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rooted delights vegan mac and cheese

This local food beats food allergies 5 ways

No gluten. No tree nuts. No soy. No dairy. No eggs. Pure comfort.

– By the Veggie Fairy Team

Food allergies are on the rise. Researchers estimate that up to 15 million Americans have food allergies. That includes 5.9 million children under the age of 18. That’s 1 in 13 kids, or just about two in every classroom. And 30 percent or so of those kids are allergic to more than one food.

Others don’t suffer from a full blown allergy, but just feel better when they don’t eat gluten, soy, tree nuts, dairy, or eggs. Still, just because you or someone you love can’t eat those things, doesn’t mean you have to miss out on a yummy comfort food like macaroni and cheese…

rooted delights vegan cheese

…or even an entire wheel of cheese! Not when Rooted Delights is handcrafting artisanal, plant-based cheese using ingredients you can pronounce.

Rooted Delights is one of the new locally prepared foods we’re welcoming into our home-delivered farmers market this year — part of our goal of making it easy for you to eat the healthiest food available: local food!

rooted delights vegan allergen-free local food

Rooted Delights was co-founded in 2016 in Alexandria, Va., by Janay, a fellow sufferer of food intolerances… until she realized that, lo and behold, she felt so much better when she cut things like gluten, dairy, and soy out of her diet.

We veggie fairies were curious about Janay’s journey from food sufferer to food artisan. We also love, love, love her cheddarliscious vegan cheese and mac and cheese. And so, as usual, we just had to her a bunch of our usual nosy questions.

Veggie Fairy:

For you veganism was the cure, right? How did you discover that?

Janay:

My vegan journey started with meatless Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. During that short period, I noticed amazing changes in weight loss, fewer cravings, improved sleeping habits, and overall more energy. I was convinced that my new diet was a positive lifestyle change that could easily and permanently be done.

Veggie Fairy:

What made you jump from cooking vegan food for yourself to cooking for others?

Janay:

I couldn’t wait to share my experience with others and provide plant-based alternatives to help with transitioning! I was determined to create vegan comfort food for my loved ones to enjoy without compromising its taste. While doing research, I found that a high percentage of people have allergies to soy, gluten, and tree nuts. I knew then that I had to be particular with the foods I decided to use and buy so everyone could enjoy it. My co-founder Alexander and I started out with a vegan food truck/catering venture, and I just fell in love with how our food made others feel — that feel-good feeling we all crave. I quickly realized the need for more plant-based cheese alternatives.

Veggie Fairy:

So you graduated from the food truck to creating artisanal cheese. What was the hardest part of getting the cheese business off the ground?

Janay:

The hardest part was finding a cheese type to start the Rooted Delights product line. At the time, I was making different vegan cheeses at home as a hobby.

rooted delights vegan allergen-free local food

Veggie Fairy:

How did you learn to make vegan allergen-free cheese?

Janay:

Lots of trial and error, haha! It took almost a year to get it right. I tried many different ingredients and quantities. But I kept at it because I believe plant-based foods have the ability to be flavorful and make you feel good. As I experimented with those different vegan cheeses, that’s when the cheddar-style cheese was born! I figured a cheddar-style taste has so much diversity and can be used in so many dishes, which in my opinion, makes it a perfect transitioning cheese.

Veggie Fairy:

What do you love most about making artisanal food?

Janay:

I’m so excited that Rooted Delights can provide delicious meals for all! I love that one by one, we are changing people’s perspective of what plant-based food tastes like.

Veggie Fairy:

What makes Rooted Delights different from other vegan food makers?

Janay:

For me, veganism is a movement based on love and positivity. So Rooted Delights is about more than just food making — we are a feeling! We want to provide our customers with the same great feeling as non-vegan foods, but with a plant-based product. That’s how we give our customers something to enjoy with their nachos, burgers, pastas, and mac and cheese… pretty much all the amazing foods we thought we had to give up!

rooted delights allergen-free mac and cheese

Veggie Fairy:

Well, we’re super excited to welcome you and Alexander and Rooted Delights to our home-delivered farmers market! Is there anything else you want to tell our members about Rooted Delights?

Janay:

Yes, one last thing! Rooted Delights is also part of a group called ‘Less Media More Social”. We visit different cities and we provide four-course vegan cuisines, poetry, and great vibes. We also take away our guests’ phones for a small session of the night. Yes, we take their phones. We do give them back! But in the process, we all educate and learn. We are so grateful for the opportunity to partner with Seasonal Roots and look forward to sharing more cuisines and cheeses in the near future.

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Learn more about Rooted Delights on their website and on Facebook.

ABOUT SEASONAL ROOTS

Since 2011, Seasonal Roots’ online farmers market has connected Virginia families with local family farmers who use sustainable, humane practices. Our veggie fairies – mostly moms who believe in living better through scrumptious, healthy eating, being kind to animals, protecting the environment, and spreading joy – home-deliver freshly harvested produce, pastured eggs, grassfed dairy and meat, plus artisan fare. We empower our members to eat better and live better with more nutritious, flavorful food that’s good for us and good for the planet. More info at seasonalroots.com.

vegan meals

Out of tragedy, a vegan dream is born

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / January 31, 2018

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

YUMMVEES VEGAN MEALS & TREATS COME TO SEASONAL ROOTS

You don’t have to be vegan to appreciate 100% plant-based food from Yummvees. It’s local, family-run, and creates vegan meals, desserts, and snacks so delicious that the nutritious, eco-friendly part is like icing on the cinnamon bun! The meals are ready-to-heat, so you don’t have to sacrifice nutrition when you’re too busy to cook.

But first we want to introduce you to Tracy, the woman behind Yummvees…

Continue reading about Yummvees below, or view this issue as a printable PDF with clickable links.

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Yummvees vegan meals

Out of tragedy, a vegan dream is born

Yummvees vegan meals & treats come to Seasonal Roots


By the Veggie Fairy Team and Tracy, owner of Yummvees

You don’t have to be vegan to appreciate totally plant-based food — when done right, it’s so awesomely delicious that the nutritious, eco-friendly part is like icing on the cinnamon bun! That’s why we fairies are all aflutter about teaming up with a local family business that knows how to do it right.

Yummvees in Midlothian, Va., cooks up freshly made vegan meals, desserts, and snacks. The meals are ready-to-heat, which makes it super convenient — you don’t have to sacrifice nutrition on those days when you’re just too busy and tired to cook.

But first we want to introduce you to Tracy, the woman behind Yummvees. Her story is inspiring, and as you get to know her, you’re going to feel as good about being nourished by her as we do.

VEGGIE FAIRY:

How did Yummvees get started?

TRACY:

In 2015, a life changing event happened to my family.

My son, John, passed away at birth. Shortly after this I had a true life wake up call. I felt like I had to act on that dream that had always been in the back of my head (we all have them) but I’d never pursued — the dream of making the world a better place through plant-based food. I have always loved cooking for others and, of course, my respect for animals and all living beings is immense. I HAD to act on that dream… to honor my son. So in 2016, Yummvees was officially born as a 100% vegan/plant-based food service/catering facility.

Yummvees vegan BBQ Crispy Tofu w Brown Rice & Broccoli

BBQ Crispy Tofu w Brown Rice & Broccoli

VEGGIE FAIRY:

Starting a business you believe in — has it turned out to be everything you hoped it would be?

TRACY:

Every minute has been wonderful!

We provide weekly individual meal options, baked goods, granola, various sweets, family sized meals, and bulk side items. Our individual meal menus change week to week, so as to keep folks engaged, trying new things, and excited for the next week. Every day, I have the distinct honor (and it really is that), to share wonderful, healthy, and indulgent foods with people, all in honor of my child who is not here with us.

Yummvees vegan Butternut Squash Mac N Cheez

Butternut Squash Mac N Cheez

VEGGIE FAIRY:

Are most of your customers vegan?

TRACY:

Oh no, just the opposite.

Most of our customer base is not vegan, which I particularly love, because we are exposing them to foods that they may not have otherwise tried… and it’s allowing them to add more veggies/beans/legumes and different protein sources to their diet. We use very minimal processed ingredients and almost everything that we produce is handmade — if it isn’t yet, we are probably working on experimenting with it.

Yummvees vegan Cinnamon Buns

Cinnamon Buns

VEGGIE FAIRY:

You also donate a portion of sales, right?

TRACY:

That’s right. Every month, we donate a portion of our total sales

to a chosen organization/family and tend to focus on bereaved parents, animal related organizations… or just someone that we see, who needs a little bit of help. On our website homepage, we list who we are donating to (unless it’s an individual, we do that privately) so that others can see who they are supporting by purchasing from us. We also allow our supporters to make individual contributions, plus we share links to other giving opportunities. THIS is how we honor our child. And we are so lucky to have an amazing community of people, small business owners who support each other, and new customers every day who allow us to make at least a tiny bit of a difference.

Yummvees vegan Almond Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Almond Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

VEGGIE FAIRY:

As a family business, who does what?

TRACY:

I do most of the cooking, but we truly are a family operation.

My older daughter Selena is our primary delivery person. When I do the deliveries, people chuckle as I walk to their door juggling Joni, my 9-month-old daughter, and their food order. Yeah, there’s quite a gap between Selena and Joni — I get many chuckles there, too!

Yummvees is a family affair

Yummvees is a family affair!

VEGGIE FAIRY:

What are your hopes for the future?

TRACY:

Looking ahead, we are excited about our expansion!

And our ability to give back more, working within our community to make it a better one, and to keep showing folks how plant-based foods are amazing. We are so thrilled and excited to work with Seasonal Roots by offering folks more options for plant-based/vegan foods and I am ecstatic to be cooking for a whole new crowd of folks! Happy eating!

ABOUT SEASONAL ROOTS


Since 2011, Seasonal Roots’ online farmers market has connected Virginia families with local family farmers who use sustainable, humane practices. Our veggie fairies – mostly moms who believe in living better through scrumptious, healthy eating, being kind to animals, protecting the environment, and spreading joy – home-deliver freshly harvested produce, eggs, grass-fed dairy and meat, plus artisan fare. We empower our members to eat better and live better with more nutritious, flavorful food that’s good for us and good for the planet. More info at seasonalroots.com.