If you happen to be traveling on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor Trains, you will be happy to know that the café car offers several vegan options including an Asian Noodle Bowl, Blue Corn Tamale, Fresh Vegetable Crudités with Hummus Dip, Pistachio Nuts, and Hippeas Vegan Nacho Puffs.
By Charles Stahler
We recently walked the floor at Natural Products Expo East, a trade show held in Philadelphia, PA. Here are a few products of interest.
Outstanding Cheese Balls was a delicious nondairy crunchy cheese snack. See https://outstandingfoods.com/pages/about
Unique and good tasting were pinole chips with 0% saturated fat and made with masa harina flour, brown rice protein, chia seeds, date paste, and sunflower oil. See https://www.bobsnatural.com/products/pinole-chips-traditional
A convenient snack from Mexico that didn’t need to be refrigerated before opening was Fillo’s Walking Tamales. Just open the pouch and eat. Though you may want to warm it up. Contains tomatillo, corn flour, black beans, water, olive oil, garbanzo beans, onion, salt, habanero pepper, serrano pepper, garlic powder, baking soda, brown sugar, onion powder, an dblack pepper. See www.fillows.com
Fabalish Brownie Bites’ first ingredient is chickpeas, but tasted like a yummy brownie. Thaw and it’s ready to eat. See https://www.fabalish.com/collections/brownie-bites
Looking for dairy free and egg free animal crackers? Try Happy Snacks. See https://marketsquarefood.com/
Totally Bananas has a dairy free chocolate creamy blended covered banana frozen novelty. We saw resistant people take a try and savor the whole sample. See https://www.totally-bananas.net/
To carry all these delicious snacks, you can use Pure Sage totes or lunch bags. They use recycled plastic bottles made into fabric, and then turned into bags by employing Jordanian women. See puresagebags.com
Then after eating all these treats, you may want to brush your teeth with Before Toothpaste. Their toothpaste tubes are recyclable sugarcane, which the company says creates a 50% less carbon footprint than traditional plastic tubes. See https://beforecompany.com/pages/our-story
VRG’s Chelsea Chilewa will be reporting more on this show in additional blog postings.
Are you looking for new ways to prepare cauliflower? Dina Gharib’s article “The Versatile Vegan” offers recipes for Pineapple Cauliflower Fried “Rice,” Cauliflower Crust Pizza, and Creamy Cauliflower Soup. See: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2015issue3/2015_issue3_versatile_vegan.php
Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only by visiting https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php
By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
What do you think it means when you see that a food label says that a product is “All Natural” or “100% Natural”?
Actually, “All Natural” or “100% Natural” does not mean any of the above.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates all foods and food ingredients except for meat, poultry, and a few other foods does not have a formal definition for “natural.” The FDA’s policy is that natural means “that nothing artificial or synthetic … has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in that food” (1). The FDA policy does not address the use of pesticides, irradiation, or other food production or processing techniques when a product is labeled “natural.”
USDA regulates meat, poultry, and a few other products and allows those foods to be identified as “natural” if the food supplier does not use artificial ingredients or colors and if minimal processing is done (2). The USDA policy does not address the treatment of the animals or use of hormones or antibiotics.
When consumers see “natural” on a food label, they may choose that product in place of a product labeled “organic” or a product which is produced in a more environmentally friendly way. They may willingly pay more for a product labeled as “natural” (3). As a recent report for USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) says, “The economic problem raised by natural labels is that consumers could be paying extra for product attributes they are not receiving while producers of products with those attributes lose sales. As a consequence, any health and environmental stewardship benefits that might have been realized from consumers choosing products that matched their preferences could be lost” (2). Producers have to pay for organic certification; use of “natural” on a label does not require the same sort of fees and documentation.
As of 2018, about 16% of retail food expenditures were for foods labeled “natural” (2). Natural labels were mainly found on processed products. According to the ERS, the dairy food group had the highest frequency of natural claims; grains, vegetables, dried beans, and fruits were much less likely to claim to be “natural” (2). Baby food, vitamins and supplements, chicken and turkey, and cheese were also commonly labeled as “natural” (2).
Don’t be misled, “natural” is a relatively meaningless term on a food label.
References
1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Use of the Term Natural on Food Labeling. 2018; https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/use-term-natural-food-labeling
2. Kuchler F, Sweitzer M, Chelius C. The Prevalence of the “Natural” Claim on Food Product Packaging. EB-25, USDA, ERS, May, 2023. https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/106479/eb-35.pdf?v=54.2
3. Butler J, Vossler C. What is an unregulated and potentially misleading label worth? The case of natural-labelled groceries. Environ Resour Econ. 2018;70:545-564.
Fava beans, also known as broad beans or horse beans, are the original protein of the Mediterranean, going back centuries before red and white beans from the New World were introduced. Favas are most commonly associated with Italian dishes, but they can be found from Spain to Southwestern France, from Italy to Morocco. They are also used in Greek and Middle Eastern cuisine.
For vegan fava bean recipes from Chef Nancy Berkoff, see: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2011issue3/2011_issue3_Fava.php
Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only by visiting https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php
photo from Vegos
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:
Chakra, 317 E. 5th St., New York, NY 10003
The name of this place stays true to what this restaurant brings, food for the soul. Chakra is a multicultural restaurant that has different menus from across the South-Asian diaspora. Keeping in mind any and all food diets, they provide a Thai Vegan menu, Fruitarian menu, Jain menu, and Swaminarayan Menu. Their specialties include papaya salad, mango salad, glass noodle salad, mountain curry, and drunken noodles. The Drunken noodles are Jain friendly. For desserts you can order Black sticky rice with Mango and Banana and Banana in Coconut Milk. Feeling thirsty? There are chakra smoothies that follow each color and fresh juice.
Red Bird Vegan, 3117 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63118
Red Bird Vegan is a casual fast food venue that offers breakfast sandwiches, burgers, fries, macaroni, and salads with a health-inspired spin. Some popular choices include the Phish Platter, Deep Dive, Garlic Steak Burger, and Waffle Fries. The Phish Platter and Deep Dive were characterized as well-seasoned, fresh, and crispy. The burger is flavorful and served piping hot, while the fries are on point. Available sides such as greens, yams, and Mac n Cheese were delicious, fresh, and ready on time. In addition, there are several trending and highly acclaimed dessert options available.
Sir Veganni, 3549 Electric Rd., Ste. D, Cave Spring, VA 24018
Sir Veganni provides alkaline vegan cuisine. They provide light meals offering different pastas and greens for a side. They change their menu based on weekly specials but you will always spot the Mac n Cheese, mushrooms, and a Pineapple sandwich. Cool off with the sea moss lemonade, alkaline water or try the turmeric tea. Dessert options are made fresh with love so give their velvety cakes a try!
Taco Puss, 3326 Greenmount Ave., Baltimore, MD 21218
Inspired by the owner’s favorite Ex-boyfriend’s cat, this take-out/delivery restaurant is kitty themed and a portion of the proceeds go towards an animal rescue mission. The owner guarantees clean products in each taco and every meal comes with a side of chips, salsa, and their glazed carrots. Also enjoy Passion fruit juice, strawberry Sunrise, and Pina colada paradise for a refreshing kickback.
The Black Vegan, 2300 S Kedzie Ave., Chicago, IL 60623
Be prepared to get saucy at The Black Vegan restaurant. Enjoy their Italian beef with fries or the New 290 burger. You can order mushrooms directly from them but why not also try their fried oyster shrimp meal. Drink of choice is the cranberry and jackfruit drink combined to make a fruity mango flavorful experience.
Vegan Snack Shack, 3100 Toledano St., New Orleans, LA 70125
A vegan snack attack at 3am? The Vegan Snack Shack is open 24/7; now that’s dedication! Gluten-free options are available. Breakfast offers a variety of Biscuits: organic Strawberry handmade biscuits, Sliced Fried Eggplant, Philly Steak Jackfruit, or “Egg & Cheese.” Several Burger choices include Liberation Burger made of walnut patties, vegan cheese, and Liberation sauce and Hot Sausage Burger crafted with navy beans, vegan cheese, avocado, and more. There are Jackfruit or Cauliflower Tacos with BBQ and Sweet & Spicy Sauce. Some vegan twists on New Orleans classics are: Eggplant Po’boy, Gumbo, and Quinoa Jambalaya with Handmade, Baked Macaroni and seasoned Squash Strips. Also, New Orleans classics like red beans and okra are two ingredients that appear in many dishes. Alkaline Zamunda Plate features chickpea pasta, Nu Judah sauce, okra, avocado, and fried red tomatoes. Drinks include Fruit Smoothies, Berry Punch. For Dessert, you might try organic “Handmade” Oatmeal Cookies, or the Cinnamon Rolls seem popular.
Vegos, 4003 Carlisle Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87107
Happily, Vegos menu proclaims, “Always Made from Scratch.” There are some gluten-free options too. Specialties include Enchilada Plates, Stuffed Sopapilla (fried pastry dough) with beans, potatoes, and choice of chile and vegan protein. Burrito choices abound with tofu, seitan, beans, and more. If you feel like taking charge, El Jefe features red chile jackfruit, Spanish rice, pinto beans, potatoes, “queso,” and garnish. Tofu Seitan Scramble and Garbanzorizo Breakfast Burritos are served daily until 3pm. They offer Little Bites Burrito varieties too. One of their Side dishes is Elotes – roasted corn on the cob with cilantro, seasoned, chopped almonds, garlic aoli, and lime. Besides local Kombucha, there are sodas and rotating Agua Frescas. To finish on a sweet note, Vegos offers a few Dulces to tempt you. A couple are Churros, or Dessert Empanadas with various fillings, depending on the day.
Kimchi Tofu Stir-Fry Veggies photo by Rissa Miller
James Craig Thieman shares the following Skillet recipes in a previous issue of Vegan Journal:
Deconstructe Blackened “Fishy” Taco
Skillet Chili Mac
Italian-Style Eggplant on Zoodles
Kimchi Tofu Stir-Fry Veggies
Jackfruit BBQ and Slaw
Sweet Taters and Greens
Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2023issue1/2023_issue1_skillet_suppers.php
Subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA only by visiting https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php
Share this handy poster with family and friends. You can also print it out and post it on your refrigerator. See: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/VeganDietsinaNutshellPoster.pdf
Cajun Chick’n Nuggets photo by Rissa Miller
In a previous issue of Vegan Journal Chef Jay Staten shares vegan recipes that can be made using an air fryer. But don’t worry, if you don’t own an air fryer, he also includes oven directions. Enjoy preparing Crispy Broccoli, Vegan BBQ Ribz, Jay’s Black Bean Burgers, Maryland Seasoned Fries, and Cajun Chick’n Nuggets.
Read the column here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2022issue2/2022_issue2_air_fryer.php
To subscribe to Vegan Journal, visit: https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php
Julia Comino interviews Whitney McVerry about her Vegetarian Resource Group internship experience. See the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG8mXxaVnKM
For more information about Vegetarian Resource Group/Vegan Journal internships, see
https://www.vrg.org/student/index.php
To support The Vegetarian Resource Group internships, donate at www.vrg.org/donate
Join The VRG with $35 via our subscription form, and receive the Vegan Journal for two years and a copy of Simply Vegan!
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.
Sign up for our newsletter to receive recipes, ingredient information, reviews of new products, announcements of new books, free samples of products, and other VRG materials.