Twenty new vegan meals will soon be added to the menus of more than 250 arenas, stadiums, and convention centers across the country. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Spectra Food Services & Hospitalitya leading provider of food services for venues across North Americaare partnering for the first-ever Plant-Based Innovation Workshop on November 14 at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, FL where HSUS and Spectra chefs will create the 20 menu items for concession and catering menus at Spectra-managed venues that serve millions annually, including the Atlantic City Convention Center, Canvas Stadium in Colorado State University, and McCaw Hall at Seattle Center. More and more people are choosing to eat plant-based foods either occasionally or at every meal for their health, for the planet, and to reduce the number of animals used for food, Josephine Morris, HSUS food policy manager, said. We are excited to work with the Spectra chefs to make their plant-based options the most colorful, delicious, and hearty choices for vegetarians and meat eaters alike so that everyone has wonderful options when they attend events.

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250 Stadiums, Arenas, and Convention Centers Will Soon Serve 20 More Vegan Meals - VegNews

In a feat that has biblical overtones, a California startup claims to have developed a technology that can create meat from thin air. Is this latest artificial meat product the ultimate solution to the environmental catastrophe the worlds growing meat consumption poses, or a pipe dream that will never make it beyond the lab?

The air-based meat comes from a company called Air Protein and is based on an idea conceived by Nasa in the 1960s as a possible way to feed astronauts in space. The basic concept is that CO2 breathed out by astronauts could be converted into nutrients by microorganisms called hydrogenotrophs.

By cultivating these microbes inside fermentation tanks and feeding them a mix of CO2 and various other nutrients, Air Protein has shown it can produce an ingredient that is 80% protein. The end-product has the appearance of a pale brown powder and is said to have a neutral flavour. Calling it meat might be a bit of a stretch, but the company says it could be blended with other ingredients to create meat alternatives or used as a supplement in protein bars or shakes.

Most meat-free meats are based on soy or other plant proteins, which have their own land-use footprint. This would have the environmental advantage of being made inside fermenting units, the company says.

Bruce Friedrich, co-founder and executive director of the Good Food Institute, a non profit organisation that promotes plant-based alternatives to conventional meat, said the basic idea appeared very realistic and scalable. The basics of the science indicate that this should be possible and, if so, extremely impactful as a part of the solution to the harms of industrial animal agriculture, he says. Its too early to say for sure which alternative proteins will be best for environmental concerns, but all of them solve the colossal problem of antibiotic resistance, which is as big of a threat to the world as climate change.

The success of Greggs vegan sausage roll and the meatless Impossible Burger show there is a growing demand for meat alternatives. But the question of whether 3D-printed steaks or chicken burgers grown from microbes will prove most popular ultimately depends on cost and taste. In the case of Air Protein, consumers may soon have a chance to judge for themselves. The company is deciding on the right first food to bring to market with a view to announcing a product next year.

Originally posted here:

The vegan revolution: why the latest 'meat' is made entirely from thin air - The Guardian

My inclination upon waking up on a Saturday isn't to drive 25 minutes from home to pick up some vegan donuts and klobasneks (kolaches, but meat-filled). But sometimes I go against my inclination, and sometimes it works.

Vegan Donut & Gelatohas been open for a year on Clay Road in theBear Creek area, promising Cambodian-style donuts and other foods made without animal productsno eggs, no dairy. Itsklobasneks substitute meat for soy-based and tofu products. Again, I'm not one to simply shun the flesh, but it's wise to try alternatives once in a while. Especially if some of the fare is as good as it is here.

Simply put, these are some of the better donuts I've had, period. I ordered a mixed six, which included four glazedorange, blueberry, chocolate peanut, cherryand two cakemaple sprinkle and coconut. I didn't expect to polish off half of them in about three minutes, but I guess I'm not bashful. If you want to hone in on one donut, the orange is terrifictart, snappy, and offset by the donut's sugary sweet softness. Both cake donuts were also outstanding. You wouldn't know that these are vegan.

The klobasaneks are hitor miss. Essentially, the dough is that of the glazed donuts, which means they're just too greasy and sweet, overpowering the filling. I tried the falafel and found the filling slightly dry and uneven (I could've used, say, two or three smaller falafel balls inside instead of one giant one). Better was the soy chorizo, which has a good bit ofchili bite along with some powerful jalapeos.

But I'd just skip those in favor of adding on a couple orders of vegan egg rolls (four for $3), because why not? Nicely fried and filled Cambodian-style with mushrooms, carrots,noodles, and cabbage, they're immensely flavorful.

I didn't try the gelato (look, even I have limits at 9:30 a.m.), but I imagine I'll want to find my way back for it. And maybe I'll add on some herbal tea or seaweed, since they sell these products at the counter. Yup, Vegan Donuts & Gelato is the kind of Houston experience you want on a Saturday morningfun, casual, friendly, and stupidly tasty in the most unexpected way.

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You Have to Try This Vegan Donut Place - Houstonia Magazine

If youve ever clicked onto YouTube, its likely youve come across the name Hot Ones. The web series is a favorite for many, with millions of viewers flocking to watch the latest video of the show with hot questions, and even hotter wings. Created in 2015, the interview-style series now boasts more than 160 episodes.

Hot Ones was created by Christopher Schonberger. Its produced by Complex Media and First We Feast, the latter of which shares the videos on its YouTube channel. First We Feast has 7.45 million subscribers and its channel has amassed more than 1.1 billion views.

Hot Ones is hosted by Sean Evans, an American YouTuber and producer. The web series concept sees Evans interviewing a celebrity guest whilst the pair chow down on wings. The wings are dipped in hot sauce and the sauce gets spicier every round. There are 10 rounds and 10 wings. The first sauce is typically something mild, like Sriracha, which has a Scoville rating of 2,200. The final round can include sauces with a Scoville rating of 2,000,000+.

As the show progresses, the guests struggle more and more to get through both the wings and the questions. Theyre offered ice and glasses of water and milk to cool the burn. Guests who cant eat all 10 wings are added to the shows Hall of Shame.

Most Hot Ones guests eat chicken wings on the show, however, Evans offers a vegan option, too. Many guests also choose plant-based milk like soy or oat rather than cows milk to counter the effects of the hot sauce. Whatever the guests eat and drink, Evans does the same.

During one segment, Evans told celebrity guest Kristen Bell that he backs the idea of eating vegan a couple of days a week. He explained that animal products harm the planet and public health. You eat so much terrible stuff, he said. So I think that you know, its good not to have the wing thing all the time.

And according to a Tweet from 2017, he may even prefer the vegan version. Writing about the vegan wings, Evans said on Twitter, Far and away the best-tasting wings weve ever had on Hot Ones.'

Billie Eilish appeared on Hot Ones earlier this year. The 17-year-old vegan musician conquered all 10 meat-free wings and came back for more, taking extra bites of the hottest plant-based wing. Eilish drank water and soy milk and crunched on ice to cool the burn.

The songwriter has been vegan since around 2014. She frequently uses her platform to raise awareness about animal cruelty. On the 10th anniversary of the Meat-Free Monday campaign, she encouraged 41.4 million Instagram followers to get involved, writing, Help the world. I try.

Natalie Portman hasnt eaten meat since she was nine-years-old, so naturally, the actor and filmmaker went for plant-based wings for her episode of Hot Ones.

Portman has now been vegan for around eight years. In 2017, Portman produced and narrated a documentary called Eating Animals which looks at the environmental, economic, and health risks linked to factory farming. Evans said to Portman that watching the documentary made me really consider the future of this show.

Portman commented: If everyone cut out meat, dairy, and eggs from one of their meals a day or from one day a week that would make such a huge impact environmentally and with how many animals are put into difficult conditions.

English actor, comedian, and director Ricky Gervais tackled the Hot Ones challenge in 2017 with spicy vegan wings. Gervais is a longtime vegetarian, but its been rumored that the entertainer has now gone vegan. During his Hot Ones segment, Evans highlighted Gervais longtime obsession with cheese but spoke about it in the past tense. He showed the actor images of cheese to get his opinion of them from your cheese days.

When I used to have cheese and beans on toast it was always a mature cheddar, Gervais said.

Gervais is an animal rights activist. He speaks out against trophy hunting, animal testing, horse racing, and the fur trade.

British television presenter, fashion designer, and longtime vegetarian Alex Chung snacked on vegan chicken for her 2017 episode of Hot Ones. Her preference for animal-free food goes further than diet; when Chung launched her eponymous fashion label, she promised to never use fur, angora, or exotic skins in any of her designs.

Sixty-seven-year-old Jeff Goldblum graced the season six finale of Hot Ones in August 2018. The actor answered Evans questions whilst feasting on tofu and tempeh wings.

A month later, Goldblum bumped into vegan filmmaker Kevin Smith at the vegan fast-casual chain, Veggie Grill. Smith wrote about the encounter online, saying, Makes sense that hes plant-based, considering he was almost eaten that one time,alongside a gif of Goldblum running from a tyrannosaurus rex in the 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park.

Weird Al Yankovic has been eating meat-free food since 1992. And that didnt change for his 2018 Hot Ones episode when the singer-songwriter chowed down on vegan wings. Hes not usually a fan of plant-based meat, though. Yankovic told PETA in 2016 that he prefers to fuel his body with vegetables, fruit, juices, rice, and pasta.

When it comes to food, actor Vanessa Hudgens doesnt stick to the status quo (if you know, you know). The 30-year-old High School Musical star ate vegan wings with Evans on her Hot Ones segment. Hudgens is a pescatarian, but said the vegan wings were really delicious.

Im actually not a vegetarian but Im trying to become better, Paul Rudd told Evans during his Hot Ones segment as the pair ate vegan cauliflower wings. The 50-year-old actor conquered all 10 wings on the segment and finished up the segment with a historic dab, whereby he mixed all 10 hot sauces together and dipped a vegan wing in it.

Rudd recently said he avoids killing insects, including stepping on ants, because he doesnt believe he is better than them. Am I really so much better than a spider?he asked.

English comedian and actor Russell Brand stopped eating meat at age 14 because its mean to animals. The entertainer has dipped in and out of veganism since then. He recently returned to his vegan lifestyle, saying on a podcast, When people are awakened, they dont want to have the blood of people or animals on their hands.

For his Hot Ones segment, Brand ate vegan wings from the Temple of Seitan, a London-based vegan takeout shop offering meat-free fried chicken and burgers. Brand said the vegan wings were glorious.

Maisie Williams is the latest vegan celebrity to appear on Hot Ones. The 22-year-old Game of Thrones star ate cauliflower wings and drank oat milk with Evans. During the interview, Williams revealed she almost missed her Game of Thrones audition because she wanted to visit a pig farm. She also spoke about her work on the dramatic thriller Heatstroke, in which she acted alongside hyenas. She explained that you have to respect the incredible animals.

Williams has spoken out against animal testing, the pet trade, and keeping animals confined for human entertainment.

Kristen Bells good place is eating vegan wings with Evans. The 39-year-old actor told the host she was impressed that he offered a meat-free option. Its nice. Youre nice,she added.

Bell has been living meat-free since she was 11-years-old. She hasnt missed eating meat, either. She told Today in 2017, I have no craving for it. Though she isnt vegan anymore (Bell went plant-based in 2012 but transitioned back to vegetarianism shortly after), she commented: I think being vegan is a wonderful way to live and it has great effects on the body. I also think it has really good effects on the environment.

Earlier this year, American comedian Abbi Jacobson appeared on Hot Ones with fellow co-star and co-writer of Comedy Central series Broad City, Ilana Glazer. The pair chowed down on vegan cauliflower wings whilst discussing their careers, weed, and Instagram. Jacobson joked on Twitter afterward: We were sick for two days not because of the hot sauce, but from the huge amount of cauliflower.

During the episode, 32-year-old writer and actor Glazer shared a recipe for Firecracker edibles, which is drunk as a smoothie on Broad City.

You mash up weed into something really fat-based like almond butter Im like a health nut so, I do my Firecrackers with almond butter, she said to Evans.You can put it on a rice cracker, graham cracker, whatever, or you can just put it on a baking sheet and put it in something after.

She added that the Firecracker is to be taken seriously. We would lose our minds,she said.We would go into fetal position in our respective rooms.

RZA was the first vegan to ever appear on Hot Ones. He made his appearance in August 2016, eating plant-based nuggets and drinking almond milk. Evans swapped between animal meat and vegan meat throughout the episode.

RZA told PETA in 2014: Im quite sure [animals] do not wanna be on my plate When you eat [animal products] youre eating that stress, eating that sickness, eating that fear,he said. He added, I dont need a dead animal or dead piece of flesh to go into my live body.

He also said he believes veganism could lead to a better tomorrow.

Canadian actor Thomas Middleditch took to the Hot Ones table in 2017. Middleditch went for meat-free wings, which he said were super tasting.

Two months prior, Middleditch told Food GPS that he was an aspiring vegetarian who loves the fast-casual vegan restaurant, Veggie Grill.

Stunt performer and actor Steve-O best known for his work on Jackass chatted about activism during his Hot Ones episode. Steve-O climbed 150 feet in the air on a construction site with a blow-up toy whale that read SeaWorld sucks. Steve-O has also protested against fur and circuses. The entertainer was once vegan but now eats fish.

American musician Anderson Paak met with Evans in October 2018. Theyre all vegan, are you sure? Paak asked about the nuggets before biting into one (he also made sure the milk was dairy-free). Its all vegan today, Evans assured, and commented that the Almond Breeze milk is so good.

Paak also shouted out the fast-food chain Fatburger, arguing that its better than In-N-Out because, at the time, it was one of the only fast-food spots where you could get the Impossible Burger.

Canadian YouTube star and talk show host Lilly Singh braved spicy meat-free wings on Hot Ones last year. Singh recently opened up about being vegetarian on her new late-night talk show, A Little Late With Lilly Singh. She called herself a proud vegetarian and encouraged her viewers to give the lifestyle a go. She said: I originally decided to become a vegetarian because I figured if I can live without killing an animal, why shouldnt I?

She added, If youre on the fence about becoming a vegetarian, I highly recommend it. Youre saving animals. Youre saving the planet. Youre saving a lot of time at Thanksgiving.

Hot Ones welcomed American comedian Pete Holmes in December 2018. Holmes ate spicy plant-based wings with Evans and chatted about the beliefs surrounding veganism.

We also have to fess up the idea that most of us even though Im a vegan werent vegan for decades and decades and decades so we have to have compassion for people that eat meat or whatever, Holmes said.

He added, Try to eat plants as much as you can. Its good for you and its good for the planet and its good for animals but if you [expletive] up, dont be embarrassed. Thats what were all doing.

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These 19 Celebrities Ate Vegan Wings on Hot Ones

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These 19 celebrities all decided to eschew meat and chow down on spicy vegan wings during their appearance on the popular YouTube series "Hot Ones."

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Jemima Webber

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LIVEKINDLY

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These 19 Celebrities Ate Vegan Wings on Hot Ones - LIVEKINDLY

Vegan. Its not the most difficult diet to satisfy (have you tried macrobiotic?) but in some towns and at some restaurants, it can be a challenge. But increasingly, Madison restaurants are cooking for vegans and annotating their menus to cater to those who forego animal products. These six dishes (yes, we had a tie) came out on top when we asked about your favorite vegan dishes in our 2019 readers poll.

1. The butternut squash curry at Everly is, like much of Everlys food, vegetable-centric (and scrupulously noted on the menu when vegan). Its made with coconut milk, cashews, cilantro and Fresno chiles and served on chewy, nutty forbidden rice, which in this case is not forbidden, but practically a requirement. 2701 Monroe St.

2. The Banzo at Banzo is what started it all for this falafel mini-kingdom. Parsley, cilantro, onions, celery and freshly cooked garbanzo beans ultimately form the crispy falafel, which is topped by a spicy relish and a couple of housemade potato chips, held snugly by warm, puffy pita. 2105 Sherman Ave. and food carts

3. The Heathen Vegan Shoplifters Delight at Montys Blue Plate Diner might qualify as old-school vegan a sandwich based on portobello mushrooms, tempeh and avocado and topped with (are you sitting down?) lemon-tahini dressing. You must love it. 2089 Atwood Ave.

4. Biscuits and gravy, that classic southern breakfast, is hard to find vegan but you can at Willalbys Cafe. The biscuits are vegan, the gravy is mushroom, and broccoli and tomato make this dish a wee bit healthy. 1351 Williamson St.

5. General Tsos Cauliflower at Tavernakaya is one of those youll-never-miss-the-meat favorites. The fried cauliflower develops layers of complex flavor as it cooks, sometimes with a crisp thats almost meaty. The sweet, spicy General Tsos sauce adds one more flavor layer. 27 E. Main St.

5. (tie) Squash curry at Lao Laan-Xang is for squash lovers and anyone who loves Thai food. Acorn and butternut squash as well as zucchini are joined by slices of Thai eggplant. Basil and sweet coconut milk round out the tantalizing sauce. Two locations:2098 Atwood Ave. and 1146 Williamson St.

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Five (actually six) vegan entrees you need to try in Madison, Wisconsin - Isthmus

Myself and Dave have been eating a wholefood plant-based diet for more than 16 years. We had grown up as meat-eating, dairy-swilling jocks and ate whatever food our mom put in front of us. It was only when we went travelling and discovered different ways of eating, beyond the classic meat and two veg, that we started to move our diets towards being plant-based, and realised just how much the food we ate could impact our wellbeing.

We felt so good eating a plant-based diet that we returned to Ireland with a dream of starting a vegetable revolution.We bought a fruit and veg shop in our hometown of Greystones, called it The Happy Pear, and embarked on a mission to make the world a healthier and happier place.

However, back then, eating a vegan diet was practically unheard of and people were highly suspicious of it unable to understand how anyone could survive without consuming any animal products.

Since then, things have changed a lot and the move towards plant-based eating has grown exponentially. We have witnessed the benefits that eating a plant-based diet has had on so many peoples lives from the many customers who have visited our cafes and shared their stories with us, to the thousands of people worldwide who have taken part in our online courses.

We know it can be confusing for people to know what to eat these days, especially when some medical professionals, researchers and even qualified dietitians are funded by the meat, dairy and egg industries to help them promote their products. Often, these paid professionals will portray a healthy plant-based diet as dangerously deficient in vitamins and minerals that are easily available without eating animal products, including calcium (which cows get by eating plants), vitamin D (made by your own body when you are exposed to bright sunlight) and vitamin B12 (which is made by soil bacteria).

The truth is that industrialised livestock production means that most of the meat sold in the shops comes from animals who were given supplements of all three of these important nutrients, and more.

The good news is that the benefits of a plant-based diet are now being embraced by the global medical community. Building on the work of pioneers in the field of plant-based nutrition, such as Dr Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr Dean Ornish, doctors and health organisations around the world are now recognising that a balanced, plant-based diet has many health benefits.

Over the years, weve been delighted to form friendships with medical professionals, including Dr Esselstyn and representatives of the newer generation, like Dr Michelle McMacken and Dr Alan Desmond. These clinicians continue to impress us with stories of how plant-based nutrition has benefited their patients and transformed their medical practices.

For us, a pivotal moment came in January of this year, when one of the worlds oldest and most respected medical journals, The Lancet, endorsed a plant-based diet as the best choice for human health and planetary health. For the EAT-Lancet Report, an independent panel of about 40 scientists, doctors and health experts reviewed decades of evidence on diet and human health. They defined the best diet for human health as approximately half a plate of vegetables and fruits, the other half should consist primarily of whole grains, plant-protein sources and unsaturated plant-oils. They recommended that small amounts of animal-sourced proteins, like meat, eggs and dairy, should be considered as purely optional.

The EAT-Lancet version of a healthy diet is definitely plant-based and is completely consistent with healthy eating guidelines published by other expert groups, like the World Cancer Research Fund. In the United States, the American Heart Association now strongly endorses a plant-based diet to help prevent and treat heart disease, stroke, obesity, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes.

The plant-based medical movement is also growing on this side of the pond. In March, we were honoured to speak at the Mater Hospital, alongside a panel of esteemed medical professionals at a conference set up by Plant-Based Doctors Ireland. We met lots of enthusiastic GPs there, eager to learn about the science that supports a wholefood plant-based diet as the optimal diet for human health.

So, the next time you hear a doctor or dietician who is funded by the meat, egg or dairy industry telling you that those foods are really healthy and you should just eat more of them, pause for a second. Ask yourself, Whose interests do they really have at heart? Are they motivated by my health and happiness, or do they just want to sell more meat, eggs and dairy?.

Read:Benefits of a plant-based diet now backed by science

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Vegan diet: Benefits of a plant-based diet now backed by science - The Irish Times

Justin Bieber believes vegans should be given $100,000 a year.

American rapper Riff Raff shared a post on Twitter which said, I just remembered I can run for president. He listed the changes he would make if he was elected, which include free health care, free college, and no taxes. If you are vegan you get $100k a year, the rapper added.

Bieber shared the post on his Instagram Story to his 121 million followers. The 25-year-old celebrity added vote stickers to the post.

In 2017, Bieber was spotted enjoying a vegan breakfast with his former flame, Selena Gomez. The pair dined at JOi Caf, an organic, plant-based cafe in California.

Biebers interest in cruelty-free living spans further than diet. In May 2019, the artist teamed up with Schmidts Naturals to launch a cruelty-free, vegan deodorant.

The deodorant is called Here + Now. Its made with natural ingredients like coconut oil and arrowroot powder.

The time was right to make something happen and bring to life an exclusive product collaboration that will bring new fans into thenaturalscategory,Schmidts CEO and co-founder Michael CammaratatoldPEOPLE.If Justin can make the switch from conventional tonatural, its a choice thats open to everyone.

Here + Now is more than just a deodorant, Cammarata said. Its a lifestyle and a connection to those around you. Its about the small, but intentional choices we make every day that help us to lead happier and healthier lives, mentally and physically.

More high profile names are speaking out about veganism. Seventeen-year-old singer-songwriter Billie Eilish went vegan in 2014. On the 10th anniversary of the Meat Free Monday initiative, Eilish encouraged her millions of Instagram followers: Help the world. I try.

Jermaine Dupri, will.i.am, Ariana Grande, and Jason Mraz are all vegan. Miley Cyrus went vegan five years ago and by 2018, she had 16 rescue animals living with her. A$AP Rocky says his plant-based diet helps him to clean my mind, body, and soul.

I started doing research and found out how they treat those animals before they, you know, service them. They inject them with steroids and drugs that enhance their growth. None of that sh*t is healthy, and on top of that those [expletive] animals were stressed and compressed the whole time, he said to Complex. That kind of food going into your body is unhealthy. I dont mean to sound like some weirdo, but it is what it is.

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Justin Bieber Thinks Vegans Should Get Paid $100K a Year

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Singer-songwriter Justin Bieber and rapper Riff Raff think vegans should receive $100,000 a year. Bieber also just designed a cruelty-free, vegan deodorant.

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Jemima Webber

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LIVEKINDLY

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Justin Bieber Thinks Vegans Should Get Paid $100K a Year - LIVEKINDLY

Convenience stores are known for chips, candy and soda. But one woman in Los Angeles set out to create a healthy version of the well-loved bodega.

Picture your local convenience store. It might be the 7-Eleven around the block or that one bodega with the best drip coffee. The image that comes to mind is likely filled with shimmery, plastic-wrapped candy bars, brightly colored lotto tickets and, well, unhealthy food.

While bodegas and corner stores often arent known for healthy snack options, they are known to foster community. Bodegas, most commonly found in New York City, have a deep history. Puerto Rican and Dominican business owners coined the term in the 1960s, and over the decades theyve become places to share stories, celebrate cultural identities and strengthen neighborhood ties.

Since theyve become centerpieces in their communities, bodegas often become a point of outreach and information sharing for nonprofits and other organizations. For bodegas located in low-income neighborhoods, where knowledge about nutrition is lacking and healthy food is expensive and often inaccessible, messages around healthy eating become even more important.t

Thats why LaRayia Gaston decided to fuse the low costs of bodegas with the health of Whole Foods. She launched LaRayias Bodega, a healthy take on the traditional convenience store.

Step inside and you wont find Twix Bars or cans of Pringles, but crystals and candles in the entryway and a counter teeming with healthy granola bars, jars of organic pasta sauce and natural juice boxes.

And while most of the products have all-natural or organic written before its name, every item in the Westlake, California, store costs $5 or less.

The price point is the activism, the price point is the focus, Gaston, the bodegas founder, told The New York Times.

Beyond packaged food, the convenience store, which opened in August, also has a caf offering homemade meals. Everything, from the salad to soups, is vegan. Its all priced under $5, with options ranging from Caribbean-style potato coconut soup to jackfruit tacos.

This is about giving people a chance to have fresh foods, Gaston said. There are people who want salads that dont have the means. I have war vets that are 60 years old that are like, Give me arugula today, baby.

The store is part of Love Without Reason, a nonprofit started by Gaston about four years ago. Outside of the bodega, the nonprofit also provides vegan meals to people experiencing homelessness on Skid Row, a 50-block area with over 4,750 homeless individuals. Gaston and volunteers gather food from grocery stores and restaurants that would have otherwise been thrown away and turn it into meals. The nonprofit delivers about 10,000 meals each month to people in need.

Similar to the meal program, the bodega receives misshapen fruit for free and many of its packaged snacks are donated, offsetting some of the cafs costs.

Eventually, the bodega aims to also support veterans, at-risk youth and people experiencing homelessness with jobs and job training.

We want to address everything food injustice, food waste, homelessness, giving people a second chance. I wanted to kill multiple birds with one stone, Gaston told L.A. Times.

Besides the goal of offering affordable, healthy meals, Gaston aims to make the bodega a space to celebrate neighbors and strengthen community. Whether its a weekend birthday party or an open mic night, Gaston wants to foster relationships inside the little store.

Thats why she settled on the term bodega. In Los Angeles, the term bodega isnt often used tienditas is much more common but Gaston grew up in New York and was raised by Puerto Rican Caribbean parents. Calling her store a bodega is a way of reflecting her roots.

A bodega is personal, Gaston told L.A. Taco. Its knowing people on your block.

More: Kids Are Learning to Read in a Place Youd Never Expect: The Laundromat

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One Womans $5 Vegan Meals Are Served in an Unexpected Place: The Bodega - NationSwell

A new buzz in Bloomingdale

The Bloomingdale neighborhood will have another coffee competitor to stalwart Big Bear Cafe and the Sylvan bakery when Creative Grounds DC opens Saturday, November 23, in a 62-seat space at 1822 North Capitol Street NW. The menu promises ethically sourced coffee and food goods from local vendors. Look for espresso drinks and teas; kale salads and vegan BLTs; and all-day pastries like croissants, cookies, cakes slices, and bagels. The stark, two-story space from husband-and-wife duo Kenn Blagburn and Asmara Sium covers 2,000 square feet and will double as an incubator for creative types by hosting exhibits and artist talks.

10 more days for TenPenh

Asian fusion restaurant TenPenh in Tysons Corner will serve its last spring roll on Friday, November 22, after just three years of business, according to a post on its website flagged by Washington Business Journal. The expansive 260-seat venue at the base of the neon-lit Silverline Center development also has a main dining room and lounge. Landlord WashREIT did not respond to a request for comment about the future of the space. Chef Jeff Tunks ran the Passion Food Hospitality restaurant for 11 years in D.C. before closing in 2011 (the name stems from its original 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue locale). The menu is inspired by his travels to places like Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Thailand. Comeback dishes included red Thai curry lobster and Chinese-style smoked lobster. The closing is the latest in a string of shutters for Passion Food, which recently shut down Penn Commons and Acadiana.

Eggplant meatballs incoming

Meanwhile, Tysons is prepping to welcome another restaurant on Thursday, November 14. B.GOOD Tysons West (1495 Cornerside Boulevard), the first area location for the fast-casual chain, offers salads and bowls, burgers and chicken sandwiches, smoothies and shakes, and eggplant meatballs. Kids eat free every Tuesday and Thursday. The new restaurant is No. 65 in the U.S. Its Virginia footprint currently includes two locations in Richmond. Tysons recently welcomed another health-conscious eatery with the arrival of Flower Child.

Absolute Wrst is coming to Gaithersburg

Self-deprecating West Coast chain Dog Haus is opening a second Maryland location this winter (644 Center Pont Way). Along with its lineup of gourmet hot dogs, sausages, burgers, and chicken sandwiches served on grilled Kings Hawaiian rolls, the 2,600-square-foot restaurant will pour dozen of beers and wines on tap. Its inaugural area location opened last year in Bethesda.

A rolling cause

H Street sushi staple Sticky Rice DC is extending Octobers breast cancer awareness month through the end of next year. Half the proceeds from every Pink Roll sold goes to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Sticky Rice also makes a Vegan Pink Roll with in-house vegan tuna.

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Bloomingdale Is Getting an Artsy Coffee Shop That Sells Vegan BLTs - Eater DC

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Quantzig, a global data analytics and advisory firm, that delivers actionable analytics solutions to resolve complex business problems announces the completion of their recent success story that highlights the business benefits of customer segmentation.

View Quantzigs comprehensive portfolio of customer analytics solutions here: http://bit.ly/2CKiw9f

Top organizations in the vegan food market are finding it difficult to scale up in terms of sustainability, profitability, and footprint. Due to many such factors, capital expenditure plans are destroyed, and insightful business strategies are being ignored across sectors. To set precise business plans and act accordingly, businesses in the vegan food market need to adopt robust customer segmentation models. With a similar intention, a leading vegan food manufacturer based out of the US approached Quantzig. They wanted to leverage our analytics expertise to implement appropriate customer segmentation models and retain valuable customers.

Our advanced analytics solutions and data clustering techniques can help you create meaningful segments based on customer needs and preferences. Request a FREE proposal to get started.

Quantzigs Customer Segmentation Engagement Overview

Bridging the narrowing gap between customer-centricity and value proposition, we bring innovative customer segmentation analytics solutions to the market to help our clients scale their operations and drive profitable outcomes.

Business Challenge

Solution Offered

Outcome

To identify and implement appropriate customer segmentation models to profile and retain valuable customers.

Implemented customer segmentation models and helped the client gain an in-depth understanding of different customer groups.

Segmented customers into distinct groups & devised new strategies to profile and retain valuable customers.

According to the customer segmentation experts at Quantzig, Developing homogenous customer groups can not only help you understand customer needs but can make marketing, product development, and customer service more effective and value-driven.

Speak to our analytics experts to gain comprehensive insights into our analytics capabilities.

Business Benefits of Customer Segmentation

Read the complete success story here: http://bit.ly/34UfEmr

About Quantzig

Quantzig is a global analytics and advisory firm with offices in the US, UK, Canada, China, and India. For more than 15 years, we have assisted our clients across the globe with end-to-end data modeling capabilities to leverage analytics for prudent decision making. Today, our firm consists of 120+ clients, including 45 Fortune 500 companies. For more information on our engagement policies and pricing plans, visit: https://www.quantzig.com/request-for-proposal

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Quantzig Helped a Vegan Food Manufacturer to Scale Business Operations & Drive Profitability Using Customer Segmentation - Business Wire