Basic Meringue Cookies

Perhaps you’ve heard about Aquafaba. The liquid you’ve been draining from your beans all these years is actually surprisingly similar to raw egg whites and can be used for baking in much the same way. The liquid can be baked, whipped to make meringue, turned into marshmallows, or used to create uncanny cheese substitutes.

Laura McGuiness shares her experience baking with aquafaba in a past issue of Vegetarian Journal. She explains, “Aquafaba is still largely a mystery, even to scientists. The proteins and starches in the bean juice appear to mimic the proteins in egg whites, but the exact science leaves something to be desired. What we do know from an analysis by The Norwegian Food Research Institute is that aquafaba is mainly composed of starch and proteins. Because of the high starch content, aquafaba is able to form stable gels, which may aid in its ability to emulate egg whites.”

You’ll find the following recipes in this article along with photos of some of the baked items:
Basic Meringue Cookies
Baked Alaska
Lemon Apocalypse Pie
Chocolate Mousse
Walnut Fudge
Lemon Dacquoise

The article can be found here: Aquafabulous

To subscribe to Vegan Journal, visit: http://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

photo from Cynthia King Dance Studio

Most ballet and dance shoes are made with animal products; however, you can purchase vegan alternatives. Cynthia King Dance Studio offers the CKDS ballet slipper with canvas uppers and synthetic leather soles in adult and children’s sizes and various colors. Call (718) 437-0101 or visit www.cynthiakingdance.com. Very Fine Shoes offers a wide variety of custom made vegan dance shoes. Visit www.veryfineshoes.com/veganshoes

Thank you to more generous donors, in 2023 The Vegetarian Resource Group will be awarding $30,000 in college scholarships! Deadline is FEBRUARY 20, 2023.

We will accept applications postmarked on or before FEBRUARY 20, 2023. Early submission is encouraged.

Applicants will be judged on having shown compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegetarian (vegan) diet/lifestyle. Payment will be made to the student’s college (U.S. based only). Winners of the scholarships give permission to release their names to the media. Applications and essays become property of The Vegetarian Resource Group. We may ask finalists for more information. Scholarship winners are contacted by e-mail or telephone. Please look at your e-mail.

If you would like to donate to additional scholarships or internships, go to www.vrg.org/donate

Applications: Please click here to download a PDF of the application. However, applicants are not required to use an application form. A neatly typed document containing the information below will also be accepted as a valid application.

Please send application and attachments to [email protected] (Scholarship application and your name in subject line) or mail to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

If emailing, please put your essay in a separate attachment with your first name and last initial. A PDF or Word document is preferred, but if you send a Google document, make sure permission is given so readers can access it. For more information call (410) 366-8343 or email [email protected].

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Do people eating vegan diets have diets that are closer to recommendations? Do they eat more vegetables or less saturated fat than nonvegetarians? There are only a few studies that have investigated this on a large scale. One has been going on for about 30 years in the United Kingdom.

EPIC-Oxford, the Oxford cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, is a large observational study that includes 65,000 adult men and women living throughout the U.K. Approximately 30% of subjects are lacto-ovo vegetarian and 4% are vegan (1).

During the study period, EPIC-Oxford subjects answered questions about their health and food choices. These answers  provided insights into what a vegan diet looks like in the U.K. Overall, vegans, along with lacto-ovo vegetarians, had much higher intakes of soy foods, dried beans and lentils, and nuts compared to nonvegetarians. They also had higher intakes of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. This is not surprising since we’d expect that vegans and lacto-ovo vegetarians would choose soy foods, dried beans and lentils, and nuts to replace animal-based foods.

Vegans had much lower saturated fat intakes than nonvegetarians in this study. There was not as much difference in saturated fat intake in lacto-ovo vegetarians compared to nonvegetarians. The higher saturated fat intakes of lacto-ovo vegetarians compared to vegans is probably due to generous use of cheese. The lacto-ovo vegetarians ate about 50% more cheese than the nonvegetarians did; cheese is often high in saturated fat. Vegans appeared to have lower protein intakes than nonvegetarians but these results are questionable because the dietary questionnaires used may not have included some newer protein-rich foods that vegans might have used.

Average dietary calcium intakes of vegans were lower than those of other study participants. Vegan calcium intakes increased over the course of the study, possibly due to greater availablity of calcium-fortified foods but still were lower than those of nonvegetarians and lacto-ovo vegetarians.

It was challenging to assess vitamin B12 intake since food fortification and supplement composition is quite variable. The researchers did look at vitamin B12 status of a subset of men and found that many vegans had blood levels of vitamin B12 that would indicate a vitamin B12 deficiency. This research was done close to 25 years ago. Changes to food fortification practices and increased awareness by vegans of vitamin B12 sources suggest that an updated assessment of vitamin B12 status is needed.

For most nutrients, the intakes of vegans were nutritionally adequate and met or were close to meeting government guidelines for good health. It would be interesting to conduct a similar study in the United States, using many more vegans.

Reference

1. Key TJ, Papier K, Tong TYN. Plant-based diets and long-term health: findings from the EPIC-Oxford study. Proc Nutr Soc. 2022;81(2):190-198.

To read more about EPIC-Oxford see:

Long-term Studies of Vegetarians

Adequate Calcium Important for Vegan Bone Health

EPIC-Oxford website

Have you ever wondered if an ingredient listed on a food label is vegan or not? The Vegetarian Resource Group has an online guide to food ingredients that lets you now whether a specific food ingredient is vegan, vegetarian, non-vegetarian, typically vegan, typically vegetarian, may be non-vegetarian, or typically non-vegetarian.

You can search through this guide here: https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

To support this type of difficult research, please consider making a donation to The Vegetarian Resource Group: vrg.org/donate

Truffle Mushroom Alfredo photo from Junkyard Dog

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 (Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many are doing take-out and/or delivery now):

Adina’s Vegan Cuisine, 6746 Page Ave., St. Louis, MO 63133

Located in the Carter Commons food hall, right across the street from the movie theater on the corner of Ferguson Avenue, this Black mother-and-daughter-owned spot offers a constantly updating, rotating all-vegan menu. Depending on the day offerings could be based around tacos, nachos, sandwiches, jackfruit sliders, plant-based grilled “salmon” etc. with sides like lemon-lime kale salad and mac and cheese.  They also have a grab-and-go section with salads, sandwiches etc., and cold-pressed additive-free juices.

Cloudy Donut Co., 14 Columbia Pl., Brooklyn, NY 11201

This donut shop started in Baltimore, MD and has now opened in Brooklyn Heights. Choose amongst 8 different flavor donuts each week such as blood orange, red velvet, chocolate glazed, cookies and cream, maple butter pecan, and more.

Earth’s Goddess Holistic and Juice Bar, 1032 NW 10th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311

Burger wise, they offer Black Bean, “Beefless,” or Chick’n. Fish choices are Sandwiches or Nuggets which come with “handmade” Tartar Sauce. Most of the burgers or fish selections come with fries or salad and the usual fixings. There are two Pizza options–both topped with veggies including greens such as chard, spinach etc., mushrooms, avocado and peppers; the Vegan Goddess Loaded also includes vegan sausage and “beefless.” If an Acai Bowl will hit the spot, there’s a berry version that includes bananas, a tropical style with coconut and mango, or go nuts with their almonds, cashews, walnuts, and peanut butter bowl. Earth’s Goddess keeps her secret sauce under wraps–Teriyaki and Veggie Wraps. They also serve Salads, Tacos and at least one vegetable-based soup seasoned with herbs and spices. To note a few Entrees, there’s Vegan Crab cake, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Broccoli & Mushroom, Vegan Curry Chick Strip and Vegan Bean Stew all served with Quinoa. Children can choose a Vegan Smart Dog or Nuggets. For sweet finishes, there are various fruit cups, a few types of cookies, and Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry “Ice cream,” sweetened with dates. Also enjoy a variety of fresh juices.

Junkyard Dog, 4330 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90029

A casual punk rocker atmosphere serving vegan comfort food with cocktails and beer. Dine on a variety of breakfast items, pastries, omelets, small plates, salads, and burritos. Smoothies, coffee, tea, juices, and beverages. Try a Mediterranean omelet, hash browns, with an orange chia loaf.

Kind Café & Eatery, 3080 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5T 3G5, Canada

This eco-friendly eatery is on a mission to create a kinder experience through plant-based nutrition and low-waste practices. The menu includes bagels, flatbreads, sandwiches, wraps, salads, and smoothies with house-made coconut-oat milk. A daily happy hour features discounted flatbreads and drinks. Near Heritage Hall in the Mount Pleasant district of Vancouver.

Plant Daddy’s Kitchen, 230C Atlantic Ave., Oceanside, NY 11572

Plant Daddy’s Kitchen is a plant-based, kosher-certified restaurant offering a variety of menu items including bowls, wraps, salads, and burgers. Breakfast items include a PB&J pancake wrap, a breakfast sammich on a brioche bun, and pancake with syrup. Build-your-own bowls are available in addition to regular menu bowls such as a peanut tamarind bowl with brown rice and millet noodles. Handheld wraps include a schwarma wrap with house hummus and a kale garbanzo wrap. Veggie burger are homemade and include the BBQ hunny burger with agave mustard and BBQ sauce. They also offer catering and wholesale foods.

Vegan Curry, 10408 Venice Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232 and 701 W. Cesar Estrada Chavez Ave., Ste. 107, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Vegan Curry is a vegan Indian restaurant with 2 locations in California. Both locations offer traditional Indian cuisine though the menu at the Los Angeles location is more extensive. Appetizers include pakora and samosa as well as Gobi Manchurian crispy cauliflower in sweet and sour sauce. The main menu offers tofu madras with coconut milk, daal tadka made with yellow lentils, and the chef’s special chana masala. Vegan desserts are available at the Los Angeles location and include Gajar Halwa with fresh carrots and cardamom as well as Sooji Halwa made with semolina and vegan ghee.

Be sure to follow The Vegetarian Resource Group on Instagram: @vegetarianresourcegroup

Photos by Rissa Miller

Surprise your guests with fancy mocktails this Thanksgiving! Previously the Journal featured an article titled “Non-Alcoholic Thirst Quenchers,” by Mikiel Peratino. Mikiel is a former assistant manager and bartender at Great Sage vegan restaurant in Maryland. Enjoy recipes for Strawberry Fauxjito; Virgin Piña Colada; Warm Golden Pumpkin; Black Rose Mule; Watermelon Cooler; S’mores Mudslide; Virgin Cucumber Basil Gimlet; and Butterfly Margarita. These drinks look absolutely gorgeous and will bring a smile to your face!

Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2020issue3/2020_issue3_thirst_quenchers.php

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

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Around 30 years ago, researchers in the United Kingdom started a large study that would provide a wealth of data about the health of vegans and vegetarians. The study is called EPIC-Oxford which stands for the Oxford cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. It includes 65,000 adult men and women living throughout the U.K, approximately half of whom don’t eat meat (1).  About 30% of subjects are lacto-ovo vegetarian and 4% are vegan (2).

EPIC-Oxford tracked study subjects for more than 18 years, during which the subjects answered questions about their health and food choices. One important area that the study investigated was the relationship between diet type and the risk of developing common chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Compared to nonvegetarians, vegetarians and vegans had a 22% lower risk of heart disease (1). This appeared to be due to the generally lower body mass index (BMI), lower blood pressure, and lower LDL-cholesterol level typical of vegetarians and vegans.

Diabetes is an increasingly common condition. In EPIC-Oxford, vegetarians had a 35% lower risk of diabetes compared to nonvegetarians; vegans had a 47% lower risk. Overall cancer risk was 10% lower in vegetarians and 18% lower in vegans. Vegetarians and vegans also had a lower risk of diverticular disease and cataracts and vegetarians had a lower risk of kidney stones compared to a group characterized as “high meat eaters” (1).

In contrast to these positive results, vegetarians had a higher risk of a type of stroke, namely hemorrhagic stroke (1).  You can read more about this result here. Bone fracture risk was also higher in vegetarians and vegans. You can read more about that result here.

The results, showing a reduced risk of several common diseases in vegetarians and vegans are especially impressive when we consider that both the vegetarians and nonvegetarians in this study were considerably healthier than the average person living in the United Kingdom (1).

The scientists who conducted this important study would like to see more research done investigating changes in diets of vegetarians and vegans over recent years as more vegan convenience foods have been developed. They would like to see a study done which includes many more vegans than EPIC-Oxford did – tens of thousands of vegans in contrast to EPIC-Oxford’s approximately 2,300 vegans.

References

1. Key TJ, Papier K, Tong TYN. Plant-based diets and long-term health: findings from the EPIC-Oxford study. Proc Nutr Soc. 2022;81(2):190-198.
2. Davey GK, Spencer EA, Appleby PN, et al. EPIC-Oxford lifestyle characteristics and nutrient intake in a cohort of 33,883 meat-eaters and 31,546 non meat-eaters in the UK. Public Health Nutr. 2003;6:259-68.

To read more about EPIC-Oxford see:

Long-term Studies of Vegetarians

Adequate Calcium Important for Vegan Bone Health

EPIC-Oxford website