E. G. Fulton

Edwin Giles Fulton (January 6, 1867 – January 16, 1949) was a Canadian-American businessperson and cookbook writer. A Seventh-Day Adventist, he authored the Vegetarian Cook Book: Substitutes for Flesh Foods in 1904 and operated several vegetarian restaurants, hospitals, and sanitariums in the U.S.

Biography

Early and personal life

Edwin Giles Fulton was born in Nova Scotia, Canada, on January 6, 1867. He came to the U.S. as a child. On December 20, 1889, while living in Oakland, California, he married Nelly Coolidge, from Iowa.

Business and institutional management

Fulton operated vegetarian restaurants in several cities, including the Vegetarian Cafeteria in Los Angeles, which he operated for several years. He also managed several Seventh-day Adventist hospitals and sanitariums in Glendale, Washington; Washington, D.C.; Boulder, Colorado; and other locations.

Fulton was a director of the Sanitarium Food Company, owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In 1906, Fulton, along with H. H. Haynes, participated in discussions regarding the production of corn flakes for the Pacific Coast. They traveled to Battle Creek to propose that the Sanitarium Health Food Company oversee the manufacturing. According to W. C. White, Fulton and Haynes were informed that John Harvey Kellogg and W. K. Kellogg planned to establish an independent factory, separate from denominational food enterprises. They declined proposals for the St. Helena Sanitarium Food Company to produce corn flakes, citing concerns about the viability of business ventures associated with the denomination.

Vegetarian Cook Book

In 1904, Fulton published the Vegetarian Cook Book: Substitutes for Flesh Foods. He asserted that "The prevalence of disease among animals is leading hundreds of men and women to avoid flesh foods and to turn to the more natural diet of nuts, grains, fruits and vegetables." The book contributed to the redefinition of vegetarian cuisine by emphasizing meat substitutes to enhance its appeal.

Among the alternatives featured in the cookbook was protose, a plant-based meat substitute made from wheat gluten, peanut butter, and cereal, which was primarily marketed by John Harvey Kellogg. However, the primary meat alternative in the book was nuts, with the book featuring two of the earliest nut roast recipes. Additionally, peanut butter was included in many recipes.

Following the publication of his book, Fulton's restaurants attracted a growing number of patrons interested in vegetarianism, reportedly filling daily with hundreds of converts to the diet. The success of his dining establishments contributed to the demand for an expanded edition of The Vegetarian Cook Book, published in 1910, which provided additional recipes and guidance on preparing meat substitutes.

Death

Fulton retired around 1941 to Vista, California. He died there at his home after a long illness on January 16, 1949, at the age of 82. On January 18, he was buried at Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery.