251: True V | A Sustainable and Healthy Brand to Start Loving a Vegan Lifestyle with Megha Shah

[00:00:00] Megha Shah: When you are told to do something, you are more likely not to stick with it. But when it comes from you from inside, and when you make that decision to do it, you are more likely to stick with it. When I decided that I wanted to apply plant-based lifestyle, I wanted to go vegan, I never looked back.

[00:00:18] Maya Acosta: You have more power over your health than what you've been told. This is the Healthy Lifestyle Solutions Podcast. I'm Maya Acosta and I'm passionate about finding healthy lifestyle solutions to support optimal human health. If you're willing to go with me, together we can discover how simple lifestyle choices can help improve our quality of life and increase longevity in a big way.

[00:00:42] Maya Acosta: Let's get started. Are you looking for a delicious, healthy, and sustainable snack? Look no further. True V offers a variety of plant-based snacks that are perfect for kids and adults alike. All of True V snacks are packaged in 100% compostable packaging, making them a zero waste product. So next time you're looking for a healthy and sustainable snack, check out True V.

[00:01:06] Maya Acosta: True V is a female-founded, minority woman-owned and operated startup by Megha. Megha and her husband Hirsch envisioned True V in 2020 to address the need for sustainable clean label, guilt-free and allergen-free, nutritious plant-based snacks and treats. Megha is a mother of three kids in a business entrepreneur.

[00:01:28] Maya Acosta: Deadly passionate about plant-based living. True V's. Mission is to encourage and enable healthy and sustainable living without compromising taste or quality. I've partnered with Megha to host an event at True V on December 13th. Dr. Will Tuttle will stop by to discuss his book, the World Peace Diet. Dr. Tuttle was recently on my podcast, so make sure that you go back and listen to episode 249.

[00:01:51] Maya Acosta: This event will be livestream. Simply go to bit b i t dot y slash doctor, that's d RT u T t e for more information. And as always, my friends, the full bio and the links for each of my guests can be found on the website healthy lifestyle solutions.org. Let's meet Megha. Welcome back to another episode of the Healthy Lifestyle Solutions Podcast.

[00:02:16] Maya Acosta: Today I have a guest here in my studio. Welcome, Megha.

[00:02:20] Megha Shah: Thank you, Maya. Thank you so much for having me here.

[00:02:23] Maya Acosta: This is exciting because I typically don't have people in the studio, and you happen to live here in the Dallas area, and so this is our first time meeting in person and having this conversation. So thank you for coming all the way over here because it's the day before Thanksgiving. Yeah, and it's very busy.

[00:02:42] Megha Shah: No, no, no. It's my pleasure. Like I said, it's a pleasure to be here and I've been listening to your podcast from long time, actually. So one thing I wanted to mention before I leave from the studio is that your podcast series are just amazing. Whenever I listen to your podcast all the time, I mean, you know, I learn something new.

[00:03:03] Megha Shah: And then it's such a good resource for everyone who is looking to change in their lifestyle, whoever wants to go to plant-based lifestyle. And then, you know, even when you are starting up or whether you are already there, you always learn something new and what you are doing with all these programs and podcasts is just amazing. It's very inspiring. Thank you so much. 

[00:03:25] Maya Acosta: That was so sweet. You. Yeah. You didn't have to say that, but thank you. Yeah. I don't know if you know the story of, I'll tell you real quick that I got started in podcasting because many years ago, like over 15 years ago, I was listening to another show that would have been considered a podcast.

[00:03:41] Maya Acosta: They used to call it Talk Radio back then. Right. And I learned that I had hypothyroidism as a result to listening to that show.

[00:03:51] Megha Shah:  Oh, okay. So you found out that from the show? 

[00:03:53] Maya Acosta: Yes. Wow. That individual used to bring on, it wasn't a house. Podcast. It wasn't medical. Right? Right. But every once in a while they would bring in a doctor.

[00:04:02] Maya Acosta: Oh, wow. And the doctor was talking about this epidemic of hypothyroidism? Yes. And the association with eating fish, the mercury contamination. Okay. Wow. Long story. I went to my dentist and I said, you know, take out the amalgams. And she said, have you ever been tested for mercury? Mm-hmm. . And I said, no. And so she tested me and she was like, you have like mercury poisoning.

[00:04:28] Maya Acosta: What? From eating fish. Wow. Yeah. Because like you, and we'll talk about your story, kind of like you were mainly vegetarian, right? Right. I was mainly vegetarian slash pescatarian, so Okay. I mainly ate fish. Wow. And all the accumulation contributed to my health problems. Whoa. So we're gonna talk about

[00:04:51] Megha Shah: all of, so that's amazing. You found out from the podcast.

[00:04:54] Maya Acosta: Yeah. Wow. And this is why I have a podcast because it helped me so much that I was like, you know, this is how people learn. Another way that people learn

[00:05:02] Megha Shah: Right, right, right. Same thing. You know, I, when I listen to your podcast, like I said, I have always learned something new that I did not know before. Mm-hmm. and. When I think about it, like, you know, people should listen to it when they're driving or you know, whenever, whatever they're doing. Because you always learn something new and it's such a good resource, it's free, you know? I mean, what else can you offer? This is truly inspirational.

[00:05:25] Maya Acosta: Yeah. Well, thank you. I want the listeners to know how we met. Yes. And it's interesting because the next episode that I'm playing in the series is with Courtney. Yes. So Courtney came back on the show. Courtney introduced us briefly. She sent me a message by social media and she said, you want to connect with this individual and you're gonna wanna interview her.

[00:05:47] Maya Acosta: So Courtney Garza-McCullagh, also known as the Colorful Courtney. Yes. Sprinkle, uh, creative agency Yes. Is her business. And she specializes in promoting, uh, social media and restaurants that are vegan. So tell us how, a little bit about how you got introduced to Courtney.

[00:06:06] Megha Shah: Yeah. So, Ever since I planned everything for True V I was looking for obviously a social media influencer and I wanted to find somebody local. And when I went to like, you know, DFW influencer kind of, you know, list, and then I saw her code and then when I read that she's also plant-based. She's promoting all the, you know, and plant-based food products as well as she has a passionate, you know, work that's on the side that's going on. I read a little bit about her and I followed her.

[00:06:39] Megha Shah: I mean, even before we launched our products or anything was in process, but I decided in my mind that if I'm going to get somebody to influence, you know, that makes difference for, with my product, it's gonna be co. So I decided that, okay, Courtney is gonna be the person who's going to be promoting my products, you know?

[00:06:59] Megha Shah: And then so one day I just reach out to her like, you know, just send a message. And I said, Hey, we make this kind of products and we're just totally new. We're about to launch and all that. And she, I guess, you know, she studied a little bit of our website and whatnot, and she got back to me with a big text message saying, oh my God, I definitely wanna try this.

[00:07:20] Megha Shah: I'm totally into it. When can we meet? And all that stuff. So, yes. So, you know, ever since she started communicating with me, She is truly a humble person. She's so down to earth, you know, she doesn't make you feel like, you know, you are not somebody, whether it doesn't matter where you come from, she makes you feel so comfortable.

[00:07:41] Megha Shah: And then, uh, we also had a phone call after that. And just like you and me, we went for hours and hours, was talking on different topics, but she was just ready to get into our truly and then try the products and, you know, give us the feedback. And then, you know, of course, after that market our product. So that's how we met.

[00:08:01] Megha Shah: I mean, you know, but I decided that I was gonna go to Courtney's. I reach out to her first, and then she's just wonderful person. I'm just so happy that sh we have her on our board, you know?

[00:08:10] Maya Acosta: Right. And she doesn't. Many people to me, which is when she did, I said, oh, there's gotta be something here. And then we learned, we were just talking as we were setting up for this interview about the people that we know. And you know how it only takes six people away from, I don't know how you would explain it, but I think you know what that means.

[00:08:32] Megha Shah: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know what exactly what you're saying. When she came for the first time to try the products, and then she's like, how can I help you? What else can I do for you?

[00:08:43] Megha Shah: How do I make people know about your products? You know, because she went through all the details and how much effort and passion that we put into this whole thing. And she's like, you know what? I want the people to know about it. And then she mentioned to. Okay. I know one person that I can connect with and then she mentioned your name.

[00:09:01] Megha Shah: Wow. And I was like, okay, well that would be so good. But that was like, I think about four or five months ago, I believe. And then we finally hear sounds so glad. 

[00:09:11] Maya Acosta: Me too. And then the most interesting thing about all of this, because we played around with the idea of recording in your store. Store. Yes.

[00:09:17] Maya Acosta: Because that would be ideal. Since that initial conversation, all these things have developed and now we're collaborating together.

[00:09:27] Megha Shah: Yay. That's just amazing.

[00:09:30] Maya Acosta: I know we're collaborating on hosting Dr. Will Tuttle pretty soon. Pretty soon, on December 13th. And we are talking about bringing Dr. Will Tuttle and then Dallas.

[00:09:41] Maya Acosta: Since that conversation, we decided to collaborate and bring Dr. Will Tuttle, he's on a five-month tour, it's called Benevolent Revolution Tour. His, uh, Dallas was not on his list. 

[00:09:55] Megha Shah: Oh yeah. Right. You told me that it was not, and you somehow convinced, and I'm just so glad that it's happening. 

[00:10:02] Maya Acosta: Okay. And you're gonna have to tell the listeners the connection that you have and what you know about Dr. Tuttle, because initially Dr. Tuttle was here in 2019 and we hosted three different events for him. And so it wasn't on the list. So I reached out to him because he wanted to come on the podcast as he's promoting all of this. And I said, well, Any chance that you could like make some room to come to Dallas?

[00:10:24] Maya Acosta: Mm-hmm, we'll try to put on a great event for you. Right. And so I reached out to you and as we've been planning all of this and you discovered that Dr. Tuttle is in part of some, a project that you had worked on.

[00:10:34] Megha Shah: Yeah, so I personally did not work on, so what happened was, so I'm also a culinary advisor in Giant Vegan Initiative, which is basically encouraging giant community to go vegan and, you know, have plant-based meals in their diet rather than consuming dairy products because they're already vegetarian and do not consume any eggs.

[00:10:55] Megha Shah: So we launched a cookbook last year, which specifically was focusing on a holy festival of one week where we go. Strict diet. We don't use any plants or vegetables or anything in that diet. It's vegan, but still, like, you know, you basically rely on lentils and legumes and beans during that one-week period.

[00:11:16] Megha Shah: So we launched a cookbook with, uh, so I and Ruchika Chitrabhanu, who is from India. So we, both of us worked on this project and we. Collaborated, you know, with all the recipes from the contributors. And the book was compiled right before the launch in August last year. But what happened was, so that book was so famous and I reached so many people on Instagram, it went hit.

[00:11:42] Megha Shah: And then people wanted to have like, how about a plant-based book, which also includes vegetables and fruits, right? Like in normal routine life. But it's Jane and then, you know, it's focused on the particular diet. So we were talking about like internally in that team. And then my friend Ruchika, her mother-in-law is actually a chairperson of PETA India.

[00:12:07] Megha Shah: And uh, she's very active in encouraging people going vegan and you know, encouraging people in India as well as here. So she compiled a book, which is called Rainbow. Plant life. So she compiled a book long time back and that was already something that was all plant-based. And Dr. Tuttle actually was somehow related to her.

[00:12:31] Megha Shah: And then, you know, she put the big article, like it's about two or three pages. So that and that book, they're trying to turn it into PDF because it was actually made as an actual book that you can, you know, buy and physically touch. But now they're trying to convert it into soft copy because these days, you know, people don't like to hold the book or get the book.

[00:12:51] Megha Shah: They'd rather just get the PDF on the phone. Right. So they're working to convert the whole book into PDF version. Wow. And they're working on that, you know, so there's a team that works on it and they're working on it. But that's where I spotted his article and I was like, oh wow, how come I never knew about this before?

[00:13:11] Megha Shah: And then Dr. Neal Bernard, Dr. Tuttlle, and then there's two other people, like, you know, they're all referenced into that book. And that's how I knew about it. I was like, oh man, you know, this is how I connected. But I've never met Dr. Tuttle before and I'm so excited after reading everything about him, it would be an honor to meet him.

[00:13:32] Maya Acosta: Well, I put in a good word for you. When I interviewed him. Yeah. The other day when I interviewed him, I told him about your store and how passionate you are that you're Jane. I told him about the cookbook. Oh, you did? Okay. And he, he was very touched because. You know, like all of us, we like connecting with people that are ethical vegans.

[00:13:52] Maya Acosta: Yes. That have this passion and purpose for helping the world heal. Yes. In many ways. And the fact that you've offered your establishment as the location where we're gonna host this event. Yes. Yes. Is awesome. And I will put a link in the show notes for the tickets, although I will, if I could just, before I forget, mention the link. I made a short bitLy, like a bit Ly link for people to go to it. Now I wanna let the listeners know that we could only have 35 people at your establishment.

[00:14:19] Megha Shah: Yes. Yes. It's a limited space.

[00:14:23] Maya Acosta: Limited space. Dr. Tuttle will have books for cell. His wife Madeleine will have some of her beautiful paintings that she always travels with.

[00:14:31] Maya Acosta: I saw she's been making risks warmers. Oh, cool. So I wanna buy some . Yeah. And however, we're also screening this event, so if you wanna go for everyone who's listening, if you're interested, I made a short link. It's bid, b i t dot y slash doctor. That's Dr. T U T T L E. That's just a short lane that'll take you there.

[00:14:58] Maya Acosta: And so if you're interested in like watching it via livestream, our other partner that's collaborating with us, Tanya, that goes by plant-based Mexican , she's gonna be also helping out and she'll be streaming the event. So we're really excited and everything, all the profits from this event go to, to support Dr. Tuttle’s tour and his stopping by here because you know, you always have to make accommodations when you travel. Right.

[00:15:25] Megha Shah: Giving all this lecture, right. Right. So all the proceeds will go to Dr. Tuttle and to serve his mission further. Yes.

[00:15:31] Maya Acosta: Thank you. Yes. I love how you put it. Yes, yes. . So Megha, tell us a little bit more about yourself. So this is interesting. I didn't know that you came from India in 2001. So tell us a little bit more about that, how you became vegan and then now True V. Tell us more about, because you brought some of your truffles and your cacao bites. Yes. Cacao bites that we're gonna sample here live, but let's get to know you a little bit. 

[00:15:59] Megha Shah: Yes. So I have been a vegetarian all my life. So I grew up as a vegetarian. I was born and raised in India. I came here in 2001. I was migrated here. My uncle and my aunt were already living here from many, many years in New York. So I came here with my family, with my mom and dad. There was some rule of immigration, so my brother couldn't come with us at that time.

[00:16:24] Megha Shah: So, but I came here with my parents and then when I came here, uh, obviously, I wanted to continue the same diet. So when I say vegetarian in India, like you know, when you are vegetarian you don't eat eggs either you eliminate eggs. So, but we were consuming dairy, so anything that I would buy or you know, any snacks or anything like that that I would buy, I would just check the label for ingredients and then make sure that it doesn't have any eggs or any meat product or any animal byproduct.

[00:16:52] Megha Shah: Mm-hmm. . So that's how I used to maintain the diet. But then, you know, I always preferred vegan cuisine for some reason because see, when you're vegetarian, you have to make sure that if there is any contamination going on or whether you prefer some restaurants or, you know, vegetarian restaurants or so, but vegan, when it comes to vegan or plant-based restaurants, you are like, okay, I don't have to worry about anything.

[00:17:17] Megha Shah: I can eat everything there. Right. So you don't have to check whether something is vegetarian or not. So I always preferred vegan cuisine at vegan restaurants, but I never knew at that time. Like this is what's going on with dairy industry. Mm-hmm. . So it was a part of ignorance, I guess, you know. But last four years has been remarkable journey.

[00:17:40] Megha Shah: So I've been vegan from last four years, and it happened like almost all of a sudden, or maybe saying overnight kind of thing. Mm-hmm. . So I decided to go vegan, and then it was only me who decided to go vegan first, and my husband and my three kids, they were still a consuming dairy. But then last year they also decided to go vegan.

[00:18:04] Megha Shah: So then now all of us are following plant-based diet. So the entire family, including my husband, my three kids who are like four, six, and 10 years old, they're also following plant-based diet. And it's amazing and it's so satisfying. They wanted to do this. It's not that we decided to do it. We show them the videos, which were kid friendly on YouTube and that what happens with dairy industry and how it can affect climate, you know, and then how it can affect our future generation and what can we do and why shouldn't we do this because it's already helping.

[00:18:43] Megha Shah: And making so much difference in everybody's life. So, and you can still maintain the healthy lifestyle. So, and the only thing you know, being a vegetarian, the only thing we had to give up on was dairy. So I say, well, think about people who's raised. Eating, you know, meat and, you know, other products that they consume every day.

[00:19:04] Megha Shah: And then if they have to go plant-based, it would be so difficult for them because it's a, it's a big change for them. And for us it's just leave dairy. It's so easy, it's nothing, you know, compared to what these guys have to do. So putting it that way, my kids actually thought, you know, put their own thought process into it.

[00:19:25] Megha Shah: And then they also decided like, okay, I don't wanna drink cow milk, I want almond milk. So, and then my little one would say, okay, I don't want, whenever we go out and if we order like Cassidy or something, and they were like, does it have cow cheese in it? Or does it have almond cheese in it? What kind of cheese in that?

[00:19:41] Megha Shah: So they ask those silly questions and it just makes me feel so proud. Like, you know, at least they're trying to verify what they're eating when they're in strange place and they are maintaining the diet nicely, you know, and I'm very proud of them at the same time, and this is how I became, like, I've been following vegan diet from last four years, and now my entire family is vegan.

[00:20:04] Megha Shah: But it all started with, uh, one step of like, you know, reading the ingredients and figuring out what goes in it. Because I was very passionate about how the food is made or what ingredients goes in. And then I would do a little bit of research and that's when I did more research on dairy. And when I heard it was becoming very noticeable, right?

[00:20:26] Megha Shah: The documentaries came out. And when I saw and I was like, oh, really? If this is what's happening, then I shouldn't be consuming it. So that's when it all made the difference, and that's how I became vegan. And now I'm perfectly healthy, fine still. I guess no deficiency so far. . Yeah.

[00:20:47] Maya Acosta: I admire you so much for the way that you're racing your children to have these values.

[00:20:53] Maya Acosta: Nice. To take the planet into consideration. Animal welfare, because many parents shy away from that. Yeah. Especially depending on the age of the children. And you have adults that make the transition with children of all sorts of ages, you know? Right. And they shy away. They wanna be a living example, but they shy away from having the conversations with their children.

[00:21:17] Maya Acosta: And I can imagine it, it's difficult to have to try to explain, but it sounds like this is probably part of the way that you educate your children anyway, right? By having these conversations. Right. Being very honest and frank. Right. Right. And the fact that your children chose this. Yes.

[00:21:33] Megha Shah: It's incredible. Yes. I never wanted to force this decision on anybody because what I believe is that when you're told to do something, you are more likely not to stick with it. Mm-hmm. . So, but when it comes from you from inside and when you make that decision to do it, you are more likely to stick with it. Yeah. So when I decided that I wanted to, you know, apply plant-based lifestyle, I wanted to go vegan, and then I just did it.

[00:22:03] Megha Shah: Mm-hmm. , and then I never looked. Same thing with my, you know, husband and my kids. My husband was inspired with from someone else, but that's fine. You know, as long as he got the inspiration. Because if I would've told him to do it, and if he would've done it, then, you know, that lack of motivation was still there.

[00:22:21] Megha Shah: Mm-hmm. , and then it wouldn't pursue him to continue maybe on his journey. Yeah. With the kids, what happened was like, you know, I told them that this is what's happening. If you can't see what's happening, then how can you, you know, consume that product, right? So if you can't see, you shouldn't be consuming that.

[00:22:38] Megha Shah: But I showed my kids that if you can't see that images or what's happening, how can you consume that product? So think about the pain that they're going through, and you don't need to give them that pain. They don't have to suffer. At least you're not being part of that wish cycle of whatever is going on in the business industry.

[00:22:58] Megha Shah: Sure. So, and that's when you know, and they're, I guess, you know, they were mature at that time when I was having that conversation, at least. And they decided like, okay, we'll make a switch. It's fine. And then the only problem is they got from me then make sure you make yummy food. And I say, yes, I will. I'll make sure that, so yeah, they're just happy.

[00:23:16] Maya Acosta: It's a education that is so key. I stopped eating red meat and pork in college when I saw footage of how ground beef. Is processed and made. And it was enough for me to say, oh my God, I don't want to eat that. Right. It's terrible. But you would hear that, especially with ground beef.

[00:23:32] Maya Acosta: They'd throw everything in there. All the parts, all the, you know, I don't wanna be more graphic than that. And like you, because I was mainly vegetarian pescatarian. It was so easy to transition because I was already eating Italian food and Vietnamese food, and all the foods that have all those vegetables that we love, and the noodles and the rices and all of that was pretty easy for me.

[00:23:55] Maya Acosta: Now I wanna plug a little bit The Land of Ahimsa, because you just brought up dairy. Yes. And a lot of times now, this is all very new to me in the sense that, I'll back up by saying that when I met my husband, who's Pakistani mm-hmm. , I asked his mother to teach me his favorite meals. Oh wow. And so one of them was cur.

[00:24:16] Maya Acosta: Which is not, you know, the like the soupy kind of, right. Because some people may think it's the curry that is in the, like in the sauces and things like that. Mm-hmm. , but it was so much ge and so much dairy. Oh wow. In the food. Yeah. It's very rich. And the plac pak lu or the, now that we can use tofu, but many different things like that had dairy.

[00:24:37] Maya Acosta: Just dairy is added into many of the sauces. And to add flavor. The panier, the Panera, yes. With. I started to have that awareness that Wow. And so I wasn't vegan when I met him. And when I was sampling the foods, I was just like, wow, the spices and the foods are so rich and delicious. And then once we decided to make the transition, I didn't have a hard time, but for my husband, it has been because he was a heavy meat consumer.

[00:25:05] Maya Acosta: Okay. And a lot of his mother's cooking is just so amazing. She has an amazing gift for cooking. She actually wrote a recipe, a cookbook. Oh wow. I'll show you when we wrap up. That's amazing. We've been trying to transition to make her meals vegan. Okay. So I began to learn about that dairy. Which a lot of vegetarians, especially from India, think is not as cruel.

[00:25:30] Maya Acosta: Yes. That consuming the dairy, I began to learn through Dolly, the producer of The Land of Ahimsa, that, you know, there has to be a, an awareness of what happens with these animals. Yeah. And as you and I are speaking, the YouTube channel, an organization called Plant-Based News, just aired the documentary.

[00:25:49] Megha Shah: Yes, I saw that. I was so proud of.

[00:25:51] Maya Acosta: Risk is in it as well. But you are also connected in the sense that, you know some of the people Yeah. Like, you know, Dolly. So tell us a little bit, uh, what you know about the land of a Himsa,

[00:26:02] Megha Shah: so about that. Um, movie. So remember Ruchika , I just mentioned that I worked with her earlier on a cookbook project that we released last year, and it's a free cookbook for anybody to download.

[00:26:13] Megha Shah: So she actually worked with Dolly to launch it in India and with the production as well. And she was telling me all the time that, you know, we have this schedule, we have this day when we're gonna, you know, we're gonna premiere this movie and all that stuff. So I know that she was connected with her. I knew Dolly, I mean, I never met her before, but I was following her on the Instagram from such a long time and I was, you know, liking her post and whatnot.

[00:26:39] Megha Shah: And I know she's such a good, you know, and such a awesome activist in vegan fold. So, I knew her that way, but I did not know that she's going to come out with this documentary, which is just mind-blowing, and I was so happy when I saw that it was, you know, shown on. Plant-based news as well. And that's how I know Dolly, but you know about this Land of Ahimsa, the whole documentary, it is so important for people to see, especially if you're from Indian background, because some people just have this in their mind.

[00:27:14] Megha Shah: They won't take it. They're like, Nope, that's not true. That's not true. That doesn't happen. You know, when you talk to them or when you tell them that this is happening world, while it's not just India, like this is how this business is treated and they have this, you know, um, nodding off the head like, no, they don't believe in.

[00:27:32] Megha Shah: So it is, I'm just so glad that she ended up making this documentary that shows a real part, a real truth about dairy industry. And you know, it's not about whether somebody turned. Or somebody just go ahead and apply plant-based diet right away or not. It's about bringing the awareness. Mm-hmm. , if you see this form, you will definitely be put in, like in a situation where you would think, at least for one second, like, is this true?

[00:28:02] Megha Shah: Is this what's happening? And that moment is very important in somebody's life, you know, to bring that awareness. And that's how you basically start thinking about this process. And even in the back of your mind, whether your next meal is full of meat or you know, if it's not plant-based, it doesn't matter.

[00:28:19] Megha Shah: But that. Thought process is what's planting a seed in your brain. Yes. And that's what's going to make you explore more Yes. About this truth.

[00:28:28] Maya Acosta: Yeah. Planting the seed is the key. Yes. It's, it's the education that we don't receive in the public school system. Yeah. A lot of times. Not even from our parents. So where else would we learn about what is happening behind the scenes Right.

[00:28:42] Maya Acosta: When our foods are being produced, especially when it involves animal-based products. Yes. Um, there's a lot of suffering. So I'm very excited about your treats that you brought. Yes. And we're gonna talk about True V one thing that I like about you, and another reason why I wanted you on the show was because, As you know, my podcast is called Healthy Lifestyle Solutions.

[00:29:04] Maya Acosta: Yes. And while I'm also an ethical vegan, and I love promoting that as well, I also like encouraging people to eat healthy. And if you still need to snack a little bit, you can find healthy snacks. So I would love for you to tell my listeners about how you even thought about starting True V as an entrepreneur.

[00:29:21] Maya Acosta: How did you get that going? How long have you been in business? And then tell us the components to True V, because one of 'em is your healthy bites, but also your kitchen. 

[00:29:29] Megha Shah: Yes. So you already know a little bit about myself. Like I, I'm a passionate cook. I love to cook. I have three beautiful children for six and eight, and True V is connected with the story of, you know, having my kids.

[00:29:45] Megha Shah: So I had one incident in my life when, with my second delivery, where I almost gained my life back. And once that happened, I decided that whatever I do from now on, Is I wanna do something meaningful. Whatever I do from now on has to be a purposeful mission. When I wanted to come up with this truly mission, I wanted to make sure that I give back in a way where it's not just a business I give back in a way where I maintain the sustainability as well.

[00:30:23] Megha Shah: So I try to get all the components, you know, in a plate where I can, where I was thinking like, how can I make it more sustainable? How can I make it more people-friendly, more planet-friendly? Mm-hmm. . Then just making, or just doing another business. Mm-hmm. . So my husband helped me all the way throughout this mission and how, you know, in the process of how we achieve this True V we place and the products and everything that we have accomplished so far, his help was, Working as a backbone of me, you know?

[00:31:00] Megha Shah: So it was there. And obviously because of that, and with my kids support as well, they were constantly pushing. It was like, yes, mama, go for it. I love it. I love what you do. I'm like, you know, they were constantly inspiring me to do even more than what I put in every single day. So in 2020, I was at the London to attend one of the plant-based expo, and I saw.

[00:31:23] Megha Shah: Many food entrepreneurs with their products. And I also saw some leather alternatives for the, you know, uh, vegan innovations. And I decided, okay, if this can happen, I can also do it. So I tasted some of the products and then, you know, I spend time there, I talk to people and I talked to them about their background.

[00:31:47] Megha Shah: And when I found out, like it was, most of them were very passionate about it, of they were doing, they didn't have really a good background of any culinary expertise, you know, they decided to go in and then they just went in and they got certified and then they were boom with the business, you know. So I came back and I decided, okay, what do I wanna do actually?

[00:32:07] Megha Shah: So, so I used to blog recipes and all that stuff, but I'm like, okay, that's too time-consuming with my kids and all that. I really wanted to open up a restaurant, which is plant-based, but obviously with three kids and managing the family is just too much. So I came up with, These treats, the plant-based treats.

[00:32:25] Megha Shah: Because one thing for sure that my kids always ask for candies. And when they ask for candies, you know, you try to control the sugar level, right? It's like, no, you can't have two, you can't have three or a day. You know, you have to wait for the next day. Another thing that's like ingredients, oh my God. And sometimes I feel like I'm freak about ingredients, but I read, and then there's is this loaded with preservatives, emulsifiers and whatnot.

[00:32:49] Megha Shah: You know, the color this color that color, and some of the names, the chemical names that we cannot even pronounce, right? Mm-hmm. . So I was not feeling good about it, so I thought, why don't I just make some treats that's good for kids. Even adults can enjoy it. And then it is made so naturally it has nothing added.

[00:33:08] Megha Shah: Like no preservative, no additives, no extract, no syrups, and it's just so good. And plus how can I make it sustainable by packaging, 200% compostable packaging. So it's basically becomes zero waste product. So, but that was the thought. So I worked on it. I did my research and development about each ingredient that could go into these products.

[00:33:32] Megha Shah: I tried to find the best ingredient, where is it grown from? And then it comes certified. So it's either non-GM or organic about the packaging. I spent a lot of time about that because I research and every time I research more and more I find like one flaw that's, oops, that's not gonna work out. So about the packaging, finally we found a source that, you know, that process and makes.

[00:33:58] Megha Shah: A hundred percent home compostable bags. So it's not just commercial compostable, it's also home compostable. And if you don't have time, of course you can drop it off at any commercial compostable facility, but if you wanna do it all in your backyard, you can do that too. So finally, when all the components were put into plate, like, okay, ingredients are set, the quality is set, the certification is set, and the compostable packaging or sustainable packaging criteria is set.

[00:34:27] Megha Shah: Then the only thing we had to find was where to produce this product. So in 2020, I registered the company Trube in the state of Texas with the thought that I am going to do something about this, and before anything happens, I want to go and register the company with this name. So, I did that. And then after that I started my research.

[00:34:49] Megha Shah: We wanted to launch the products earlier, but because of the, you know, COVID and all that, whatever was going on in the market, we were not able to do it. Another reason that during the Covid, we wanted to find a place where we can manufacture these products. But the problem was that where I manufacture the product, I would still have to put the label where it says that it is processed in a facility where, where eggs, meat, fish, selfish, are also processed.

[00:35:16] Megha Shah: And that was kind of a hesitation that I came across. I was like, you know what? I'm making a plant-based product. Why do I have to process in the facility that case this, this and that? And more than anything, my products are almost seven or eight and more than anything, my products are already free of top food allergens.

[00:35:34] Megha Shah: So even that tracing, why would we have those tracing if you're looking for any allergy-friendly products, right? So, In that case, I was trying to look for a place where we can just have our own facility and you won't believe it's so hard to find. So some of the time went into that too. So since starting from 2022 all the way to 2022, you know, all that time we spend in construction, there were delays we faced.

[00:36:02] Megha Shah: There was research that was done and all these process were going on in the background was just me and my husband doing all this work. Wow. and. With basically no experience of having this business in the background. Right? This was the first time we're doing something, you know, but personally, I'm that kind of person.

[00:36:21] Megha Shah: Like once you decide something, I'll get it done, you know, even if it takes like longer, that's fine. So I did the research, I did everything. I reach out to, you know, people, I contacted resources, I contacted all the manufacturers, and you know, we figured out the stuff. And then here we are today. So today what we have is True V’s products.

[00:36:42] Megha Shah: Our products are, first of our products are really unique because it's the combination of these three important elements. First, they're hand handcrafted, a hundred percent plant-based facility. 

[00:36:58] Maya Acosta: So, where did you find that? Is it in Texas?

[00:37:00] Megha Shah: Yeah, it's our own facility. We made it. I'm coming to that point, yes.

[00:37:05] Megha Shah: Oh wow. Yes, please tell us. Yes. So, and the second part is that it's made with completely, completely clean label ingredients, which are very premium. For example, the Cacao that we use in our products are Crayola Cacao, which is one of the premium Cacao in the world. They use Crayola cacao to code B chocolates because of its smooth texture.

[00:37:30] Megha Shah: Yeah. And that's the kaka that we use to code our truffles. So we wanted to make sure that we provide the premium quality ingredients, and these are also non-GMO or organic. And the third element was the sustainable packaging. Nothing bits, a hundred percent compostable packaging, because that's what makes our product zero waste products.

[00:37:54] Megha Shah: Yes. So you eat your food and then once you're done, we ask you to reuse those bags. And once you're done with that, just compost it. And within 90 to hundred and 80 days, it turns into soil, enrich soil, so there's nothing left behind. Yeah. So, and by the way, this packaging is a hundred percent compostable, certified by as DMD 6,400, and the zipper is also compostable. Oh my God. By two and certified by two. So they're not just to say compostable, they're also certified compostable.

[00:38:27] Maya Acosta: Yeah. And as a matter of fact, I was wondering, as you're describing the packaging, if I can hold. One or two of the packages so that we can show our listeners here, because people watch the video too. So when you were saying zipper, I was wondering, but this part here, this is compostable.

[00:38:43] Megha Shah: Yes. So see that packaging is actually, looks like it's a plastic, right? Yes. And this is not actually a plastic, it's made from wood celluloses. Yes. And it's a hundred percent plant-based material. It's non gmo.

[00:39:02] Maya Acosta: I can see how it's usable. I can see that. Yes. How you can reuse this?

[00:39:05] Megha Shah: Yes. Yes. So basically when you're on a trip or something, just take the bag and then once you're done with the food, you just flew up something else, reuse it. And these are also freezers safe. So when you have like chop vegetables or whatever leftover, you wanna freeze into this, they're perfectly fine to freeze.

[00:39:24] Megha Shah: And when you want to finally get rid of it, just compost it. Or drop it off in a compostable facility.

[00:39:31] Maya Acosta: Yeah. Well look who woke up when he heard the packaging. . My Chulo just woke up. He hears bags and he thinks treats, and unfortunately he can't have anything. So hopefully he'll go back to that. So this is amazing.

[00:39:45] Maya Acosta: So the fact that you address the allergens because that's what keeps many people from having some of the treats, and then the packaging and truffles is with two Rs.

[00:39:57] Megha Shah: Yes. We wanted to spell it as Trruffles because it's True V. So we call it Trruffles, but it's actually Trruffles.

[00:40:04] Maya Acosta: Yeah. How did you choose the name True V?

[00:40:07] Megha Shah: V stands for vegan. V stands for, you know, which are, which is the word in Gujarati or Hindi? Mm-hmm. . That means the thought. So it's like true thought, you know? And that's the. It all. Everything starts with one thought, right? One thing, one thought process, and then you start. So this is the true, which are something that we think of, and then we finally doing it. So that's why it's true we, wow.

[00:40:34] Maya Acosta: And then here's your other package. It's a little bit different in the sense that it's not transparent. Is it made out of what material?

[00:40:42] Megha Shah: It's the same. So all the packagings are made from plant-based material. And the label that goes on it, on the front and the back, it's actually tree free, so it's not paper.

[00:40:53] Megha Shah: It's sugar cane fiber. Wow. It's made from natural sugar cane fiber. So that's why that label is compostable of course. And also recyclable. Yeah.

[00:41:02] Maya Acosta: Yes. This is so meaningful because one of the things that as we learn about going vegan and what that does for the planet, then we start to look at packaging.

[00:41:11] Maya Acosta: Packaging becomes very important. Like the use of plastic containers, right. Straws, all of that. And the fact that a lot of times what we use, and I'm just as guilty because sometimes I'll have a coffee from a huge company. Right, right. And it's single-use. Single-use, yes. And that. Always drives me crazy, the fact that I contribute to that as well. Right, right. With this, you're saying these are compostable

[00:41:35] Megha Shah: at home? Yeah. So in the backyard you can compost it. And also, like I say, the zipper, it's very cur. I mean, so many people ask me like, the zipper gets composted. I'm like, yes, it does. It's proven. It's certified. 

[00:41:50] Maya Acosta: So yes it does. That's why I had to pick it up. Cuz I was like, wait a minute, what do you mean? But I see. 

[00:41:54] Megha Shah: Right, right. And these are all, like I said, freezer safe. Mm-hmm. . And that's what we recommended with our products too, because sometimes we have customers ordering, you know, In a big quantity and I ask them to freeze it. So, and these are, so they just pop this whole pack in the freezer and whenever they're ready they just take it out.

[00:42:13] Maya Acosta: Yeah. This is wonderful. And so you have also brought samples.

[00:42:18] Megha Shah: Yes. Let's get to that. 

[00:42:20] Maya Acosta: And I, I'm afraid I'm going to excite Chulo, but I'm gonna hold it up cuz I, I'm also filming with my cell phone to do, I'm doing like a little selfie video. Nice. So for people to actually look, so if you're watching the video, which I always recommend, watch the video so you can see that things are missing out on.

[00:42:38] Maya Acosta: So how should we start? Are we ready to sample? Yes, we are. And by the way, so. As we were preparing for this conversation, you said to me that some people like to pair your truffles and your bites with certain things like maybe coffee or wine. Yes. I decided, as you know, I don't drink alcohol. I brought, um, a bottle that I wanted a sample anyway of just a little bit of wine since you did.

[00:43:05] Maya Acosta: It's not real wine, but , the flavors are there. I know. So I thought, well, let me combine it with some of your truffles. Yes.

[00:43:13] Megha Shah: And see my, I need to see the products in their computer screen. So should I just move myself a little bit? Is that okay?

[00:43:19] Maya Acosta: Yeah. What I can do is hold it up this way. Yeah. And tell me which one I should start with.

[00:43:24] Maya Acosta: That's perfect. Yeah. And then I'll show it on the camera too. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Sounds good. All right. So what do we have here? 

[00:43:30] Megha Shah: Okay, so we're going to start with bite. So we have three varieties of bites at this time. The pumpkin spice bites are limited addition for fall and winter, but the kaka seed bites and the nut bites are always there in our product line.

[00:43:49] Megha Shah: So the one that you're holding right now is Cacao nut bite, which is made from almonds, dates, chia seed, flex seeds. Sprout oats and a little bit of coconut oil, which we use steam refined because we don't want that coconut flavor. Yes.

[00:44:07] Maya Acosta: And it, oh, really refined. It takes away the coconut flavor. 

[00:44:10] Megha Shah: I did not know that. And this is steam refined, so it's, it's better than the normal refined coconut oil. One thing I wanna mention about our products is that there is no sugar added. Absolutely no sugar added in any of our products. They're all naturally sweetened by fruit, real fruit. So everything that you're eating is just guilt-free.

[00:44:35] Maya Acosta:  A little bite of indulgence, and I see what you call it, is superfood. This is like part of Dr. Michael Daily Dozen in terms of having your nuts and your seeds in your diet, cause this is so good. And no added sugar And no syrup.

[00:44:46] Megha Shah: No syrup, no extract, no preservative. Okay. And should I? Yep. Yes. Go it. Go it. I'm gonna take a small bite. You should take a big bite.

[00:44:57] Maya Acosta: Oh my God. Is it filled with something? This is delicious. 

[00:44:59] Megha Shah: No, no. You can read the ingredients behind you on the back of the label. So all of our products are hardly made with five or six or seven ingredients. And that's it. 

[00:45:10] Maya Acosta: I'm chewing on on the microphone. This is so good. 

[00:45:12] Megha Shah: This is, mm-hmm. . Yeah. So about this Nut Bite. People say that it tastes like chocolate. It's just chocolate. 

[00:45:21] Maya Acosta: That's why I thought it was filled with like something like fudge or something, right? Oh my God. I'm talking with my mouthful.

[00:45:27] Megha Shah: That's like, I'm sorry. I'll do the talking meanwhile. So should I chase it with something?

[00:45:32] Megha Shah: Yeah, I mean, if you wanna sip it, I think the truffles will go nicely with wine. So you can wait for that. But this bites are just time. It's good for snacking time, it's good for your kids, it's good for everybody in the family. And then you can also keep it as a little desert bite in the party events. 

[00:45:51] Maya Acosta: Yeah. I'm gonna have to hide these from my husband. He's going to eat them. Yeah. So this one that I just had, remind me again, what is this one called?

[00:45:58] Megha Shah: It's called Cacao Nut Bites because it's made with Almonds. So it does have nuts. Okay. And so it's almonds, cacao, chia seed flexed, and the sprout oats. Okay?

[00:46:12] Maya Acosta: So I loved it. And I'm not a person that needs a lot of snacks. So now here's the second one, not the other one. Okay? But this one, what am I meant to sample?

[00:46:20] Megha Shah: Yes. So this is the seed bite where you can see a little green seed. The pumpkin seeds. Oh, I love right seeds. So these are the seed by, so we wanted to introduce this product for people who has nut allergy and they don't have good tasting snacks, option available.

[00:46:39] Megha Shah: But you know, the RNA is the people who doesn't have nut allergy. They order this more, so they just love it. So these are filled with pumpkin seeds and exact same ingredients as the first one. The only difference is we replace the almonds with the pumpkin seeds. 

[00:46:56] Maya Acosta: I love the pumpkin seeds. There you go. See? Oh my God, as I'm chewing. Please tell my listeners where you're found. Exactly. Carrollton. Yes. And who buys these? Who are your customers?

[00:47:08] Megha Shah: So our customers are majority the highly active people. Mm-hmm. And the older folks you know, who's retired and who wants to kind of, you know, make their lifestyle much more healthier in later years.

[00:47:25] Megha Shah: And those who are with kids who doesn't wanna feed. Junk alternatives that's available out there. So actually, to be honest, to say all these different age group are our customers, you know? Mm-hmm. . So, and we get surprised by getting orders from all over the places in United States because we ship in continental United States.

[00:47:48] Megha Shah: So, and one more thing I wanted to mention is that when we ship, we make sure the sustainability is maintained. So whatever we ship in the box, we make sure that there is no plastic use at all. The only plastic. That we use while shipping is the freeze pack that we use because these products are temperature sensitive and we don't add any preservative or additive or extract or anything like that.

[00:48:13] Megha Shah: So they need to be maintained by certain temperature. So we use the freeze pack, which are reusable. We could have used the, you know, one-time use or the single-use packs. But obviously again, when it comes to reducing the waste, we make sure that we don't do that. So we pack it with reusable bags, reusable ice packs.

[00:48:35] Megha Shah: And also for the larger orders, we re-reuse the boxes and we use the paper wide fill rather than those plastic puffy cushions around it. Right. . Yeah. So, but we ship throughout the United State in 48 states of United. 

[00:48:50] Maya Acosta: So I'm really excited because I'm thinking like, when we go to other events and, um, like, you know, my husband's holiday party for the staff is coming up and we're gonna go to Lux, where we put together a vegan menu for those of us who want to have vegan foods.

[00:49:06] Maya Acosta: And we were just thinking how difficult dessert is. Mm-hmm. , one of these bites after dinner would be beautiful. Like, it would just be beautiful. Right. And, but you're right. I, I mean, I get it. Like it doesn't have to necessarily be someone who's health conscious, right? Anybody can enjoy this. Right. But if you are a deliberate individual who wants to enjoy.

[00:49:28] Maya Acosta: Like my mouth is still watering. I'm like, oh my God. But if you wanna enjoy something delicious without feeling guilty, and that's part of the reason why I'm not a heavy snacker. Yeah. Because I feel guilty. Like I just feel like that's not good for my body. I don't do a lot of sweets anyway. But sometimes we do pick up snacks here and there.

[00:49:47] Maya Acosta: And if it's all men or walnut, sometimes it's covered with syrup and sugar. Right. You know how it is. And I don't need a lot of that. You can taste the nuts if you do enjoy nuts, and it's a very satisfying snack. 

[00:50:01] Megha Shah: So glad to hear that from you. 

[00:50:02] Maya Acosta: Wow. Okay. So I'm gonna show you what I have next. Maybe I should remove them from the plate. Will that help? So we can identify what's right, right, right. So now what?

[00:50:13] Megha Shah: Next. So the next we're going to try Trruffle. And that blue one, if you can pick up that one. Yes. So that's called Date Trruffle, which means it's a whole date dipped into the Crayola Cacao. The smoothies chocolate coating available out there in the world.

[00:50:29] Megha Shah: So it's dipped into chocolate, but it's not just the date. It is stuff with pumpkin seeds. Oh my God. And it's stuff with a hint of spice. So this one is stuff with a hint of caram. Oh my God. Oh, and we use organic caram, you know, for this, which comes all the way from India. Yeah. And there're certified organic.

[00:50:53] Megha Shah: Yeah. So all of our products or ingredients. Whatever we source it from. It is all listed on our website. And because we believe in ingredient transparency, so all of the products ingredients are listed on our website and they also show how certified they are. Yeah. And that's what goes in this truffle. But anyways, go ahead and try,

[00:51:13] Maya Acosta: I'm excited to see before I say before I chew, because I won't be able to talk, let me just say, My husband again being Pakistani, introduced me to the appreciation of dates. Yes. I never, like in my past snacked on dates and now he has taught me how to pick them. Right. Like the ones, you know, he likes them.

[00:51:33] Maya Acosta: A little drier. And he just, you know, he's very involved in the experience of date, but also the spices. A cardamom is a spice that I would've never tried had he not introduced me. Oh. Because he likes all of these. So I'm so excited. A little spice in here too, to make it, what did

[00:51:51] Megha Shah: you say? It's a cardamom, but it's just the hint. We try not to overpower it with the spice.

[00:51:58] Maya Acosta: Oh my God. Are the seats still in here?

[00:52:00] Megha Shah: That's the al. Oh my God. . So that's almond or pumpkin seeds. So let me see. Hold on. Let me see that one.

[00:52:09] Maya Acosta: This is beautiful. You came up with all of these Yes. Recipes. Yes. This is, I love it. I really do. I love this.

[00:52:18] Maya Acosta: No wonder Courtney said, how can I support you?

[00:52:21] Megha Shah: Or I . Courtney. Love the one with Cayenne. And that's what you're gonna try the next.

[00:52:29] Maya Acosta: This is wonderful. So this is the one, the one that I just bit into. Delicious. It still has a little bit of the almond in here. Yes. So it's almond. And what is that tingling that I'm feeling?

[00:52:40] Maya Acosta: That warm feeling.

[00:52:41] Megha Shah: The warm feeling is the cayenne. So it's a hint of cayenne. It gives you a little bit of kick with the chocolate.

[00:52:48] Maya Acosta: That's why when I was like, oh, it has cayenne. Right. I could taste it. Yeah. Yeah. And the combination of chocolate and cayenne is amazing.

[00:52:56] Megha Shah: That's Courtney's favorite truffle, by the way.

[00:52:59] Maya Acosta: I haven't had anything good like this. So good to know. Courtney loves this too. I have not had something that is a combination of chocolate and cayenne since I moved from San Diego. Oh. Because when I lived there, I actually love supporting small businesses as well that had good treats like this. Not as as good as yours, but that's what I prefer.

[00:53:19] Maya Acosta: I'm gonna buy something that, it's not necessarily cheating, but I'm just gonna indulge in. Right. I prefer it being from a small business or someone that local that I can support. Right, right. I'm gonna buy, well, no, I'm gonna skip the, we got more. I got. I know. I'll enjoy it later. Okay. Now we have one here in the red container here.

[00:53:40] Maya Acosta: What is this? This is also an almond, so how about this?

[00:53:42] Megha Shah: Why don't you try this, bite it and show how does it look from inside? Okay. And then you tell me the spice.

[00:53:51] Maya Acosta: Okay. This is like a blind test almost. Yes. Yes.

[00:53:55] Megha Shah: Mm. Okay. So, yep. That's the pumpkin

[00:53:58] Maya Acosta: seed. It doesn't have almond. I can tell right? The pumpkin seed is so good in here.

[00:54:04] Megha Shah: Yeah, there you go. So it's with pumpkin seed again, that we invented for like, for the people who has not allergy and who cannot indulge into this. But we have orders from all the people, like, you know, they can, they enjoy pumpkin seed so much, even though they don't have allergies. 

[00:54:22] Maya Acosta: What a beautiful collection of treats that you've put together. You must make a lot of people happy at home. , right? Like your family, your friends, your children.

[00:54:31] Megha Shah: Yeah. Yeah. My friends like, they keep it as a dessert, you know, and they have it like one bite every day after dinner and they're like, I'm satisfied now. 

[00:54:40] Maya Acosta: That's exactly how I am. That's why I take small bites.

[00:54:43] Maya Acosta: Cause I love. Enjoy. I don't eat fast. I enjoy. Okay. Right. I can't say I have a favorite cuz I like 'em all. . . That's a good to know. Here's another one and you want me to do the same thing and try to figure out what's in it?

[00:54:56] Megha Shah: Okay. It'll be pumpkin seeds with cayenne. So this time you'll fill the heat.

[00:55:02] Maya Acosta: Cayenne. Again, that's my favorite spice. If you knew how much cayenne I have right now in my pantry, you would be like, why? Wow. We put cayenne in everything now. Yay. Yep. Ooh, I feel it in my tongue. Yep. Oh my God, this is delicious. You guys, like, I'm really excited to have learned about you. I like 'em all. Still I don't have a favorite, all of them.

[00:55:26] Megha Shah: Are you a dark chocolate fan or this bittersweet or semi chocolates?

[00:55:31] Maya Acosta: I have a weakness for dark chocolate. Nice. And the more caco the better for me. Right. I, I don't, I never like milk chocolate and I don't need a lot of sugar in my caco. You know how? Right. Right. This is probably why I'm loving these .

[00:55:44] Megha Shah: Yes. Yeah. So that's why we wanted to give our consumers that, you know, we wanted to provide all the super food ingredients in one package where you don't need to feel that it's so bitter or it's not tasting good. Mm-hmm. , because this we coated with cacao and which is a hundred percent dark. It only made with kacal.

[00:56:04] Megha Shah: And cacao and the cacao powder and that's it. Yeah. And then we wanted to make sure that our consumer indulged into the superfood ingredients without feeling anything bad about it, because again, this does not have any sugar, but we wanted to give them that sweet taste that they always crave for, right?

[00:56:23] Megha Shah: Yes. Because the product has to taste good, right? Yes. In order to continu eating. So that's why it's coded with Kacal, but it's actually a date that's providing you all the sweetness that you are craving. Yes. And it's real fruit, so there is no brainer. Everything in that is just a nice package of indulgence.

[00:56:43] Maya Acosta: I agree. And when my husband comes home, Uhhuh, he's going to do a taste test. Yay. And I can tell you right now, I'm gonna have to tell him, slow down. Take your time. Like appreciate because when he loves something, he just wants to eat. Fast.

[00:56:55] Megha Shah: Make sure you grab some videos of him so we can enjoy that later on.

[00:56:59] Maya Acosta: Yes, I will definitely do that. Now I have one more. Okay. And my dog was very interested in what I'm doing, but he cannot have chocolate because the thing is that we give him a lot of our vegan food. Ah. He loves my lentils, my rice, my beans. I can't get him to eat polenta. I don't know why, but he loves my cooking.

[00:57:17] Maya Acosta: Okay, one last, this is almond. . And by the way, I'm sort of having a small, after I chew a small sip of the red wine just a little bit uhhuh. And it's incredible. And how can people have these, can they have them with coffee, tea?

[00:57:33] Megha Shah: Yes. So it goes well, for example, personally, my husband always have this one truffle with this black coffee. Oh. So people have it with coffee as well. And I have customers who orders it just for like a wine pairing or you know, kind of a, kind of a get together that they're having at their place. And they don't wanna keep like heavy dessert. Yeah. This is what they keep next to the wine tray. So that's how people have it. And then, you know, with those, with the kids, we just have it at home all the time.

[00:58:06] Maya Acosta: Yeah. I think when you have something delicious and rich, like this is like a delicacy you don't need, you know, to continuously eat these. Yes. It's just one or two bites or one of these, but Okay. So I'm gonna take bite. Mm. I taste, this is more chocolatey. What am I eating?

[00:58:21] Megha Shah: This is the almond and cardamom. So you can feel, so the cardamom is typically, yeah. You see that piece of almond in there? Yep. Oh my God. So the caram is typically goes really well with chocolate. Unfortunately, it's not explored much here in western countries because the spice is, you know, typically used by India and you know, all the Asian countries more.

[00:58:45] Megha Shah: Mm-hmm. . But this combination is like, it's one of my favorite too. This combination is one of my favorite too.

[00:58:52] Maya Acosta: I mean, I'm gonna have chocolate all over my teeth, but, I'm loving this.

[00:58:58] Megha Shah: Okay. Okay. And the last one that's remaining. So you tried all of four truffles? Yep. You tried two of our bites now. The one last thing remaining is the Pumpkin Spice Bites, which is of a limited time edition.

[00:59:14] Megha Shah: We recently launched in fall and people loved it so much, and this one has a pumpkin spice. And this is made with apricots and dates. Oh, again, no sugar added, of course, because none of our product contain any added sugar. But these are sweetened with apricots and dates.

[00:59:32] Maya Acosta: Oh my gosh. Everything that I love. Hmm. Oh, it's like the fall. Yes. .

[00:59:38] Megha Shah: Love this. Oh my God. That's what I hear. Like this is like Christmas. This is like a holiday. It's holiday feeling. Yes.

[00:59:45] Maya Acosta: Oh, this is what you have when you really wanna feel the spirit. Yeah. Of Christmas. Or even just the fall, Thanksgiving. But it is Christmasy. Yes. This is wonderful Megha.Now I, it's hard to eat on top. Um, if listeners are interested in placing an order, how soon should they place an order? How long can they expect for the product to be delivered? Yes.

[01:00:09] Megha Shah: So we are located in Carrollton, Texas. Mm-hmm. . We have our own facility where we manufacture this product. Mm-hmm. . And, uh, you can place an order online on True V.com, which is www dot tru t r u.

[01:00:25] Megha Shah: V as in Victor dot C. Make sure it's not.com. So they can go there and visit our website or they can, you know, follow the link in bio on Instagram on my page, which is True V Eats. And then that will direct them to the website shop page and that's where they can place in order. Right now we are running a promotion or holiday, which where we are offering your listener additional special discount, which you're gonna talk about it.

[01:00:53] Megha Shah: I'll let you do that. But they can place an order of the products and they check out. As usual. Once we get the orders, then we process it within one to two business days. Okay. One thing I wanna mention that. All of our orders are prepared. Small batch. Okay. And then these are all handcrafted, and since it does not have any preservatives, we make sure that we don't keep it on stock so much.

[01:01:18] Megha Shah: So for example, if you place an order today, you expect to receive it or to either pick up or delivery depending on which medium or where you're, uh, shopping it from. Okay. If you place an order today, if you're local and select pickup, you can pick it up as soon as after two days. Okay. So, and then on our website, when you select a pickup, there is a schedule where it says, pick your day when you want to pick up.

[01:01:44] Megha Shah: And then you schedule the time, and then that's when you pick up from our location. Okay. Another option you have is the shipping if you place in order for shipping. Yeah. We ship all of our packages by priority shipping, which means it will hardly take. One, two or three days max in order to reach anywhere in United States within the 48 states of United States.

[01:02:07] Megha Shah: Mm-hmm. . Yeah. So if you all place an order today, we take like one or two business days to prepare your order. Okay. And then it gets shipped out to you, but we obviously provide the tracking information and all that. So within a week, I would say if we receive your order by weekend, by Friday, you'll have the product if we are shipping it out.

[01:02:24] Maya Acosta: Perfect. And the reason I ask is because I wanted to feature your bites as part of this holiday gift idea series that I'm doing on my podcast and also on my social media. Yeah. I wanted to encourage people to buy this. You know, bite some of your bite or did some of your bites ask gifts for loved ones. Whoa. The individual doesn't have to be a vegan. They just have to love these items. I know. 

[01:02:50] Megha Shah: They just have to love sweet treats. That's it. And who doesn't love it, right?

[01:02:53] Maya Acosta: That's right. I love this. And I can see how even for other events or holidays, like Valentine's Day and all of that, how people really would enjoy this.

[01:03:03] Maya Acosta: Right. As well. This is wonderful. Thank you for bringing these by.

[01:03:05] Megha Shah:  Well, thank you so much. I'm so glad you liked them.

[01:03:08] Maya Acosta: I really did. I mean, I'm not a person that snacks a lot. Right. But this right here, Uhhuh . Oh, like after dinner or with a non-alcoholic glass of wine, which is great. . Now you did offer us a discount code.

[01:03:22] Maya Acosta: Yes. Only I can't, I'm gonna mention it when I do my conclusion because actually I don't have it in my notes.

[01:03:28] Megha Shah: Do you re It's L D U, it's H G A L T H Y. And then you as in ala. That's it. That's right.

[01:03:34] Maya Acosta: Okay, so they just enter healthy you to get discount?

[01:03:37] Megha Shah: Yes. 10% off, no minimum order requirement. They get 10% off on their entire order.

[01:03:43] Maya Acosta: Okay, awesome. Megha. Yeah. So I have just a couple of fun questions that I thought we could wrap as we're wrapping things up. We could, I gotta just ask you a couple of questions that are fun. Feel free to just answer them quickly or elaborate. Just say Skip. Yeah, you can skip. This is all about just kind of, I don't know.

[01:04:01] Maya Acosta: I, I could have asked so many other questions, but, okay. Just a quick question here. Do you have a favorite influencer? Yes. Kurt . .

[01:04:11] Maya Acosta: Actually, you're right. It's amazing. She really is an influencer. I love following her on social media. Yes, yes.

[01:04:16] Megha Shah: You know, whenever I read her post or see her, um, stories, it just gives good wives.

[01:04:22] Megha Shah: She's so joyful. She's such a passionate soul, you know? Yeah. Yeah. And it's just a good feeling that she brings. So yes, she does. Colorful, Courtney. Yes. Thank you

[01:04:31] Maya Acosta: Courtney, for connecting us. Do you have a favorite holiday and.

[01:04:36] Megha Shah: I do actually. So I have two favorite holidays. Okay. One is from India. You know, the Indian type of holiday, and one is from here.

[01:04:43] Megha Shah: So first one is from here, it's 4th of July. And I wanna say a little bit about why it is because I'm the first generation immigrant here, and. I wouldn't have had anything that I am today without me being here in United States. So this land has provided me everything that I have ever wished for or that anything that I could have achieved in my life.

[01:05:07] Megha Shah: So, so far I'm so satisfied, and that only happened because of United States and because I'm here. Wow. So, and that I totally respect. And I'm so glad that I am a citizen of United States today and you know, the values that I learned, the culture that they have, I mean, everything is, you know, just so admiring and I love being here.

[01:05:29] Megha Shah: I'm just so proud to be here today, you know? Yeah. So this is a land of opportunity, just like they say it is. And it was so true for me and for my family, and I'm very grateful. So yes, 4th of July is my, one of the favorite holiday here. The other one is Navratri, which is, is basically a festival of dancing.

[01:05:48] Megha Shah: So, and you get that wooden sticks, it's called Dia, and then you play the dance. There is a typical dance that you do, and so people just gather around and dance during those nine day period. Here, it's only celebrated over the weekend, but it's just amazing that, you know, You just feel free to dance and dance in that tune, that typical tune that we play during that time. Wow. And uh, yeah, so that's my one of the favorite festival.

[01:06:15] Maya Acosta: That's beautiful. I didn't know about that, so thank you for sharing. Now I'm gonna go and look it up and yeah. How liberating. For nine days, I love to dance as it is, but for nine days of not feeling, what is that word? You're not holding back. Yes.

[01:06:31] Megha Shah: You're just allowing yourself and you dress up into those special attire, which is like, which is so cool. I have, on my personal page, I have a video of the dancing. Like this time I did it, like since Covid, obviously they were not having those big gathering. So since c. I experienced that like, you know, recently in October and that was like my first time going since Covid and I was, I enjoyed it so much.

[01:06:53] Megha Shah: I made it reel and I posted on my personal Instagram page. Beautiful. It was amazing. Yeah. Oh my God. But I always loved going and enjoying, you know, that dance and celebrating this Navratri festival. Yeah.

[01:07:04] Maya Acosta: That's beautiful. Thank you for sharing that with us. Yeah. To learn a little bit more about your culture and what you love.

[01:07:09] Maya Acosta: Yeah. That's beautiful. One last question cuz I know that, you know, we both have to get ready for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Yes. Yes, yes. So what is the best thing that happened to you this year?

[01:07:19] Megha Shah: True V. Oh, without a doubt. It's true. We, it's been, I mean, like I said, since 2020 we've been waiting, waiting, waiting.

[01:07:27] Megha Shah: And there were so many obstacles that came in between, you know, people always see the greener side of the, you know, yeah. The whole outcome. Mm-hmm. . But there is lot happen in between. And finally we launched the product in April and it was the best thing that ever happened. Not only because the business was launched because something that I really passionately wanted to do.

[01:07:46] Megha Shah: Mm-hmm. I feel like I found my purpose, I found my mission for the life and that's it. So that is the best thing that has happened this year.

[01:07:53] Maya Acosta: And we're very lucky because as a result of you having now established True V now, you'll have, uh, you've opened up the doors to invite Dr. Will to, and we're gonna see you there.

[01:08:04] Maya Acosta: We're gonna come together December 13th, and if we have any listeners that are interested, again, we'll have the link in the show note and people can find out either how they can attend in person Yes. Or via the livestream that we'll be doing as well. Yes. So make it very excited. Is there anything else that you'd like to share with my listeners before we wrap up?

[01:08:23] Megha Shah: No, actually, I would say that no matter what you eat, and no matter where you shop, try to be more sustainable. Think of sustainability. It just doesn't come overnight. Even the small little bit step helps, you know? Yeah. Small step as like not using a straw when you go out in the restaurant, just drink it from the glass.

[01:08:42] Megha Shah: That also helps. It just saves one straw. And then another thing I would say that in West in your health, that is the best investment that you could make. Mm. I wouldn't say like, go nuts about it. Eat salads all day. Of course, because that's not what I do too. You know, I eat out, I enjoy. But overall, just try to be, you know, try to choose healthier options available and try to see what they have.

[01:09:06] Megha Shah: Try to read the ingredients. Try to eliminate not having so many processed food and preservatives in your diet if you can. Because not only that will help you in longer run, but it also will help your family if you have kids. Because they will eat what you buy. They will eat what you have and what you consume as well. Mm-hmm. , so that also help your future generation.

[01:09:26] Maya Acosta: Yeah, future generations. Thank you. Yeah. Yes. That is so important. Well, Megha, this has been so meaningful for me, for you to be here in the studio sharing your bites and your snacks that we're, you know, we're gonna promote. But thank you. Congratulations on True V.

[01:09:42] Maya Acosta: Thank you so much, and your health and going fully vegan and all the wonderful things that are happening for you. So thank you again.

[01:09:49] Megha Shah: Yeah, thank you, Maya. It's my pleasure to be here. Thank you so much. Bye. Bye.

[01:09:54] Maya Acosta: Okay, my friends. I hope that you enjoy my conversation with Megha Shah. It was so much fun. She came to my studio and we were able to record in person, and also we sampled some of her delicious cocoa bites and the truffles, and I'm telling you, they are delicious.

[01:10:08] Maya Acosta: I hope that you check out our link and hope to see you in person. Let me know if you plan on attending the Dr. Tuttle event in person, and if not, are you going to watch our livestream? We're hoping that this event will help provide the vegan community in Dallas and also just revive doing in-person events.

[01:10:25] Maya Acosta: As always, my friends, thank you for being listeners. You've been listening to the Healthy Lifestyle Solutions Podcast with your hosts, Maya Acosta. If you've enjoyed this podcast, do us a favor and share with one friend who can benefit from this episode. Feel free to leave us an honest review on Apple Podcast that helps us to spread our message. Thanks for listening.