Ditching the cruelty and cholesterol
The couple behind soul food
It’s comforting that many are dumping the clichéd lists of vegan-myths such as being malnourished, long-haired, or a flower child. Now veganism is increasingly turning into one of the trendiest diets around the world and it has caught on in Colombo.
So Soul Food, owned by husband and wife duo – Saliya Perera and Ina Wehleit-Perera – is one of the first to come out with delicious meat and dairy-free options that taste great, are much healthier than their animal-derived counterparts, and don’t hurt any living beings.
Berlin in Germany has a reputation for being the vegan and counterculture capital of the world. While Ina, a sworn vegan isn’t from Berlin, she’s from Bremen.
“Being vegan is great for your health! Vegans get all the nutrients that they need to be healthy, such as plant protein, fibre, and minerals, without all the nasty stuff in meat that may slow you down and make you sick, such as cholesterol and saturated animal fat,” she noted emphatically, at the Good Market in Colombo last Sunday, in an interview with the Business Times. Vegan or not, a diet high in fruits and vegetables and plant-based food is a good starting point for a healthy lifestyle, Ina, whose mother is Sri Lankan, noted. “In this day and age we simply do not require animal products for sustenance, clothing, or shelter.”
Products Pix by Amila Gamage
She added that when she came to Colombo in 2009 (her third time in all her life) for a family wedding, she met Saliya – her cousin’s friend at the wedding. The rest, as they say is history.
“We were married in 2012 and I found it difficult to source my food, here in Colombo,” So she was driven to start making her own. The couple’s friends were their guinea pigs. They in turn suggested the couple retail it. Encouraged by this, the duo started business in 2015.
While a long-established eggs-and-butter baker might blink at the thought of whipping up something edible without using either, there are infinite possibilities for plant-based delicacies, according to Saliya. Ina added unlike unhealthy fad diets, which leave you feeling tired (and usually don’t keep the pounds off for long), going vegan allows you to keep the excess fat off for good and have plenty of energy.
Soul Food uses Kangen Water which is delicious water created from Enagic International, the leader in manufacturing water- ionisation systems that transform regular tap water into pure, healthy, electrolytically-reduced and hydrogen-rich drinking water innovative water technology. The company produces a range of nut butters and drinks. None of the items have preservatives or refined sugar and are gluten free.
Saliya added, now that many hotels are starting healthy corners at their buffets, Soul Food will retail the butter range to them. The company is also discussing with supermarket chains to sell their products. They both believe that now is the time to live and let live. We are with and not for one another, and we are all worthy of respect.