Meal-prep center starts 'fit' menu

By MICHELLE COLLINS Correspondent

Managing time to get to the gym, go to work and prepare meals throughout the day can be next to impossible. Meal-preparation services eliminate the need to cook our own meals, but now one particular meal-prep center also offers healthier, single-serving entrees for the busy, active eater.

"I thought this would be a great way to do (for others) what I should do myself," said Chris Kachmar, co-owner of The Stocked Fridge in Merrimack.

The Stocked Fridge is a meal-preparation service that gives customers the option of coming in and making their own meals with The Stocked Fridge's ingredients, recipes and supplies, or buying already-made entrees. Before a few weeks ago, most entrees fed families of two to six people, though entrees could be customized for larger families and even dietary restrictions. In addition to the family-sized meals, The Stocked Fridge now offers healthier, more affordable Fitness Meals on its new TSFit menu: portion-controlled dishes for one person.

Entrees (breakfast, lunch and dinner), side dishes, desserts and snacks are all available in the TSFit menu, and consumers can choose from a variety of high-protein, low-fat and low-carb meals.

"I ended up joining Gold's Gym and working with a personal trainer twice a week," Kachmar said. "The trainer and I both agreed that . . . (people) go home and don't eat the right things."

The TSFit menu is meant for anyone who wants to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight or just follow a healthy lifestyle.

"We also have a lot of customers, especially elderly, that were looking for meals for one serving," Kachmar said.

Kachmar points out that meals served at most restaurants are practically doubled and even tripled in serving size. She also compares the TSFit meals to the Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers programs, just "without the processed foods; everything is fresh."

The goal of the TSFit menu is to teach people how to eat healthily as part of their lifestyle, versus participating in short-term diets. The Stocked Fridge also refrains from using any dehydrated ingredients or preservatives in its dishes.

The TSFit menu includes items such as Pumpkin Spice Whey Protein Muffins for breakfast; Apricot-Glazed Chicken for lunch or dinner; and Raspberry-Barley Pudding for dessert. The entire menu can be found on The Stocked Fridge's Web site, www.the stockedfridge.com, and nutritional information for each dish can be seen just by clicking on the entree or side dish.

You can also place your order through the Web site and choose a day to pick up the single-serving dishes. Pick-up times are between 5-7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Nashua Telegraph
3/11/09