Food for Thought

Charleston’s soil harvests vibrant whole foods and nutritional benefits honored throughout our menus at The Watch Rooftop. Maria Kelly has lived in the Holy City for 28 years and knows a thing or two about its holistic agriculture as the owner of the plant-based food service, AMOR Healing Kitchen . Founded on the motto, “Healing through food and inspiring through service,” the company offers programs that cultivate the all-encompassing health benefits of plant-based meals for those who believe that your health is your wealth.

Why did you decide to focus on plant-based meals?

I grew up with severe eczema and asthma. I started researching the root causes of those conditions, changed my diet and lifestyle in my 20s, and noticed an immediate change. I’ve been a vegetarian for 23 years, haven’t had eczema, and rarely have asthma flare-ups since I mostly cut out dairy. When I started AMOR, I realized that it was the only kind of food I felt comfortable offering to people who were facing critical health challenges. There is a lot of research linking the lack of fiber and consumption of processed foods to chronic illnesses our society is facing. We like to promote incorporating more whole foods like fruits and vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds into your diet, and eliminating or reducing processed foods. That’s always a great starting point.

Where do you get all your ingredients from? Is it challenging to only work with local produce?

I think sourcing locally is a creative challenge our chef takes on with open arms and a big heart. Most of our produce comes from Charleston Parks Conservancy, Growfood Carolina, and several local farmers. The rest of our donations come primarily from Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, as they have great quality and mostly organic ingredients. Because we primarily source from local growers, our menus are seasonal and allow our volunteers and clients to learn what is growing in our region throughout the year.

Why is Charleston the perfect home for AMOR Healing Kitchen? The abundance of our year-round growing season, the increase of plant-based businesses in the area, and the generosity of our community is exactly where we want to be. I’ve lived here for 28 years and can’t imagine a better place to grow the roots of AMOR.

Can you share one of your biggest success stories from a client or a teen chef?

Our biggest client success stories are always the ones that are skeptical of plant-based foods, but they become hooked once they try our meals. Having cancer patients get excited about eating and feeling nourished by our meals is incredibly rewarding. We know that it is helping to keep them strong and their bodies healing during their treatments.

Seeing the growth in our teens is amazing. Several of them have been with us for years, so their cooking and culinary skills are constantly advancing. Oftentimes, they are the ones showing the adults around the kitchen. We even had one teen go to Johnson & Whales to continue her journey into the world of cooking.

What’s next for AMOR Healing Kitchen?

We moved into our new location in Avondale in October of last year and have been blown away by the support of the community and growing awareness of our Mission. We’ve launched cooking classes and workshops, all centered around well-being. We offer our Community Cooking Classes free of cost to our clients so they can continue exploring the plantbased world once they are feeling better. Serving more clients and impacting our community to embrace a lifestyle that supports a vibrant life will always be at the forefront of our growth. There may be a cookbook in the works too!

For more information about AMOR Healing Kitchen, visit www. amorhealingkitchen.org or follow them on Instagram at @amor_ healing_kitchen.