photo from Loyola University Maryland

By Danielle Choma, VRG Intern

Loyola University of Maryland is overall a small university compared to most other universities. Due to its small size, there are a limited number of dining options available to students on campus. However, in total, there are three dining halls along with two markets, and five restaurants. For the size of Loyola’s campus, this is a great amount of food options for their students. Now let’s dive into the vegan options that are available throughout these choices.

In “Boulder,” one of the main dining halls on campus, there is always an allergy-safe zone meal option. Here students can find vegan options that rotate daily. In addition, there is a sandwich station in “Boulder”. One can find two different types of vegan “meat.” There is a vegan ‘chicken cutlet,’ as well as vegan sliced ‘cold cuts’ available to make a sandwich. There is also a salad bar with many options, such as spinach, romaine, mixed greens, peppers, tomatoes, seeds, chickpeas, carrots, etc.

In “Iggy’s, the second main dining hall on campus, there are also similar options. This dining hall is located on the opposite side of campus. There is the same sandwich station, as well as a pizza station that has vegan cauliflower crusts and vegan cheese options. They also have an allergy-safe zone at Iggy’s with rotating meals each day and throughout the week. One vegan breakfast option is vegan eggs with vegan plant-based meat.

Then there is “Boulder 2.0,” which is located above “Boulder”. In Boulder 2.0, students can find an extravagant salad bar with more options than the salad bar in Boulder. Some of the extra options include grilled vegetables, chia seeds, etc. In addition, Boulder 2.0 carries vegan soups that are available different days of the week. There is also a hot station in Boulder 2.0 called “bravissimo”. Here students can find hot prepared lunches or dinners with vegan and vegetarian options.

The restaurants on campus include, “Green & Grey Café,” Starbucks, “Choolah,” “Green Peel,” and “Fresh West.” Green & Grey Café serves coffees, teas, juices, fruits, bakery items, and small sandwiches. One of their vegan sandwiches is hummus-based with vegetables on top, with a choice of vegan cheese. Starbucks can make vegan drinks from juices and teas, to chai and coffees. Choolah is an Indian restaurant where students can get rice, choice of tikka sauce, chickpea masala, or yellow lentil dal masala, all vegan, and then can add a vegan samosa. Green Peel serves smoothies and acai bowls, which are all vegan as well. Fresh West is a Mexican place where students can get wraps or bowls with their choice of fillings. Vegan options would include rice, beans, and vegetables.

To see options at other colleges, see https://www.vrg.org/teen/#college

Chef Nancy Berkoff says, “Cabbage, cilantro, parsley, Swiss chard, green peppers, chilies, leeks, scallions and chives, snow peas, petit pois (young green peas), spinach, kale, collards, mustard and beet greens, romaine, and endive are some of the greenery we can use to brighten our spring menu!” She offers these recipes: Fennel Salad; Green Pea MockaGuacamole; Smoky Collards; Grilled Romaine Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing; and Vinegary Green Beans with Dill.

Read the entire article along with her recipes here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2013issue1/2013_issue1_early_spring_greens.php

Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only here: https://www.vrg.org/member/cabdacae.php

photo from Siete

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: 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:

Benaras Vegan Restaurant, 10532 82 Ave. NW, Edmonton, AB T6E 2A4 Canada

Benaras Vegan Restaurant has a plethora of vegan options for you to try. From delicious, protein packed vegan burgers to veggie-filled entrees, there’s a healthy vegan option for everyone! Interested in trying poutine? Benaras has a vegan option for that too.

Bliss Kitchen, 312 Dundas St. E., Waterdown, ON L0R 2H0, Canada

Everything here is vegan! Their cakes are based on flavors like Twix bars, chocolate chip cookie dough, caramel apple, tiramisu, and key lime. They also offer a roasted veggie sandwich and various salads, along with smoothies and lattes consisting of unique fruit and herbal combinations.

Frescura Vegan Kitchen, Reparto Industrial Correa, Lote #24, Bayamón PR 00962

Come dine in at Frescura Vegan Kitchen where all the lush greenery decor and forest green aesthetic is sure to keep you company! They have a variety of bowls, wraps and quesadillas, their so-called “Vburgers,” tostadas and sandwiches, ensaladas (salads), and sopas (soups). Some of their popular items include their Chickin Mexican bowl, Vegan Quesadillas, Jibarito Wrap, and Panchito Chickin Vburger. Plus, they have tasty looking coffee, espresso, super lattes, and batidas (traditional Latin American fruit drink). If in Puerto Rico, you have to try bizcochos, a traditional cake, and luckily for you, Frecura Vegan Kitchen has it too!

Gaias Garden Café, 695 100 W. St., St. George, UT 84770

Serves vegan dishes such as nachos with a heaping tray of tortilla chips, velvety cheese, black beans, corn, red and green pepper, green onion, jalapeños, cilantro, and house-made pico. They also have a Hummus Plate with creamy house made hummus, stuffed grape leaves, pita, cucumbers, carrots, radish, and Greek olives.

Janelle’s Vegan Kitchen, 10 Lawrence St., Amherst, NS B4H 3G5, Canada

Janelle’s Vegan Kitchen offers ginger noodle stir-fry with bell peppers, broccoli, bean sprouts, plant-based ginger ‘meat’, and rice noodles. They also serve lemongrass Chik’n stir-fry and sweet and sour tofu. You’ll also find wraps available such as a falafel wrap or a spicy tofu wrap.

Kernel, 315 Park Ave. S., New York City, NY 10010

Must order online and pick up at the location. Serves sandwiches, veggies, salads, sweets, sauces, and drinks. Sample dishes include: Kernel Salad – kale, radicchio, savoy cabbage, chickpeas, and signature Kernel dressing; Crunchy Cucumbers – wild rice, basil, cilantro, mint, chili jam, cashews; Roasted Carrots – farro, roasted dates, spiced almonds, salsa verde (avocado, herbs, and chili); Marinated Beets – quinoa, super-seed crunch, and green hummus; Kernel Burger – roasted veggie patty (sweet potato, quinoa, and chickpeas) with salsa verde and pickled onions on a toasted brioche bun; and Crispy Chicken Sandwich – crispy cutlet with classic slaw, pickles, chipotle mayo on toasted brioche bun. Desserts are Chocolate Chunk Cookie and Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookie.

Siete, 37 W. 19th St., New York, NY 10010

Vegan Mexican Plant-Based Cuisine including tacos, ceviches, shared plates, entrées, desserts, and crafted cocktails. Bar features extensive collection of premium tequilas and mezcals as well as cocktails highlighting agave spirits. Appetizers include Salsa Trio – chips de Malanga, charred tomatillo and nopales, mango habanero, and grilled salsa fresca; Escabeche – pickled purple cauliflower, mango, shallot, red jalapeño, grilled nopales, chayote; entrees include “Beef” Taquitos – charred guajillo salsa, avocado mousse, queso fresco; Champinones Fritos – king oyster mushroom, toasted chipotle sauce, avocado mousse, crema; various tacos; Grilled “Chicken” Enchiladas – lime marinated chicken, flour tortilla, salsa verde, crema, avocado, cotija, pickled onion; Chile Relleno – fire roasted poblano, braised “beef,” sinaloa rice, queso fresco, tortilla-tomato sauce, avocado, crema, pomegranate; various vegan desserts including Lime Carlota – vanilla crust, cashew lime cream, condensed coconut milk, lime gelee, vanilla wafer crumble.

Toasty Food Truck, 536 NW Arizona Ave., Bend, OR 97701

One of their most loved items is their nacho crunchwrap. They also have burritos and wraps, salads and bowls, and even a kid-friendly menu. They pride themselves in only using fresh ingredients.

As people age their dietary needs change. Here’s a Vegan Menu for Adults 50+ with various caloric needs: https://www.vrg.org/seniors/veganmenusfor51+.pdf

photo from Cascabel

By Sundari Maharajh, VRG Intern

With vegan food growing in popularity, there is a lot more variety of options for plant-based eaters around the country. However, each area or even state has its own regional foods. Being from Houston, Texas, we have a strong Mexican influence on all our food choices due to close proximity to Mexico. This means there is an array of authentic vegan Mexican restaurants throughout Houston such as Cascabel. The south is also home to soul food, which has sparked the start of many vegan soul food restaurants around Texas. To explore the differences between Texas vegan food and East Coast vegan food I contacted several vegans from both regions for their insights.

One responder, Nadely Y. Requena, relayed my experiences with Texas vegan food typically being Tex-Mex or southern food like fried chicken, briskets, biscuits, etc. She also said that a big difference is the authenticity of the ethnic vegan food in the south, and that many Latinos started their vegan businesses around the Latino food and culture they grew up with. She then said that the classic southern dishes/soul food such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes would be hard to find made as well or as authentically outside of the south.

Hearing from an east coaster perspective, Danielle Choma from northwestern New Jersey said she has no local vegan restaurants in her rural area. She cooks most of her vegan food homemade, or finds veggie options at her local places such as Chipotle. Danielle said however, when she visits Baltimore, the city has way more restaurants with vegan options for her. She mentioned Golden West Café, which serves an array of vegan sandwiches, tacos, and breakfast foods, all from a variety of different cultures, as a favorite of hers. She touched on a similar point that Nadely mentioned, that it is much easier to find vegan food in cities rather than small towns or suburbs. This seems to be a shared quality of the two regions, both having more concentration of vegan restaurants in cities rather than outside of the urban centers.

Noelle Merveilleux who has lived in both the East coast and the South said the main quality of Southern vegan restaurants is that they are either focused on serving vegan health food or serving comfort food. I do relate to her experience with vegan restaurants in the South a lot. While there are many comfort options to choose from like Tex-Mex and soul food, a lot of vegan food spots aim for a healthier approach with food options like raw vegan food, juice bars, etc.

Looking at the VRG restaurant guide, I noticed a wide variety of dishes in both Southern and Eastern Coast restaurants. Both regions offer a range of vegan ethnic food restaurants including many vegan Mexican restaurants located on the East Coast despite my initial impression that vegan Mexican restaurants would be more common in the south. In that same breath, both regions also both have many health food focused vegan restaurants. This narrows the vast regional difference I initially thought there was.

Ultimately, whether indulging in hearty comfort dishes or embracing healthier alternatives, the growing popularity of veganism across the United States continues to inspire new innovations in plant-based dining. It is a joy to see all the different options from region to region as it demonstrates how far vegan food has expanded that we now have regional differences and varieties. While there are still ways to go, particularly in adding vegan restaurants and food options in rural areas, this is still a step towards a more sustainable and humane future, one delicious meal at a time.

To explore the various vegan options in your area, visit https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

The Vegetarian Resource Group has a graphic called Burrito on My Plate, which shows viewers the water footprint of a vegan versus a meat-based burrito. It takes 225 gallons of water to make a vegan burrito without tofu and 253 gallons of water to make a vegan burrito with tofu. In comparison, it takes 541 gallons of water to make a beef burrito.

The Burrito on My Plate Graphic can be seen here: https://www.vrg.org/environment/BurritoOnMyPlate.pdf

The article detailing how we came up with the numbers of gallons of water needed to produce each type of burrito can be found here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2017issue2/2017_issue2_burrito_plate.php

Cierra Peterlin shares vegan recipes utilizing foods that would otherwise go to waste. She says, “These ideas are meant to provide a quick view of what it could look like to eat in a way that is conscious of food waste each day.” Some of the recipes include Stale Bread French Toast, Celery Leaf Salad, Potato Soup, Wrinkly Pepper Fajitas, Banana Peel Tacos, and more. See: https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/vegan-zero-waste-recipe-ideas.pdf

By Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD

So, perhaps some of your residents have requested vegan menus at your facility. Easy-peasy! Look at your menu and think which items on today’s menu don’t have meat, eggs, or dairy and build a vegan menu from there. For example, if you are serving pancakes, using a non-dairy pancake batter (US Foods, Smart and Final and Sysco have these), your vegan residents can enjoy these along with maple syrup and sliced bananas. Making omelets for your omnivore residents? Grill or sauté your mushroom, pepper, and onion filling then set aside some for your vegan residents. Vegans can have the cooked mushroom/pepper/onion filling with hash browns, half a baked potato, or corn tortillas.

Think about “building” salads and entrées without meat, dairy, or eggs and set these aside for your vegan residents. For example, if you are creating a macaroni casserole, cook and combine the macaroni, pea or veggies, then add some vegan margarine, and set aside to bake for your vegan residents. (You would then add other items and complete your omnivore preparations.) Preparing burritos? Create your cooked beans, tomatoes, onion, potatoes, and peppers filling and set aside for your vegan residents (and then you might add other items for your omnivores). Of course, if you have access to vegan meat alternatives and/or vegan cheese you could add these to your dishes.

If you have only one or two vegan requests, you can easily locate vegan canned soups, such as some Campbell’s Well Yes! (See: www.campbells.com/well-yes/vegan-soups), Amy’s, or Pacific Foods brands, as well as frozen veggie burgers. You can rotate these when your regular menu does not easily adapt for your vegan residents. Frozen veggie burgers can be served as a “stacked” burger (romaine or spinach, sliced tomatoes, pickles, shredded carrots, diced onions, relish, etc), crumbled and used for tomato “meat sauce,” or as the “meat” for casseroles, chili, or soups.

Here are just some of the items you probably make on a regular basis for everyone… and vegan residents can join in as well:

BREAKFAST

Hot cereal (leave out the butter and milk); fresh or frozen (thawed) fruit; dried apricots, apples, cranberries, and prunes; toast (with vegan margarine and fruit preserves); pancakes made from Bisquick (or equivalent, without added eggs or milk) served with maple syrup; and baked apples. (Always read current ingredients on products.)

Try baked oatmeal for a make-ahead breakfast or hot dessert. Spray a baking pan with vegetable oil and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together equal amounts of oatmeal and boiling water, and allow mixture to sit for about ten minutes, until oatmeal begins to soften. Add small amounts of chopped apples, raisins, or chopped canned peaches (or a combination), sliced ripe bananas, cinnamon, ginger, and maple syrup and bake until “set,” about 30 minutes. Serve warm as a breakfast casserole or dessert or chilled as a dessert.

LUNCH AND DINNER

Vegetable soup, split pea, navy bean, or lentil soup (prepared without meat), tomato soup, chili beans (prepared without meat), spinach salad, romaine salad, mixed greens salad, fresh tomato and cucumber salad, four bean salad (made with four types of canned beans, chopped onions, oil, and vinegar), fresh mixed fruit salad, fresh grapes, cooked rice or cooked grains (without chicken or beef stock or butter), cooked pasta, baked, steamed or roasted potatoes, baked sweet potatoes.

FOOD STORAGE AREAS

Your food storage areas most probably already contain many vegan items; no need to budget or shop “especially” for vegans:

IN THE PANTRY: canned fruit (in juice), unsweetened applesauce, canned pie filling, canned pumpkin, peanut butter, almond butter, nuts, dried fruit, dry pasta, rice, barley, quinoa, couscous, corn meal, canned beans and lentils, dried beans, split peas and lentils, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, canned vegetables, canned mushrooms, some canned soups (review the labels for meat or dairy ingredients), vegetable oils and vegetable oil spray, tomato sauce (review label for meat or dairy ingredients), vegetable base (rather than beef or chicken), Shredded Wheat, hot cereals,  Bisquick, pancake mixes (review for dairy or egg ingredients), maple syrup, graham crackers (without honey), some cake mixes (check for egg or dairy ingredients), Ocean Spray cranberry sauce (check other brands, may contain gelatin), pudding mixes (can be made with soy or almond milk), shelf-stable (doesn’t need refrigeration) soy, oat, or almond milk

IN THE REFRIGERATOR: many breads (check for egg or dairy), corn tortillas, fresh fruits and vegetables, hummus, prepared mustard, pickles, olives, relish, ready-to-serve polenta, vegan margarine (check for dairy ingredients)

IN THE FREEZER: frozen pie crusts (check for dairy or egg ingredients or lard), frozen fruit (without sugar), frozen vegetables (without sauce), frozen hash browns and other potato products, sorbet (not sherbet, which has dairy)

Be sure to work with your purveyors for easy-to-prepare vegan entrées:

US Foods has some reasonably priced plant-based proteins: usfoods.com/great-food/featured-products/meat-substitutes.html

Sysco has veggie options, such as veggie meatballs: foodie.sysco.com/simply

Smart and Final and Costco have many vegan canned and frozen items, varying from store to store.

SOME FAST VEGAN IDEAS

Always talk to the resident about their specific needs and ingredient concerns.

BREAKFAST:

– hot cereal with maple syrup, toast with margarine, nut butter, sliced banana

– grilled or baked hash browns, sliced tomatoes or salsa, fresh or frozen berries

LUNCH:

– two bean taco or burrito with shredded romaine and chopped tomatoes, pudding made with almond or soy milk

– split pea or lentil soup

– baked sweet potato with crushed pineapple, raisins

SNACK:

– baked apple with chopped dried fruit

– hummus (or puréed bean dip) with toast or pretzels

– popcorn and orange slices

DINNER:

-sliced mushrooms served over pasta or rice, spinach salad or steamed spinach, sliced peaches

– baked potato topped with white beans and steamed veggies, seasoned carrots, sliced pears with cherries

– lentil stew (lentil soup with steamed potatoes, chopped tomatoes, mixed veggies), bread sticks or cut corn, applesauce with cinnamon

For information on serving larger quantities, bulk recipes, and beyond basic changes, see:

VRG VEGAN FOODSERVICE INFORMATION www.vrg.org/fsupdate/index.htm

Vegan in Volume by Chef Nancy Berkoff, RD: www.vrg.org/blog/2020/01/09/share-vegan-in-volume-with-local-restaurants-campus-dining-services-senior-housing-settings-hospitals-etc-6/

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.

By Neha Vivek, VRG Intern

One day in my 8-year-old life, I came home and told my parents I no longer wanted to eat meat, and was switching to a vegetarian diet. While my parents undoubtedly thought this was a phase, our culture’s general acceptance of vegetarian food meant they were well-prepared to support me. However, for many families, this transition may be worrisome, factoring in growing children’s nutritional needs while accommodating their changing taste buds.

The main goal with children is to appeal to their likes, making vegetarian food comforting and exciting rather than scary and dreadful. An excellent way to do this is by making vegan versions of foods they already like and getting the kids involved with the cooking with simple tasks like mixing ingredients.

A fail-safe recipe to start with is Chocolate Chip Pancakes. For the past few years, my family has stopped using eggs in our household, and during the pandemic, this meant we had to learn how to make eggless versions of our favorites, starting with pancakes! We developed our family recipe for eggless chocolate chip pancakes, making it a Sunday morning habit! For both my sister and I to this day, we both wake up excited for chocolate chip pancakes on Sunday, and I’m sure other kids will find the recipe just as good, especially since chocolate chip pancakes are a comfort food for many kids. To get your kids involved, you can have them measure the ingredients, such as flour and cocoa powder, mix, and allow them to put chocolate chips in the pancake batter to feel involved in the process.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Servings: 10-12 medium pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon organic sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup plant milk (ex: almond milk, soymilk, or oat milk)

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons vegan butter/margarine

1 cup vegan chocolate chips (or as many as desired)

Procedure:

Whisk together the dry ingredients.

In a liquid measuring cup, measure 1 cup of milk. To that, add the vegetable oil, water, and vanilla extract.

Stir in the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Refrain from over-mixing. Lumps are perfectly fine. Set aside for a couple of minutes.

Heat a skillet at medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the vegan butter and let it melt. Add the melted butter to the pancake batter and return the pan to the stove. Mix the butter into the batter.

When the pan is hot enough, pour a ladleful of batter on the pan for each pancake. Top with chocolate chips and cook until bubbles appear on the face of the pancake.

Carefully flip the pancake and cook until it’s golden brown.

Also, if your child is a pasta lover, a good recipe to try is spaghetti and meatballs (without the meat!) and marinara sauce. In that case, they can still eat the recipes they love and are used to without eating meat. After they get used to the pasta, they can branch out to other sauces, such as Roasted Vegetable Pasta, which is something I came up with to get my sister to eat more vegetables. This is listed below!

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

2 carrots, chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 ounces dried whole-wheat or gluten-free pasta

½ cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ cup water

Freshly ground black pepper

 Procedure:

The great thing about this recipe is that it’s easy to modify based on the vegetables you have in the fridge! First, chop your vegetables and place them in an air fryer or oven till they are roasting.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large saucepan according to package directions. Drain. Rinse with cool water. Drain again. Return to the saucepan.

Transfer the roasted vegetable mixture to a blender. Add the nutritional yeast, salt, Italian seasoning, and ½ cup water. Blend for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Top the pasta with the desired amount of sauce and toss to coat. Season with pepper.

The great thing about a vegan diet is that it allows for diversity and exploring other cuisines. While staying in your children’s comfort zone is good, don’t be afraid to branch out and introduce them to different foods from different cultures. For me, this meant branching out to another recipe that I have loved, noodles, and trying my best to make them from scratch. Below I listed my personal Vegan Noodles recipe!

Vegan Noodles

Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

1 block extra-firm tofu (8 ounces yields ~1 cup)

1 cup packaged vegan noodles

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chopped green onion

½ cup peas

2 carrots

1 bell pepper

Optional: crushed peanuts or cashews

SAUCE

3 Tablespoons soy sauce (or to taste)

1 heaping Tablespoon Gochujang (a red chili paste)

1 Tablespoon organic brown sugar or maple syrup

1 Tablespoon Hoison sauce

1-2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional, or substitute peanut or avocado oil)

Water to dilute the sauce

Optional: peanut butter

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or lightly grease it with non-stick spray).

In the meantime, wrap tofu in a clean, absorbent towel and set something heavy on top (such as a cast iron skillet) to press out the liquid.

Once the oven is preheated, dice tofu into ¼-inch cubes and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for 26-30 minutes. You’re looking for golden brown edges and a firm texture to the touch. The longer it bakes, the firmer and crispier the tofu will become. If you’re looking for softer tofu, remove it from the oven around the 26-28 minute mark. I prefer crispy tofu, so I bake mine for 30 minutes. Set aside.

While the tofu bakes, prepare your noodles by bringing water to a boil in a large pot, adding the noodles to the boiled water, and boiling until the noodles are soft.

While cooking the noodles and tofu, prepare the sauce by placing all the sauce ingredients into a medium-size mixing bowl and whisking to combine. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more tamari or soy sauce for saltiness, peanut butter for creaminess, brown sugar for sweetness, or chili garlic sauce for heat.

Once the tofu is done baking, add directly to the sauce and marinate for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Heat a large metal or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, use a slotted spoon to scoop the tofu into the pan, leaving most of the sauce behind. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown on all sides. Lower heat if browning too quickly. Remove from pan and set aside. Add garlic, green onion, peas, and carrots to the still-hot pan. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, and season with tamari or soy sauce, to taste.

Add cooked noodles, tofu, and remaining sauce and stir. Cook over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Serve immediately with extra chili garlic sauce or sriracha for heat (optional). Crushed salted, roasted peanuts or cashews make a lovely additional garnish. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, though best when fresh. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave.

While introducing your child to vegan food can feel like a daunting experience, remember to keep it simple at first and focus on what your child enjoys. By incorporating familiar flavors and dishes into their meals, you can make the transition smoother and more enjoyable for them.

Children are also often more receptive to new foods when they’re involved in the cooking process. By encouraging them to help measure ingredients, stir the batter, or even pick out vegetables at the store, you can get them more excited about the new foods they are making and trying.

Finally, make sure to have fun with it. Trying new diets and meals is supposed to be a fun and interesting experience. It’s important to keep experimenting to find what is best for your child and to keep on learning about what they love in the versatile vegan cuisine, from plant-based meat alternatives to different cuisines. As your child grows and develops their palate, continue to introduce them to new flavors and ingredients. Encourage them to be curious, adventurous, and open-minded about trying new foods from different cultures and cuisines. Who knows? They might discover a newfound love for a dish they never thought they’d enjoy. Embrace the journey, celebrate the small victories, and enjoy the delicious meals. Happy cooking!

For more kids’ recipes, see https://www.vrg.org/teen/#plans

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

Passover begins the evening of April 22, 2024 this year and The Vegetarian Resource Group is the publisher of several books that feature vegan Passover recipes. Below we share three recipes with you. In the USA, you can purchase these vegan cookbooks from the VRG Book Catalog here: http://www.vrg.org/catalog

Fresh Tomato Soup (from No Cholesterol Passover Recipes, by Debra Wasserman)

(Serves 4)

1 large onion, chopped

5 small ripe tomatoes, chopped

1-1/2 cups water

½ teaspoon fresh parsley, minced

Pepper and salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes and then cool. Place mixture in a blender cup and blend until creamy. Reheat and serve hot.

Minted Carrots with Chilies (from Vegan Passover Recipes, by Nancy Berkoff)

(Serves 4-5)

1-1/2 cups sliced onions

Vegetable oil spray

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger

2 Tablespoons seeded and minced fresh chilies or green pepper

1-1/4 pounds carrots (about 3-1/2 cups), peeled and sliced lengthwise 1-inch thick

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Place onions in a large frying pan, spray liberally with vegetable oil, and sauté over medium heat until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and chilies and stir. Allow to cook for 1 minute.

Add carrots and add enough water to just cover. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Add mint, cook for 2 more minutes. Serve hot.

Russian Potato and Mushroom Croquettes (from The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook, by Debra Wasserman)

(Serves 5)

1-1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped

5 cups water

1 onion, peeled and chopped

¼ pound mushrooms

1 teaspoon oil

1 Tablespoon water

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup matzo meal

1 Tablespoon oil

Boil potatoes in 5 cups water until tender. Drain and mash potatoes.

In a separate pan, sauté onion and mushrooms in 1 teaspoon oil and 1 Tablespoon water over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Mix the mashed potatoes, sautéed onion and mushrooms, seasonings, and matzo meal together in a large bowl. Form 10 burgers (croquettes).

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry croquettes for 8 minutes, flip over and continue frying for another 8 minutes. Serve two croquettes per person.

Don’t forget, you can purchase these vegan cookbooks from the VRG Book Catalog here: http://www.vrg.org/catalog