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National Sauce Month is observed annually in March. Meet this amazing Black-owned business making allergen-friendly, vegan cheese sauces that taste amazing. Dianna King the co-founder of Eat UNrestricted is an electrical engineer by trade. However, she has always been an entrepreneur and foodie.
She has a family history of cancer and it inspired her to change to a vegan diet in June 2016. Shortly after hosting community dinners in 2016, she received many compliments on the mac and cheese she would make. She worked on perfecting the recipe for 2 years and met Eric Thompson who became a co-founder and helped her continue the perfection process for the recipe.

Their carrot and potato-based sauce is an artificial color and preservatives free, naturally gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, and nut/cashew free. This is truly a cheese dip/sauce that can be enjoyed by most if not all and it has received 5-star reviews from their customers and local personal chefs that they’ve worked with. Dianna recently won the 2023 Innovators award from Black Women In Food by Dine Diaspora. She was excited to speak about her brand.

What was the inspiration behind your brand? 

Dianna: My inspiration was from my peers starting a business helping people and becoming very successful and fulfilled. When I think about giving up, I think of them, my supportive customers, and the early days of seeing my parents work on their business. Then, I remember what I am doing is bigger than me and how I feel in the moment. I remember that I need to take a short break, re-center, and keep moving.

 

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

Dianna: According to our customers, our competitors haven’t achieved our level of replication of the taste of cheddar nor adhere to the strict dietary restrictions like our Better Cheddar does. Created with Southern Flair, our Better Cheddar maintains a clean label, is accessible to most diets, and tastes amazing. We appeal to vegans and non-vegans alike.

 

Did you find it hard to find vegan versions of your favorite foods when you first changed your lifestyle to vegan? 

Dianna: 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 had dietary restrictions or 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. Many told me that cheese alternatives with quality ingredients and taste good are difficult to find.

 

How are you changing the way people think about food through your products?

Dianna: People have been surprised by how cheesy our sauces taste. I believe our product inspires many of our customers on how tasty, yet healthy, comfort foods can be.

How can people remain connected?

Dianna: Website: https://eatunrestricted.com/

Photo Credits: Dianna King