When is your store opening?
August 2015!!  The store is located at Northwest Highway and Ferndale, in the same shopping center as Sun Fresh and Gecko Hardware.  For the latest news on the opening, sign up for our e-mail list or like us on Facebook! 

How do I place an order?
Online ordering is available through the website.  Start on the menu page and select items from this week's menu.  You can choose the size you would like and add it from there.  Online payment is available through PayPal including credit cards.  You can find more detail here.

How does delivery work?
Delivery is available on Sundays in the East Dallas / Lake Highlands / Lakewood area.  We are also delivering on Mondays to select workplaces and Camp Gladiator locations - details here.  If you have questions, please send an email to info@naturesplate.biz.  Thank you.

Why vegan, plant-based?
A plant-based diet, based on whole foods, has been shown to be provide defense against “diseases of affluence,” including heart  disease, cancer, and Type 2 diabetes.  A plant-based diet that avoids processed food is also great for weight control as well as general health and well-being.  Here are some resources for much more information:
    Forks Over Knives
    Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine                                                                           
    Thrive Forward (Brendan Brazier)
    Plant-Based Dietician

How much protein do the meals provide?
Each of the entrees, soups, and  sandwiches provide at least 10% of calories from protein with most providing  14-15%.  The USDA’s recommendation for protein is a minimum of 8-10% of calories and the World Health Organization recommends less.  Although some experts  recommend more for athletes, there are a large number of studies that show 10-15% of calories from plant-based protein is more than sufficient to support  muscle maintenance and growth, even in world-class athletes.  A large number of studies also show that excess protein (20% or higher, especially animal protein) has damaging effects on the body.  We believe eating 10-15% protein (on the higher end for athletes) is the best way to balance all of this information.

Do you use organic ingredients?
At least 75% of our ingredients (by weight and number) are organic.  We do not list all of the organic ingredients for each item because it may vary by week.  We ALWAYS use organics for the Dirty Dozen, corn, and soy. Additionally, beans, grains, and spices are almost always organic.  Outside of these items, we use organics when they fall within our price structure which is quite often.  If you ever want to know what ingredients are organic in a given week, just ask.

How many calories are in each meal?
The regular size "main dishes" all  provide between 275 and 375 calories.  Soups and cold dishes are generally between 225 and 300.  You can find specific nutrition info for each dish linked from the menu page.

Are your meals designed for weight loss?
A plant-based whole food diet has  been shown to promote weight loss, as calorie dense, low-nutrient foods are replaced with more filling, nutritious foods.  Plant-based whole foods are naturally high in fiber which also supports weight loss.  In general, people are much less likely to overeat when avoiding sugar and eating nutritious food.  So yes, you can definitely use Nature's Plate meals as part of a weight loss plan, and we'd be happy to work with you on a full meal plan.

Will your meals support my running / fitness / intense workout routine? Can I build muscle on a vegan diet?
In  a word, yes.  Based on our experience and those of several elite athletes,  you'll feel better and perform better on a plant-based whole food diet.  For  more information, try these links:  No Meat Athlete, Thrive / Brendan Brazier, Eat Clean, Train Mean, Live Green, Vegan Bodybuilding
And here's a quick summary of why building muscle with animal protein may not be a good idea: McDougall's Moments: Protein and Muscles.

Are your meals Paleo compatible?
The major Paleo tenet is eating fresh unprocessed foods. We couldn't agree more and our menu reflects  that. We  disagree, however, on the recommendation to eat meat and high percentages of protein.  We focus on high plant consumption instead. We also utilize grains in our recipes in their whole state, as humans have been consuming them for 30,000  years or so, and our anatomy has responded accordingly. Grains are often targeted mistakenly in diets when, in fact, flours are what turn grains from healthy high fiber foods to simple sugars.  We do not use flour in any of our meals, even our breads are Ezekiel sprouted grain products. We do make some snacks and treats with minimal amounts of whole grain flour; if you prefer to avoid all flour, please check the ingredients.

How should I begin my transition to a plant-based diet?
Here are some tips on how to start down this path.
  
Eat more vegetables, especially green ones, raw or cooked.  Some ways to do this:
o Eat vegetables with lunch and dinner. Have a side of broccoli, carrots, green beans, or any vegetable you like
with whatever you would normally eat.
o Add greens to a smoothie in the morning (you won’t taste them if you also add banana).  Try spinach, kale, or
chard.  The baby versions are easier to blend or you can use frozen greens.
o Eat a salad with your lunch (or as your lunch).  If you start with a large salad and add beans, nuts, or seeds, the salad can serve as a meal.
o Add veggies to soups or stews.
     
Eat more fruit, especially brightly colored fruit.  Some ways to do this:
o Add fruit to your breakfast if you have cereal, oatmeal or a smoothie.  Frozen berries are great for this in the winter.
o Have fruit for a snack (in the morning and afternoon). Snacks can also include other stuff if fruit is not enough -- nuts, nut butter, whole grain crackers.  (Almond butter spread on apple slices tastes great!)
       
Try having some plant-based meals every week. You can do this by incorporating “Meatless Monday,”  or having a few vegan lunches per week. Some ways to do this:
o Simplest of all – natural peanut butter and jelly on whole grain bread, with fruit or carrot sticks.  
o Try the following resources for recipes:  Oh She Glows, Post Punk Kitchen, Forks Over Knives.
o Let us cook for you  – you can pick from familiar meals like Sloppy Joes or Classic Lasagna or something different like Chana Masala or African Bean Soup.
     
Limit processed food.
o You will naturally eat less processed food by following the steps above. Next, take a look at the remaining processed foods and look for
alternatives.  
o Generally speaking, food is best when it doesn’t come in a package. If it’s in a package, look for ingredients that you recognize.  
o If you need an alternative to protein/nutrition bars, try those with only a few ingredients such as these:  Kit's Organic Bars, 
Nature's Plate Chocolate Chip Snack Bars, or make your own: Ultimate Energy Bar Formula.
      
If you have any questions about additional steps or alternatives to items you currently enjoy, please e-mail us: info@naturesplate.biz

And even if you continue to eat some meat, eggs, and/or dairy, you can enjoy significant benefits from moving towards a plant-based diet..

Do you offer breakfast?
Yes, we've recently launched some items including Tofu Scramble Tacos and Refrigerator Oats -- more on the way soon!

Are your gluten free (GF) items safe for someone with celiac disease?
Our gluten free items are prepared with ingredients that are certified to be gluten free, but they are prepared/cooked in a kitchen where ingredients containing gluten are present.  For this reason, some risk of contamination exists, and you should use your judgement / consult your healthcare practitioner if you have questions or concerns about consuming these items.

What's up with the changes to your labeling?
We are preparing for retail sales in the future, so we're making a couple changes. 
1) We are transitioning to labels that seal the food closed. 
2) We will no longer include nutrition facts on our labels, but we will continue to provide these on our website and via My Fitness Pal.  We are doing this because including this information on retail labeling would mean incurring thousands of dollars in expensive food analysis, and we prefer to keep our prices reasonable.  We calculate our current nutrition info via the USDA database, but we do it ourselves.
3) We continue to be very proud of our ingredient lists -- and we are starting to state when the ingredients are organic.  We will only do this for ingredients that are ALWAYS organic (to insure we're not buying GMO and for the Dirty Dozen).  We buy organic for the remainder of the ingredients whenever it's financially feasible.