photo from Gardein

Below is a list of some of the vegan chicken-style products available today.

Alpha Foods offers Original Chik’n Nuggets Sizzlin’ Spicy Chik’n. Chick’n Strips, Crispy Chick’n Patties, and Sizzlin’ Spicy Chik’n Patties. For more details, see: https://www.eatalphafoods.com/products#NUGGETS

Better Chew offers Fried Chicken Nuggets. See: https://eatbetterchew.com/

Beyond Chicken offers Beyond Chicken Tenders, Nuggets, Fillets, and more. For details, see: https://www.beyondmeat.com/en-US/products/beyond-chicken-tenders

Daring Foods produces Plant-Based Chicken Pieces in several varieties including Original, Breaded, Cajun, and Lemon & Herb. For information, see: https://www.daring.com/

Gardein offers Ultimate Plant-Based Chick’n Tenders, Chick’n Fillets, and Chick’n Nuggets. They also offer Crispy Chik’n Sliders, Chick’n Patties, Golden Chick’n Nuggets, Nashville Hot Chick’n Tenders, Spicy Gochujang Style Chick’n Wings, and Chipotle Georgia Style Chick’n Wings, Chick’n Strips, Teriyaki Chick’n Strips, Seven Grain Crispy Tenders, Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick’n, Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Wings, Chipotle Lime Flavored Chick’n Tenders, and Lightly Seasoned Chick’n Scallopini. For details on all these products, see: https://www.gardein.com/chickn-and-turky

Impossible Foods sells Chicken Nuggets, Tenders, and Patties. See: https://impossiblefoods.com/products/chicken

Jack & Annie’s offers Nuggets made from Jackfruit. See: https://www.jackandannies.com/our-products/nuggets/

Lily’s Vegan Pantry offers Ginger Chicken, Chicken Bites, Gong Bao Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken, Lemon Chicken, Smoked Drumsticks, Chicken Nuggets, Whole or Half Chicken, and Chicken Legs. See: https://www.lilysveganpantry.com/Vegan_Chicken_s/1516.htm

Morning Star Farms offers MorningStar Farms® Veggie BBQ Chik’n Nuggets; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Chik’n Nuggets; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Buffalo Chik Patties®; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Original Chik Patties®; MorningStar Farms® Veggie Zesty Ranch Chik’n Nuggets; and MorningStar Farms® Veggie Sweet Mustard Chik’n Nuggets. For details on these products, see: https://www.morningstarfarms.com/en_US/products/chikn.html

Skinny Butcher offers Crazy Crispy Chick’n Tenders and Nuggets. See: https://skinnybutcher.com/

Tofurky sells Chick’n in several flavors including Lightly Seasoned, Thai Basil, Sesame Garlic, and Barbecue. For more information, see: https://tofurky.com/what-we-make/chickn/

VFC Foods offers Chick’n Fillets, Popcorn Chick’n, and Chick’n Bites. See: https://vfcfoods.com/en-us/

By Nadely Requena, VRG Intern

As a returning intern with The Vegetarian Resource Group, I’ve previously had the opportunity to embark on many adventures with the organization. This time, I was able to attend the Animal and Vegan Advocacy (AVA) Summit for their 4-day in-person event at the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center just outside of Washington, D.C. on May 2024.

The summit encouraged anyone working in animal rights, animal welfare, alternative proteins, food system change, and related movements to attend. It was a gathering full of panel discussions, informative workshops, and thought-provoking keynote speeches. It was organized by AVA International.

As someone about to enter their final year at the University of Texas at Austin studying Journalism and Latin American Studies, I was particularly interested in the panels related to diversity, inclusion, and collective liberation. Adding on, my headspace during the summit was particularly clouded as I was overcoming some personal challenges and panels related to mental health caught my attention heavily.

The first day of the conference was dedicated to mostly chatting and getting situated with each other before jumping into the official events the following three days. From what I surveyed, past and first-time attendees of the summit enjoyed this day layout.

I, for instance, excitedly attended the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color) meetup. It was meant to provide a space for those of us from these backgrounds passionate about animal rights and veganism to share our experiences, challenges, and victories in advocacy while building a supportive community. It was here where I met many of the people I would go on to further interact with during the summit.

I can’t stress enough how important these diversity and inclusion spaces are, as someone who’s always been looked at weird for my vegan and environmental advocacy due to my Mexican (Indigenous) background. Many of the common sentiments felt among those in the BIPOC space is that we have to fight harder to make our particular voices heard as opposed to our white counterparts.

I also attended the Latin American Advocacy meetup later that day, organized by Fundación Veg. To my surprise, it really was a gathering of Latin America as it seemed there was someone from every country and that warmed my heart tremendously to speak completely in Spanish and mix in my Portuguese every other sentence. Later that night, I went to the Latin American dinner.

The next day, Friday, was the official first day of events for the summit. I attended many including: “How to Empower Youth in the Vegan Movement” led by four incredibly young activists (one being the 2024 winner of VRG’s scholarship), “Animal Advocacy in Universities and Training the Future Leaders,” “Crustacean and Insect Advocacy,” and “Mexican-American activism”. There truly wasn’t a shortage of interesting lectures, as even another VRG intern found themselves splitting their time between panels happening at the same time so they wouldn’t completely miss one!

The following day I attended three talks: “Integrative Activism for Collective Liberation: the Indispensable Role of Fostering BIPOC Allyship Towards Animal Liberation,” “Advocacy at the Edge: Transformative Strategies in Animal Rights Law and Investigation,” and “Empowering Voices: the Role of DEI in Revolutionizing Animal Advocacy”.

The last one, in particular, was one of my favorite. It was led by Dr. Nelva Lee from MiTio and Naijha Wright-Brown from Black Veg Society. It was all about the importance of having a diverse workforce, improving employee communication, and retention rates. As said in the presentation, “If you want to grow your company or organization, diversity, equity, and inclusion are important and cannot be overlooked.”

The talk resonated heavily coming from Texas where many of the DEI initiatives are being revoked by the Texas legislature since the passing of Senate Bill 17 in 2023. Yet, Lee and Brown spoke heavily on how to appreciate culture, different perspectives, and challenge biases with a mixture of open communication and open listening. As they said, “You can be invited to the party, but not to dance” as a metaphor for people of color continuously not feeling welcomed in their workspaces. It’s in that cross-pollination where productivity occurs.

That night, I got together with other vegan, animal, and environmental activists from Austin and can proudly say that I have made some new friends not only on the east coast, but also in my home away from home, Austin.

On the last day, Sunday, of the conference, I was quite thrilled to hear Braille Ringer, a wellness educator, and Leah Garces from Mercy for Animals, speak on “Personal Transformation for Collective Liberation”. This workshop discussed the importance of “honoring your sacred no and embodying your inherent worth” relating to advocacy work where it’s not uncommon to become burnt out. They spoke about why cultivating spaciousness is important, about the external system and factors that breathe exhaustion, and how crucial it is to divest from animal infrastructure that is making us sick.

A good quote from the session: “You are not so important that you shouldn’t take a break, and too important to not take care of yourself.” It’s a very weird feeling to fight for compassion, but to not be fighting for that for ourselves. The session ended with the following from Ringer: “I am whole, worthy, and divine. I have nothing to prove.”

The summit was, without a doubt, filled with many amazing lectures and exhibits. This summit was crucial to me understanding how I want to view the rest of my career. For a while, I’ve hoped to become a correspondent based in Latin America. That remains unchanged.

My favorite quote from this conference, which I will use time after time: “We have nothing to lose but our chains.”

For information about VRG internships, see https://www.vrg.org/student/index.php

Chickpea Lasagna

In a previous issue of Vegan Journal Leslie Gray Streeter shared the following creative lasagna recipe. The entire article can be read here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2021issue1/2021_issue1_sheet_pan.php

Chickpea Lasagna
(Serves 6)

One 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1-2 teaspoons dried oregano, to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
One 25-ounce jar vegan marinara sauce, divided
3 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
2 cups chopped portobello mushrooms
One 10-ounce package no-bake lasagna noodles
1/4 cup nutritional yeast, plus 1 Tablespoon to serve
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Fresh basil, chopped, to serve

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl mix the chickpeas, oregano, and garlic powder. Mash into a paste using a fork or potato masher. If needed, add a little water to make smooth.

Cover the bottom of the sheet pan with edges at least 9 x 13-inch with 3/4-1 cup of marinara sauce, then cover the sauce with 6-8 lasagna noodles, depending on the size of your pan. Spoon more sauce onto the noodles, followed by the chickpea-mash, spinach, and portobellos. Cover with 6-8 more noodles.

Finally, mix the remaining sauce with 1/4 cup nutritional yeast and olive oil to give the mixture a cheesy consistency, and entirely coat the noodles with it.

Cover tightly with foil, as the lasagna may be taller than pan edges, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 8-10 minutes or until the edges are crispy. Serve warm topped with chopped fresh basil and sprinkle with reserved nutritional yeast.

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

Vegan Journal is published by The Vegetarian Resource Group. Enjoy in-depth original research, product and book reviews, scientific updates on veggie nutrition, delicious vegan recipes with gorgeous photos, plus so much more. Both long-term vegans and those new to a vegan life-style will enjoy this magazine.

To subscribe in the USA only, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

wallet from Couch

Are you looking to buy a non-leather vegan wallet? The following companies in the USA, Canada, and Europe all offer a variety of wallets for men and women.

USA

Couch sells a variety of wallets for men and women.

Doshi offers wallets for men and women.

Fabric Horse sells wallets for men and women.

Green Banana Paper sells wallets made out of banana leaves.

K Carroll sells wallets for women.

Labante has offices in the USA and United Kingdom and offer wallets for women and men.

Matt and Nat sells wallets for men and women. Ships internationally.

Mechaly sells a variety of women’s wallets.

Moo Shoes sells a variety of wallets for men and women.

Vegan Chic sells women’s wallets.

The Vegetarian Site sells hemp wallets.

CANADA

Jeane & Jax is a Canadian company selling a wide variety of wallets for women.

Pixie Mood is a Canadian company that sells a variety of women’s wallets.

EUROPE

Avesu in Germany offers a wide range of wallets in various colors made from different materials.

Corkor in Portugal sells wallets for men and women made out of cork.

Labante has offices in the USA and United Kingdom and offer wallets for women and men.

Photo from Vegan Galaxy Miami

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: www.vrg.org/restaurant

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:

Hijo de Su Madre, 2180 Westwood Blvd., Unit 1G, Los Angeles, CA 90025

Located about a 10-minute drive from the UCLA campus in Westwood, California, Hijo de su Madre, which started off as a food truck before graduating to the current brick-and-mortar location, has made its mark in the competitive Los Angeles food scene. Inspired by the tastes and aromas of the owner’s family origins in the Yucatan (as indicated by its name), Hijo de su Madre is also very environmentally aware, using up-cycled furnishings in their space and recyclable wrappings, and even the aprons are made from 100% recycled materials. For those who dined at their food truck, some of those favorites have kept their place on the menu, including the Phat Hass Taco, made with a beer-battered and deep-fried Hass avocado, fresh pico, and a house spicy chipotle cream. The taco selection also includes No Stas Cochinita (tangy, sweet Yucatecan-style jackfruit, off-the-cob corn, and homemade black beans). Tacos are served on organic yellow corn tortillas, and if you’re especially hungry you can turn the tacos into a burrito or bowl—which have 3 times the taco portion. For those seeking traditional Yucatecan fare, there are options like the Kibis (lightly fried croquettes served with a side of black bean purée, guacamole, and pickled onions) and the Papadzules (rolled corn tortillas dipped in a sauce of pepitas and epazote, filled with a house made “hard-boiled egg” and topped with chiltomate sauce). The dessert menu is likewise an homage to family recipes, including the Pastelitos—empanadas filled with sweet potatoes and coconut, garnished with powdered sugar.

Moody Mike’s, 802 N. Limestone, Lexington, KY 40505

A vegan soul food truck with a variety of options including vegan chicken and fish sandwiches, lattes, and desserts.

Next Stop Vegan, 88 Livingston St., Brooklyn, NY 11201

Next Stop Vegan has burgers, burritos, salads, and several Latin dishes on their menu. Sandwiches and burgers include the sweet and spicy oyster mushroom sandwich with homemade chipotle sauce and sweet plantains as well as Cesar’s Philly Cheesesteak made with portobello mushrooms, peppers, onions, and vegan cheeses. The twisted burrito is loaded with seasoned and grilled portobello mushrooms, homemade mac n cheese, vegan beef, and fresh pico de gallo. Other Latin-inspired flavors include crispy mofonguitos (plantain-shredded baskets stuffed with quinoa meat, pico de gallo, and homemade cilantro and chimi sauce), plantakos (soft green plantain tacos), and loaded fries with vegan sausages, jalapeños, pico de gallo, and drizzled with homemade cilantro sauce, mayo, chimi sauce, and tangy BBQ sauce.

Odd Burger, 1050 Bank St., Ottawa, ON K1S 3X2 Canada

Odd Burger specializes in vegan fast food. This restaurant offers sides, “chickUN,” all day-breakfast, dessert, burgers, and more. All the ingredients used in specific dishes can be found on their website, where you can also place orders. Odd Burger also uses a variety of faux meats including house-made chickpea burgers, house-made sausage, gyro meat, and more! These are used in dishes like the “Vopper” burger and “Famous Style Fries”.

Ruby Baking Company, 811 E. Yellowjacket Ln. #122, Rockwall, TX 75087

A lighthearted, wholesome bakery with sweet treats for everyone. Desserts are all gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan. Some delicious options include cinnamon rolls, tiered cakes, and brownies.

Samata Vegan House, 1435 Highland Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90028

For Starters, there’s Mixed Tempura with pumpkin, broccoli, carrots, and more, Dumplings (choose steamed or fried,) Deep fried veggie Crispy Spring Roll with sweet and sour sauce, soy based Fries, Nuggets and all sorts of Wings. Salads include Cucumber Salad with Japanese ponzu sauce and sesame seeds, green Papaya Salad or Seasonal Fruit Salad—the last two with tomato, carrot, peanut, and chili lime dressing. In some cases, you may select your spice level. Stir-fried entrées include crispy fried, Orange Soy Chicken with homemade fresh orange sauce and sesame seeds, Broccoli Mushroom with stir-fried carrot and garlic, Spicy Eggplant or Ginger Delight—both with bell pepper, garlic, and other veggies to name a few. All come with “meat” – your choice of tofu, chicken, mixed veggies (or shrimp costs more). The last three come with homemade brown sauce. You might explore their virtual rainbow of Curry dishes—Red, Yellow, Green, or Panang. Most feature combinations of peas, bell pepper, green beans, and bamboo shoots. Soup choices include Coconut or Tom Yum – both with carrot, broccoli, cabbage, mushroom, and tomato in spicy and sour broths, the former with coconut milk. With oodles of Noodle dishes, you’ll have to use yours to narrow the choices! There’s Pad Thai, Udon, yakisoba, glass noodles, and many more. One of several Rice dishes is jasmine Pineapple Fried Rice with peas, carrot, onion, raisins, cashews, and curry powder. For a fruity kick, dessert choices are Coconut Ice Cream with Banana Roll or Mango with Sweet Coconut Rice.

Vegan Galaxy Miami, 90 NE 22nd St., Miami, FL 33137

Vegan Galaxy Miami is known for its good vibes. Some of their featured foods include Spinach Feta Borek, Folded Kimbap, and Baklava.

Be sure to follow The Vegetarian Resource Group on Instagram: @vegetarianresourcegroup

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

The German Nutrition Society (DGE) is a non-profit organization that develops dietary guidelines for Germany (1). Their website says that they are committed to scientific facts and are not influenced by economic or political interests (2).

This group recently revised their position on vegan diets to state, “For the healthy adult general population, in addition to other diets, a vegan diet can also be an option, provided that a vitamin B12 preparation is taken, a balanced, well-planned food selection and an adequate intake of potentially critical nutrients (possibly also through other nutrient preparations) represent health-promoting nutrition.” The translation, courtesy of Google Translate, may be rough but generally, the position endorses vegan diets for healthy adults as long as a vitamin B12 supplement is used, food selection is well-planned, and intake of key nutrients is adequate. The reason given for revising the position is that they considered four factors – health, environment, social welfare, and animal welfare – for the first time, rather than simply focusing on health. They also considered the risk of diet-related diseases, such as heart disease, to a greater extent, rather than mainly considering nutrient needs.

The German Nutrition Society did not believe that there was enough data available to make a recommendation for or against a well-planned vegan diet for pregnancy, breastfeeding, infancy, childhood, adolescence, and seniors. This contrasts with their previous position which did not recommend a vegan diet for these groups.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are currently being revised and updated. We hope that those working on this revision will note the German Nutrition Society’s new position on vegan diets.

You can read the revised position here (in German)

References

1. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Food-based dietary guidelines – Germany. https://www.fao.org/nutrition/education/food-dietary-guidelines/regions/germany/en/
2. The German Nutrition Society (DGE). https://www.dge.de/english/

To read more about nutrition policies related to vegan and vegetarian diets see:

What Have the US Dietary Guidelines Said About Vegan and Vegetarian Diets?

Mexican 2023 Dietary Guidelines Recommend that 92% of our Plate Be Plant Foods!

Do International Dietary Guidelines Promote Vegan/Vegetarian Diets?

photo by Nadely Requena

By Nadely Requena, VRG Intern

Shortly before I began my second internship with The Vegetarian Resource Group, I was graciously able to travel to Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico as I was chosen for a travel and research grant by the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.

The purpose of my travel to the east coast of Mexico was to participate in the “Encuentro de Saberes y Sabores de la Huasteca” (Meeting of Knowledge and Flavors of the Huastec People).

As someone entering their final year of undergrad studying Journalism and Latin American Studies, it was quite amazing to be selected for this opportunity! Not only did I learn about the region, people, and culture, I also conducted my own research on the journalism practices relating to the covering of the Indigenous populations in Mexico, specifically the Huastec people. Being Mexican (Indigenous and Spanish)-American, I know my ancestors are always proud to see me returning to my roots.

More important than the knowledge, of course, were the variety of flavors (or sabores) acquired during this trip. For the past seven years, I have been vegetarian/vegan, first making the change when I was only 16 years old in high school.

When I’m in the comfort of my familiar home and restaurants, I remain vegan. Yet, this trip was different because for the first time, I wouldn’t be planning it. I wasn’t going to have to research all the restaurants in the area, go through endless menus to make sure there was at least one option for me, or even get the chance to refer to VRG’s restaurant guide and other sources to plan out my meals.

Yet, my anxious thoughts were soon calmed as I remembered how heavily my Mexican culture worships their plants, mainly corn (yes, we play favorites).

We were “plant-based” before those words even existed. It was only when Spanish and Portuguese colonizers came to the Americas in the 1700s when my ancestors were introduced to meat from domesticated animals and dairy products, like cheese.

Yet, even then and now, we continue to value our plants because it keeps us connected to the ground, the soil, our mother earth that we walk on. From corn, to beans, tomatoes, chilies, and guacamole, it’s in the food culture. So, trust there will be plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans when you visit our country! (Though you may need to ask questions, according to your belief system, as anywhere you would travel and eat out.)

During my travel to Xalapa, some dishes I tried are listed below, and hopefully they can make you feel right at home as they did to me! I will take this experience with me as I continue working with Latino communities in the US and in my career as a correspondent based in Latin America.

Breakfast: 

• Pinto refried beans and sautéed cactus and white onions (Vegans should ask to leave out scrambled eggs which may come with it.)
• Sopes (or “picaditas,” “picadas” made in Veracruz style)
  • These are corn masa cakes that look like mini tortillas with rounded and lifted edges like a mini pool
  • Topped with red or green salsa, fresh cheese, sautéed onion, and cream (Vegans ask to leave out the cheese and cream.)

Lunch, Dinner, & Sides: 

• Bocoles (or “gordita” as I know them, being from the northern part of Mexico; others know them as “arepas”)
  • Topped with refried pinto beans, fresh cheese, and cactus (Vegans ask to leave off cheese.)
• Sopa de nopales (“cactus soup”)
  • Contains cactus, red tomato (called “jitomate,” not “tomate” [green tomato]), onion, and garlic
  • Optional: sweet corn, black beans, and green peas
• Sopa de tortilla (“corn tortillas soup,” also called sopa azteca or “Azteca soup”)
  • Contains fried corn tortillas in a tomato soup with garlic, onion, and cilantro
  • (You need to ask if this has chicken broth, cheese, or cream.)
• Sopa de habas (“fava bean soup”)
  • Contains dried fava beans, onion, jalapeño, tomato, and cilantro
• French fries
  • Important to note that in this part of Mexico, they call them “papas a la francesa” as opposed to “papas fritas” (as I call them)
  • Vegans should ask what type of oil is used to fry these.
• Guacamole & Chips
  • In addition, came with refried black beans, veggie fajitas, and grilled tofu

Desserts:

• Chocolate filled croissant with powdered sugar
• Atole de piña
  • Atole: hot masa-based beverage
  • Contains water, cinnamon, pineapple, and masa-harina (which is dried corn dough referred to as corn flour)
• Chancaca (or panela, pinocillo)
  • It is unrefined whole cane sugar, known as Mexican brown sugar
  • Can be added to dishes or eaten as a candy to experience an intense sweet flavor

THE salsa of Veracruz (most common, you will see EVERYWHERE):

• Salsa de chile seco (dried chili salsa)
  • Very spicy (and that is coming from me, a person with a high spicy tolerance; I definitely recommend added it to your food for a little kick or for some, a trip to the bathroom)

If you are staying at home, some of these recipes and foods, may interest you.

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2006issue1/2006_issue1_bodega.php

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

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2021issue2/2021_issue2_latin_american_calcium.php

photo from Sky Cafe

By Chloe Khachadourian, VRG Intern

Looking for a delicious vegan restaurant in the Bay Area of California? Then, Sky Café is the perfect restaurant for you.

Sky Café offers a wide variety of great tasting vegan food in South San Francisco. They have everything you could want from bahn mi sandwiches to filet Mignon and the best part is, all of their food is vegan. The restaurant is very welcoming and relaxing to sit in, with nice tables and chairs. It is run by dedicated and thoughtful people who care about their customers and the planet.

Sky Café offers lunch and dinner almost every day of the week, except Monday and Tuesday. The best days to come are on the weekend since they offer breakfast and brunch on top of lunch and dinner. Their breakfast and brunch items range anywhere from pancakes and waffles to eggs Benedict and omelets. They are extremely delicious and are great meals to start your day.

Another great perk about Sky Café, is they have a very cute and relaxing outdoor patio in the back where they host monthly movie nights. These movie nights are a great place to meet new people and have a delicious vegan dinner. The movies that they screen focus on veganism, the environment, factory farming, and more, offering highly educational and insightful content.

All in all, Sky Café is a perfect vegan restaurant that you can go to for almost any occasion. If you have any friends or family who are skeptical about vegan or vegetarian food, this is the perfect restaurant to change their minds. Next time you are craving a delicious and yummy vegan meal, stop by Sky Café. You won’t be disappointed!

Sky Café Website: https://skyinternationalvegan.kwickmenu.com/index.php

VRG Guide to Veggie Restaurants in the USA and Canada: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php