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Two years ago, life changed for Delinda Jensen and her son, Kyle.

The pair walked into a movie theater to view the documentary Unity, and walked out vowing to never consume animal products again.

The road to veganism presented its challenges, but most of all, they found it difficult to find many restaurants that were friendly to their lifestyle in Northeast Pennsylvania.

As vegans, if we go out to eat theres nothing for us around here, Kyle Jensen said. We have to eat peanuts and water bottles on the road. Theres nothing for us.

In May, Kyle Jensen decided to create an on-the-go vegan food truck that could travel around the state and the country to cater to those like himself and his mother, and thus, Mother Nature Food Trailer was born. The Jensens summer events calendar has been filling quickly with events like VegFest in Lancaster and Blues, Brews and BBQ fest in Allentown. At this point, the food truck is booked through the first weekend in November.

Its not just about the business, Kyle Jensen said. We want to get the knowledge of veganism out there. ... There are so many (vegan) products out there now, its not really a sacrifice to give up animal products. Veganism is not a diet, its a compassionate way of life.

Kyle Jensen graduated from Northampton Community College in 2009 with a degree in culinary arts, while his mother used to own a bakery.

I am a good cook but I got into a rut. I got bored. I could bang this stuff out, but its all old news, Delinda Jensen said. So when I went vegan, it was a whole new world of new products, using different spices and I found new recipes.

When it comes to replacing proteins or mimicking meat in meals, Kyle Jensen claimed they need to make the food 1000 percent better than the original, or else non-vegans wont buy into it. Instead of recreating a basic cheeseburger, they created a Hawaiian burger topped with vegan bacon, pineapple, sweet mango chutney, lettuce, tomato and onion.

Thats an exciting burger, Kyle Jensen said.

Equipped with a revolving menu, Mother Nature Food Trailer offers items like Turkey Salami paninis, a Peking Salad with Spring Rolls, Buffalo Caesar Wrap and Barbecue Pork. Additionally, the food trailer offers many gluten-free products. The Jensens use soy products like soy curls or seitan to achieve meat-like foods.

Our menu changes every event, Kyle Jensen noted. For the farmers markets, wed like to make foods that incorporate the fresh produce from other vendors.

Just as the food is cruelty-free, so is each cleaning product used. All containers and silverware are biodegradable, and the Jensens hope to move toward using edible silverware in the future.

When it comes to a meat-eater, they want reliability with what they eat, Kyle Jensen said. When I have carnivores come back and say, That was phenomenal, that fuels my fire. If I could maybe prevent them from eating meat for that meal, its a win.

We dole out big servings because then theyre full. They dont need that cheeseburger and we might have saved an animal.

For those hoping to find the trailer locally, Mother Nature Food Trailer plans to vend at the Monday addition to the Wilkes-Barre Farmers Market, which focuses on healthy foods. This part of the market runs Mondays from July 10 through Oct. 2.

Its been a fun ride so far, Delinda Jensen said.

And its just beginning, Kyle Jensen agreed.

Contact the writer: cjacobson@citizensvoice.com; 570-821-2061; @CVcljacobson on Twitter

Mother Nature Food Trailer

Based out of: Wilkes-Barre

Phone: 570-793-9821

Established: May

Owners: Kyle and

Delinda Jensen

Cuisine: Vegan

Online: Visit the food trucks Facebook page.

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