VIVA low budget dish

VIVA has produced budget friendly vegan recipes. Note that these are geared towards people in the United Kingdom. See https://v7.viva.org.uk/recipes/easy-vegan-spaghetti-bolognese/

For budget friendly meal plans and recipes in the USA see https://www.vrg.org/nutrition/#nutrition-meal-plans

By Odette Olivares, MSN, VRG volunteer

Mexican dietary guidelines were updated on May 22, 2023.^1,2 The new version of the Healthy Eating Plate recommends increasing the consumption of plant foods to 92% of our plates and supports exclusive breastfeeding for babies until 6 months of age. Natural, unrefined, seasonal, and local foods products are now stressed.

Fruits and vegetables increased to 50% of the recommended plate; previously these foods were 30% of the plate. Grains and cereals decreased from 30% to 22% of the plate. Legumes were separated from the previous “Legumes and Foods of Animal Origin” category and now have their own category, covering 15% of the plate. Foods of Animal Origin were reduced to only 8% of the plate. Healthy fats and oils were added and now account for 5% of the new plate.

Water is included at the center of the plate. Alcohol consumption is not recommended at all for the sake of our mental and physical health, and the well-being of our families. Interestingly, the plate also stresses the need for a shift in food systems to tackle malnutrition and improve human and planetary health, an aspect that is usually not included in Dietary Guidelines and is mostly present only in scientific literature.

Ultra-processed foods with octagon seals are strongly not recommended. Octagon seals are part of a Mexican food labeling system. They inform customers with clarity about foods that are high in sodium, sugar, salt, fats, and trans-fats by using black and white octagon shapes. This supports the recent front-of package labeling regulations in Mexico that require food products to state if they contain a high content of trans or saturated fats, sugar, and salt, or if they contain caffeine or artificial sweeteners. Trans fats will be soon forbidden in ultra-processed foods available in Mexico according to Ricardo Cortés, General Director for Health Promotion in Mexico.

The update includes 10 nutritional recommendations that plan to tackle the severe double burden of malnutrition and climate change and protect Mexican biodiversity and traditional gastronomy.

1. During the first 6 months of extra-uterine life, babies only need breastfeeding. Afterward, breastfeeding should be complemented with varied and nutritious foods till at least 2 years of age.
2. Mexicans should increase their consumption of fresh, seasonal, local, and economic vegetables and fruits in all their meals whenever possible.
3. Let’s consume beans, lentils, broad beans, and any other type of legumes daily as stews, soups, or together with vegetables. They are rich in fiber and protein and are practical and cheap.
4. We should choose whole cereals such as tortillas, oats, rice, or tubers such as potatoes. They contain vitamins and fiber and provide energy.
5. Let’s eat less beef and processed meat. Replacing them with plant proteins such as beans and lentils benefits our health and planetary health.
6. Ultra-processed foods such as breakfast cereals, cookies, sweetened bread, and chips have too much sugar, salt, and fat. So, we should choose foods without front-of package octagon seals or those foods with the least number of seals.
7. Drinking water instead of sweetened beverages, sodas, juices, sport drinks, or beverages with artificial sweeteners, throughout the day and with all our meals, will help us take care of our health.
8. Let’s avoid alcohol consumption for the sake of our physical and mental health, and the well-being of our families.
9. Every movement counts! Let’s perform physical activities such as walking, running, or dancing, instead of spending time in front of screens.
10. Let’s enjoy meals together with our families and friends whenever possible. We should participate in meal planning and preparation, being mindful of not wasting food.

A multidisciplinary team of experts in nutrition, public health, epidemiology, human behavior, and environment from the Mexican Ministry of Health, UNICEF Mexico, FAO, OPS/OMS, National Institute of Public Health, and other Mexican institutions worked together to create the new version. The scientific base of the new guidelines stems mainly from the scientific article “Food in the Anthropocene: The EAT–Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems.”³

The absence of conflicts of interest and interference from the food industry contributed to prioritizing Mexican and planetary health. Mexico now offers an example of one of the best dietary guidelines in the world, according to Simón Barquera, Director of the Mexican Nutrition and Health Research Center of the National Institute of Public Health.

References

1. Secretaría de Salud. Guías Alimentarias 2022 para la Población Mexicana. Gobierno de México. May 22, 2023. Accessed May 28, 2023. https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/attachment/file/826671/InfografiaGuiasAlimentariasParaPoblacio_n_2023.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3oLzaxW9Y5pL8LFH-j4Gj7z0fR5WEzfzqfQb1Kov84kXqM4IM-w1_86MY.
2. Secretaría de Prevención y Promoción a la Salud; 2023. Accessed May 28, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/SaludSPPS/videos/779477700408576.
3. Willett W, Rockström J, Loken B, et al. Food in the Anthropocene: The EAT–Lancet Commission on Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food S Lancet. 2019;393(10170):447-492. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(18)31788-4

Recent topics brought up include:

– If you’re hitting the road anywhere in the USA or Canada, you might want to check out The Vegetarian Resource Groups’ online veggie restaurant guide

– The FDA Provides Updated Info on Infant Formula

– Older kids might enjoy entering The Vegetarian Resource Group Video Contest

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.

The Hummus and Pita Company has a few restaurants in New York City, Connecticut, Michigan, and Ohio. Though not a vegetarian establishment, they serve Vegan Shawarma, Vegan Meatballs, and of course hummus and pita. The menu indicates which falafel toppings are vegan, such as Moroccan Beans, Persian Potatoes, and Spanish Eggplant. An interesting offering is their Chickpea Chiller shake, which they say is vegan. This appears to contain chickpeas, tahini, banana, dates, and almond milk. For more information, see https://www.hummusandpitas.com/

For information on vegetarian restaurants around the country, see https://www.vrg.org/restaurant

The contents of this posting and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and 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.

A reader wrote that some historic sites have children make butter by shaking half and half cream in a jar until it solidifies into butter. The butter is then put on crackers to eat. They were wondering if there was a way to do this vegan.

Notes from VRG’s editors and writers.

-From Hannah: I do love the idea of it! While you can certainly make your own vegan butter at home, I’m afraid the same principles don’t apply and it’s a very different process. However, you could do a similar sort of group activity for making vegan ice cream with kids. This is a good explanation, just swap out any vegan ice cream recipe: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a54721/ice-cream-in-a-bag-recipe/

-From Nancy: Unfortunately, this would not work. The fat in vegetable oils is not as easily solidified, so it takes a bit more “chemistry” and “elbow grease.” To make a vegan butter, you usually need to combine several fats such as coconut or palm oil (which solidify more easily than other plant oils, but are not very palatable) with soy or corn oil. You also need to add an emulsifier, such as liquid lecithin. You’ll then need a blender or a food processor to actually prepare the product. Perhaps they might have a “dipping” party… have different vegetable oils and dip toast points into the oils to have a taste comparison. Or have a ” this comes from that” demo… have some corn for the students to taste, and then corn oil, some edamame, and then soy oil…

-From Rissa: I have 100% seen this butter making activity at places where I have worked and/or traveled. But making vegan butter isn’t the same. I think parents or chaperones could carry some vegan butter in a small cooler or something.

-From Reed: I agree with others that making vegan butter isn’t feasible. I’d have to wonder what the purpose of the activity is. If it’s to show how butter was made in the olden days, it’s somewhat misleading to shake cream from the supermarket in a jar. I like Nancy’s idea with the olive oil—providing another substance people would eat on bread long ago, which challenges the idea that everyone ate butter (or bread for that matter). It would take some research to determine what other spreads might have been used—mashed chickpeas, guacamole, crushed berries?

Email [email protected] with your ideas.

Bakaris Plant Based Pizza, Atlanta, GA

The next time you’re in Atlanta, Georgia, you might want to enjoy lunch or dinner at one of these vegan restaurants:

Bakaris Plant Based Pizza 576 Lee St., Ste. A., Atlanta, GA 30310

Vegan/pizzeria. Dine on mouthwatering plant-based pizza and delicious plant-based burgers, as well as appetizers, salads, French fries, and specialty drinks. Outdoor seating also available.

Bar Vegan Ponce City Market, 675 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Ste. N-215, Atlanta, GA 30308

Vegan/bar. This minority-woman-owned bar and lounge (from the same owner as popular restaurant Slutty Vegan) is upstairs in the Ponce City Market Food Hall, which has a number of other cocktail bars and wineries. It has a cool, classy ambience, with a DJ, velvet chairs, and big screen TVs. Bar Vegan serves a very wide range of drinks, specializing in cocktails combining nutritious vegan ingredients with alcohol. Vegan food — a delicious Vegan Philly cheese steak and tater totz — is also available, under the ‘Dinkies’ label. Food and soft drinks can be ordered to go from a take-out window as well as for eating in the bar.

Chi Chi Vegan Taco Shop 1 Moreland Ave. SE, Ste. F, Atlanta, GA 30316 and 2566 Briarcliff Rd. Northeast, Ste. 101, Atlanta, GA 30329

Vegan/Mexican. Anything in a taco is always delicious and the tacos at Chi Chi’s are no exception. The menu is loaded with familiar Mexican dishes that are always favorites, such as epic nachos, tacos al pastor, and chick’n quesadillas. Wash your meal down with a Mangonada – an authentic street-drink found in Mexico, typically made with shaved ice and mango. Although this taqueria is only 708 square-feet, the pink-hued exterior will catch your eye, creating a fun ambiance that is great to enjoy with friends or anyone who is a taco aficionado.

Dash and Chutney Chattahoochee Food Works, 1235 Chattahoochee Ave. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318

Vegan/Indian. This Upper Westside neighborhood food stall serves vegan Indian street food from various regions of India. Dishes served include Samosa Chaat, Vada Pav, and a Mumbai Grilled Sandwich.

Good As Burgers (Gabs) 830 Willoughby Way NE, Atlanta, GA 30312

Vegan/Burger Joint. Dine on burgers, chick ’n tenders, sloppy joes, fries, tots, or strawberry cheesecake.

Healthful Essence 875 York Ave., SW, Atlanta, GA 30310

Vegan/Caribbean. Healthful Essence offers Caribbean cuisine that is all-vegan. Try such items as Jerk UnChicken, Stewed UnSalmon, BarBQ Tofu, or Sweet and Sour UnDuck. Don’t miss their great weekday lunch specials. WiFi is available. Healthful Essence is in the Westend area of Atlanta.

Herban Fix 565-A Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30308

Vegan/Asian. Herban Fix offers a variety of soups and salads, as well as appetizers including Vegetable Spring Rolls and Sesame Ginger Soy Chicken & Shiitake Kebabs. Entrees include a variety of rice and noodle dishes, as well as Seared Pom Pom Mushroom Steak with Assorted Vegetables and Grilled Eggplant Topped with Basil & Minced Garlic. There’s a free parking garage on Linden Ave. near the restaurant.

Hippie Hibachi 1235 Chattahoochee Ave. NW, Ste. 130, Atlanta, GA 30318

Vegan/Japanese. Located in the Chattahoochee Food Works, a food hall in ATL’s Upper Westside with multiple restaurant stalls with indoor and covered outdoor seating in addition to a 13-acre green space to enjoy your meal. Serves flavor-packed, all-vegan traditional Japanese hibachi-style bowls (in eco-friendly packaging). Each meal features teriyaki grilled protein — from a choice including Impossible, tofu, and soy-free options like mushroom and shrimp made from konjac root — alongside vegetables, fried rice, yum yum sauce, and sesame, with optional vegan egg and a selection of sauces. Free of gluten and tree nuts.

La Semilla Modera Reynoldstown, 780 Memorial Dr. SE #4A, Atlanta, GA 30316

Vegan. La Semilla offers plant-based versions of your favorite Latin American dishes in a lively atmosphere just across from Cabbagetown Park in Atlanta, GA. Menu items include “Cochinta Pibil Tacos” with jackfruit, habanero pickled onions, and salsa verde, and even a vegetarian twist on Taco Bell’s famous “Crunch Wrap” with seitan beef. Their bar serves an expansive menu with homemade cocktails, wine, and beer.

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

Vegan/American. 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.

Plant Based Pizzeria 730 Barnett St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30306

Vegan/pizzeria. At Plant Based Pizzeria, there is a variety of different specialty pizzas that take influences from classics, such as the vegan meat lovers, and some that are unique, such as the Georgia Peach. Calzones and veggie burgers are also offered, so there really is something for everyone!

Slutty Vegan 1542 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30310 and 476 Edgewood Ave. SE, Atlanta, GA 30312

Vegan. The Slutty Vegan serves creative vegan burgers and hot sandwiches.

Soul Vegetarian South 879 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd., SW, Atlanta, GA 30310

Vegan/soul food. Soul Vegetarian has its own unique gluten creation called ‘kalebone’ that is made into burgers, steaks, and salads. Their many other original dishes — soups, lentil burgers, veggie patties, tofu filet, veggie gyros, salads, and desserts — are sure to keep your taste buds happy. Children’s dinner is also available. Soul Vegetarian South is in the West End area of Atlanta.

Tassili’s Raw Reality 1059 Ralph D Abernathy Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30310

Vegan/raw foods. This raw eatery has a health-conscious menu with a lot of spice options available. Wraps can be selected to include a variety of spices and sauces. Comfort food options also sneak their way onto the menu. Choices include the Curried Plantains wrap or the Sprouted Tofu Delight. Be sure to check out the sweets and drink selection as well.

Traveling somewhere else in the USA or Canada? Be sure to visit VRG’s online guide to veggie restaurants: https://www.vrg.org/restaurant/index.php

We are generally in agreement with the concept that quick signals on the front of packages help consumers better understand nutrition information. The proposed guidance for industry is generally understandable and useful. We agree that nut or seed products that do not exceed the recommended levels for sodium and added sugars should be allowed to include a Dietary Guidance Statement despite exceeding the recommended saturated fat level. As discussed in the proposed guidance, nuts and seeds are considered nutrient dense foods, have a fat profile of predominantly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and consumption of these foods is associated with beneficial health outcomes.

We are pleased to see that the proposed guidance supports “the use of Dietary Guidance Statements on all plant-based milk and yogurt alternatives – not just soy based alternatives (page 22). This inclusion of additional plant-based milk and yogurt alternatives allows for flexibility and for the inclusion of newly developed products rather than limiting use of Dietary Guidance Statements to only products that are based on soy. We agree that plant-based milks and yogurt should meet specific recommendations for overall nutrient content but encourage the FDA to review and consider revision of USDA’s FNS fluid milk substitutes nutrient criteria. For example, these criteria call for plant-based milks to contain 8 grams of protein per 8 ounce serving. Protein is rarely deficient in diets of Americans so a relaxation of this requirement, perhaps to 4 grams or 6 grams of protein per 8 ounce serving, is unlikely to have negative health consequences. This relaxation could allow greater variety in those fortified non-dairy products that could include Dietary Guidance Statements.

We are concerned that in situations when a food is recommended by a consensus report as part of a
nutritious dietary pattern and the food has a nutrient profile that exceeds the recommended nutrient levels in this guidance, the product could bear both a Dietary Guidance Statement and a disclosure
statement about the recommended nutrient level(s) it exceeds (page 30). This results in a potentially
confusing mixed message that does not achieve the goal of helping consumers, especially those with
lower nutrition or health literacy, to better understand nutrition information. For example, in Figure 4, our initial impression was that the message was saying that yogurt is a good way to obtain added sugars.

At a minimum, this mixed messaging should be tested with consumers to determine what the
consumers perceive about a statement saying, “choose this food” and “this food is high in added
sugars/saturated fat/sodium.” If further investigation suggests consumer confusion, products that
exceed recommended nutrient levels from added sugar, sodium, or saturated fat (with the exception of
nut and seed products), should not be able to bear a Dietary Guidance Statement under any
circumstances.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this issue.

The Vegetarian Resource Group will host a networking dinner in Denver, Colorado, during the annual FNCE meeting of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Within one mile of the Colorado Convention Center. The public is invited. Participants from Denver and places from around the country will have a chance to share veg related activities they have coordinated.

RIO GRANDE MEXICAN RESTAURANT BUFFET:

Chips and Salsa

Guacamole

Black Beans

Portabella and Squash

Grilled Peppers and Onions

Plain Rice

Pico de Gallo

Selection of Salsas

Flour Tortillas

Soft Drinks, Coffee, Tea

PLEASE RESERVE IN ADVANCE. SEATING IS LIMITED

$30 for The Vegetarian Resource Group and Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group members. $35 for nonmembers. Includes tax and tip.

Please prepay at vrg.org/donate. Write in the comments section names of participants and that it is for the Denver dinner. Or call (410) 366-8343, or mail payment to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

The Vegetarian Resource Group is a vegan activist non-profit organization that does outreach all-year-long. For example, VRG has been participating in numerous virtual events by providing speakers on a wide variety of vegan topics. We also send literature free of charge to other groups/individuals doing educational activities in schools, hospitals, camps, restaurants, libraries, offices, etc. Our ability to continue doing this depends on people like you! Your donations allow us to promote the vegan message whenever we’re called upon for assistance. Please consider becoming a monthly, quarterly, or single-time donor to The Vegetarian Resource Group.

Thanks so much for your support. You can make a donation online here: www.vrg.org/donate

Brunch at Candle Cafe

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:

Candle Café, 388 Third Ave., New York, NY 10016

Candle Café offers a variety of gourmet dishes made with organic or locally farmed whole foods. Starters include nachos with oyster mushrooms and cashew cheese, and chimichurri skewers with char-grilled seitan and chipotle coulis. Wild mushroom crepes, a Cajun seitan sandwich, and the Candle burger with house made seitan patty are available as entrees. Brunch is available on the weekends and includes French toast, the Candle croissant with smoked tempeh bacon, and nuevos rancheros with homemade tortillas and tofu scramble. The dessert menu includes a strawberry rhubarb cobbler and carrot cake with caramelized pineapple sauce.

House of Fortune, 18425 Colima Rd. (Upstairs), Rowland Heights, CA 91748 and 13788 Roswell Ave. #101 Chino, CA 91710

Looking at the expansive menu of House of Fortune, you would be hard-pressed to distinguish this restaurant’s offerings from those of a “traditional” Chinese restaurant. From their starters such as the Szechuan Wontons in a savory sauce with chili oil and cilantro to their variety of soups including the Winter Melon Meatball Soup, to the hot pot offerings and the entrees including Mongolian Pork, General Tso Chicken (the chicken being battered button mushrooms), and Peking Duck, to the dumplings and buns, the options seem unlimited. Make sure to round out the meal with dessert—a slice of cheesecake perhaps—and one of their many tea offerings, such as the iced jasmine milk tea, made with soy or almond milk, as well as the option to add Boba. Added bonuses: gluten-free options are noted on the menu, and the soy products are non-GMO.

Love in Action Café, 4419 Tuckaseegee Rd., Charlotte, NC 28208

This vegan comfort food venue offers a range of cuisine, from soul food to international fare. Entrees include the Chick Jewl Curry, Soul Wraps, the Jackfruit Bowl, and more. Popular dishes include the Jackfruit Philly Cheesesteak, Meatless Loaf Platters, and OG’s Sweet Potato Pie. The café also offers a variety of sea moss items, including sea moss-infused French toast, smoothies, cereal bowls, and ice cream bowls, as well as sea moss gels. All dishes feature local, organic ingredients. Additionally, 30 percent of the café’s sales go to the Love in Action Program, which provides transitional housing, programs, and services to veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities.

Maiden Fine Plants & Spirits, 1216 6th Ave., Fort Worth, TX 76104

Maiden Fine Plants & Spirits offers a seasonal tasting menu consisting entirely of plant-based food with vegan drink pairings. The tasting menu consists of courses designed to be consumed over a 2- to 3-hour timespan. The menu changes based on the season, but one spring menu consisted of a lemongrass grapefruit consommé; roasted parsnip filled with confit zucchini and walnut served with sourdough bread and shallot jam; potato-leek soup; poached cream of cauliflower with zucchini peanut pasta; and olive oil cake for dessert.

MANEATINGPLANT, Westfield Topanga Mall Food Hall, 6600 CA-27, Canoga Park, CA 91303

Having established a following as a mobile concept, via pop-ups, special events, and their refurbished school bus food truck, Olive the Magic Food Bus, MANEATINGPLANT has found a stationary home as a member of Topanga Social at the Westfield Topanga Mall. While they will continue their mobile presence, this location will provide a consistent place from which to offer their Pan-Asian menu, boasting items such as Garlic Noods, made with a garlic sauce, shallot jam, shiitake, Chinese broccoli, and pickled mustard greens, or their Musubi, a plant-based take on the Spam sandwich, made with house made cashew kewpie, rice, and nori.

New Moon Vegan, 119 S. Batavia Ave., Batavia, IL

Inspired by New York bakeries and her Italian roots, Jo Colagiacomi, the owner of New Moon Vegan, has opened her first brick-and-mortar, a sweet and savory bakery. Featuring mouth-watering goodies like pistachio-rosewater shortbread cookies and Mostess cupcakes made with vegan vanilla cream and topped with chocolate ganache, New Moon Vegan proves that any nostalgic dessert can be veganized. If you need something a little heartier, try one of their pretzel dogs, made using veggie dogs from Upton’s Naturals in Chicago. Of course, you will want some coffee to pair with your baked treat, and they have that covered, serving single-origin Ethiopian coffee, from Manbot Coffee Roasters.

PLNT Burger, 11 W. 42nd St., New York, NY 10036

PLNT Burger is a straight-forward vegan burger shop. The patties are Beyond Meat, the “cheeses” are vegan, and the fries are herb seasoned. Pair it with an oat milk based soft-serve or a sweet tea, and you’ve got a nostalgic masterpiece of a meal.