2019 scholarship winners have been decided. We had 270 entries! All the students did great work, so the decision was very difficult. We wish we could give awards to everyone. Thank you to every student for his/her hard work and commitment. We also greatly appreciate the time given by our volunteers who read the essays.
Please note that the next deadline for The Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship Contest is February 20, 2020. You can enter if you are graduating high school in the spring of 2020 in the USA. For past winners and how to apply, see: https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm
Nothing beats a simple graphic to get the vegan message out!
The Vegetarian Resource Group created My Vegan Plate to display on outreach
tables at various events. If you live in the United States, you can request
copies of this handout to distribute by emailing us at [email protected]
The Canadian restaurant chain White Spot says on their website that Avocado Beyond Burger is vegetarian and can be made vegan by substituting their regular bun for their gluten-free bun and requesting no Jalapeño ranch dressing. They state that their Southwest Power Bowl is vegan. For more info, see: https://www.whitespot.ca/sites/default/files/WS%20FAQ%208.5×11%20v01%20RTP.pdf
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.
Swiss International Airlines announced that to celebrate ten years of having vegetarian meals, they will be offering special vegetarian meal options to all travel classes on select long-haul flights. Swiss, stated, “The anniversary offering in Economy Class extends to three courses: a starter of a spicy beetroot tabbouleh, a main course choice of penne with vegetarian bolognese or a massaman curry and a vegan mango mousse for dessert.
April is one of my favorite months of the year, but it has only become so
recently. After four years at college, April has changed from the month of “April
Showers,” to the month dedicated to celebrating this beautiful planet we live
on. Since being involved in sustainability at my university, I have had the
opportunity to work on planning many of the events during this month. One of
these events is the annual Evergreen Fest, which is a celebration of
sustainability. The event takes place on our beautiful quad, right in the
middle of Loyola’s arboretum. Nearly 20 clubs and organizations on and off
campus take their place with a table, where they can do whatever they wish,
such as hand out free samples, play games, or share information. That was what
my Co-Intern Taylor and I did for The Vegetarian Resource Group. Our table was
filled with information about veganism, and there couldn’t have been a better place
for us to be present at. The community members attending this festival were
people who already have an interest in environmentalism, so many of them were
eager to learn more. It was great to share our own personal stories with
veganism and vegetarianism, and talk about the topic with our peers. The whole
festival was a celebration of sustainability, so it was perfectly fitting that
we were their spreading information about the best diet you can have for not
only yourself, but the planet.
The Vegetarian Resource Group maintains an online Guide to Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurants in the USA and Canada. Below are some recent 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:
Greenleaf Juicing Company
810 NW 12th Ave.
Portland, OR 97209
And
617 SW Morrison St.
Portland, OR 97205
And
414 SE Grand Ave.
Portland, OR 97214
And
1510 NW 22nd
Portland, OR 97210
And
3151 SW Moody Ave.
Portland, OR 97239
And
18 N. Meridian St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Greenleaf Juicing Company is an all vegan juice bar with multiple locations. The company uses all organic and non-GMO ingredients to craft their menu. In addition to juice, they also offer an array of smoothies, bowls, quinoa dishes, and steamed soups. Want to go all in? You can order a 3 or 6-day juice cleanse made fresh to order each day. Try some fan favorites including the Green Solution, a smoothie with kale, apple, spinach, and banana or a Green Lemonade, a juice made with lemon, ginger, pineapple, pear, and cucumber.
Juicery Plus
201 E. Main St.
El Paso, TX 79901
Are you tired of going to the juice bar, only to find that they don’t have any enchiladas? Worry not! Juicery Plus has cold-pressed juices and smoothies aplenty, but the “Plus” is there for a reason! Pancakes, oats, toasts, waffles, and more are available for breakfast. Lunch options include buffalo cauliflower, nachos, pizzas, salads, burgers, cashew cheese cake, and more!
Juicy’s Wellness Café
2314 Medical Center Pkwy., Ste. A-2
Murfreesboro, TN 37129
All of the menu’s items are healthy, but for the most part, mimic fast and greasy food—that is minus the grease. Some items include, BBQ Jackfruit sliders, Brownies made from sweet potatoes, Chik’n Cauliflower wings, and of course the delectable Impossible burger. They even offer fresh juices! Juicy Wellness Café offers an artsy and hip atmosphere, perfect for any small lunch or dinner gathering.
Lovebirds Donuts
450 US Route 1
Kittery, ME 03904
Lovebirds is an all vegan donut shop located on Route 1 in Kittery. The donuts, glazes, and toppings are made from scratch daily in their kitchen. The three tiers of donuts are swanky, such as a strawberry shortcake donut with layers of frosting and strawberries. Followed by signature, think Boston cream donut or a mango glazed donut. The final tier is classic with favorites like chocolate glazed and cinnamon sugar. There is a flavor for everyone at this vegan donut shop!
Old Earth
6105 54th Ave. N.
St. Petersburg, FL 33709
Just because it’s a juice bar doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of solid fare to choose from. There are open-faced sandwiches, wraps, salads, and zucchini noodle dishes. There’s even vegan cake! Plus, everything is gluten free, and they use no refined sugars!
Portia’s Café
4428 Indianola Ave.
Columbus, OH 43214
Portia’s Café focuses on gluten-free, raw, organic, and all-natural ingredients. Get their raw falafel as an appetizer, wrap, or bowl. If that’s not to your taste, there are plenty of other wraps, salads, soups, quesadillas, and bowls to choose from. Also consider the cheezecake for dessert; it comes in a variety of flavors, just ask!
Protein Plants Café
146 S. Main St., Unit Q
Orange, CA 92868
Their mission is to offer the highest-quality, all-organic, vegan plant-based foods that are equally nutritious and delicious. The international menu features Breakfast items such as Southwestern Tofu Scrambler, Acai Bowl, Biscuits, and Scones. For lunch and dinner enjoy a variety of tacos, bowls, burritos/wraps/dosas, salads, sandwiches, and more. They also offer a kids menu
Shine Café
415 Morro Bay Blvd.
Morro Bay, CA 93442
Shine Café is all-vegan, with plenty of gluten-free options. There are a good variety of salads, sandwiches, wraps, tacos, and smoothies to choose from. You could get a tempeh taco, Reuben, or salad. Build your own bowl or wrap if you like, or grab a smoothie to go.
Vegan a Go Go
Canton, OH
Vegan a Go Go is a vegan food truck, so they’re on the move! Follow the Facebook page to follow the truck. (See: www.facebook.com/thegreenvegetarian) Once you get there, options include nachos, Impossible burgers, chili, hot dogs, chili dogs, and so on. If you’re looking for vegan comfort food, look them up!
Verdine
449 W. 19th St.
Houston, TX 77008
Verdine serves fancy hot sandwiches and comfort food. Try jackfruit carnitas, vegan mac and cheese, or their krabby patty sandwich. They even have a kids menu (or wine and beer for the adults)!
Zentu Café
5908 N. Armenia Ave.
Tampa, FL 33603
Zentu Café strives to provide plant-based meals that appeal to omnivores too. From hot sandwiches to cold gazpacho, the menu rotates regularly. Give them a try if you’re looking for a flavorful and unique, but affordable experience.
Reed is participating with two other speakers in a talk titled P-Pod’s 3rd Annual Denis Burkitt Memorial Lecture: Triple Lecture Series on “Women’s Health and Chronic Disease Risk, and Reproductive Health.” This lecture is at 6:15 pm Saturday evening. For information on this event, see: https://www.preventionofdisease.org/
Bianca Schramm said, “In fifth grade, a fellow student criticized my lunch, complaining that my avocado tofu sandwich looked weird and asked why I didn’t have the ever-popular ham and cheese sandwich … She told me ‘God created animals to be eaten.’ … Do you have a dog? I asked her … “Well, you would never eat a dog, right? …”
Bianca reported, “I have been involved with volunteering projects with the Science of Spirituality Meditation Center since the beginning of Middle School. As a member of their youth services program, I helped cook vegetarian meals and organized field trips every month … “During the summers of 2015 and 2016 I gave discourses at Veggie Fest (Naperville, Illinois) in the Learn To Be Vegetarian booth.” “As a passionate teenage vegetarian, I still wanted to do more. … One of my biggest hobbies is photography, and I also volunteer at the Science of Spirituality every Saturday for two hours at their vegetarian cooking classes to take pictures of their vegetarian meals for social media.”
Bianca also said, “I work in the Manna Organics booth June through August every Saturday at the Naperville Farmer’s Market (2015-2018). I help sell vegan nut butters and sprouted organic breads. While working there, I had the pleasure of engaging in many insightful conversations with customers about their dietary choices, and I would regularly explain my belief and support of the vegan lifestyle.”
Bianca continued, “As a life-long vegetarian, I have combined my passion for the vegan diet with my passion for creative writing … Many of these short stories from my childhood related to my experiences of being a 5th generation vegetarian.” Bianca also wrote, “I am happy to report that I am indeed still vegan! … The treatment of animals in America is very disheartening, and the more I learn about this inhumane and unsustainable treatment, the more passionate and motivated I become to encourage others to try veganism.”
Bianca will be attending Davidson College as a communication studies major.
The deadline for the next Vegetarian Resource Group scholarship is February 20, 2020. Applicants should be graduating high school in spring of 2020. For details, see: https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm
To support additional scholarships and internships, donate at www.vrg.org/donate You can also call (410) 366-8343, or mail a check to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.
On a chilly Friday morning, my co-intern Taylor and I set up a table at the entrance to the most popular dining hall at Loyola University Maryland, Boulder Garden Café. Our table was covered in books and pamphlets filled with information about the benefits of veganism, facts that we wish were common knowledge. The dining service at our school played a huge part in our day by providing us with samples of a vegan burger that they are considering introducing into the daily menu of Boulder Garden Café. As we sat there for nearly 3 hours, we witnessed a spectrum of reactions to our presence. Whenever we would ask a group of students if they would like to try a vegan burger, we were given a reaction of shock and doubt. The common facial expression was one of “There is no way that could be good.”
The first positive reactions were given by vegans and vegetarians, who were thrilled at seeing not only the free food, but also the information we were giving out. Many said that the burger was better than any veggie burger they had ever had, and that introducing it into the daily menu would be a game-changer. Many people were curious and decided to try it out, and they were delightfully surprised at how delicious they were. With no gluten, no soy, and 20 grams of protein, they appealed to different audiences. As someone who has only been a vegetarian for less than a year, a good veggie burger that was high in protein was something that I have been seeking. The best reactions were from the men at Loyola who I normally see lifting the heaviest weights at our gym. Many people who are involved in fitness, especially weightlifting, falsely claim that you cannot get any protein from a vegan diet. It was genuinely funny to see these men come back for seconds! Their initial doubt was immediately retracted after the first bite.
The experience was incredibly informative for both myself and those that visited the booth. It was important for me to see what non-vegans/vegetarians thought of a meat substitute like the vegan burger, because small changes like that can have a massive change down the line. The best thing for the planet would be for everyone to not eat meat, but that may not happen for a while. When meat-eaters make small changes to decrease their intake, options like what we provided are an amazing start. After they realized they liked the veggie burger, many students asked us about more information, which is where the literature we brought with us came in handy. I hope that everyone who visited our table learned something, even if that was only that there are vegan options for classic American foods. If one person makes the decision to eat less meat, then I know that it was worth our while.
-How to deal with my Kindergarten-age child’s science workbook having a page called Animals and Their Uses. Responses from other parents included: Tell your child the truth; My concern is the wording they use. They say it’s what animals give us. A cow doesn’t “give us” steak. I’d make sure to discuss that with the kids; and Good to show them the connection between cow and steak but then following up with “this causes animals to suffer so our family doesn’t eat meat.”
-If you celebrate Easter, what do you put in your child’s
Easter basket? If you celebrate Passover, what dishes do you make for your
Seder?
-Shared info on a vegan child-care program in Maryland.
Plus more!
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.
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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