Soy Happy Update: November, 2005

As a result of this story and a letter to the Editor from Soy Happy printed in its October publication, SH has generated responses from food-service account representatives asking for everything from veggie dogs to dairy free ice cream, healthy snacks and desserts.

Soymilk in California schools

Enid Hohn and some Vista Unified students.

"After a six month effort of trying to locate a vendor that would supply soy milk to my school district, Soy Happy put out an APB to various vendors. I had three vendors contact me within 2 weeks. Happy to say we now are back in business offering soy milk to our students".

Enid Hohn

Director of Child Nutrition Services
Vista Unified School District

Vista Unified School District serves 25,000 students daily.

Teachers, parents, students and others who want to get involved in the effort to make vegetarian lunch options available in your school, please refer to the School Lunch page of this web site. There are many organizations you can support who are making a great effort nationwide, and generating wonderful results! Soy Happy is an advisor to the organization Consumers for Healthy Options to Childrens Education, or CHOICE,which has spearheaded the effort nationwide.

Veggie dogs a win-win in 2005 World Series

The 2005 Major League Baseball World Series was held between the Houston Astros and the Chicago White Sox. This means that fans attending every game were able to purchase veggie dogs!

The Houston Astros' Minute Maid Field consulted with Soy Happy and began serving vegetarian hot dogs two years ago. The World Champion Chicago White Sox' US Cellular Field (formerly Comiskey Park) was the first MLB stadium to respond to Soy Happy. They added soy hot dogs and veggie burgers to their menu boards in 2000. And this just in from the White Sox. In the 2005 season, they sold 2,864 Veggie dogs and 4,781 Gardenburgers. :)

In addition to these stadiums, nine other MLB stadiums served soy dogs to happy fans this year. (See our Venue Reference Guide for more information.)

Baseball fans! Are you happy with the menu options at your ballpark? Have you thanked your concession manager for offering the healthier menu items that you purchase? Or, if you want these items and they are not available, have you taken a few minutes to ask the concession manager? If you haven't, then this is the time! They will tally fan requests and consider the items requested when finalizing their food-service menu for 2006.

Soy Happy will notify subscribers and update our Venue Reference Guide as we confirm final vegetarian/healthy menu information for the ballparks next season.

Free consultation and liaison services for food establishments

The popularity of vegetarian alternatives is increasing nationwide, and what's important to note is that the vast majority of those consumers are NOT vegetarians. They are mainstream Americans who are looking to find viable cholesterol-free and healthy alternatives that satisfy.

As a consumer advocacy service Soy Happy offers free consultation to food-service vendors who are interested in adding healthy alternatives to meat or dairy items to their menu (and this is not limited to soy-based foods). Soy Happy is mostly known mostly for facilitating veggie dogs for baseball stadiums but we have also facilitated a wide variety of alternative fare to items including cream cheese, mozzarella, ice cream, hamburgers, ground round, bologna, vegetarian chili, and bacon. We've consulted for school districts, delis, college cafeterias, restaurants, spas, pizzerias, zoos and convenience stores.

Note: Hot dog cart vendors and other smaller accounts are encouraged to purchase items at wholesale outlets or through local suppliers who can offer a lower rate on larger orders. For smaller accounts, it is more cost-effective this way. If you are a hot dog cart vendor interested in suggestions, please contact Soy Happy and we'll be happy to share some tips with you.

Affiliate Spotlight

Soy Happy offers Affiliation to select manufacturers or distributors. If you are a manufacturer of vegetarian and/or dairy free fare and you would like to tap into the marketing and outreach services of the SH Network, please contact us for more information!

Click on the logo and go directly to their web site

One Out of Every Four College Students Wants Vegan Meals According to ARAMARK Nationwide Survey; Campuses Across Country Offer 'Vegan' This Fall

College eateries have been very happy to find out that Lightlife Foods, the favorite veggie alternative brand by college kids all over the country, now offers items through food-service distribution!

Lightlife's new food-service items include tex mex, chili, veggie burgers, veggie dogs, organic soy rice tempeh and Fakin' Bacon smoky tempeh strips. (Everything is suitable for vegans, except the veggie dogs which contain egg white).

Beyond their high quality product standards, Lightlife is committed to giving back to the global and local community. That is why they ahve always donated 5% of all profits to charity organizations.

Added note: Subscribers to the popular VegNews magazine just voted Lightlife as their favorite veggie hot dog for the 2004 Veggie Awards.

Food for Life: The Cancer Project offers free nutrition and cooking classes for cancer prevention and care

The Cancer Project is a national nonprofit dedicated to advancing cancer prevention and survival through nutrition education and research, is offering free nutrition and cooking classes designed to help San Francisco residents understand how diet affects cancer. The "Food for Life" cooking classes were designed by physicians, nutrition experts, and registered dietitians, and the classes include information about how certain foods and nutrients work to promote or discourage cancer growth, along with simple cooking demonstrations that can be recreated easily at home.
"The single easiest and best thing most of us can do to prevent cancer or its recurrence is to eat right," says Jennifer Reilly, R.D., managing director of The Cancer Project." More than a third of all cancer deaths in this country are due to poor diet." Scientists have long been accumulating a large body of evidence on the influence of diet on cancer. Time and again, precious phytochemicals found in plant foods are credited with boosting immune strength and inhibiting disease progression. Along with protection from cancer, plant foods also promote a healthy weight and help prevent other chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.
The goal of this program is to empower people with easy-to-implement cooking skills that turn every meal into a delicious dose of healthy nutrition.

Visit their web site to find a class near you.

Soy Happy is helping as a liaison with cancer centers in the bay area

There's nothing like a custom Carpenter Glove

Scott Carpenter is a designer and craftsman with years of professional experience making baseball gloves.He made gloves for Rawlings until they closed that small factory and outsourced the manufacturing to foreign countries. Noting that 98% of baseball gloves are now mass produced overseas, Scott opened his own studio in Cooperstown, New York, near the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. He makes a one of a kind baseball glove, customized to the size of your hand and your glove preferences. (His gloves are also leather free and appropriate for vegans!) Check out the web site: Carpenter Trade.

This glove was ordered by Soy Happy's director for her beau, who is an avid baseball fan. Note the inscription of his name! It's a major hit with his baseball playing buddies. "This glove feels like a Porsche on my hand", commented a friend when trying it on for size. "It's awesome!"

Carpenter Trade gloves have been ordered and are being used by a number of Major League Baseball players.Unfortunately, their names cannot be listed, as they are already part of an endorsement package for Rawlings or other gloves.

This holiday season, consider ordering a glove for yourself, or for your friends and family! We highly endorse the Carpenter glove. It's a quality glove. Custom-made in America. And leather-free.There's nothing else like it.

Kealohi Center: holistic care for animals (long distance or at their clinic in Oakland, CA)

The Kealohi Center supports the health and well being of animals by offering complimentary care: homeopathy, flower essences, and herbal medicine. With these modalities you choose to treat your animal's entire being including enhancing her or his immune system. We believe animals should have the same healing options as their human companions do. Our commitment is to give your precious animal excellent, thoughtful and loving care. Sally Savitz, Cheryl Schwartz, Dee dee Bloom

Soy Happy's founder goes to this clinic and endorses their service 1000%!

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