She runs her business alongside her daughter, Sydnei Herndon, and they welcome walk-ups on weekends.
“The closer a diet is to raw [and] plant-based, the more changes you will see in your body and the better you will feel,” Valeta said.
Valeta offers raw vegan items that are never cooked to retain more nutritional value but are sometimes dehydrated to accomplish a firmer texture.
On weekdays, Valeta said she only accepts online orders so that she can volunteer with her church by teaching the Bible.
The Traveling Carrot’s menu offers a variety of meals—such as nachos, pizza, veggie fajita salad and mock tuna rolls—all made with fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouted grains.
Valeta said she discovered the vegan lifestyle in 2007 and opened The Traveling Carrot in 2017.
“The meals on my menu are my favorite meals that I have eaten for years,” she said. “I encourage everyone to give raw vegan meals a try and see the difference it makes in your mind, body and spirit.”
The Traveling Carrot is frequented by strict raw vegans, transitioning vegans and curious carnivores, Valeta said.
Valeta said she would consider working out of a brick-and-mortar space, but it would be designed to be a grab-and-go establishment.
“I’ve never wanted the stress of operating a sit-down restaurant,” Valeta said. “Working out of a food trailer helps me to keep costs down, stay focused on what’s most important and to live a simple life.”
Becoming vegan
Valeta said consuming enough protein is a concern many have when transitioning to a plant-based diet. It is easy for a vegan diet to meet the recommendations for protein as nearly all vegetables, beans, grains, nuts and seeds contain it, she said.
Daily protein recommendations:
- Children ages 2-8 years: 2-4 ounces
- Children and adults age 9 and older: 5-6.5 ounces
1 ounce of protein can be found in:
- 12 almonds
- 24 pistachios
- 7 walnut halves
- 1 tablespoon of peanut or almond butter
- 1 cup of split pea soup
- 1/2 cup of lentil soup
- 1/4 cup of cooked beans
- 2 tablespoons of hummus
- 1/2 cup of tofu
- 1.5 egg whites
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup of cooked peas
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture/Community Impact Newspaper
The Traveling Carrot
3427 N. Fry Road, Katy
www.thetravelingcarrot.com
Hours: Fri.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Sun.1-5:30 p.m., closed Mon.-Thu.
The Traveling Carrot has a 24/7 online order system operating but is closed to walk-ups on weekdays.
