( ENSPIRE She Did That ) Dianna King, Entrepreneur, and Foodie is The Co-founder of Eat Unrestricted and an Electrical Engineer by Trade
ENSPIRE Contributor: Alexandra Rivera
With family history of cancer, it inspired King to change her diet in 2016, becoming vegan. After hosting community dinners she received compliments on her mac and cheese, which took two years to perfect with the help of Eric Thompson. Thompson is the other co-founder to Eat Unrestricted.
After perfecting the recipe the two created “Better Cheddar” and introduced it to their local market. Their carrot and potato-based sauces/dips are preservative free, naturally gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, and Nut-free. The product has received five-star reviews from customers and local personal chefs.
ENSPIRE chatted with King about going vegan and creating a product that all can enjoy.
What was the turning point in your decision to go vegan?
I transitioned into a vegan diet after my father was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. His progression slowed after incorporating more plant-based meals into his diet. However, he passed away the following year. The experience made me more conscious of the importance of a diet to my overall short- and long-term health. However, plant-based foods were not accessible and popular during that time.
What was it like changing your lifestyle to vegan? Did you find it hard to find vegan versions of your favorite foods?
Yes, it was hard. I began hosting community dinners in 2016 to address the needs of people just like myself who were health conscious and have dietary restrictions/food allergies. I received a lot of compliments on the cheese (now the Better Cheddar) used in the mac and cheese dish I would make and was told by many that cheese alternatives that have quality ingredients and taste good are difficult to find.
How are you changing the way people think about food?
People have been surprised by how cheesy our dips taste after being told that they make primarily it from carrots and potatoes. I believe our product inspires a lot of our customers on how tasty, yet healthy, comfort foods can be.
World Allergy Awareness Day just passed why was it important to you to create a product that not only fit your vegan diet but also was nut free?
I started Eat Unrestricted after the passing of a family member. I also have a dairy allergy and have peers with nut allergies and also many food allergies. We wanted to make the dinner table, or any table, really inclusive as well as healthy without sacrificing tasty meals.
Do you have any plans to expand Eat Unrestricted with other products?
Yes, we plan to add more SKUs as we grow and expand. However, we are mainly focused on scaling our hero product which is the Better Cheddar at the moment.
King is making it easier to enjoy a guilty pleasure food that many might not have to have because of their diet and allergies. Eat Unrestricted’s Better Cheddar will have anyone thinking they are actually eating cheese. King also shared they may even talk about making more products in the future but for now, you can get a taste of Better Cheddar on their website.
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