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

Chickpea Egg Bites photo by Hannah Kaminsky

Hannah Kaminsky’s recent article Time for Tea that appeared in Vegan Journal features a recipe for Chickpea Egg Bites. These are delicious and the recipe can be found here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2023issue1/2023_issue1_time_for_tea.php

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

photo of Turkish Flatbread Pizza from Anixi

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:

Anixi, 290 8th Ave., New York, NY 10001

If there has ever been a restaurant made to fit the needs of every possible dining party, it must be Anixi. Meaning “Spring” in Greek, Anixi offers a menu of fresh, beautiful dishes that are not only vegan but also kosher and in many cases gluten-free as well. Even non-vegans will be impressed with dishes like the Arak Cured “Salmon” with sumac, labneh, harissa, and caper berries, or the “Beef” Dolmas served with basmati rice, labneh, apricots, and saffron. The pizza-lover in the group can nosh on one of the Turkish flatbread pizzas—such as the Fire Roasted Eggplant whose toppings include tomato marmalade and pomegranate molasses. The bar menu is 4 pages long, and includes kosher wines as well as exotic cocktails such as the Smoky Sumac (tequila, mezcal, and Campari with grapefruit juice, lime, sumac simple syrup, and mint). And no one will be able to pass on dessert—not with offerings like the Medjool Date Cake or the selection of ice cream flavors, which include Tahini, Pistachio, and Rose Water.

Just Veggiez, 2817 E. Washington Ave., Madison, WI 53704

A modern and soulful kitchen with an entirely plant-based lineup of contemporary menu choices. Enjoy a healthier version of your favorite comfort foods without sacrificing flavor. Popular menu choices include the Parmesan Chix Sandwich, the Southwest Burger, the Korean BBQ Sandwich, the Reuben Sandwich, and the Shrimp Po Boy Sandwich. All of these items were reported as being perfectly seasoned, crispy, and juicy, in addition to being served with appropriate sides and sauces. Some hearty and delicious side dishes include Plant-Based Cheese Curds and Greens. There is also a gluten-free menu, as well as a kids’ menu. Just Veggiez is a Black family-owned enterprise, and Chef James has a compelling backstory and passion for healthy, delicious eating. Please note that their storefront is in a shared ghost kitchen setting, and there is no dining area. If you are opting for pickup, then be sure to keep an eye out for the door near Dollar Tree. When you get to the door, you will have to call and someone will come out with your food.

Live Bistro, 2036 Sylvan Rd. SW, Atlanta, GA 30310

Life Bistro provides vegan versions of classic American comfort foods. Whether you’re looking for weekend brunch with friends or a Friday night dinner with live music, Life Bistro truly is worth all the hype. Dinner entrees include the vegan Southwest Steak Burger which features a charbroiled beyond patty, vegan cheese, portobello steak, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, pickle and chimichurri, and their weekend brunch specials feature their Chick’n N Waffles made with a spelt waffle and fried portobello strips.

Penelope’s Vegan Taqueria, 5204 North Clark St., Chicago, IL 60640 and 230 West Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60654

Every part of these taquerias has been chosen with love by the family who owns them (and named them for their daughter), from the bright bird murals by artist Senkoe and lively Mexican playlist, to the constantly evolving, innovative menu that aims to recreate the flavors from their childhood. Featuring vegan versions of classics like burritos, enchiladas, elote, nachos, dips, chilaquiles, fries, etc., and with tacos such as mushroom chimichurri, soy al pastor with pineapple, baja with fried beer batter avocado and habanero mango pico de gallo, alongside a broad range of drinks both non-alcoholic (such as several colorful horchata options, kombucha and Jarrito sodas) and alcoholic (including margaritas, beers, and cocktails), there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Plant Craft Kitchen, 3860 South Lindbergh Blvd., Ste. 105, St. Louis, MO 63127

This cheerful, casual café in a strip mall in Sunset Hills serves a rotating menu of vibrant, healthy vegan food. The menu always includes several beautifully presented salads; hummus; pizzas with house-made crusts and many customization options; sandwiches; and varying options like tacos, mushroom lasagna, and curry. Made fresh with quality vegetables, their colorful meals make eating healthy affordable and appealing. They also have a weekly meal program, where if you place your order by Thursday, on Sunday you can pick up a seasonal wholefood plant-based meal designed to be reheated.

Ro’s Diner, 197 Meserole St., Brooklyn, NY 11206

Enjoy a vegan twist on an all American idea. The diner serves an impressive variety of foods from breakfast items, salads, burgers, sandwiches, to desserts, and more.

The Soulful Vegan, 1720 Merriman Rd., Ste. M, Akron, OH 44308

The Soulful Vegan offers a variety of food. Vegan wing dings are served with celery sticks and a choice of bleu cheese or ranch dressing. Sandwiches on the menu include the Big McVegan with 2 plant-based patties and a house special sauce, a crunchy vegan fish patty with homemade tartar sauce, and a crispy missin’ chicken with a deep-fried panko crusted plant-based chicken patty with a zesty sauce. Dinner items come with a choice of 2 sides and include a jumbo shrimp dinner, BBQ ribs made with jackfruit, and a vegan salmon dinner.

Far East Bowl photo from Veggie Grill

By Stephanie Kumar

I am not a vegetarian but I do enjoy having variety in my diet so I like incorporating meat alternatives into my meals. I recently visited Veggie Grill and I really enjoyed my experience. Veggie Grill is part of a national chain. The restaurant has locations in California, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, and Washington.

Veggie Grill has a variety of options on their menu, which is great because you can choose to have a light entrée or a filling entrée. They also have fries and vegetarian wings if you are interested in just having a snack. Veggie Grill also has family meal deals and a kids menu for children that are 10 and under. Therefore, this restaurant is family friendly.

The day I visited Veggie Grill it was my first time visiting the restaurant. When I opened their menu I was happy to see they had many options. I liked being able to choose from super hearty options like burgers or something lighter like a salad. They also have filling bowls, mac and cheese, sliders, chick’n tenders, wraps, tacos, large nachos, soup, sandwiches, and desserts.

I was very hungry so I decided to order something hearty. I ordered the Far East Bowl. With this item there are two protein options you can choose from, either tempeh or crispy sesame Chick’n. The Bowl also comes with a variety of vegetables and Thai coconut curry sauce. I decided to go with the crispy sesame Chick’n as my protein. The bowl was delicious. The variety of vegetables was very filling. The Thai coconut curry sauce was delicious, flavorful but not over powering. The crispy sesame Chick’n was crispy and delicious. The bowl is so flavorful your meat eating friends wouldn’t even realize the contents of the bowl do not contain an animal protein source. I am so happy with my experience at Veggie Grill that next time I am in San Jose, California, I plan on visiting the restaurant again.

If you want to incorporate meat alternatives into your diet this is definitely a place to visit. They have a large menu with many options. The food is so flavorful; omnivores won’t think about not eating meat. I highly recommend visiting the Veggie Grill.

For more information about Veggie Grill, visit https://veggiegrill.com/

For information on other veg restaurants, visit https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

We recently dined at Zozobra’s Arye Shenkar St. 7 location in Herzliya, Israel. They also have other locations in Tel Aviv and Kfar-Saba. Dishes that are or can be made vegan easily are labeled on their menu. For example, under Small Cold Plates you’ll find Grilled Eggplant, Seaweed Salad, Burmese Vegetable Salad, and other dishes. Hot small plates include Crispy Tofu, Samosas, and more. They also have a variety of sushi, Vegan Pho, and Hindi Papaya (a curry dish).

For more information, visit https://zozobra.co.il/en

Many people are looking for inexpensive vegan menu ideas. Previously, VRG Dietetic Intern Melissa Wong created low cost vegan menu plans with some vegan recipes that ran in VRG’s Journal. Melissa states, “Can someone follow a vegan diet and stay within a strict financial budget? The answer is yes! The following meal plans were devised for three specific populations: young adults, older adults, and a family of four. If you do not fit into one of these categories, you may still use the ideas in this article to develop a meal plan that is just right for you. Each plan features an array of meal ideas that are quick and easy to prepare, that contain the nutrients your body needs, and that won’t put a huge dent in your wallet.”

Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2006issue2/2006_issue2_mealplans.php

April 18, 2023

The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) welcomes the opportunity to comment on Labeling of Plant-Based Milk Alternatives and Voluntary Nutrient Statements: Guidance for Industry. We appreciate FDA’s overall commitment to improving dietary patterns in the United States to help reduce the burden of nutrition-related chronic diseases and advance health equity.

We agree that common or usual terms for plant-based milk alternatives frequently use the word “milk.” Thus, we agree with FDA’s recommendations that “milk,” “beverage,” or “drink” can be used on the label of a plant-based milk alternative along with the plant source(s) of the product. This is in accord with consumer usage and clearly describes the product. Results of a survey we commissioned in 2020 suggest that the majority of U.S. adults surveyed (92%) recognized that soy milk and dairy milk were different (1). This supports our view that use of “milk” to describe a plant-based milk will not be confusing to consumers.

We agree that for plant-based milk alternatives that are blends of two or more plant-sources, the name should accurately convey that several plant sources were used in the product. Other terminology such as “imitation milk” would be confusing to consumers who have come to expect that products labeled as soy milk, almond milk, etc. will be beverages that can be used in ways similar to dairy milk. We appreciate the clarity that including the plant source(s) in a product provides, as opposed to simply labeling a product as “dairy-free,” “non-dairy,” or “plant-based.”

We also agree that sweetened varieties of plant-based milk alternatives should be labeled similar to sweetened or flavored dairy milks by including the gram amount and percent Daily Value of Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts label.

We note that plant milks that have a similar nutritional composition to soy milk have been and continue to be developed. For example, pea protein-based milks (2) and milks based on a blend of plant proteins (3) may meet the requirements for inclusion in the WIC program and Child Nutrition Programs. These products could potentially be included in the 2025 Dietary Guidelines as a part of the Dairy Group.

We are hopeful that guidance will be provided to industry for labeling products that are produced through the use of genetic engineering and that contain dairy protein or are similar to dairy protein in structure. Clear labeling is needed to help protect people with food allergies who may be misled by product labels containing statements not clearly informing consumers that the products are based on animal DNA. Examples of this type of misleading label statement include “animal-free” or “vegan.” We propose that food allergen information on these products should be in readable type and on a readable background, not only in the ingredient listing but also along with any other declarations on the labels which may be confusing to the consumer related to the presence of the allergen. These could be when terms are used such as “animal-free” or “vegan.” We do not think that these terms (“animal-free” or “vegan”) should be used on labels of foods that were produced through genetic engineering based on the DNA of animals (whether based on actual DNA, cell lines, or virtual DNA), due to concern for consumer confusion. Additionally, when a product is based on animal DNA, there should be a statement on the label so people know that the product is based on animal DNA.

We are concerned with the recommendation that plant-based milk alternatives bear an additional nutrient statement on the product label describing how it is nutritionally different from dairy milk. This recommendation seems overly burdensome to manufacturers, has not been shown to improve consumer understanding, relies on a single food to evaluate the adequacy of another product, and does not take into consideration the total diet.

Plant-based milk alternatives, as do all other products, have a Nutrition Facts label that compares important nutrients to the Daily Value. This allows consumers to assess the nutritional quality of a product. It seems unnecessary to include an additional comparison. Manufacturers are not encouraged to include statements such as “contains a lower amount of fiber than plant-based burgers” on a package of ground beef patties or “contains a lower amount of iron than soy milk” on a carton of dairy milk. We do not think it is necessary nor appropriate to recommend that plant-based milk alternatives include an additional statement on their package comparing them to dairy milk.

Although the stated concern that prompt the recommendation to include an additional nutrient statement on plant milk packages is underconsumption of certain nutrients otherwise provided by dairy milk, the effect of the inclusion of this statement does not appear to have been rigorously tested. Will consumers understand it? Will it result in a change of behavior? With 90 percent of the U.S. population not meeting recommendations for the Dairy Group (4), many cultures not drinking milk, and more than half of purchasers of plant milk purchasing it because it is better for the environment (5), a package statement that a plant milk product contains less of a nutrient than dairy milk seems unlikely to result in behavioral change.

Additionally, the recommended statement does not provide consumers with any alternatives other than using dairy milk to obtain any nutrients deemed to be low in plant milk. This does not provide guidance for the consumers who need an alternative to dairy milk due to allergies, intolerances, cultural traditions, religion, following a vegan diet, or other reasons.

We suggest that a more positive approach be used. This would need to be tested to determine if statements are understandable to consumers and if they affect behavior. For example, a package which is below a specified percentage of the Daily Value for a nutrient of concern could say “Not a good/significant source of [nutrient]. Use other foods to supply [nutrient].”

VRG is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on vegetarianism and the interrelated issues of health, nutrition, environment, ethics, and world hunger. Our health professionals, activists, and educators work with businesses and individuals to bring about healthy changes in schools, workplaces, and the community. Registered dietitians and physicians aid in the development of nutrition-related publications and answer questions about the vegetarian and vegan diet. For the past 29 years, we have commissioned polls exploring vegetarian-related issues, results of which are often used by researchers, the food industry, and the media. Financial support comes primarily from memberships, contributions, and book sales.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed changes.

References

1. Vegetarian Resource Group. What do American adults expect from a beverage labeled soymilk? Questions asked by The Vegetarian Resource Group in a national poll. https://www.vrg.org/blog/2020/10/30/what-do-american-adults-expect-from-a-beverage-labeled-soymilk-questions-asked-by-the-vegetarian-resource-group-in-a-national-poll/. 2020.
2. Nutrition hotline. Vegetarian Journal. 2018, issue 4. https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2018issue4/2018_issue4_nutrition_hotline.php.
3. Original Silk Protein. https://silk.com/plant-based-products/plant-based-protein-beverages/original-protein/.
4. U.S. Department of Agriculture & U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025, 9th ed; December 2020.
5. Consumer Reports. Plant-based milk survey. https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2018-Plant-Based-Milk-Survey_-Public-Report-1.pdf. 2018.

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Would you like children and teens to be able to easily get plant milk as part of the School Lunch and School Breakfast program? Have you tried to request a vegan substitute for dairy milk for a child attending a public or nonprofit private school? Did the process work for you? What changes would you propose?

If you have thoughts about any of these questions, take a few minutes to submit them to the USDA. They are asking for feedback “on behalf of children who cannot consume, or have difficulty consuming, cow’s milk.” The USDA is especially interested in hearing from parents and guardians who have requested a substitute for cow’s milk.

Comments can be submitted at https://www.regulations.gov/document/FNS-2022-0043-0001 and must be submitted by April 10, 2023.

To read more about what the USDA is asking see: USDA Requests Comments from Stakeholders on New Standards for School Meals

Pepes Cantina Clermont, Florida

If you live in Florida or are visiting that state and want to try some vegan Mexican dishes, stop by one of the three Pepe’s Cantina locations in Clermont, DeBary, and Winter Park. They are open daily for lunch and dinner.

Vegan options are clearly labeled on their lunch and dinner menus and prepared on designated kitchen equipment. Options include burritos, tacos, Beyond Burger, quesadilla, enchiladas, nachos, fajitas, and chocolate cheesecake. You can add soy-based Chickun or Beyond Beef on many of the dishes. For more information, go to: www.pepescantina.com

For information on veggie restaurants throughout the USA and Canada, visit https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

Baltimore, Maryland is home to The Vegetarian Resource Group as well as more and more new vegan food establishments. Today Koshary Corner is opening at RHouse in the Remington neighborhood near Johns Hopkins University Homewood Campus. This food stall serves up delicious vegan Egyptian street food. Enjoy wraps including Falafel, Beyond Kabob, and Vegan Chicken Shawerma, as well as baskets and light fare including Bread and Dip Mezza, Vegan Kofta Basket, Zaatar Flatbread, and more. Also enjoy salads and bowls such as Falafel and Fava Salad, Tofu & Quinoa Salad, Moussaka Bowl, Vegan Chicken Shawerma, or Build Your Own Salad. You can sip a Turkish coffee while enjoying your meal too! They are open for lunch and dinner.

Location: RHouse, 301 W 29th St., Baltimore, MD 21211

For more information visit: https://kosharycorner.com/ https://www.facebook.com/KosharyCornerUS/

https://www.instagram.com/kosharycorner/