festival city

From cupcakes to kale: The first ever Texas Veg Fest draws in thehealth-conscious from across the state

Texas Veg Fest

Deep in the heart of Texas, it's easy to eat all meat all the time. But deep in the heart of the little oasis that is Austin, it's even easier to find vegetarian alternatives.

So high is the demand for access to alternative diets, cooking and lifestyle tips that this weekend marks the first ever Texas Veg Fest.

Sponsored by a variety of health-conscious organizations (the most recognizable of which is Whole Foods), Texas Veg Fest is "a family-friendly festival celebrating plant-based foods, with a focus on getting healthy, fitness, the environment and compassionate living."

Angela Ramsammy, executive director of the Fest, tells CultureMap that Texas Veg Fest is an experience and discovery type of event, chock full of interesting activities at every turn.

"Activities include cooking demos — from cookbook authors Isa Chandra Moskowitz and [Vegan Latina] Terry Hope Romero, as well as Whole Foods Market Healthy Eating Specialist Dan Marek — expert speakers, kids activities, product samples and music," she says.

"We'll also have over twenty food vendors, so attendees can taste delicious plant-based foods while listening to great local bands and drinking up the sun on the banks of Ladybird Lake."

The Veg Fest team is expecting to draw around 3,000 vegetarians and non-vegetarians from across the state. Consider this event an opportunity to dip your toe into the waters of a different lifestyle or simply to take away a few key learnings.

"Texas Veg Fest is not just for vegetarians and vegans," Ramsammy says. "Attendees will learn that in addition to its powerful health-promoting aspects, a plant-based diet can be both delicious and easy to incorporate into one's lifestyle. From cupcakes to kale, there'll be something for everyone!"

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Texas Veg Fest will take place at Fiesta Gardens Saturday, March 31 from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. There is a $5 suggested donation at the door.

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More pumpkin, less milk

Austin-based vegan milk ready for fall with new pumpkin spice flavor

Photo courtesy of Malk

Pumpkin is one of the first ingredients in this flavored almond milk.

Vegans may avoid dairy, but they deserve a pumpkin spice latte in the fall. Malk Organics, an Austin-based almond milk company, is taking care of that with a new pumpkin spice variety.

This seasonal flavor is hitting shelves now, and will be available "throughout the fall season while supplies last," according to a news release. It joins three standard flavors — unsweetened, vanilla, and chocolate — for a total of four almond milks across the board. The company also makes oat and cashew milk, or "malk," and some creamers.

The second ingredient after filtered water is organic pumpkin, so that flavor should come out strong in whatever drink it's spicing up. It also contains almond butter and sugar, plus extracts of vanilla, cinnamon bark, nutmeg, ginger, and clove — all organic, too.

"With the popularity of the pumpkin spice flavor profile, we wanted to offer consumers a healthier way to enjoy their favorite fall beverages." said Malk CEO Jason Bronstad in the release. "We have meticulously crafted a pumpkin spice SKU featuring the cleanest ingredients without compromising on delicious flavor."

When Bronstad talks about health, he's referring to claims made in the release that distance the completely organic product from "gums, oils, and fillers." The brand prides itself on these things, plus few enough ingredients to count on one hand — not quite the case for this more intricately spiced product, but surely an exception can be made for that pumpkin pie flavor.

This isn't Malk's only seasonal effort; it's also bringing back its holiday nog made with almonds, maple syrup, nutmeg extract, and Himalayan pink salt. So far there aren't really any exotic flavors on the permanent menu, but a caramel creamer enhances the otherwise vanilla and unflavored line.

For those who feel called by the dairy-free pumpkin spice but don't know what to make with it, Malk has plenty of recipes on its site that might be nice to spice up. The Pumpkin Protein Pancakes are an obvious candidate for an extra bit of pumpkin oomph, as is the Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. Actually, there are lots of pumpkin recipes already on the website using other varieties of Malk; but perhaps the Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Bars could use some additional adventure.

Pumpkin Spice Malk ($6.99 for 28 ounces) can be found at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Erewhon, Gelsons, HEB, Fresh Market, and other local retailers. Find nearby options at malkorganics.com.