photo from Oleum Kitchen

Maryland Vegan Restaurant Month is being held now through March 30, 2025. During this month, restaurants will be offering vegan specials and there’s also several special events. For more information, see: https://www.mdveganeats.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/mdveganeats/?hl=en

Mushroom Bourguignon photo by Hannah Kaminsky

Who doesn’t enjoy comfort food? In the latest issue of Vegan Journal, Amber Murtoff shares vegan recipes for Butterbean Cacio e Pepe Risotto; Sticky Ginger BBQ Bao Buns & Everything Bagel-Spiced Edamame; White Winter Focaccia Pizza; Butternut Squash Gnocchi; Mushroom Bourguignon; and Cozy Glow Bowl.

Find her recipes here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue1/2025_issue1_comfort_food.php

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

photo from Community Goods

Community Goods puts the planet first by using entirely compostable packaging and sustainable, eco-friendly, and still effective ingredients in their shampoo bars and conditioners. Read our review of their products in Vegan Journal: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue1/2025_issue1_veggie_bits.php

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

photo from iStock

Spring has arrived in the USA and now is the time to prepare meals with seasonal ingredients. 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!” In her previous Vegan Journal article Cooking with Early Spring Greens you’ll find recipes for Fennel Salad, Green Pea Mockaguacamole, Spring Greens and Lentil Sauté, Smoky Collards, Grilled Romaine Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing, and Vinegary Green Beans with Dill.

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA, see: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

Vegan Journal editors discuss the question “Are You Biased Against Veganism?” in the latest issue of our magazine. Perhaps when you are speaking to others about veganism, you too may be biased and unaware that the way you speak may discourage others from becoming vegan.

Read the Note from the Journal Editors here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue1/2025_issue1_note_editors.php

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

Vegan in Volume is published by The Vegetarian Resource Group and has been greatly received by people working in the food service sector, as well as those that enjoy throwing parties in their own home or simply cooking in volume. This book by Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD offers 125 vegan recipes serving 25. It also offers a lot of helpful advice including A Fast Course in Vegan Nutrition, The Mechanics of the Operation, Food Safety Pointers, and a section on Vegan Ingredients.

The quantity recipes greatly vary depending on the audience you’ll be serving. Nancy includes recipes for breakfast such as Lots of Grains Pancakes and Peachy Keen Breakfast Crumble. A section for kids serves up Squiggly Noodles and “Not-Meatballs.” For dinner parties and elegant dining for adults try French Onion and Olive Tart and Eggplant “Caviar.”

You will also find quantity recipes for special occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, bar/bat mitzvahs, communions, and more. Enjoy Watermelon Gazpacho, Spicy Bean Cakes with Fruit Salsa, Curried Vegetables with Polenta, and Sophisticated Poached Pears. Next, move on to college campuses and try Vegetable Tagine, Two Alarm Four Bean Chili, Jumpin’ Veggie Jambalaya, and Gooey, Chewy Peanut Butter Bars.

Grab and Go Fast Food recipes include Sweet Potato Burgers, Cold Noodles with Peanut Sauce, and Fragrant and Fast Tofu Sandwich. Un-Hospital Food items include Orange and Wild Rice Salad, Sweet Potato Soup, New England Baked Beans, Eggplant Lasagna, and Cinnamony Baked Apples. And a section for senior citizens includes recipes for Chesapeake Corn Chowder, Southwest Tomato Rice, Pasta with Vegetable-Marinara Sauce, and Homestyle Molasses Cookies.

Vegan in Volume can be purchased from The Vegetarian Resource Group Book Catalog: http://www.vrg.org/catalog/

In each issue of Vegan Journal, we review exceptional vegan books. Baking Vegan Bread at Home offers a wide range of vegan bread recipes including Old-Style English Muffins; Backyard Hamburger Buns; Rustic Homemade Rye Bread; Irish Soda Bread; Morning Muesli Bread; Orange Cranberry Bread; and Garlic Herb Vegan Naan Bread.

Read the entire book review here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2025issue1/2025_issue1_book_reviews.php

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

photo from iStock

by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

While some companies use “plant-based” as a synonym for vegan, others may use it to describe a product whose main ingredients are plants but that could also contain animal-derived ingredients. We were curious about how companies were identifying their products. Were they saying they were vegan? Plant-based? Plant-based and vegan?

As a part of a larger project looking at plant milks, we checked websites to see if products were identified as “vegan,” “plant-based,” or something else. We looked at 51 brands whose products included soymilks, grain-based milks, pea protein-based milks, nut milks, seed milks, and coconut milks. Since some products are only available in a limited part of the United States, we relied on website information and did not look at package labels unless a picture of the package was included on the company’s website.

Information was collected in 2024 and verified in early 2025. Some websites were straight-forward, and it was easy to see if they described their products as vegan. In other cases, we searched areas included “About Us” and “FAQs” to see if products were described as vegan.

Overall, we found that 32 of the 51 brands (63%) that we examined said their plant milks were vegan and one said their plant milks were vegan-friendly. Of the remaining 19 brands, 13 described products as plant-based but did not specifically say they were vegan (25% of all brands). In many cases, products appeared to be vegan with short lists of ingredients, none of which would be animal-derived. Four brands (8%) did not say they were vegan or plant-based but indicated that they were dairy-free or non-dairy. One of these brands contained honey. One brand did not indicate that it was vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, or non-dairy.

Out of 51 brands:

• 33 identified their plant milks as vegan or vegan-friendly
• 28 identified their plant milks as plant-based
• 36 identified their plant milks as non-dairy or dairy-free
• 1 did not identify their plant milks as vegan, vegan-friendly, plant-based, non-dairy, or dairy-free

There was some overlap of categories with some brands using more than one term to identify their plant milks.

We don’t know why companies choose to identify or not identify a product as “vegan.” If you are curious about a specific product, and whether it is vegan, contact the company.

Thank you to VRG interns Aashay Mody, Ren Patel, and Neha Vivek and VRG volunteer Mae Y. Soon who collected information for this article.

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.

To read more about the phrase “plant-based” see:

What Does Plant-based Actually Mean?

What Does Plant-based Mean to the Public?

For information about plant milks see: Milk Alternatives

Recent topics brought up include:

– Vegan power! Our 16-year-old son Henry, born and raised vegan. We are so proud of Henry! This picture is the last moment of the classic sprint finals on Friday at the Michigan State Meet. It was a very exciting finish. Henry came up from behind and ended in 2nd place less than a second behind the winner.

– I remember hearing about a few people who were able to get some vegan related books and movies into their local high schools. Does anyone here know who did this successfully? I have someone who would like to reach out to our local school system and would like a bit of guidance before doing this.

– Lil’ Gourmets treats babies and toddlers to fresh, whole food ingredients with flavors inspired by global cuisines. Read our review in Vegan Journal: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2024issue4/2024_issue4_veggie_bits.php

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 around the world. 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.

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we are sharing these vegan recipes by Enette Larson, PhD that you can prepare for today’s festivities.

Colcannon
(Serves 4)

1 pound potatoes, sliced
2 medium parsnips, peeled and sliced
2 medium leeks
1 cup soymilk
1 pound kale or cabbage
½ teaspoon mace (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons margarine
Parsley

Cook the potatoes and parsnips in water until tender. While those are cooking, chop the leeks (greens as well as white parts) and then simmer them in the soymilk until soft. Next, chop the kale or cabbage and cook until tender.
Drain the potatoes, and season with the mace, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked leeks with soymilk. Finally, blend in the cooked kale or cabbage and margarine. The texture should be that of smooth potato with well distributed pieces of leek and kale or cabbage. Garnish with parsley.

Scannels’ Soda Bread
(Makes 1 loaf; 8 slices)

1-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup oat bran
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon organic sugar
2 Tablespoons caraway seeds
¼ cup currants or raisins
1 cup soymilk plus 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Mix the dry ingredients well. Blend in the caraway seeds and currants or raisins. Add soymilk stirring to make a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead for 1 minute. Shape into a round loaf and put into an 8-inch oiled round pan. With a floured knife, cut an X into the top. Bake loaf at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut into slices when cool.