-Article shared about a kindergarten class going vegan and
how families reacted
– Info on VRG’s essay contest for kids
-Request for a recipe to make a thin vegan pizza crust
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.
I am
currently a senior and have been vegetarian and now vegan throughout my entire
career at Loyola University of Maryland. Being vegan on campus has been very
difficult to navigate, but do not fret if you are vegan or vegetarian at Loyola
because I have outlined all of the items that are easily accessible and veg-friendly!
Cold Spring Sushi is an Asian cuisine take-out style vendor located near the
Starbucks common area in the Andrew White Student center. Similarly, Taqueria
is a Mexican-style food vendor located outside of the main dining halls within
the student center. Loyola’s Starbucks is located between Cold Spring Sushi and
Taqueria, offering a wide variety of drink and food options for all people with
dietary restrictions. Our Starbucks is very popular, which at one point was the
most profitable Starbucks in all of Maryland! Loyola students go to Starbucks
to do their homework hyped up on a refreshing and typically caffeinated drink
to get them through the extensive work ahead of them. From my experiences of
asking the workers, dining management, and researching the food ingredients,
the following items are available to vegetarians, but particularly vegans on
campus!
Cold Spring Sushi: Open Monday- Thursday 11am-7pm,
Friday 11am-4pm
Cold
Spring Sushi offers a vegan appetizer—edamame. For sushi options, Cold Spring
sushi offers a vegetable roll (v) and sweet potato roll (vg), which can be made
vegan if you ask the servers to make a fresh sweet potato roll without the
spicy mayo on top. The same can be said for their delicious vegetarian poke
bowl. The poke bowl is a filling and delicious meal to have! The bowl is
layered with rice, seaweed salad, carrots, lettuce, fresh edamame, ginger,
wasabi, and siracha mayo, which again can be requested to leave out the mayo in
order to make the dish vegan!
Taqueria
offers up a wide selection of veg options for students and faculty. You have
the choice of creating a bowl, burrito or tacos. Although the pinto beans are prepared
in pig fat, students have the option of choosing black beans and their
vegetarian medley, which is fully vegan. They used to offer tofu, but they recently
took it off of their menu. For toppings, Taqueria offers, shredded romaine lettuce,
pico de gallo, salsa, sautéed peppers and onions, black bean and corn salsa,
jalapeños, and avocado. For an added cost, you can order a side of: cilantro
lime rice, brown rice, black beans, chips and salsa, or chips and guacamole.
Fortunately,
it is easy to make many of Starbucks drinks non-dairy! They offer traditional
milk substitutes, such as almond milk, soy milk, and coconut milk. Whenever you
are ordering, always specify that you do not want whipped cream, because
sometimes the server will not ask and just assume that you want the whipped
cream, which is not vegan. The following items are what Starbucks and its
workers say are vegan.
Non-dairy Syrups: The non-dairy syrups offered at
Starbuck include, Caramel flavored syrup/ Sugar Free Caramel (NOT the
dairy-based caramel drizzle), Toffee Nut syrup, mocha syrup, Vanilla/ Sugar
Free Vanilla, Hazelnut /Sugar Free Hazelnut, Almond, Macadamia, and
Gingerbread.
Holiday Featured Drinks: Oftentimes, their featured holiday
drinks can be easily made vegan, or at least one of the options are already
vegan. My personal favorite is the Chestnut Praline Latte with coconut milk
without the added whipped cream topping. Other options include, Toffee Coconut
Hot Chocolate (you can make this by ordering a classic Hot Chocolate made with
coconut milk with added pumps of toffee nut syrup), Holiday Spice Flat White,
Cinnamon Latte, Peppermint Mocha, Apple Cider, and Gingerbread Latte.
Refreshers: Strawberry Açai (add coconut milk
to make it creamy!), Very Berry Hibiscus, Pink Drink, and Mango Dragonfruit.
Vegan or Available as Vegan
Starbucks Drinks and Coffees:
Café Americano, Latte, Mocha Frappuccino, Café Misto (nix the dairy-based
milk), Cappuccino, Hazelnut Latte, Green Tea Crème Frappuccino (minus the
whipped cream), Green Tea Latte, Peppermint Mocha Latte, Vanilla Latte, Chocolate
and Strawberry Smoothie (if you nix the regular protein powder and substitute
their Almond or Cacao protein powder), Strawberries and Crème Frappuccino (no
whipped cream), Teavana Iced Oprah Cinnamon Chai Tea Latte, Classic Hot
Chocolate (made with mocha syrup instead of real chocolate, but again nix the
whipped cream), Latte Macchiato, Caramel Frappuccino, Caramel Macchiato, London
Fog Latte, Flat White, Java Chip Frappuccino (minus the Java chips).
Always
make sure to add one of the vegan milk substitutes, which are listed above, but
you have to specify to the server the type of milk that you would like or else
these drinks will not be vegan. The rule of thumb for ordering drinks at
Starbucks is always assume that the drinks need to be substituted with a
non-dairy milk alternative and to specify no whipped cream.
Vegan Foods: Classic Oatmeal (which comes with mixed
fruit, mixed nuts, and brown sugar (I am not positive if their sugar is vegan
so to be safe ask for the oatmeal without the brown sugar), Emmy’s coconut
cookies, Hippeas snacks, Barbeque potato chips, avocado spread, sprouted grain
bagel, and their plain bagel.
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
Here’s a list of the some of the vegan companies we recently added to The Vegetarian Resource Group’s Vegan Guide to Leather Alternatives:
Arsayo
Website: arsayo.com
French company offering a unisex backpack in three colors.
Jeane & Jax
(514) 875-5225
Email: [email protected]
Website: jeaneandjax.com
Located in Montreal, Quebec Canada they offer wallets and a wide variety of bags for men and women.
JuJu
Website: thejujustudio.com
Company offering unique hand-embroidered shoes from India.
K. Carroll
2285 N. Opdyke Road, Ste. C, Auburn Hills, MI 48326; (248) 364-2740
Website: k-carroll.com
Find handbags, wallets, and accessories such as cell phone cases and passport covers.
When we explored the plant milks
aisle and refrigerator case, we found milks based on rice, oats, and a blend of
rice and quinoa. Compared to 6 years ago, there were more oat milk products (12
now, 2 then) and about the same number of rice milks. A new addition was pea
protein-based plant milks.
Rice milks have 70-160 calories in
an 8-ounce serving. In comparison, oat milks have 90-150 calories per serving,
and pea protein-based milks range between 70 and 160 calories per serving.
Generally pea protein-based milk is the highest in protein with 8 or 10 grams
in 8 ounces; oat milk supplies 2-4 grams of protein per serving while rice milk
has a gram or less of protein in a serving.
Many of the milks we looked at have
vitamin D, calcium, and vitamin B12 added although some products are not
enriched and not all contain all three of these nutrients. If you’re relying on
plant milks as sources of calcium, vitamin B12, or vitamin D, be sure to check
the product label.
We’re sure many of you have seen all the different varieties
of vegan milks available in stores today. The Vegetarian Resource Group has
been comparing vegan milks for many years and recently began updating our
comparative charts. The first category we examined is soy milks. The chart
reports nutritional information for a 1 cup (8-ounce serving) including
calories, protein, fat, sodium, calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12. We also
list the type of sweetener if used and whether or not the package or company’s
website mentions if the soy milk is vegan, gluten-free, and/or organic.
If you’re in the mood for creative vegan Chinese food, then
Mr. Chan restaurant in Pikesville, Maryland is a good place to visit. They
offer veggie sushi, vegan soups, main dishes featuring yuba, tempeh, tofu, and
seitan, as well as many vegetable and noodle options.
We recently sampled their vegan hot and sour soup, pan-fried
yuba and green beans with black bean sauce, and tofu with spinach. They serve
large portions and the food is delicious.
Vance Lehmkuhl is a vegan journalist and in the latest issue
of Vegetarian Journal he shares an article he wrote on Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s
centuries of vegetarian activism. Learn about Benjamin Lay, Benjamin Franklin,
The Bible Christians, Sylvester Graham, Bronson and Louisa May Alcott, Angelina
and Sarah Grimke, and The American Vegetarian Society.
We had the opportunity to enjoy brunch for the second time
in two years at Sacred Chow in the Greenwich Village section of New York City,
New York. The food and service at this cozy vegan café is spectacular.
We dined on vegan Belgian waffles with fruit on top and their
Soy Buttermilk Biscuit Po’ Boy dish
consisting of tofu scramble, seitan medallions, steamed collards, coconut white
gravy, and home fries along with a biscuit. They also offer non-breakfast items
during their brunch including salads, soups, tapas, bowls, Paninis, and
burgers.
Sacred Chow is open Tuesday through Sunday for brunch and
dinner. They can be busy, so you may want to make a reservation. For more
information, see: https://sacredchow.com/
The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) investigated toilet paper brands in November & December 2018 at the request of an online reader. Here is what we learned.
Charmin® by Proctor & Gamble® The following FAQ appears on Charmin’s website:
Q: Does Charmin contain animal derived ingredients?
A: Charmin may contain animal derived ingredients. Whenever possible, P&G uses plant-derived or synthetically-derived ingredients to substitute for animal derived materials (ADMs). In those cases where ADMs are necessary for product performance, P&G requires that all our suppliers provide ADMs that are safe and compliant with all regulations and industry guidelines.
Of all companies we asked, only P&G told us explicitly that there are “animal-derived materials” (ADMs) in all of their toilet tissue.
A Consumer Care Rep told The VRG: “Trace amounts of ADMs are in all Charmin bathroom tissue. There is no bathroom tissue without it…What the ADMs are is proprietary.”
The VRG then pursued a different line of inquiry. We asked Charmin if the company could reveal what the ADMs are NOT. We specifically asked if gelatin could be ruled out. We asked the question in this way to see if we could learn anything at all about the identity of their animal-derived materials.
For further clarification, we also asked two more questions:
Is Charmin toilet tissue kosher?
Which animal(s) is the source of the animal-derived materials?
Their Consumer Care Rep told us:
“We can’t confirm whether our bath tissue is kosher or not. Beef or pork is the source of the ADMs.”
We asked again whether gelatin could be the animal-derived material. The rep stated that she had received no direct response about this nor any more information from the Charmin department which fields consumer questions that the reps can’t answer.
VRG speculation: Given the “beef or pork” answer from Charmin, an answer that we’ve received many times from other companies selling various products, an educated guess would be that Charmin’s ADM is most likely gelatin, stearic acid or a stearic acid derivative. These are the animal-derived ingredients which make many other products non-vegan.
Today, gelatin, stearic acid and stearic acid derivatives are the most common ingredients derived from beef and pork. They are used in many food or personal care products. All three serve as “glue” in holding together other ingredients in all sorts of edible products like confections, desserts and pharmaceutical pills. In the case of toilet paper, the “glue” is needed to keep the paper fibers together.
Cottonelle® & Scott® Toilet Paper by Kimberly-Clarke®
There is nothing that we could locate on the Kimberly-Clarke website about animal-derived ingredients in Cottonelle toilet tissue.
Here’s the email we received:
“We would like to inform you that our products are composed of 100% virgin fibers along with processing aids. The processing aids are not directly manufactured from animal ingredients and none are intentionally added.
Some manufacturers of the raw materials use processing aids, fillers, or additives that may be synthesized from animal derived components.
Since these components may be present in trace amounts, and furthermore, are subjected to such intense processing heat, any possible animal derived component would be of no biological significance.
After reading this email, The VRG called KCC again for clarification. We were confused by the suggestion that the paper fibers are the sole “raw material” although a later sentence suggests there are “raw materials” (that is, more than one) in the final product.
Furthermore, it appeared that the raw materials had possibly been processed with ADMs.
Unfortunately, upon followup, we received the exact same email with no additional information.
Until we receive a definitive reply from KCC, The VRG cannot be absolutely sure that no ADMs were ever used at some point in the manufacture of the raw materials used to make their toilet tissue.
Quilted Northern® and Angel Soft® by Georgia-Pacific® We learned from the Quilted Northern website that the three plies in their toilet paper are held together by pressure using “…a proprietary mechanical bonding process…” Furthermore, the FAQ states that the toilet tissue is “primarily made of virgin wood pulp.”
The Angel Soft website did not give ingredient or processing information. When we called both companies, we spoke with the same person. He assured us: “There are no animal ingredients at all in our toilet tissue. There are no animal products in the glue.”
We chatted online. Here is our Q&A:
The VRG: Does your toilet paper contain animal-derived materials like gelatin?
Seventh Generation: We do not use any animal-derived ingredients in any of our products!
The VRG: Including the glues?
Seventh Generation: Including the adhesives
The VRG: Just the paper products or all of your products?
Seventh Generation: All of our products!
The VRG: So you’re a vegan company?
Seventh Generation: Yes. All of our products are considered vegan.
Grove Collaborative® Tree-Free Bath Tissue Grove offers an alternative to virgin or recycled wood pulp with its bamboo-sugar cane product.
We corresponded with Grove. Here is our Q&A:
The VRG: Are there any animal-derived materials in your toilet paper? Maybe to hold fibers together? Or maybe in the adhesive? Like gelatin?
Grove: There are no animal-derived materials that we are aware of. In reviewing the ingredients of the adhesive used… there was nothing like gelatin listed.
The VRG: For those concerned about the environmental degradation due to sugar plantations, from where do you source your sugar cane fibers?
Grove: The sugarcane we use for our product is actually a byproduct from sugar manufacturing in China that we upcycle to make paper products.
The VRG: How much sugar cane material is in the product versus bamboo? A ballpark percentage is fine.
Grove: Currently it’s about 50/50 bamboo/sugarcane.
The VRG: Are you thinking of making an all-bamboo product? Or with something other than sugar cane materials? Like what?
Grove: Yes, we are exploring the option of using 100% bamboo for a couple products. Given the need for a long fiber and a short fiber, not all product can successfully be made using 100% bamboo.
The VRG: Is your product certified pesticide-free? Like USDA Organic certified?
Grove: It is not officially certified pesticide-free, but bamboo naturally has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties deeming pesticides unnecessary.
Related VRG Articles
Here are some VRG articles on gelatin, stearic acid or stearic acid derivatives in other products: • Mint Table
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.
Ingredient information is not meant to discourage people from being vegetarian, to say someone is or is not vegetarian, or to give company staff and businesses a hard time. That would defeat the goal of vegetarians and vegans trying to create a kinder world. We live in an imperfect world, do the best we can, and strive to do better. We each make different decisions about what is appropriate for ourselves, where to draw lines, and what is practical for our situation. However, ingredient research can be used as an aid in meeting your needs or the needs of your clients and customers. To label items vegetarian and vegan, it’s best for full disclosure and to make sure all the ingredients are vegetarian and vegan.
Enter the 2019 Vegetarian Resource Group Kid’s Essay
Contest! The deadline is May 1, 2019 and details on the contest can be found
here: https://www.vrg.org/essay/
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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