Nature’s Plate

I know this sounds corny but it was truly love at first bite!!! I went in & tried an assortment of their regular menu items (tortilla and corn chowder soups, black bean with corn salsa and veggie mac entrees) and picked up an assortment of desserts as well (brownie, cookie sandwich & the TO DIE FOR carrot cake muffin). It looked so delicious that I had a small bite of each when I got home & it’s actually mind blowing how delicious their food is! I am so excited to have discovered Nature’s Plate, their food and especially their meal plans!

I will admit I’m a wannabe health nut. We eat out too much (hence the wannabe) but when I do prepare food at home I try to stay in the plant based/​organic/​no sugar/​grain free realm. I used to be a strict vegan (omg you cooked this is butter I need to send it back, read: annoying to dine with) & raised my girls vegetarian for the first 10 years of their lives. I moved to the Northeast, Southeast & now Dallas and have over the years found it harder to be vegan crazy & yet easier to find grass fed local meat & farm fresh eggs etc. that said, when I cook at home I stick to vegan/​vegetarian dishes mostly & my meat loving husband tolerates this. But I have been known to devour a brisket taco or two… I don’t know what the deal is with brisket tacos in Dallas but I’ve never had them until I moved here & I got addicted!
I digress.
I’ve been wanting to hop back on the vegan train as a regular passenger for awhile. I noticed this place when it was not yet open in the shopping center (we had stopped by the hardware store to see if they really had baby chickens & they do!). So I saw the storefront, I’ve read about this new business & I’ve told myself to try them out (instead of eating out) more than once… but never did. Until the other day when I saw one of those G coupon deals, so I said «yep sign me up I’m trying it!» I went to turn my 5 large entrée voucher in today & ended up with a little of everything: salad, eggless egg salad sandwich filling, shepherds pie, enchiladas, soup & a tofu dish (we love tofu). I returned home & ate for lunch the side salad (lettuce was so fresh & clean and perfectly dry — I hate soggy lettuce & it had a tangy lemon tahini dressing). It was good. Heated up the shepards pie & OMG I would have eaten a second serving if I had more to eat. I’ve made vegan Shepards pie before but it was never this delish! I also had to crack into the eggless egg salad for a taste — I loved it, I’m not sure my girls will because they have a serious hatred for celery but I could eat the entire tub. I don’t know about the rest of my meals, but I’m pretty sure they are going to be solid choices as well. Do yourself a favor this new year, try a healthy take home meal, you will not be sorry! If nothing else try it because it’s important to support nice local people in their small business endeavors! Final note: the place is so spotless clean, I’m sure it’s cleaner than my kitchen at home & it has a nice modern vibe.

Only 12% of the calories fed to livestock actually make it into our diet. If we all went vegan, we could feed an additional 4 billion people.

The food here is delish and I’m not even Vegan just like some healthy food. It is easy and quick to warm up. Makes my life easier since I have a crazy work schedule!

My husband and I subscribed to the 5-​day-​a-​week meal plan and we couldn’t be happier. We were stuck in a poor eating rut (as in, I’m not sure when I last ate an actual vegetable) and wanted to make a change for the better, but I had a hard time believing that a diet consisting mostly of plant-​based foods could possibly taste good and be satisfying since I typically avoid salads and begrudgingly eat vegetables as occasional side dishes.
I have been absolutely shocked by how delicious everything has been! A few of my favorites so far are the veggie mac, tofu scramble taco, black bean & quinoa taco, enchiladas, chickpea jalfrezi, tortilla soup, cranberry chickpea salad, quinoa and black bean salad, and oatmeal raisin cookies (and the lemon tahini salad dressing is awesome). We have loved our experience so far and are so excited to continue.

Plant-​based jambalaya, crawfish pie, filé gumbo!
Okay, not quite like the song we sang as children in school. But as someone who normally has the dish with chicken and sausage, I was pleasantly surprised by how good the plant-​based version of this Creole classic was at Nature’s Plate. A nice hint of heat and the texture could trick you into thinking you were eating a meaty version of the dish.
Nature’s Plate is in a strip mall on Northwest Highway, a few doors down from the hardware store. The interior of the shop is pleasant and bright. On your right when you walk in are fridges with ready-​made, plant-​based meals including taco salad, enchiladas, a cranberry and chickpea salad, and several other dishes including breakfast items. There is also a display case of plant-​based baked goods. I had a sample of the trail mix cookies — YUM — and will be back to check out the muffins and brownies.
The owners (at least, I assume they are the owners!) are very friendly and welcoming. It’s a great new option in the Lake Highlands neighborhood and is worth a drop-​in if you want a quick, healthy alternative to most carry-​out meal choices.