Food & Dining: A Slice of Cake for Everyone
Indulgent desserts made sincerely for those with food intolerances.
[Left] Sonia Paryani’s is one of those stories where a terrible health setback eventually became the genesis of a food brand dedicated to offering delicious indulgences to those with the many food intolerances that have become common these days.
What if you wake up one day to find out you can no longer eat your favorite samosas, rotis, and biscuits? That even if you take a small bite of these things, you could end up in the emergency ward of a hospital?
That happened to Smyrna-based Sonia Paryani about 14 years ago when she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and had to be wheeled into the ICU. She was put on biologics and steroids, which helped save her life but caused severe side effects. She lost over 20 pounds in a week. She spent hours each month receiving transfusions that cost over $10,000 per session and left her feeling weak and disoriented afterwards. It didn’t help when a 28-year-old nurse, who was attending to her and happened to have the same diagnosis, told her that he had gotten his colon removed entirely.
[Right] Paryani started selling her cakes and bites at farmers’ markets around Atlanta.
Paryani, who was in her forties then, dreaded the future her doctors painted for her. She started doing her own research and, in her path to recovery, adopted the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD). This diet transformed her health, and she was even able to drop her medication.
The SCD is a restrictive, grain-free diet focused on eliminating complex carbohydrates and incorporating simple sugars, primarily monosaccharides. Developed initially to manage celiac disease, SCD also helps with other digestive disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and gastrointestinal issues in children with autism.
For many people like Paryani, food becomes a source of stress …
… as they weed through labels and try to decipher ingredients, explain to friends and family about their diet restrictions, and are unable to find a dish that meets all their restrictions when dining out at restaurants.
Paryani points out that many gluten-free options on grocery store shelves are filled with gums and artificial fillers that can often aggravate the gut.
As she started finding solutions for herself, she realized many more people out there faced food intolerances. As a mother of three, she saw other moms worrying about their kids with food sensitivities when eating birthday cake, neighbors having to give up sweets completely, and people who were tired of reading labels to stay away from ingredients that would cause them harm. This fueled her passion for creating wholesome treats for herself and her friends. What began as a personal solution quickly turned into something much bigger.
That’s how Sincerely, by Paryani, a baked goods company that uses only real, simple ingredients, was born. Their products are free of gluten, grains, dairy, and refined sugar.
[Left to right] The icing-free chocolate loaf has the taste of pure cocoa powder and filtered coffee—no chocolate chips, nuts, or creams. Paryani’s baked goods marry Southeast Asian flavors with flavors of the American South.
Paryani and I recently met at her commercial kitchen located off a predominantly Hispanic shopping center on Austell Road. She appeared youthful, energetic, and passionate about her new business. She said she started selling her cakes and bites at farmers’ markets around Atlanta and would sell out within hours. People who had gut issues and autoimmune conditions, and had given up eating dessert entirely, could now once again enjoy a clean and healthy sweet treat without the risk of feeling sick afterwards.
She and her husband, who owned a fine jewelry store, used their retirement savings to expand the business. They built a commercial kitchen to make small batches of baked goods to supply health food stores and Fresh Harvest subscriptions. They also sell through their website www.eatsincerely.com, and ship nationwide.
Paryani grew up in Mumbai and had no prior experience as a food entrepreneur. But like most Indian women, she loved to cook using spices and wholesome ingredients. When she started baking, she infused her comforting and healing spices with the acquired flavors from the South she had grown to love while living in Georgia.
Southeast Asia meets Southeast U.S.
Paryani’s baked goods marry flavors from Southeast Asia with flavors of the American South. The moist and light vegan almond banana bread is made with high-fiber flax meal, making it the perfect bite for breakfast. It is lightly sweetened with just organic bananas, so you can really taste them. The lemon coconut cake has a deeper coconut flavor from the coconut oil that it is made with, yet it has a buttery, rich taste. It reminds me of the typical lemon pound cakes of the South that you would eat while lounging on a rocking chair on a warm, humid afternoon. This one, however, is made with Sicilian lemon juice imported from Italy.
The chocolate cake, however, takes me back to the first homemade cakes I ate as a child. The icing-free, loaf cake has the taste of pure cocoa powder and filtered coffee—no chocolate chips, nuts, or creams. And the almond pumpkin bread, made with real pumpkin, honey, cage-free eggs, almond flour, and spices, does not make me feel too full and bloated, like the ones I get from chain coffee shops.
Each cake is baked using almond flour, organic coconut flour, organic coconut oil, honey, organic lemon juice, and organic chocolate—you can’t tell the difference! Because the cakes don’t have any preservatives, they are sold frozen. You can simply store them in the refrigerator for up to eight days or in the freezer for up to six months.
[Left] Gluten-free breads and cakes!
The cashew bites come in three flavors and are made with only three simple ingredients—dates, cashews, and organic coconut, plus real spices. The organic ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, pink Himalayan salt, black pepper and nutmeg gives the cashew-ginger bites a well-rounded zesty, sweet, and savory flavor, while providing added health benefits. The cashewcacao bites are flavored with rich cacao, vanilla bean, and pink Himalayan salt, while the cashew-turmeric bites give a mouthful of bright lemon, turmeric, salt, and pepper taste. The balls resemble dry fruit laddoos. They are moist, but not chewy or gummy.
It’s hard to believe that these delicious offerings are free of gluten, grain, dairy, nuts, refined sugar, gums, fillers, or additives. As I frequently travel, I always carry healthy snacks so I don’t have to bother with airplane snacks that are often full of unhealthy carbs and preservatives, and offer no nutrition. Sincerely Bites, which come in sealed and sustainable packaging, have become my go-to travel supplements.
[Right] Special occasion cakes made to order.
Finally, the vegan chocolate pistachio rose bark is a soft, smooth, and guilt-free treat made with singleorigin Peruvian organic dark chocolate and ground cardamom. The texture of grated coconut, chopped pistachios, and edible rose petals tastes more like mithai, than a bar of store-bought chocolate. It also comes in an allergen-friendly gift box that anyone would appreciate regardless of their dietary preference. There are also muffins, cookies, and special occasion cakes made to order.
Instead of compromising her health and lifestyle, Pariyani decided to become a part of the solution and is now educating and helping people understand why clean, allergen-friendly food matters. With the assistance of Georgia Tech Food and Beverage Accelerator program, she is planning to make clean, delicious and nutritious treats accessible to everyone. Whether you're navigating food allergies or just eating clean, Sincerely treats can make everyone be included and nourished.
Sucheta Rawal is an award-winning food and travel writer who has traveled to over 120 countries across seven continents, experiencing the world through her palate. She inspires people to travel more meaningfully and sustainably through her nonprofit, Go Eat Give, and her books, Beato Goes To. Find her on social @SuchetaRawal.
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