by Akua Oppong, VRG Intern

American Flatbread Vegan Harvest Pizza is the perfect pizza for any pizza craving! Ready in just 20 minutes, this thin flatbread pizza is delightfully cheesy, crispy, and light. The vegan cheese melts together smoothly, with the right amount of sauce and a nice touch of parsley and herb garnish on top. It is great for sharing with friends or for a solo pizza experience. Top with tomato basil garlic spice for elevated flavor. Their other vegan pizza options include Farmer’s Potato Pie and Vegan Pepperoni. Available in Whole Foods, Giant, Safeway, and more! Find locations near you at https://americanflatbreadproducts.com/pages/store-locater

Koshary Bowl

We recently stopped by Koshary, a vegan food stall in RHouse located in the Remington neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. This establishment serves vegan Egyptian street food and their dishes are outstanding! The food is fresh and portions are generous. We especially enjoyed dining on their Koshary Bowl which consists of your choice of grain (white rice, brown rice, or quinoa) and top it with lentils, gluten-free pasta, chickpeas, signature sauce, fried onions, and vinaigrette. We also loved their Egyptian Breakfast Feast consisting of fava beans, falafel, pita bread, baba ganoush (eggplant), roasted potatoes, garlic dressing, harissa, and pickles, as well as their Falafel Wrap which includes Falafel, salad, and red sauce in a pita bread plus a side of potatoes (roasted or fried).

Koshary is located in RHouse at 301 West 29th Street, Baltimore, MD 21211 and offer lunch and dinner daily. For more information see: https://kosharycorner.com/

Information on other veggie restaurants throughout the USA and Canada can be found here: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

For many people, mac and cheese is a comfort food. It’s salty and creamy and it can be a quick meal or snack. Vegan mac and cheese packages abound on supermarket shelves. VRG volunteer Mae Y. Seon and I evaluated 31 boxed vegan mac and cheese products from Annie’s, Banza, Daiya, Goodles, Grown as Foods, Jovial, O Organics, Pastabilities, Upton’s Naturals, and Wicked Kitchen.

We found lots of variations on vegan mac and cheese with flavors ranging from the traditional Cheddar cheese flavor to Jalapeño, barbecue, and truffle.

Preparation time for boxed vegan mac and cheese, according to package information, is generally short—boil water, cook pasta, make sauce, then mix pasta and sauce. Some varieties feature pre-made sauce; you just mix it in with the cooked pasta. Prep time varies from 6-12 minutes, depending on the product. Some vegan boxed mac and cheese packages come with everything that you need while others call for you to add unsweetened non-dairy milk and non-dairy butter to the sauce packet.

Most products report nutritional information both as purchased and as prepared. For products that did not included “as prepared” information, we calculated the nutrient content of a serving using unsweetened soy milk and Earth Balance margarine.

The labels on most products reported a serving size of 1 cup of prepared mac & cheese, although a couple of Banza products had a ¾ cup serving size. A serving of prepared vegan mac & cheese provided between 200 and 550 calories.

The products we looked at had 4 to 22 grams of protein per serving, making them a reasonable source of protein. Products highest in protein were Wicked Kitchen products that ranged from 18-19 grams of protein in a 1 cup serving and Pastabilities Protein Pasta Ruffles & Vegan Cheese with 22 grams of protein in a cup.

There was a lot of variability in fat in the products that we examined with a range from 1.5 to 18 grams of fat per serving. Saturated fat ranged from 0 to 6 grams per serving.

The products that were lowest in saturated fat were:

• Annie’s Vegan Mac GF Red Lentil Spirals & Sweet Potato Pumpkin and Annie’s Vegan Mac Shells & Sweet Potato Pumpkin—0 grams of saturated fat in a serving
• Banza Plant-Based Chickpea Mac & Vegan Cheddar and Banza Plant-Based Shells & Vegan White Cheddar—1 gram in a serving
• Jovial GF Vegan Mac—1 gram in a serving
• Annie’s Vegan Mac GF Rice Pasta & Cheddar—1 gram in a serving
• Upton’s Naturals Deluxe Ch’eesy Mac —1 gram in a serving
• Annie’s Vegan Mac Macaroni & Cheddar—5 grams in a serving

The sodium content of products ranged from 260 milligrams per serving to a whopping 850 milligrams per serving. Label reading is important if you are looking for a lower sodium product.

Here are the lowest sodium products that we found:

• Annie’s Vegan Mac GF Red Lentil Spirals & Sweet Potato Pumpkin and Annie’s Vegan Mac Shells & Sweet Potato Pumpkin—260 milligrams in a 1 cup serving]
• Upton’s Naturals Deluxe Ch’eesy Mac—300 milligrams in a 1 cup serving

Many products supplied calcium; in some cases, the calcium content depends on whether a calcium-fortified non-dairy milk is used to prepare the sauce. Calcium content ranged from 0 milligrams per serving to over 250 milligrams per serving.

Products supplying at least 100 milligrams of calcium included:

• Annie’s Vegan Mac Shells & Sweet Potato Pumpkin and Goodles Vegan is Believing Plant-based White Cheddar with Spirals and Jovial Gluten Free Vegan Mac—100 milligrams in a 1 cup serving
• Goodles Gluten Free Vegan Be Heroes and Wicked Kitchen BBQ King Mac & Cheeze and Wicked Kitchen This Is Nacho Mac & Cheeze—approximately 120 milligrams in a 1 cup serving
• Wicked Kitchen Smoky Picnic Mac & Cheeze—130 milligrams in a 1 cup serving
• Daiya Deluxe Mac & Cheeze, Cheddar Style and Daiya Deluxe Mac & Cheeze, White Cheddar Style and Daiya Deluxe Mac & Cheeze, Alfredo Style—approximately 200 milligrams in a 1 cup serving
• Daiya Deluxe Mac & Cheeze, Cheddar Jalapeño Style—240 milligrams in a 1 cup serving
• Daiya Deluxe Mac & Cheeze, Four Cheeze Style with Herbs—258 milligrams in a 1 cup serving

Products that were labeled as gluten-free included Annie’s Vegan Mac Gluten Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar, Annie’s Vegan Mac Gluten Free Red Lentil Spirals & Sweet Potato Pumpkin, all Banza Mac & Cheese products, all Daiya Mac & Cheese products, Goodles Gluten Free Vegan Be Heroes, Jovial Gluten Free Vegan Mac, and O Organics Gluten Free Vegan Mac Cheddar Style.

Thanks to Mae Y. Seon for her work on this project.

To see reviews of other vegan products, go to:

Vegan Shelf-stable Entrée Pouches

A Review of Vegan Frozen Grain-based Entrees

Vegan Butter: Which Should I Choose?

Vegan Cheese for Pizza

The contents of this website and our other publications, including The Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

photo from RAS Plant Based

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:

Blue Tree Café, 612 NW 9th Ave. A, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311

“Most liked” items include: Build Your Blue Soul Bowl, Chili with Cornbread Muffin, Crabless Balls, Collard Greens, and Blackeyed Peas. Sides include Fries, Plantains, and Steamed Cabbage. Drinks include Hibiscus Ginger Tea and Mela Watermelon and Pineapple.

Bravocados, 3-368 Main St., Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0, Canada

A restaurant with expansive vegan foods and a friendly, fun atmosphere. Some food options include Mushroom Calamari, Bao Buns, and Sam’s Sammie, and a vegan egg sandwich.

Funky Love, 1436 N. Federal Hwy., Ste. B, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

Funky Love showcases all vegan, international flair with Burgers, Hot Dogs, Tacos, a Gyro, and more. The very popular Latin Burger offers a patty, melted “Cheddar,” crispy fried onions, plantains, pickled Jalapeños, and Pink Sauce on a Brioche bun. Southern Chick’n Sandwich is a breaded Chick’n Patty, Southern Slaw with cilantro, and BBQ sauce on a Brioche. Have you ever had a Thai Hot Dog? Here’s your chance to try one. Enjoy a “sausage” and bun, sweet Thai coleslaw, peanut sauce, red bell peppers, fresh cilantro, and chopped peanuts. One of their most popular Hot Dogs is the Venezuelan with “sausage,” bun, Guasacaca Sauce (Venezuelan Guacamole), Pink Sauce, mustard, cabbage, fried crispy onions, and “bacon” flakes. Also popular is the Colombian Hot Dog with many of the same ingredients, except it has cilantro sauce and Pineapple Sauce instead of Guasacaca Sauce. Mushroom Tacos feature grilled Portobello, pickled red onions, and Chimichurri Aioli. Tinga Chick’n Tacos has grilled King Oyster shrooms, grilled onions, avocado, and Chipotle Aioli. Both come with fresh cilantro. The Mediterranean Gyro is “sausage,” lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, pickled onions, Feta Crumbles, and Tzatziki sauce on a warm grilled Pita. Want to cool off with something sweet? Dessert serves up GF Vegan Ice Cream Sandwiches in Cookies and Cream, Mocha Almond Fudge, and Strawberry Shortcake.

Inika Foods, 2410 Dixie Hwy., Wilton Manors, FL 33305

Family owned and operated, with “globally inspired vegan meals.” Entrées include Lebanese Oasis Platter (tabouli made with quinoa, blackeyed pea salad, chickpea salad, hummus, and stuffed grape leaves); Thai Green Curry (rice, creamy coconut curry sauce, veggies, AND fried tofu); Lentil Mushroom Meatballs (homemade lentil mushroom meatballs, with marinara sauce and pasta topped with vegan cheese); Japchae (Classic Korean dish made from gluten-free sweet potato noodles, stir-fried veggies, and fried tofu); Shawarma (shawarma “lamb” made from soy flour grilled with mushrooms and onions; coleslaw, various empanadas; various pizzas.

La Chia Vegana, 121 S. Dixie Hwy., Lake Worth Beach, FL 33460

A lighthearted Latin Fusion restaurant with friendly employees and delicious food. Some of the items served include empanadas, Cubanito Rico, fruit smoothies, and tasty vegan desserts such as Coconut Guava cake.

Matchaful, 184 Prince St., New York, NY 10012; 217 Mulberry St., New York, NY 10012; 87 Christopher St., New York, NY 10014; and Whole Foods, 450 W. 33rd St., New York, NY 10001; Clean Market, 240 E. 54th St., New York, NY 10022; and Clean Market, 250 Vesey St., 2nd Fl., New York, NY 10281

With its cafes offering a moment of Zen amidst the bustle of New York City life, the thought and intention behind Matchaful’s “farm-to-whisk” matcha elevate this Japanese drink from a unique coffee alternative to an experience that will ensure you never look at a cup of tea the same again. There are several ways to enjoy their matcha, from the more classic Matcha Au Lait (matcha with water and plant-based milk) or Cold Foam Matcha (made with oat or almond cold foam and maple), to the more creative concoctions, such as the Fountain of Chai, made using house made chai, reishi, maple, vanilla, cinnamon, and oat milk. Matcha also makes its way into some of their smoothies, like the Emerald Sunrise Smoothie, which also includes almond milk, hemp seeds, cacao, cacao nibs, dates, and flaxseeds. To add more sustenance to teatime, Matchaful also offers a range of yummy pastries and snacks, including donuts (flavors include Matcha, Yuzu, and Chocolate Pistachio), a matcha brownie, parfaits like the Matcha Sunflower Butter Oats Parfait, and the Earth Glow Soft Serve (which includes cashews, oat milk, taro, and blue spirulina). For those who can’t completely abandon the coffee habit, they also have a small selection of coffee drinks, including a mushroom cold brew and lattes and cappuccinos. With matcha offerings like these, though, even hard-core coffee drinkers may find themselves craving a green pick-me-up.

Ras Plant Based, 170 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10012

Enjoy sambusas, red lentils, collard greens, yellow split pea stew, and more along with injera (Ethiopian bread). They also offer Ehiopian coffee and various bowls.

Unicorniverse European Bakery and Cafe, 2400 S. I-35 Frontage Rd. #130, Round Rock, TX 78681

Afternoon tea weekdays includes a selection of seasonal finger foods and desserts served on a three-tier tower with choice of tea.  Also does private parties and makes custom cakes. Café items include Lemon Pepper Tofu Toast (toasted croissant, garlic hummus, lemon pepper tofu, mozzarella, sautéed onions, spring mix, spouts, lemon aioli); Sicilian Avocado Toast (toasted focaccia, avocado, sautéed garlic, tomatoes, spinach, mozzarella); La Verte Sandwich (croissant, pesto, mixed greens, tomato, avocado, feta, Just Egg or Tofu); Tuscan Panini Sandwich (Focaccia bread, portabello mushroom, spinach, mayo, provolone, sautéed onions, garlic).  Features two salads (Mediterranean, and Crispy Chickpea, and “Magic Quinoa Bowl.” Many different kinds of hot and cold drinks.

Mango Stir-Fry photo by Rissa Miller

Each issue of Vegan Journal includes a Vegan Cooking Tips column by Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD. In one issue Nancy offers tips on preparing vegan dishes with mangoes.

Read the column here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2022issue2/2022_issue2_cooking_tips.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal, visit: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

istockphoto-178381336

Stone fruits are abundant during the summer. Debra Daniels-Zeller previously wrote an article for The Vegetarian Resource Group titled Stone Fruit. Enjoy these recipes:

ANISE POACHED PLUMS AND CHERRIES

COUSCOUS SALAD WITH APRICOTS AND ALMONDS

COOL AND SPICY STONE FRUIT SOUP

GINGER-PEACH SCONES

SPICY PEPPERS AND NECTARINES WITH SEITAN OVER RICE

STRAWBERRY PLUM SAUCE

ALMOND-NECTARINE PUDDING

SAUTÉED BALSAMIC CHERRIES

Find the recipes here: Stone Fruit

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Samosas from Woodlands

By Akua Oppong, VRG Intern

I recently had the pleasure of visiting a Vegetarian Indian restaurant in Gaithersburg called Woodlands. The atmosphere of the restaurant was warm and calming, and the decor was elegant and colorful. Vegan options are indicated on the menu, and there are a variety of them

I went with my family and we all ordered samosas first, our go-to appetizer at Indian restaurants. Samosas are a light, triangle-shaped pastry filled with potatoes and peas. It was very satisfying, with a warm, soft inside and a crispy outside. Next, I ordered Chana Masala with white basmati rice and Onion Dosai, and my family ordered Vegetable Biryani and Kadai Bhindi.

Chana Masala is one of my favorite Indian foods. It consists of chickpeas cooked in a flavorful curry. The Chana Masala at Woodlands was delicious to eat with the rice and samosas. Onion Dosai is a thin, savory crepe that can be eaten with numerous sauces. The Onion Dosai I ordered was very large, which is perfect for sharing with others. It was also crispy and slightly sour, with both mild and spicy sauces to eat it with.

Vegetable Biryani is a colorful, mixed rice and vegetable dish, and Kadai Bhindi is an okra stew. The Vegetable Biryani was fun to eat because of the numerous colors in it, and my sister and I agreed that it was very light and fluffy. The Kadai Bhindi had a nice tomato taste to it, along with a touch of spices and roasted okra. My family and I all thought that it tasted similar to the Ghanaian okra stew that we eat at home. Overall, we all enjoyed our experience at Woodlands and would recommend it to vegans, vegetarians, or anyone looking for great Indian food.

Woodlands Restaurant Website: https://woodlandsrestaurants.com/

Vegetarian Restaurant Guide: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Vegan Health, a website that I contribute content to has added a useful new resource which is in keeping with the website’s mission to provide:

• Reviews of the scientific literature related to the health benefits of a vegan diet.
• Discussions about concerns related to vegan nutrition.
• Recommendations for nutrients that can be low in the diets of some vegans.

The new resource, Nutrition Tips for Vegans, consolidates essential nutrition information that a vegan needs to know into one article. The article addresses protein, iron, calcium, iodine, selenium, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins A, B12, and D. There are links to more extensive information about these nutrients. Colorful graphics illustrate plant sources of protein, vitamin C, and calcium. The article includes recommendations for supplements for vegans.  Vegan Health is a credible resource that provides evidence-based information about vegan nutrition.

photo from Freepik

The Internal Revenue Service states that individual retirement arrangement (IRA) owners age 70½ or over can transfer up to $100,000 to charity (such as The Vegetarian Resource Group) tax-free each year. These transfers, known as qualified charitable distributions or QCDs, offer eligible older Americans a way to give to charity. For those who are at least 73 years old, QCDs count toward the IRA owner’s required minimum distribution (RMD) for the year. You need to have your IRA trustee send the money to the charity directly, and not to you first. You do not need to itemize your taxes for this benefit. For more information, see https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/qualified-charitable-distributions-allow-eligible-ira-owners-up-to-100000-in-tax-free-gifts-to-charity

This is not legal or tax advice, for which you should speak to your financial and legal advisors.

To make direct donations to VRG and support vegan education and research, donate at www.vrg.org/donate

Share this handy poster with family and friends. You can also print it out and post it on your refrigerator. See: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/VeganDietsinaNutshellPoster.pdf