegan Kitchen

Asian Fusion

And so many more….

FREE media mail shipping for orders over $30 in the United States only!

Inquire about shipping costs outside the USA before placing your order by emailing [email protected].

Visit http://www.vrg.org/catalog/ to order books online and support VRG’s outreach at the same time!

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):

Broccoli Bar, 690 Fulton St., Brooklyn, NY 11217

The Broccoli Bar is a modern restaurant. They represent “Vegan Power!” with their broccoli-themed takeout menu and awesome looking food. Try out their rice dumplings, tempura stir-fry, BBQ pakora, and more!! The owners, from Vermont, made The Broccoli Bar to have street-food inspired offerings that come out to customers Uber fast, like nothing they have had before. Check this place out!!

Eden, 32860 Pacific Coast Hwy., Ste. 1, Dana Point, CA 92629

Eden offers many different Asian cuisines such as Chinese, Japanese, and Thai. Their menu is quite diverse. They have spring rolls, soups, sushi, cabbage salads, Pad Thai, Kung-Pao Vegan Chicken, Thai Style Vegan Beef, and so much more.

Jinglepear Deli, Leslieville, 245 Greenwood Ave., Toronto, ON M4L 2R4 Canada

Four different types of vegan muffins is only the beginning at Jinglepear Deli! Customers can also order breakfast items, sandwiches, and soups. Grocery items are also sold!

Plant Cakes, 410 South White St., Wake Forest, NC 27587

Your taste buds will never get bored at this place! There are so many different flavors and types of vegan baked goods, the opportunities are endless. You can get anything from cookies, donuts, cakes/cupcakes, cheesecakes, and pies. Some of their unique flavors consist of lemon blueberry cake, pumpkin cinnamon cakes along with a pumpkin patch cheesecake, mini carrot cupcakes, savory coconut “bacon” doughnuts, and festive churro doughnuts. This is only a small fraction of their diverse menu. Most of their concoctions are completely unique to their bakeshop, making it a very popular place to get vegan wedding cakes.

Supernova Vegan, 7909 SE 13th Ave., Portland, OR 97202

Supernova Vegan features delicious vegan food such as cheese-less mac-and-cheese burritos and sandwiches like The Hercules Bahn Mi with marinated tempeh and mint. Don’t forget about their plates such as the South Star that comes with a cheesy sauce over pasta with broccoli. Their restaurant also has a cute bakery, Ritual Sweetcraft, selling donuts, cupcakes, and coffee.

The Vegan Yacht, 2000 Southern Oaks Dr., Austin, TX 78745

Having the best vegan burrito and bowls as voted by the Austin Chronicle, The Vegan Yacht is the place to go for delicious, hearty, grilled vegan burritos and other Mexican foods. They transitioned from a trailer to a lively and colorful restaurant with indoor and patio seating, and with the option to order online for pickup. You can try the original Freeto Burrito which is filled with organic tempeh chili, avocado, and vegan cheese, or if you are in the mood for a bowl you can try the comida bowl which is made of Mexican soy curls, organic basmati rice, and lots of organic vegetables.

The Wayside Café & Deli, 500 Capitol Way S., Olympia, WA 98501

This restaurant offers a warm and cozy atmosphere, as well as a diverse menu including healthy food, junk food, comfort food, desserts, and a rotating draft selection, all at affordable prices. All sauces, “meats”, and desserts are produced from scratch using quality ingredients. You might want to try their Cauliflower Wings, Cajun Chikn Sandwich, BBQ Bowl, or Mac & Cheez. Every single item on the menu has rave reviews, so make sure to drop by if you’re ever in Olympia!

Vegan Ahava, 400 College St., New Haven, CT 06511

A life-long vegan, Poreyah Benton is the owner of Vegan Ahava food truck and strives to give a wide variety of locally sourced vegan options that fits every palette. She was born and raised in Israel, and offers dishes such as falafel and Tabbouleh. However, her truck also serves everything from vegan po’ boys to vegan Philly cheesesteaks. Other entrees include their signature lasagna, macaroni and cheese, and vegetable quiche – Vegan Ahava turns America’s favorite dishes into a healthier, vegan alternative. Not only are there numerous lunch and dinner options, but Vegan Ahava also offers an all-day breakfast consisting of waffles, biscuits, scrambled tofu, and more. Don’t forget to try their famous fresh-pressed lemonade while you’re there! The menu of Vegan Ahava is constantly changing, allowing regular visitors to constantly gain new experiences.

Word of Mouth Food Truck, Los Angeles, CA 91605

Word of Mouth Food Truck is a vegan’s dream! They offer Burgers, fries, mac and cheese, chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese, and the list goes on. If you’re looking to try vegan options outside of the Impossible burger or Gardein chicken patty, Word of Mouth offers their own from-scratch products such as seitan, cheese and veggie patties. If you’re looking for Instagram worthy, comfort food that also vegan and tastes great be sure to check them out!

By Audrey Hunt, VRG Intern

Located right in the middle of Anchorage, Alaska lays a small community of restaurants with vegan and vegetarian menus. Middle Way Café is one of many that I tend to visit occasionally. The small, but busy café has been open since 1994. They opened with their mission being, “Contribute to a healthy, balanced, and sustainable life through good food and drink.” First impressions include that the atmosphere is quite welcoming and provides a warm feeling. The light orange painted walls, the hanging wall lights, and local Alaskan art decor brings the café to feel like a home. When walking in you will always find somebody studying on a laptop or reading a book at a table. Now a days, most people have decided to go the Grubhub route, and ditch the dine-in due to the coronavirus pandemic. Besides that, the restaurant always stays busy from the morning to late lunch.

     Middle Way Café is known to have one of the most extensive vegan menus in Anchorage; making it a common hang-out spot for most plant-based eaters. When going into this food review, I wanted to really try everything that they had to offer. I also invited my sister, Ali,  (a non-vegan/vegetarian) to help me review the items. I ordered a variety of different dishes on their vegan menu such as the Red Devil beetroot cake, their gluten-free and vegan chili with multigrain bread, their vegan “Middle Way Café Reuben,” the Baja bowl, their vegan lentil burger, the vegan breakfast burrito, and their famous “Summer Breeze” smoothie.

     Dessert is first! Starting with the Red Devil beetroot cake, it is made vegan and gluten-free (as is most of their desserts). It won high points for presentation. It is a clean cut and very appetizing looking dessert. Their desserts in general, are always nice and moist, and this particular one was exceptional. It was simple, but also rich. All in all, it was a well-rounded and super chocolatey dessert. From a non-vegan stand-point, it was described as having a slight flavor after taste. Other than that it was given a solid 7.5/10.

     Next was the vegan chili with the multigrain bread on the side. For a take-out soup, the presentation was rated high, along with it still staying hot after the drive home. More than anything else, the flavor was immaculate. It is made with spicy Cajun spices that were the perfect amount of heat to warm me up on a cold afternoon. It had a beautiful color, between the squash, carrots, and celery, I definitely recommend this perfect fall comfort food. My sister and my grandpa who are both non-vegetarian, also loved the flavor of the chili. Overall, it was rated an 8.2/10.

     Next up, we tried the vegan “Middle Way Café Reuben.” I was most excited to try this one because a Reuben sandwich is something I haven’t been able to eat since I went vegetarian. The Reuben was made with spiced curry tofu with sauerkraut and vegan Thousand Island dressing on rye bread. It had a beautiful color with the sauerkraut and tofu put together. Most importantly, the flavor was to die for. I could say it was one of the best vegan sandwiches I’ve had. Even people who aren’t that fond of tofu, including my sister, could take down a sandwich like this. The sourness of the sauerkraut with the curry spices in the tofu complimented each other very nicely and made a great, tangy lunch. Overall, it captured the traditional Reuben without the meat! Its total rating was an 8.5/10.

     Next was the Baja bowl, which had everything you needed in a well-balanced meal; however, it was the simplest item on the menu. It’s made with a generous serving of black beans, brown rice, lettuce, tomatoes, homemade cashew nacho cheese, and vegan sour cream. All the ingredients came together nicely, and it is the perfect meal when you are hungry and need something to fill you up. The nacho cheese made all the difference when it came to the flavor factor. Spicy, but also creamy when placed with the vegan sour cream. Overall, it was given an 8/10.

     The lentil burger was next, which was the highest rated item! It was so good that I didn’t even come home with leftovers. Both my sister and I described it as having a “Thanksgiving” flavor to it. “The lentil patty reminds me of stuffing a little bit, and I love stuffing,” Ali said. The lentil patty was on the softer side, but it was served with vegan mayo, sprouts, tomatoes, and lettuce on a whole wheat bun. It was a definite recommend and get again. Between its presentation, the flavor, and the overall experience it received a 10/10.

     The vegan breakfast burrito was a classic hardy breakfast that you will find many early risers getting at Middle Way. However, the flavor wasn’t entirely there and I felt like it could have been better with some seasonings or perhaps a sauce on the tofu on the inside. Other than that it came with a great presentation, and was perfectly filling. The burrito was made with spinach, tofu, scallions, vegan mozzarella, and black beans served with a side of Pico de Gallo. “It’s a tad bland but definitely not bad,” said Ali. Overall, the burrito was given a 7.3/10.

     Lastly, the “Summer Breeze” smoothie is on the menu. Middle Way Café has always been a favorite place to purchase smoothies. I have to get one every time I go there, and over half the time, it is a “Summer Breeze.” The smoothie is made with banana, strawberries, and orange juice. All their smoothies are juice-based, making them a tart and sour tasting smoothie, a perfect drink to perk you up in the morning. I never have any complaints about their fruit smoothies. I am a sucker for them, along with my whole family. This one is for sure a 10/10 and my most recommended beverage on their menu.

     Stumbling upon a vegan food joint is hard to come by in Anchorage; however, restaurants offering vegetarian/vegan menus have been growing. It’s always a treat to find a restaurant like Middle Way Café. Though not all vegetarian, it provides extensive options for a vegan or vegetarian. If you want to learn more about Middle Way Café’s menu, just visit them at this link and try them out for when you come to Alaska!

http://www.middlewaycafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Menu-change-9-23-19.pdf – menu

http://www.middlewaycafe.com/ – website

For information on other veg restaurants, see https://www.vrg.org/student/index.php

Reviewed by Clarissa Hauber, VRG Intern

Nava Atlas is a New York-based artist, illustrator, and cookbook creator. Her latest cookbook – Vegan on a Budget – contains 125 low-cost, generally simple recipes.

     The book begins with tips for becoming a wallet-friendly vegan including how to shop smartly in the supermarket, looking for coupons online, handling those expensive natural foods stores, and more. For those who are beginning their vegan cooking journey, she provides an in-depth list of essential ingredients, as well as an entire chapter dedicated to basic recipes.

     The first chapter is dedicated to soups and stews, including Sweet Potato & Black Bean, Ramen Noodle, and some vegan renditions of American favorites, including Broccoli Cheddar and Two-Potato. I opted for trying the Quick Lentil & Kidney Bean Curry Soup. I am glad I did – my nonvegan family loved this one. It was fast, filling, and provided me nights of delicious leftovers.

     Chapter two involves a variety of skillets and stir-fries. In the mood for something light? Try the Stir-Fried Collard Greens with Cabbage & Carrots or the Quinoa & Cauliflower Pilaf. Heartier options include the Barbecue-Flavored Tofu & Chickpea Bowl. Having made this myself, I can confidently say that this sweet and savory dish is absolutely one to cook again.

     The next chapter is all about cozy casseroles and baked dishes – perfect for colder seasons – including Vegetable & Chickpea Potpie, Roasted Root Vegetables with Brussels Sprouts, and Not-Just-for-Holidays Green Bean Casserole.

     Are you tired of eating the same lunch every day? Try one of the various lunch options, including Portobello & Seitan Cheesesteak Sandwiches, Barbecue Flavored Lentil Sloppy Joes, or Mini Tortilla Pizza.

     Breakfast ideas include a healthier Whole Grain Bowl, Chickpea Omelets, and Southwestern Tofu Scramble – or consider treating yourself with the French Toast Casserole. Finally, do not forget to look at the dessert chapter, where you can find various cookies, cobblers, and cakes, perfect for topping off any meal.

     Vegan on a Budget (ISBN 978-1-4549-3697-8) is a 213-page book. It is published by Sterling Epicure and retails for $24.95. Order this book online or at your local bookstore.

Get ready for a delicious Vegan Essentials holiday! Whatever you’re celebrating this year, we’ll be carrying all your favorite vegan roasts, sides, desserts, everything for the new year and everything in between! We carry over 2,100 different vegan items from hundreds of different companies! From all your favorite staples to small companies sold exclusively through us, we have you covered and we ship everywhere! And for the months of November and December, get 10% off your orders with the code VRG! Everything is always vegan at Vegan Essentials. Use this link: https://store.veganessentials.com/?Coupon=VRG