INDIA VEGETARIAN FOOD

Vegetarian Food Review: Amy's Kitchen
Vegetarian Food Review: Amy's KitchenVegetarian Food Review: Amy's Kitchen[Spiritual Awakening]:Mixed Media Reviews, Book, Website, Music, Movie, Natural Foods, and Health Product ReviewsA Food Review: Amy's KitchenAmysKitchen.comBy James BeanCopyright February 2007Some background from the founders of Amy's Kitchen: "We didn't set out to become the nation's leading natural frozen food brand. All we wanted to do was create a business that would allow us to earn a living by providing convenient and tasty natural vegetarian meals for people like ourselves, who appreciated good food, but were often too busy to cook 'from scratch.'"We started on a 'shoestring,' using our own house and barn as headquarters. The founding meetings were held in the same room where we were married and where our daughter Amy was born."This was in 1987, before the idea of 'organic' food had become well known, and when there were very few frozen meals available for vegetarians to eat, either in health food stores or supermarkets. We were, however, very fortunate in being in the right place at the right time. The number of vegetarians had increased dramatically, as had consumer awareness of the harmful effects on their health and the environment of chemicals in the food supply."I find Amy's Kitchen to be extremely appealing for a variety of reasons. They state: "No meat, fish, poultry or eggs are used in any product. Cheeses are made with pasteurized rBST hormone free milk and do not contain animal enzymes or rennet." All of their food products are purely vegetarian, completely conforming to the lacto-vegetarian diet, meaning that no meat, no fish, and no eggs are ever used. Amy's also has high standards when it comes to the issue of animal-based rennet in cheese. According to the Vegetarian Society UK website: "The usual source of rennet is the stomach of slaughtered newly-born calves." Cheese is often made using animal rennet, a natural complex of enzymes produced in any mammalian stomach to digest the mother's milk. Amy's does not use any animal rennet, period. This makes Amy's one of the few reliable, purely vegetarian natural foods companies, and one never has to worry about eggs or egg-whites turning up in any of their recipes. They also have a line of vegan and other special dietary products. Their website states: "For those who cannot tolerate wheat, Amy's offers over 50 no-gluten-added offerings. For the lactose intolerant and those who prefer not to eat dairy, there are more than 50 non-dairy/lactose free, cholesterol free dishes from which to choose." A link to the VEGAN items listed at the Amy's Kitchen website: ; The truth is, Amy's has so many items to choose from that one could actually be quite content living on the all-Amy's Kitchen diet! If you visit the website, be prepared to feel hungry! You will discover just how much fun it can be eating vegetarian food, seeing many wonderful ethnic Indian and Asian meals, pizza, lasagna, burritos, beans & chili, pot pies, veggie burgers, and much, much more. Many of these items are found in health-food stores and supermarkets (or could be ordered there). And now, welcome to the new age of the Internet. As of Spring 2007, I am told that Amy's will also begin to ship products directly to customers, adding another potential market of millions of people. Ordering online has it's advantages. Instead of letting fate decide what you end up purchasing, based on what is stocked on the shelves of a store or out of stock (or never in stock!), one has the entire inventory of the company to choose from, including newly added products. Also, many people live in rural areas perhaps not close by to stores that offer good vegetarian choices. Now one can place an order, and soon thereafter an insulated box containing super cold dry ice to keep food items frozen, is delivered right to one's doorstep. ¡Buen provecho! Buon appetito! Bon Appétit!Website: