video camera photo from Freepik

The Vegetarian Resource Group is once again sponsoring a video contest. We will be awarding several $100 awards. The deadline for entries this year is July 15, 2025.

Create and submit a video relating what you want to tell others about veganism. Some possible topics: food, nutrition, your feelings about veganism and/or vegetarianism, water usage and veganism, veganism and animal rights, or other veggie topics which appeal to you. Humor and feelings are appreciated. All videos should be positive, not be critical of anyone, and not include any footage of animal cruelty. You may submit a video you have already made. Please do not enter videos made completely using AI.

Aspects of judging include accuracy and judges wanting to share the video with others. Entrants give permission to The Vegetarian Resource Group to post and share the video, to link to and from the video, and share the video with the media.

To see the video contest rules, visit: http://www.vrg.org/videoscholarship.php

Previous wining videos can be found here: http://www.vrg.org/veg_videos.php

Mother Earth Vegan Hotel

• 3 Place des Arbes (B&B in Felletin, France)
• Andean Spirit Lodge – Limatambo (vegetarian guesthouse with vegan options; Cusco, Peru)
• Appalachian Trail Adventures (Killington, VT, US)
• Beck Hall (vegan hotel located in the Yorkshire Dales in England)
• Black Sheep Inn (vegan Inn in Hammondsport, NY, US)
• Brookton Hollow Farm Bed & Breakfast (near Ithaca, NY, US)
• Carmel Valley Lodge (Carmel Valley, CA, US)
• Casa Albets (Vegan hotel Lelida, Spain)
• Deer Run on the Atlantic (vegan B&B in Big Pine Key, FL, US)
• Haskell’s House (vegetarian guest house with vegan options in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, US)
• Haus Sonnenstein Bed & Breakfast (vegetarian B&B with vegan options in Germany)
• Kingston House Bed & Breakfast (B&B with vegan options in Bermuda)
• Koukoumi Hotel (vegan hotel in Greece)
• La Vimea (vegan hotel in Italy)
• Lands in Love (vegan hotel in Costa Rica)
• Le Cheval Blanc (vegan B&B in St Antonin-Noble-Val, France)
• Mikasa boutique Hotel (vegan hotel located in Spain)
• Mother Earth Vegan Hotel (vegan hotel located in Costa Rica)
• Omassim Guesthouse (vegetarian guest house with vegan options in Ericeira, Portugal)
• Paradiso Pure.Living (vegan hotel in Italy)
• Park Lane Guest House(vegetarian guest house with vegan options in Austin, TX, US)
• Red Robin Song Guest House (vegan guest house in Lebanon, NY)
• Saorsa 1875 Hotel (vegan hotel in Scotland)
• Sewall House Yoga Retreat (vegetarian with vegan options in Island Falls, ME, US)
• Speedwell Forge B&B (B&B with vegan options in Lititz, PA, US)
• The Stanford Inn by the Sea (vegan hotel resort in Mendocino, CA, US)
• Sugar Ridge Retreat Centre (vegetarian center with vegan options in Ontario, Canada)
• Sundogs Bed and Breakfast (vegan B&B in Shepherdstown, WV, US)
• Vegan Agrivilla i Pini (vegan hotel located in Italy)
• Volcano Eco Retreat by Heart Core Hotels (vegan hotel located in Hawaii, USA)
• The White Pig Bed & Breakfast at Briarcreek Farm (vegan B&B at pig sanctuary in Schuyler, VA, US)

Come meet dietitians from the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group and VRG members. The public is invited. You must preregister. You can pay at www.vrg.org/donate Write in names of attendees and that this is for the Networking dinner.

When: Sunday, October 12, 2025, 6 PM

Where: Thyme and Tempo Vegan Restaurant

Menu:

• Quinoa chili with tomato, organic quinoa, beans, olive oil, kale, organic corn, onion, and spices.
• Music City Power Bowl with sweet potato, corn & mango salsa, black beans, guacamole, vegan sour cream, broccoli, beets, carrot, lettuce, mung beans, pumpkin seeds, corn chips, and basil vinaigrette.
• Vegan chocolate chip or oatmeal cookie

Cost: $30 before September 12, 2025. $35 before October 1, 2025. Includes tax and tip.

Drinks can be purchased from the restaurant separately. PLEASE PAY AT

www.vrg.org/donate and write in the Comments: Networking Dinner with the Attendee names. Or call (410) 366-8343. Or mail payment to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203. We look forward to seeing you there.

Photo from Vecteezy

Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD, offers a number of picnic buffet ideas that you can serve your family and friends this Memorial Day Weekend. Whether it be a Build-Your-Own Burrito or Wrap, Build-Your-Own Salad Entrée, Build-Your-Own Gazpacho, Create Fruit or Vegetable Sushi, or Build-Your-Own Dessert, Nancy has you covered.

Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2018issue2/2018_issue2_cooking_tips.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal, visit: Subscribe to Vegan Journal

One day in art class, everything changed. By pure chance, I was assigned my final project on factory farming. Ironically, both my grandparents had been farmers, but I had never so much as stepped foot on a farm. When I first heard the words factory farm, I pictured something almost absurd. The more I learned, I couldn’t keep supporting an industry that reduced sentient beings to mere commodities. I decided to go vegan. That was five years ago. I have always been an environmental advocate. That passion led me to co-found and serve as president of my school’s Green Team. After becoming vegan, I wanted to help my peers understand the connection between diet and climate change, so I began volunteering as an intern at the nonprofit Climate Diet. I started by volunteering at local events like DC VegFest, where I led fun games and conducted meaningful conversations on the ethical impacts of veganism.

I brought sustainable eating initiatives to my school by partnering with PLNT Burger to cater our Green Team fair. I worked with Climate Diet to launch environmental food education lessons in my school’s fifth grade science curriculum. I also testified before the DC school board to push for expanded environmental education. I started creating vegan cooking videos for Climate Diet’s Instagram and I participated in the Montgomery County Youth Climate Summit to educate students about the environmental, ethical, and health aspects of veganism.

As an aspiring mechanical engineer, I’m eager to apply my skills to sustainability-driven projects, whether by improving plant-based food production systems or developing more efficient agricultural technologies. I will be attending Harvey Mudd College.

 Support Young Veg Activists

To send support for additional scholarships and internships, donate at www.vrg.org/donate or call (410) 366-8343. You can also mail a donation to VRG, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

Do you know an amazing high school student who promoted veganism? If so, let them know about our annual scholarship contest. The deadline for high school seniors is February 20^th of each year. To see scholarship rules and past winners, visit www.vrg.org/student/scholar

Nigari Flakes from Mitoku Co.

Nigari has been added to The Vegetarian Resource Group’s Food Ingredient Guide. Here’s this new entry:

Nigari
Alternate Names: nigai, bittern, magnesium chloride
Commercial Source: Mineral
Used in: tofu, non-cultured dairy cheese, mineral water
Used as: coagulant, flavoring agent, mineral supplement
Definition: Translated from the Japanese word for bittern, nigari, used to make tofu, is composed of magnesium chloride and several trace minerals.
Manufacturers:
Sandra Gibson of Sea Salts of Hawaii: “No, it is only deep ocean magnesium solar evaporated, not other ingredients.”
Newfoundland Salt Company: “No.”
Ema Sogabe of Mitoku Co.: “Our Nigari does not contain any animal/animal derived ingredients/processing aids. As a matter of fact, we would like to confirm that there are no animal derived ingredients/processing aids at the processing site at all.”
Additional Information:
Kameyumado
Classification: Vegan
Entry Added: May 2025

More ingredient listings are at https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php#n

You can support The Vegetarian Resource Group research by joining at https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

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

tortillas photo from Freepik

Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD, shares some tortilla meal ideas:

• Tortilla Breakfast Pizza: Bake, toast, or steam a tortilla. Top with vegan cream cheese and either preserves or chopped fresh ripe fruit.
• Tortilla Soup: This recipe is traditionally made with chicken stock. Use a vegetable broth instead and simmer with chopped onions, carrots, celery, and tomatoes. Just before serving, stir in some baked tortilla chips so they can soften and soak up some of the flavor. Then, garnish with some chips as well so you get two textures.
• Crunchy and Soft Baskets: Bake or purchase a hard tortilla bowl. Spread a soft tortilla (that will fit inside the hard bowl) with refried or black beans. Place the soft tortilla, bean side down, into the hard bowl. You’ve now got a ‘leakproof ‘ bowl. Spread the soft tortilla’s top side with beans, and then fill your basket with shredded romaine, spinach or mixed greens, cut corn, and other ingredients.
• Wraps: Rather than creating a conventional sandwich made with bread, use a soft tortilla to make a wrap. Top a large (at least 8 inches) tortilla with chopped salad, cooked beans, shredded vegan deli meat, minced smoked tofu or seitan, and a smidge of salad dressing or vegan mayonnaise. Roll tightly, and wrap in plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or parchment paper. Now, you are ready to go!
• Pinwheels: (Pictured on the cover) Use the ‘wrap’ technique described above, but only use ‘smooth’ ingredients, such as nut butters, vegan cream cheese, puréed beans or thick hummus, and minced veggies, such as olives, pimentos, and thin sprouts (such as alfalfa). Spread evenly onto the tortilla, and wrap tightly. Slice at 2-inch intervals or into bite-sized pieces to create attractive pinwheels.
• Fast Micro-Mini Wraps: For grab-and-go lunches, place a soft tortilla on a plate and spread a thin layer of hummus or vegan cream cheese on top. Add a slice of vegan deli meat and/or a slice of vegan cheese and a squirt of mustard. Microwave for 15 seconds to make the tortilla easier to roll. Roll tightly, slice in half, and wrap tightly in foil or parchment paper. This style works well for nut butters, vegan cream cheese and jelly, mashed beans, and even very thinly sliced vegan hot dogs, cheese, and mustard.
• Quesadillas: Shred vegan cheese and sprinkle evenly across a tortilla. Top the cheese with refried beans or mashed black beans. (If you like the convenience of prepared beans, there are several mainstream brands, such as Rosarita, that are vegan and nonfat.) Then, top the beans with salsa, chopped onions, chopped chilies, and/or minced olives. Cover with a second tortilla and steam in the microwave or bake in the oven until bubbly.
• Layered Dinner: This is a great way to use up leftovers! Spray a baking dish with vegetable oil. Put down a layer of baked tortilla chips, whole soft tortillas, or soft tortillas cut into strips. Select the ingredients for your layers, which can include mashed avocado; mashed, cooked beans or garbanzos; sliced, cooked potatoes; cooked veggies; chopped smoked or firm tofu; leftover chili; shredded vegan cheese; vegan sour cream; leftover mashed potatoes, etc. Alternate layers of different ingredients with tortillas until the baking dish is full. Bake until hot and serve! A great tip is to assemble your layers early in the morning and then refrigerate until ready to bake in the oven later in the day.
• Tortilla Dessert Pizza: Bake, toast, or steam a soft tortilla. Top with vegan cream cheese or nut butter, vegan chocolate or carob chips, and fruit preserves.
• Sweet Tortilla Bowl: Spread nut butter or vegan cream cheese onto a soft tortilla and place it into a bowl. Fill the tortilla with cooked and cooled grains, chopped fresh or frozen fruit, dried fruit, cold cereal or cinnamon tortilla chips, and/or vegan yogurt or frozen vegan desserts, such as Tofutti or Rice Dream.

Read more here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2011issue2/2011_issue2_vegan_cooking_tips.php

To subscribe to Vegan Journal in the USA, see www.vrg.org/member

Kale Tabbouleh

Linda Tyler’s previous article published by VRG features Kale Salads. These recipes will inspire you to eat your greens! Find recipes for:

Thai-Inspired Coconut Kale Salad

Kale Tabbouleh

Pear Balsamic Salad with Candied Walnuts

Apple and Kale Salad with Curry Dressing

Kale Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Rainbow Kale and Grain Salad

Read the entire article here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2021issue2/2021_issue2_kale_salads.php

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

strawberries photo from Freepik

Each issue of Vegan Journal features a column called Vegan Cooking Tips by Chef Nancy Berkoff. A previous column focused on strawberries. Here are some ideas for enjoying strawberries at every meal:

• Add sliced strawberries to mixed green or pasta salads.
• Layer sliced strawberries, whole blueberries, and vegan yogurt or silken tofu in a glass bowl to make an attractive dessert or breakfast parfait. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, sesame seeds, or pumpkin seeds if desired.
• Mash fresh or frozen chopped strawberries with a dash of maple syrup and serve as a topping for waffles and pancakes.
• Blend strawberries with a little bit of orange juice concentrate and use as a fresh fruit sauce for fruit salad, pancakes, pound cake, cookies, or vegan ice cream.
• Add strawberries to breakfast smoothies to give them a more vibrant taste and color.
• Create strawberry vinaigrette by blending with oil, vinegar, and dried oregano, garlic, and nutritional yeast.
• To make baked oatmeal with strawberries, simply mix oatmeal with boiling water, pat into a baking dish, top with sliced strawberries, and bake at 350 degrees until firm.
• Create a soaked strawberry cake with leftover cake or wheat bread cut into cubes, and mixed with blended strawberries.
• Blend a strawberry lassi using strawberries, vegan yogurt, coconut milk, and lemon zest.

Read the entire column here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2021issue2/2021_issue2_cooking_tips.php

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

Magnesium Chloride photo from Freepik

Magnesium Chloride has been added to The Vegetarian Resource Group’s Food Ingredient Guide. Here’s this new entry:

Magnesium Chloride
Alternate Names: nigari, bittern, MgCl2, E511, bischofite
Commercial Source: Mineral
Used in: tofu, infant formula, sports drinks, beer, dietary supplements, winter road deicing, animal feed, fertilizer
Used as: coagulant, flavoring agent, electrolyte, deicing agent
Definition: Typically evaporated from seawater, magnesium chloride is a common coagulant in tofu production. Magnesium chloride possesses GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Manufacturers:
Adnan Heikal of Alliance Chemical: “This product does not contain any declared animal-origin materials [or processing aids] in its composition.”
Owen Donald of Celtic Chemicals: “None of our products are derived from animal ingredients [or have] animal-derived processing aids involved in their manufacture.”
Additional Information:
Code of Federal Regulations
Classification: Vegan
Entry Added: May 2025

For more ingredient entries, see https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php

To support The Vegetarian Resource Group Research, donate at vrg.org/donate

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