Former Brooklyn borough president and police captain Eric Adams won the mayoral election on Tuesday, Nov. 2, making him New York City’s first-ever vegan mayor. He celebrated his victory by enjoying a plant-based breakfast wrap at Bushwick’s Marinello’s Gourmet Deli (114 Wyckoff Ave.) named after his honor — the “Plant-Based Mayor’s Breakfast Wrap.”
The tortilla was filled with mung bean JUST Egg substitute, spinach, red onion, avocado and potato queso and was available for $4.99 until November 14 at the Bushwick bodega and at the Silver Moon Deli (3840 Broadway) in Manhattan.
The menu item was provided by Plantega, a company that provides bodegas with “all the training, operational and marketing support and equipment” to sell plant-based food at a low price.
Plantega’s goal is to offer a sustainable solution to the economic and social injustices around conventional (on-site, grocery stores, supermarkets) and alternative (e-commerce websites, farmers markets, fast casual restaurants) food access and distribution within the larger food service system. Plantega’s mission resonates with Adams, whose plant-based focus on public health policies comes from his experience with Type-2 diabetes.
“Throughout the campaign, I’ve spoken repeatedly about my health journey,” Adams said in a statement after the win. “After adopting a plant-based diet, I was able to reverse my Type-2 diabetes, which changed not only the trajectory of my life, but also my career as a public servant. I am now committed to spreading that message and empowering New Yorkers in every zip code to lead a healthy lifestyle.”
The mayor has already implemented actions to better the health of New York City, including programs that provide plant-based options for hospital patients and plant-based nutrition education for medical students. You can read more on Adams’ journey with diabetes, from diagnosis to reversal, in his book Healthy At Last, which also takes a look at how diabetes among other chronic illnesses disproportionately affect African Americans.
To read more on Adams’ policies in healthcare or otherwise, from closing racial health gaps to preventing illness, you can visit his website.
If you weren’t able to try the “Plant-Based Mayor’s Breakfast Wrap” at the two aforementioned bodegas, you can still enjoy Plantega’s great-tasting plant-based options! Bodegas in partnership with Plantega are all throughout the city. There are two in the Bushwick Area: Marinello’s and Between the Bun, located at 774 Broadway. You can use the map on Plantega’s website to find a location near you. Or if you’d like to see Plantega at your favorite bodega, you can send them an email at [email protected].
Featured Image: Provided by Allie Iliana Herrera
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