By Akua Oppong

My time at The Vegetarian Resource Group has been a fulfilling and exceptional experience. I have had the opportunity to explore my interests, learn about community outreach, and connect with impactful people.

A few weeks before my internship officially started, VRG was generous enough to provide me the opportunity to attend the Animal and Vegan Advocacy Summit with them. It was a truly enriching experience as I had the opportunity to connect with vegan activists, professionals, and companies.

One of the biggest projects I worked on during my internship was an article, meal plan, and recipes describing Ghanaian food and culture. This project was important to me because I have always wanted to do things to help promote veganism and healthy eating among the Ghanaian and African communities in the United States. I feel that my work on the project will help Ghanaians find ways to eat their cultural food in a healthy, fulfilling way, as well as anyone else who may want to try it. I collaborated with Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, a dietitian who works with VRG. Working with Reed was amazing as she provided specific, detailed feedback. This project has inspired me to continue sharing vegan resources and recipes with my community.

VRG has also allowed me to gain experience in many aspects such as networking, interviewing, writing articles, and reviewing events and products. The AVA summit was a great vessel for networking and I met many amazing people from around the world. I had the pleasure of interviewing Nancy, an exceptional student who has advocated for vegan foods at her high school, and met a young man from Ghana who is vegan and created a startup company that promotes animal advocacy in Ghana. During the internship I virtually observed a class by Kara Hall, a nutritionist who teaches vegan cooking and nutrition classes at Christopher Place, a residential employment academy for formerly homeless men in Baltimore.

I also conducted an interview with Dr. Peterson, a vegan dietitian and professor at Morgan State University, who I wrote about for a “Vegan Action” entry for Vegan Journal. Nadely, another VRG intern, and I, also had the chance to interview and record each other, describing our internships. I also had the chance to review a vegan pizza product for a Veggie Bit and a vegetarian Indian restaurant for VRG’s email newsletter.

For an exploratory assignment I got the chance to examine starches that are eaten in cultures around the world, and by reading VRG articles I learned about worldwide veganism, how to eat vegan on a budget, traditional, cultural, and religious vegan and vegetarian practices, what “plant-based” really means, and more. It was nice to see the many different vegan recipes that are made in African countries including Morocco, Ethiopia, and South Africa.

The main community health skill that I was able to apply during my internship were forms of qualitative studies. Qualitative studies are usually conducted by interacting with people, and I was able to do so through interviews. I then used the information or “data” I collected from the interviews or my experiences to write articles for the VRG blog.

Some ways in which this internship has shaped my future includes fueling my desire to work with people in communities, and possibly even a nonprofit organization like The VRG. I have been able to see how nonprofits work and how I can find a career in it. I look forward to seeking similar opportunities in the future.

Overall, the people at The VRG are a great, informative, genuine group of people who are passionate about what they do and want to share their passion and knowledge of veganism and vegan resources with the world. It has been a great honor to work with them this summer for my internship.

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

To support VRG internships, donate at vrg.org/donate or join at https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

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

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

I don’t know about you, but tomato season is never long enough for me! Nothing compares to the flavor of a fresh, local tomato, preferably just picked and still warm from the sun. I reluctantly buy an occasional tomato in the winter and am reminded, once again, how these don’t have the taste or texture of summer tomatoes.

So, I accept surplus tomatoes from friends with gardens and, at the farmers market, buy more tomatoes than I could possibly eat. When that glut of tomatoes happens, I have 2 tried and true solutions for easily preserving summer’s tomatoes.

Easy solution Number 1: Cut and freeze

Supplies needed: Cutting board, knife, freezer containers, measuring cup or kitchen scale (optional)

Wash ripe tomatoes. Remove the core, cut into small pieces, place in freezer container and freeze until you need tomatoes. If you freeze 14 ounce portions (a scant 2 cups or use a scale), you can easily use a thawed portion the same way you’d use a 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes. I don’t mind tomato skin or seeds in my dishes but if that’s a concern, you can put tomatoes in boiling water for one minute, transfer them to an ice bath, and then easily remove the tomato skin with your fingers. Cut the peeled tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds with clean fingers or a spoon and then cut into pieces for freezing.

Easy solution Number 2: Oven roast and freeze

Supplies needed: Cutting board, knife, baking sheet, immersion blender or food processor, freezer containers

Wash ripe tomatoes, core, and cut them in half. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, place a clove of garlic in each tomato half, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and/or pepper to taste. Bake at 225 degrees until they are very soft. This could take several hours or longer. Once the tomatoes have baked and cooled, you can put them, the garlic, and any juices left after roasting in a bowl and purée into a sauce with an immersion blender. Alternatively, put roasted tomatoes, garlic, and any juices into a food processor and pulse into a chunky sauce. Freeze in containers of your choice. When thawed, the sauce can be served over pasta or used as the base for a soup or sauce.

I should note that I haven’t tried canning tomatoes. It’s simpler, in my opinion, to freeze them. If canning is something you want to try, be sure to follow proper procedures including ensuring safe acidity by adding bottled lemon juice or citric acid. USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning is a reliable reference for canning tomatoes.

For more tomato ideas see:

What To Do With All Those Tomatoes

Quick and Easy Dishes Featuring Fresh Tomatoes

Tomato Heaven

REMI Vegan Backpack – Purity Matt & Nat Canada

If you’re in the market for a vegan backpack, you’ll be happy to know that there’s a wide variety of stylish vegan backpacks available in the USA, Canada, and Europe.

The French company Arsayo offers backpacks.

Doshi, an American company, makes backpacks for men and women.

Gunas offers backpacks for men and ships internationally from America.

Matt and Nat sells internationally a wide variety of backpacks in several colors.

Pixie Mood ships backpacks to both Canada and the USA.

Norbu Bao Bun

Norbu restaurant in Lancaster, PA clearly marks vegan options on their menu. Enjoy a wide variety of delicious Nepalese and Bhutanese dishes including vegetable momo dumplings, Bao buns, sweet and sticky tofu, shamu datsi (shiitake mushrooms in cheese sauce; request vegan cheese and keep in mind that this dish is spicy), and so much more. They offer specials also.

For more information on this restaurant visit https://norbulancaster.smartonlineorder.com/

If you ever visit Cape May, New Jersey, you may want to try out the vegan ice cream offerings at Fine Fellows Creamery. Located right across the street from the ocean, you can sit outside and enjoy a cup of vegan ice cream (we sampled vegan Caramel-Fudge and Mint Chip; flavors vary each day) or a vegan milkshake.

For more information see https://www.facebook.com/finefellowscreamery/ or https://www.instagram.com/finefellowscreamery/?hl=en

photo from livelovefruit.com

By Chloe Khachadourian and Neha Vivek, VRG interns

If you’re vegan and would like to learn more about unexpected sources of iron, then this article is for you. Read on to find out about our experiences with finding iron in vegan foods, vegan iron sources, the stereotypes about vegans and their iron consumption, and the importance of iron in the human body.

Before writing this article, we went on a scavenger hunt in grocery stores near us to locate vegan food that contained 10% or more of the Daily Value of iron per serving. To do this we looked at the nutrition label of each product and we looked at the serving size of the product and the bottom section of the nutrition label. On almost all of our products this section stated the iron with a number in milligrams, indicating how many milligrams of iron, and a percentage to see how much of the Daily Value for the day the product has (to learn more what Daily Value means, look at this article by the VRG). We were surprised by the variety and type of foods that we were able to find. For example, going into the grocery store, we didn’t think foods like whole wheat spaghetti, pumpkin purée, or cocoa powder had a lot of iron in them, but they do. It was a nice surprise because we love incorporating these foods in some of our weekly meals and desserts that we make and you can find them in most grocery stores. All you have to do is go into a grocery store near you, like Safeway or Whole Foods, and just explore. You will be surprised by the amount of iron that is in some vegan foods.

When people hear that you are vegan they sometimes ask: How do you get enough iron? Many people think of iron exclusively as something found in animal flesh, making it difficult for people to imagine how to get iron in a vegetarian or vegan diet. However, iron is found in plant foods such as leafy greens. Compared to iron found in animal products, of which 5 to 35 percent is absorbed, plant-based iron is less absorbed; roughly 2 to 10 percent is absorbed (1). Absorption of the form of iron found in plant foods can be increased by eating a food rich in vitamin C such as oranges or tomatoes along with the food supplying iron. It is important for those that eat animal products and for vegans to consume iron-rich foods to prevent iron deficiency.

Vegan Food and Meals with 10% of or more of the Daily Value for Iron (Most to Least):

 Variety of Vegan Foods with Iron

If you’re looking for new inspiration for vegan food and meals with a good amount of iron in them, then this section is perfect for you.

• Legumes: Legumes are an amazing food. They contain lots of protein, fiber and you guessed it, iron. Some examples are lentils, chickpeas, dried beans, and soybeans. You can make a variety of meals using these foods and they are so healthy for you.
• Grains and Cereals: Do you like to eat oatmeal in the morning? If you do, then you’re starting your day well. Oats, quinoa, and most fortified cereals have a good amount of iron in them, so eat away.
• Nuts and Seeds: Nuts and seeds are good sources of iron and there are so many options to choose from such as pistachios, almonds, cashews, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, and hemp seeds.
• Vegetables: Many vegetables including spinach, kale, and broccoli are good sources of iron.
• Dried Fruits: Dried fruits are another great food to eat and they almost taste like candy. Some dried fruits that supply iron are dried apricots, prunes, and raisins.

Importance of Iron

Iron is found in a protein in red blood cells called hemoglobin. Hemoglobin transports oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. However, oxygen transport isn’t the only function iron has in the human body. Other important functions of iron include:

1. Energy production
2. Immune function
3. Brain function
4. Cellular function

If humans don’t have enough iron, negative health effects can occur such as decreased oxygen delivery to the entire body. This lack of oxygen transportation can lead to other negative health effects such as:

• Fatigue and weakness
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Shortness of breath
• Problems with concentration

The takeaway from all of this is that iron is an important mineral that we need to make sure we have enough of.

Reference

1. Monsen ER. Iron nutrition and absorption: dietary factors which impact iron bioavailability. J Am Diet Assoc. 1988;88(7):786-790.

For more information about iron see these other articles by the VRG:
https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.php

https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2023issue1/2023_issue1_foods_high_in_iron.php

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.

How often have you wanted to make a gift in honor of a loved one or friend but weren’t sure which charities are vegan-friendly, pro-environmental, or pro-animal rights? Please remember The Vegetarian Resource Group. You can make a gift in memory of a loved one or as a living tribute to honor someone you care about on a special occasion, such as a wedding or birth. We’ll send an acknowledgment to you and to the recipient(s) you choose. Your gift will support educational programs and help promote veganism.

Donate at vrg.org/donate or make checks payable to The Vegetarian Resource Group and mail to PO Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

Vegan Pecan Pie French Toast

Green Eggs Café in Ocean City, NJ, serves up several vegan breakfast dishes that are fantastic. Enjoy Vegan Pecan Pie French Toast; Vegan French Toast; Tofu Scramble, Vegan Breakfast Enchilada; Avocado Toast Platter; or a Veggie Burger. Portion sizes were generous and outdoor seating is available. What can beat a wonderful vegan breakfast not far from a boardwalk and beach?

For more information visit https://www.greeneggscafe.com/

photo from Bloom Kitchen & Co.

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:

Bloom Kitchen & Co., 300 Oxford Rd., Unit 200, Oxford, CT 06478

Their aim is to serve vegan food that is convenient and delicious. Slider choices are Florentine Grilled Cheese Slider with Cheddar, spinach, tomato, and fresh pesto; grilled Hot Dog Slider with sauerkraut and smoky relish; crispy Chick’n & Waffle Slider with maple syrup; Portabella Mushroom; Burger Slider featuring red pepper, pesto, and spinach on ciabatta; Farmers Market Slider with grilled squash, tomato, and pesto on a crusty roll; and many more. There are Classic Cheese, Margherita Pizzas, and more. Fry Baskets include Crispy Chick’n Tenders and also Golden Fishless Filet & Fry Basket with fries, slaw, and tartar sauce. Bloom Bowls include Caesar and Southwest Salads. Latin Inspired Handhelds offer cheddar Quesadillas with guacamole and salsa; Loaded Southwestern Nachos with black beans, queso sauce, and salsa; cheddar Burrito; or Rice and Bean Bowl–both with brown rice, black beans, and Pico de Gallo. Kid’s Korner offers Grilled Cheese, Cheeseburger Sliders, or Chick’n Tenders. Side selections are Regular or Sweet Potato fries, Onion Rings, Mac and Cheese, fried Sweet Plantains, or Garden Salad. Desserts include Milkshakes or Ice Cream Cups made with your choice of oat-milk or coconut cream base and chocolate or vanilla flavor, Brownies, Jumbo Cookies, and rotating Specials. Note they also have a drive thru!

Stephanie’s Vegan Bakery and Café, 1436 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

Menus don’t get much more diverse than at Stephanie’s Vegan Bakery and Café. There are several Mexican-inspired items, such as tacos, quesadillas, and empanadas (all featuring plant-based “meats” and “cheeses”), as well as wraps, salads, and vegetable soup. For breakfast, there’s a variety of burritos, bagels, and toasts with plant-based “eggs.” There’s even a signature sushi roll! Then there’s the bakery: breads, cakes, and assorted pastries galore to delight the palette. Located not far from Hugh Taylor Birch State Park.

The Plantisserie, 7316 NE 2nd Ave., Miami, FL 33138

The Plantisserie’s eclectic cuisine includes Latin American, Thai, Indian, French and Italian cuisine. They proudly proclaim their use of organic ingredients and many dishes are gluten-free. Food is buffet style and priced by weight, unless you order on their website where individual Main portions are available. Breakfast offers Carrot Lox Bagel with organic homemade cashew cream cheese, everything bagel, marinated smoke carrots, dill, red onion, capers, and lemon as well as Tropical Overnight Oats (GF) with organic oats, chia seeds, pineapple, apples, nuts, oat milk, shredded coconut, and mixed nut butter to note a couple of options. Some Sandwich selections include Provence Sandwich featuring kale, cornichons, Pate Faux Gras (Lentils and Mushrooms) and aioli, as well as Tuscany Sandwich of roasted zucchini, squashes, spinach, tomatoes, and pesto. There are all sorts of Salads too. Have fun with their abundant list of imaginative Mains! Quinoa Fungi Risotto (GF) showcases cremini mushrooms with a seasoned coconut cream base. Veggies Coconut Curry (GF) offers broccoli, carrots, onions, garlic, ginger, coconut milk, jalapeño, and shredded coconut. There’s also, Jackfruit Ropa Vieja with Black Beans, seasoned Lentil Meatballs with Puttanesca Sauce (GF) both with Basmati rice as well as Chickpeas Masala, Green Curry Potatoes, and more! Two more of their popular dishes are Lasagna (GF) *No Pasta crafted with almond ricotta, eggplant, zucchini, onions, garlic, tomatoes, capers and Kalamata olives and Shepherd’s Pie (GF) featuring Beyond Meat crumbles, potatoes, raisins, olives, and more. Hope you’re not full because there are happier decisions to be made and Desserts to be savored! Besides Banana Bread, Carrot Cake, Brownies, and Cookies, some of the treats by Pamela Wasabi are Tiramisu Slide with GF double chocolate cookie crust, cold-brew, cognac, cacao, and more. Or, smile and say “Cheese” for her GF Guanabana and Strawberry, or Passion Fruit Cheesecake Slides. Creations by Raw Chef Carla include: GF Raw Chocolate Hazelnut Tart, GF Raw Matcha Donut, GF Raw Twix Bar made with sprouted buckwheat, all sweetened with maple syrup and dates. Home Sweet Earth offers Vegan Alfajor de Dulce de Leche—Dulce de Leche sandwiched between shortbread cookies.

The Veggie, 7504 Hwy. 72 W. A5, Madison, AL 35758

Vegan southern cuisine with a variety of dishes. Try The Cluckster or the Smoky Impossible Bowl!

Vegan and Vine, 502 E. Thunderbird Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85022

This family-owned restaurant is located in the Moon Valley area. They offer indoor and outdoor seating with a shaded, pet-friendly patio. Besides their regular menu, Brunch is available Saturdays and Sundays. Savory options include an innovative twist on Avocado Toast combining radish, apple, cucumber, and black sesame seed. Chilaquiles feature house made tortilla chips, salsa, black beans, tofu scramble, avocado, and crema. There are also house-made Biscuits and Gravy, Breakfast Pizza, Tofu Scrambles with veggies, and beans for Kids and Adults, Kids Pancakes, and more. Sweet selections are Yogurt Parfait with berries and Granola, Berry Pancakes, powdered sugar Beignets with berries and chocolate ganache, Crème Brulee, (coconut milk-based) with fresh berries and Apple Protein Bowl with peanut butter, chocolate chips and shredded coconut. Small Plates include Hearts of Palm Ceviche marinated in cilantro and lime, with house-made chips, Crispy Cauliflower, deep-fried, with buffalo sauce, house ranch, house gorgonzola, and celery and carrot shavings, or sautéed, chili-sauced, Spicy Garlic Edamame to note a few. Some Sides to Share are Brussels Sprouts with garlic, shallots and balsamic glaze, Mac & Cheese featuring Penne, edamame, and house made cheese sauce, or Wild Mushrooms in a seasoned, sautéed mix with vegan butter. There are also various Fries, Soups, and Chili. Salads include Waldorf, Caesar and others. Some Sandwich possibilities are Portobello Sandwich with roasted red peppers, truffle aioli, and mixed greens, Cheeseburger, Veggie Sandwich with hummus, and more. Entrees include Tacos and Pizzas, such as Margherita, Supreme and others. For Kids, there’s Baked Mac N Cheese, Chicken Tenders, Vegan Quesadilla, etc. Desserts include the sweet brunch items plus Bakers’ choice of Cookies and Cupcakes. The Market offers Prepared “Grab and Go” Vegan foods, vegan wine and fresh pressed juices.

Vujee Vegan, 4701 Meridian St. N, Huntsville, AL 35811

One of the restaurants located inside the Fountain, a collective shop containing multiple restaurants near Alabama A&M University, Vujee Vegan serves up veganized versions of classic comfort food. If you stop by, make sure to try Nashville Hot Chick’n Sandwich and their waffle fries with the secret sauce! They are also active on Instagram @vujee_vegan