Eating Right May Require Help
It happens every January. The gyms get packed, and people stock their fridge with healthy foods, professing to themselves that this year will be different. New Year’s resolutions are only effective if we act upon them, not just speak them out loud. Finding time within a busy schedule to actually ingest all the good, healthy foods you’ve chosen to grace your plate may take more work than you bargained for. After a long day of working, preparing a precisely calculated low calorie, nutritious, and delicious meal sounds like a huge task. Just the thought of planning it all out for the week is enough to sideline the best laid plans for eating right. Sure, you could dedicate part of your weekend time off to prepping the meals in advance, but then when do you have down time? Coupled with working out, there are not a lot of extra minutes in the week to devout to the necessary task of being cognizant of what you are feeding your body. Enter East Bay Meal Prep and owners Tim and Christina Hammett. This power couple, with a long history of fitness training and mindful eating, have magically taken away a huge part of the struggle that goes with eating healthy.
“We are giving them a healthy option for eating, right at their fingertips.”
Tim has been avidly involved in taking care of his body since he was a teenager. Graduating from Antioch High School, he had dedicated his time to sports and bodybuilding from a very young age. Tim always made time for meal prep in order to keep his body at its peak performance. He participated in his first bodybuilding event at just 15 years old. Meal prep was an essential function in order to fuel his body with lean proteins, and he remembers working on it every Sunday. Eating those pre-planned meals was a part of his everyday lifestyle.
Tim met Christina over seven years ago. Between them, they share six children and two grandchildren. Christina was also a competitive bikini bodybuilder, so sticking with a healthy eating regiment has always been a central focus for her as well. Once the Hammetts got married, they were looking for an opportunity to create a flexible schedule for them to work within, together. Says Christina, “Tim had worked for Delta Diablo Sanitation for 29 years. I was working for a waterproofing company, but we wanted to spend more time with our blended family.” Their shared loved for nutrition and fitness bred the idea of meal- prepping-made-easy.
It’s a natural thought, provide fitness-minded, busy people with a meal that will help them meet their goals, and they will achieve success without so much of the hassle! That is exactly what East Bay Meal Prep is doing. Their first prep was about five years ago for a few friends; they prepared 37 meals. Only a few weeks later, and they were up to 100 meals. Today, they work out of a commercial facility inside of Tess’s Community Farm Kitchen, preparing as many as 1000 meals weekly. Meals are assembled every Sunday and packaged for delivery that evening. Shares Tim, “We have a big following within various police agencies. We provide small, refrigerated merchandiser units for them to grab healthy options they can pop in the microwave and eat. Our reach now sends delivery drivers throughout Brentwood, Oakley, Antioch, Pittsburg, Concord, Union City, Pleasanton, Livermore, and Vacaville to name a few. Our next big step has us manning a café inside of Diamond Hills gym. It’s a natural progression for us, but also a huge added value to the people who frequent the facility. We are giving them a healthy option for eating, right at their fingertips.” A few examples of what they will be offering includes: deli sandwiches, grab-n-go dishes from the East Bay Meal Prep rotating menu, protein snacks, protein shakes in a variety of flavors, fruit smoothies, specialty coffees, beer, and wine. The café will be closed on Saturdays and Sundays to still allow the time they need in the kitchen on weekends.
“The secret to our tasty dishes is in the sauce."
"The flavors are incredible."
The Hammetts were vacationing in Disneyland when they got the call from the former café operator. Diamond Hills was looking for someone to take over the café and were very supportive because they believed the Hammetts would be a perfect fit! The offer was at such a great rate they just couldn’t pass on the opportunity. Tim says, “I hit 50 and retired from my job, taking part of my pension. I’m ready to do this. It’s a great first step for us in branching out. I just really feel as if I am following God’s lead, and He has lead me to a place where I can help others achieve good health.”
The ease of ordering meals to have on hand when the hunger pangs strike makes this method of food delivery the absolute best choice for those watching their caloric and fat intake. All their options deliver optimal nutrition and come with a listing of macros as well as restrictions for those with intolerances. More important than all the content though, is the taste profile. For that, they have stepped it up by hiring a chef from the Ritz Carlton Hotel in San Francisco. East Bay Meal Prep presents a rotating menu for ordering every week. Some selections on their site are such delicacies as: Chicken Adobo Over Jasmine Rice with Garlic Ginger Bok Choy, Turkey and Zucchini Pesto Pasta (gluten free), Grilled Santa Maria Tri-Tip with Pinquito Beans and Side of Fresh Salsa Fresca, Chicken Fajita Wrap with Side of Chipotle Lime Sauce, Tarragon Chicken with Brown Rice and Asparagus, Honey Garlic Chicken and Green Beans with Jasmine Rice, Blackened Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce, and Teriyaki Turkey Burger on a Brioche Bun with Sweet Potato Fries. Tim says, “The secret to our tasty dishes is in the sauce. The flavors are incredible. You don’t feel like you are missing out on a gourmet meal at all. The dining experience is very satisfying. We also realize that presentation is huge, so all our meals are layered and make your mouth water from the moment you see them.”
With a family to take care of, their sights have been set on targeting childhood obesity. They have created kid portions of their meals, simply because so many of their clients have shared pictures of their kids eating off their plates. Good nutrition should be an option for all kids, so East Bay Meal Prep is trying to get into schools with their packaged meals. They also create family portioned containers of their foods so that the family mealtime can be both convenient and healthful.
Following a specific diet plan can be difficult, but they’ve got you covered for that too. Custom, diet-specific challenges can be addressed. For instance, the P2P challenge participants will be happy to know they provide foods in alignment with the challenge! As far as affordability, seniors and first responders will be enthused to hear they offer discounts to encourage healthy eating and keeping them operating at optimum levels.
You can become a customer by ordering week to week or get on a monthly meal plan for a bit of a savings. Whichever mode you choose, you can be sure that what you are putting into your body will be good for it. The time savings of not having to prepare the delicious meals yourself is also something to savor.
In any case, when you are figuring out how you are going to stick to your New Year’s resolution this year, figure in this company as part of your tactical planning. With gourmet options aplenty and the ability to receive healthy eating options at your doorstep, their help makes sticking to your goals easy. Visit their website for more information.
Photos By Hafid Ayllón
