Are you
searching for a non-leather vegan wallet? The following companies in the USA,
Canada, Europe, and Australia all offer a variety of wallets for men and women.
USA
Bungalow 360 offers
wallets in multiple colors for women.
By Juhi Dattani and Adhi Muthukumar, VRG Summer Interns
For many, growing up and learning about the community around
them is a stressful process that requires them to open their minds up to new
ideas that have not been explored in their family circles. In an attempt to
assimilate with the world around them and shed away from the rigid rules set by
their families, many adolescents rebel and try to break away from anything that
might have defined them. For many first generation South-Asian Americans, this
process includes breaking away from a principle that was enforced since birth,
vegetarianism.
For example, in
your childhood it may have been difficult to relate with others in school when
no one else looks like you. To make this difference even more obvious, the
children at school may have had completely different lunches. It’s human
instinct to try to fit into the majority, and an easy way to do this is to
learn to enjoy the same foods as people around you. At that moment, the
priority is getting rid of any barrier that might separate you from friends. For
many, it’s easier just to abandon all rules that come along with being raised
as a South-Asian American. Unfortunately, this includes the principle of
vegetarianism. It’s difficult to pause and think about the logistics of this
decision. However, fitting in and growing up in a different culture does not
have to include ridding yourself of principles that make complete sense, just
for the sake of assimilating.
From our personal
experiences, Juhi grew up being vegetarian until she was eight years old, as
she was finally convinced from influences all around her to try meat.
Ultimately, the decision changed two years later after being confronted by her
thoughts that this choice was not in alignment with her values, for she did not
want to contribute to animal suffering. “As many, I certainly believed that I
could not go back to eating vegetarian because of my desires to eat foods with
meat, as I viewed it with superiority and better than the Indian food that my
mom cooked at home. I was one of many that hid my cultural identity from others
because of internalized shame of being different.” She later chose to follow a
vegan lifestyle when she was seventeen due to one of her close friends
educating her on the principles of veganism. “It’s a choice I have to make every
day, and I am not always 100% perfect, but it reminds me to be conscientious
and question all aspects of my life. It reminds me that the choices I make,
slow or larger, can help protect and pave the way to a better planet.”
In a different manner,
Adhi was raised in a meat environment. She had some sources of vegetarian
inspiration, including her grandmother, and attempted to be vegetarian a few
times during her adolescence after watching documentaries. However, she was
unable to withstand the peer pressure and meat-heavy culture around her. She
ultimately transitioned permanently once she built up enough conviction and
sense of self to make firm choices, and found the new lifestyle very welcoming
and full of new recipes and inspiration. “Going vegan was much easier than I
imagined it would be. In today’s society, we have a plethora of resources and
innovative options across the country and world.”
To highlight
another example, Sonu is a first-generation Indian American who was raised in a
vegetarian household. He grew up in New York City and shares that the
multicultural environment bolsters diverse food options, and finding something
to eat was never an issue. However, he noticed that the food he packed for
lunch in elementary school was different from what was served, which did make
him feel odd. Fortunately, the growing popularity of Asian cuisine has made
vegetarian options much more mainstream. Although it was difficult adjusting to
the college dining hall experience, he expresses that universities and food
corporations are expanding their vegetarian options along with the rest of the
country. Ultimately, he has come to embrace vegetarianism even though it set
him apart at first.
Regardless of when
and why you decided to stop being vegetarian, it’s never too late to embark on
your journey back into vegetarianism. We hope to provide you with easy ways to
embrace vegetarianism, even when the society you are in and the persona you are
trying to create do not. We also hope that with these tips we have provided,
you will find it easier to live with intention. Although it may be difficult to
figure out the perfect blend of identities for you, remember that you are
beyond that. Make sure what you’re doing is purposeful and meaningful to you,
and not based on norms and expectations!
Here are some advice and tips:
Learn to create
recipes that fuse familiar flavors from your background with innovative
ingredients
You can make recipe ideas with vegetables like cauliflower,
lentils, etc. This can even be implemented for desserts! (Recipe ideas with
plant-based milks and coconut.) Over time, you can introduce these recipes to
the people around you, and get them excited about your lifestyle!
Educate yourself
to understand your roots and add your WHY with current issues
Exploring your cultural background with vegetarianism may help
you understand the principles of the lifestyle. Research to understand the
principles and rationale of vegetarian cultures to learn about how it’s more
than just a “rule,” and the implications on nonviolence, health, and
well-being.
Reading historical texts, exploring talks online, and other scientific
literature is one form of research that can help grow your understanding. In
addition, joining community groups from your school or in the area that you
live in[DW1] ,
as well as societies/associations from a local to national level helps
reconnect to others of similar backgrounds.
Adding to your
reasons to support vegetarianism from issues today that arise from the pandemic
crisis, environmental challenges, socio-economic issues, animal welfare and
rights, helps you continue your journey towards sustainability. We must adhere
to some values and remembrance to act upon our personal will. Before making a
decision, ask yourself: “Is this a decision or action made from my own sense of
agency? Is this chosen with my best intention and is well purposed? How is this
personal choice affecting a facet of society at large?”
Keep it balanced: from a nutritional,
appetizing, and wellness standpoint
The best features of a plant-based diet is the wide array of
flavors and nutrients, and you can find the blend that works for you! Kavitha
Shankar, a nutrition studies PhD student at Texas Woman’s University, shows us
how she does this for herself and her family. She aims to follow a balance
between 60% unrefined foods and 40% refined foods as a general identification
to a balanced meal. She tries to choose foods in their whole form, and
experiments with tons of colorful produce. If you are interested in looking for
further information about nutrition, check out https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/
for more. Treat your palate and your body!
Engage in home-cooked meals for yourself
and for multiple persons
With the life shifts brought with being at home in quarantine,
our lives have changed to be cohabiting space with a partner, family members,
and other individuals. Preparing food in some form also helps you form a
routine and engage in healthier eating habits. In addition, sharing and cooking
food for others creates a bonding experience that motivates, educates, and
starts a conversation with food. In these situations, you can incentivize your
foods by sharing with others, as well as have a reason to explore familiar
cultural and vegetarian-friendly foods with your own twist! If you are
unable to share with others in person, you can also educate close ones on your
cultural foods through social media[2] .
Explore and connect with food outside of
the kitchen: From gardening, to trips to the farmers market, and supporting
CSA’s (community-supported agriculture)
Shankar, who is also mother of two children, engages her
family by growing food outside of their home in a container-based garden. In
addition, Shankar continuously makes trips to the farmers market with her
children and hopes to be a member of a CSA (community-supported agriculture).
As she states, “It’s fulfilling to directly connect to the selection of food
you are purchasing, from buying local seasonal produce, to supporting your
local farmers’ livelihood.”
If and when all else fails, set aside
expectations and all of the nitty gritty details
When we find something daunting and not yet an unattainable
goal, commend and appreciate the stage you are at now through compassion.
Explore online and through all mediums of
literature, social media, and books related to food for inspiration
To not feel bored, integrate the veg lifestyle to your
personal interests! There is a
plethora of content out there from health care providers, researchers, and
regular people who want to make a difference. The Vegetarian Resource Group has
many recipes, tips, and more at vrg.org. Take advantage of various online
resources, learn from everyone, and make your journey as entertaining as
possible!
Some of our favorite Youtubers and Social Media accounts include:
Rainbow Plant-Life, an Indian-American YouTuber who creates easy dishes and provides tips for veganizing traditional Indian recipes.
Meatless Monday: Check out the Meatless Monday Instagram for inspiration to swap out meat for delicious plant-based options for your health and the health of the planet!
CookingShooking, a young Indian cuisine based chef who explores and provides easy to follow vegan as well as vegetarian dishes (Hindi and English Subbed)
Sophia, a popular plant-based influencer, shares her recipes as an inspiration guideline for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Rachel Ama, a plant-based Youtuber who shares many recipes centered on carribean-themed food
Pick Up Limes, a channel by Sadia, who provides nutritional information and easy ways to eat wholesome foods while not compromising on creativity or taste.
So Many Cooks in the Kitchen, a Facebook show that features several members of the Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). They share online demos, recipes, nutrition, and more!
– Part of my doctoral research is focused on school lunch
programs. What is your opinion or take on it? Do your kids eat school lunches and
if yes, do you find enough vegetarian options. For example, Child Nutrition
Program (CNP) officially introduced tempeh as a meat-equivalent last year.
However, how many schools really serve tempeh? Ours does not!
– My kids hate carrots. Are there any good vegan recipes out
there using carrot that will make it more appealing to kids?
– Group members shared cooking videos
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. 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.
It’s tomato season in America and you might be looking for some quick-and-easy vegan recipes featuring tomatoes. Try these:
Sautéed Collard Greens and Tomatoes (Serves 4)
1 teaspoon oil
1 pound collards, chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
Sauté all ingredients together over
medium-high heat for 7 minutes. Serve warm.
Broiled Herbed Tomatoes (from Simply
Vegan)
(Serves 3)
3 tomatoes, cut in half
1 Tablespoon vegan margarine
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
Dash of salt and pepper
Place margarine, basil, yeast, salt, and pepper on top of
tomatoes. Broil for 4 minutes, until tops are slightly brown.
Tomato Sauce (Sugo di pomodoro fresco from Vegans Know How to Party) (Serves 4)
This is an uncooked
tomato sauce, great for fresh tomatoes that are ripe or overly ripe. This sauce
is not meant to sit, as it is most flavorful freshly prepared and served. This
sauce will not freeze well, so make just enough to top al dente pastas, rice,
or steamed greens.
Nashville Hot Chick’n Sandwich from Pure Soul Plant Based Eats
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 coronavirus pandemic many are doing
take-out and/or delivery now):
Boss Of Vegan, 3108 Glenn Rd., Durham, NC 27704 and 2161 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh, NC 27603
Joining the Boss
Movement with a thorough selection of mouth-savoring, fulfilling, plant-based
burgers. You can choose from warm and delicious chili burgers made with a side
of seasoned chips topped with their creamy boss sauce. Other options include
classic and deluxe boss burgers that come with grilled onions and boss sauced
with additional cost of toppings. To add to your delicious cravings, their
fresh squeezed lemonade will surprise your taste buds. You won’t believe it’s all vegan!
Chi Vegan, 1935 West 4th Ave., Vancouver, BC V6J 1M7 Canada
Chef Chi Li combines
her MasterChef Vietnam skills and commitment to a plant-based diet to create
innovative and flavorful Vietnamese dishes at her restaurant. Li draws
inspiration from her global travels in dishes like Pho Ga, a soup with chick’n
king oyster mushrooms, tofu, basil, kaffir lime leaf, bean sprouts, and rice
noodles. Between the many bowl, noodle, and sandwich options, there is
something delicious for everyone. Don’t miss the Cha Ca La Vong, or Turmeric
Fish, a “fish” tofu with turmeric, rice noodles, and vegetables, one of CNN’s
“30 Dishes to try before you die vegan version.” Chi has fresh juices,
smoothies and coffee, as well as cocktails and mocktails. No matter the dish,
Chi prides itself on serving authentic plant-based Vietnamese cuisine to the
people of Vancouver.
Chicana Vegana, 113 East Commonwealth, Fullerton, CA 92832
Inspired by
California-based grub, Chicana Vegana provides you the ultimate comfort food
without sacrificing the rich flavors found in typical street food. You can
choose from several different options including street tacos, burritos, loaded
nachos, fries, and burgers! Some of the delicious options on the menu are
Mexgogi Street Taco, Cali Dreamin’ Burger n Fries, and crispyAnimaless fries.
They also have tres leches cake to fulfill your sweet tooth!
Kaya’s Café, 619 Lake Ave., Asbury Park, NJ 07712
This café offers a
variety of your favorite “comfort” foods made vegan. They also have organic
nitro coffee, baked goods, and kombucha, as well as other cold drinks on the
menu. Staff favorites include the Beyond Burger, the Cheese Steak, the
Breakfast Burrito, and the Gyro. They also provide delicious sides, including
coleslaw and pasta salad.
Like Mom’s Only Vegan, Findlay Market, 1801 Race St., Cincinnati, OH 45202
Like Mom’s Only
Vegan offers vegan cupcakes and cookies via delivery and in Findlay Market! The
customer can mix and match their favorite icings and cake types for cupcakes or
choose from the various types of cookies (which use applesauce instead of
eggs). Three generations of women work together to produce these baked sweets
that the company hopes will change the stereotype around vegan desserts.
What started as a
pizza-only shop with freshly made mozzarella in North Carolina has grown into a
Winston-Salem staple with an array of flavors and menu options. Every menu item
is 100% vegan, and half of the menu offerings can be made gluten-free, ensuring
that even the most limited of diners can enjoy a delicious meal. From their
creamy pasta to their creative NY-style pizzas and sweets, there’s something on
the menu for everyone, and you’re sure to leave satisfied.
Pizzeria Halt, 3440 McHenry Ave., Modesto, CA 95350
Pizzeria Halt
specializes in delicious vegan pizza. They also serve vegan appetizers and
salads. The pizzas are served with combinations of vegan cheese and many are
also topped with plant-based meats. All of the pizzas are amazing but some of
our favorites include the chicken pesto pizza or chipotle chicken pizza. For an
appetizer try the garlic knots or cinnamon twists served with icing. Get ready
for some delicious vegan pizza!
Pure Soul Plant Based Eats, 715 56th St., Sacramento, CA 95819
Pure Soul Plant
Based Eats offers the classic comfort food staples with a vegan twist. Customer favorite Nashville Hottie Sandwich
is packed with flavor from their house made Nashville Hot Chick’n, pickle slaw,
ranch and cucumber. For the Mac n Cheese
lovers, Pure Soul has four different Mac n Cheese options to choose from,
including Fried, Original, Pesto, and Queso.
Dessert options range from cookies and cupcakes to ice cream sandwiches
and milkshakes, with gluten free options as well. Be sure to stop by for Brunch, and enjoy
dishes like Strawberry French Toast or Chick’n & Waffles!
The Vegetarian Resource Group received an email from a reader in April 2020 asking: “Is yellow prussiate of
soda vegan?”
Here is our answer:
Yellow prussiate of soda (YPS) is
a hydrated cyanide salt approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for
use in table salt as an anti-caking agent, giving it Generally Regarded as Safe
(GRAS) status. It may appear on an ingredient label as sodium ferrocyanide
decahydrate.Other ways
the name appears on a label are possible.
NOTE: Inhalation or ingestion of cyanide salts can be
fatal. The Agency
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) states:
“Ingestion of hydrogen cyanide solutions or cyanide salts can be rapidly
fatal…Treatment of ingested cyanide salts is similar to treatment of oral
hydrogen cyanide poisoning because cyanide salts form hydrogen cyanide in
acidic conditions.” (Stomach pH is acidic.)
The estimate of the daily acceptable limit of YPS in humans at which no
toxicological effects are observed (extrapolated from rat studies) is 0.025
mg/kg of body weight.
Although The VRG hasn’t
seen YPS on most table salt brands or varieties recently, we found a
photo of the ingredients
label of Morton’s® Kosher Salt that does contain YPS.
The VRG contacted three
companies that manufacture or distribute YPS or products that contain it to
find out its vegan status.
We sent an email to
Morton Salt asking about its Star-Flake®
Dendritic Salt that contains YPS. We asked if it was completely
mineral-based with no processing by animal- or dairy-derived ingredients. The
consumer representative did not have information on this, and said it was an
industrial product. Upon closer inspection of their website, we found an email
address for inquiries into the company’s industrial products. We asked,
“… I’d like to know if the yellow prussiate of soda in your dendritic
salt is completely mineral-based? In other words, it contains no animal or
dairy ingredients and wasn’t manufactured with animal or dairy-derived processing
aids?” The next morning, we received an email response from the industrial
products division at Morton Salt. Technical Documentation Specialist Claudia
told us:
“YPS is synthetic but is
ultimately derived from minerals. I’ve included a copy of our vegetarian/vegan
statement.”
Here is the statement
from Morton Salt:
“The following products
manufactured by Morton Salt, Inc. are suitable for consumption by individuals
following a vegan, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, or lacto-vegetarian diet. There is no
exposure or contact to foods of animal origin in processing equipment, storage
or handling procedures.
Company employee Kim
sent us a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) on YPS that did not have ingredient source
information. The SDS stated recommended use:
“Salt may be intended
for food or animal feed (agricultural) as well as several industrial
applications including deicing and water conditioning.”
Upon our request, Davis
employee Kim contacted Cargill, the manufacturer of the salt, about its vegan
status. She specifically asked if animal or dairy ingredients were used in the
manufacture of Alberger Shur-Flo Fine Flake Salt. In response, Cargill sent Kim
this statement titled “Vegetarian/Vegan Statement: Cargill Salt.”
In its entirety:
“The US FDA has not
defined vegetarian or vegan. The Cargill ingredients covered by this letter
have not been produced from animal (including fish), dairy, or egg products and
these products have not been added by Cargill to the Cargill ingredients.”
American Elements®
The VRG also inquired
about YPS manufactured by American Elements. Product Engineer Kristi told us: “As far as I
know, none of our materials are animal- or dairy-based/derived.” Currently,
they are offering only research-grade materials, not food-grade YPS.
VRG Conclusion about YPS
According to three
companies that manufacture YPS or make products containing it, yellow prussiate
of soda is vegan. It is derived from minerals with no animal- or dairy-derived
processing aids.
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.
Whether you’re new to the veggie life-style or have been vegan for 20+
years, you’ll enjoy The Vegetarian Resource Group Online Quiz Game. You simply
choose your level (Easy, Medium, or Hard) and your category of interest
(environment, ethics, famous vegetarians, food, health or nutrition, or potluck
– a mixture of all these topics). Then click play.
Christine Kasum Sexton, MPH wrote
an article for The Vegetarian Resource Group titled “Vegan Menus for Adults
51+” to meet the needs of older vegans. These easy-to-prepare menus are designed
specifically for older vegans (51+ years). Four different calorie levels –
1600, 1800, 2000, and 2200 – are presented in order to meet the needs of men
and women of varying activity levels and budgets.
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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