March is National Nutrition Month. In Syracuse, a chef is helping residents eat healthy with his meal prep plan.
“This isn’t some store-bought lasagna, you know; it’s us, we make it right here," said Brian Isbell, the owner of Chef Brian Isbell LLC.
Isbell says fresh food is a huge part of his meal prep plan. One of his goals is to help people eat healthy.
“The integrity of your food is what people associate you with," he said.
According to a study by OnePoll, a market research company, 59% of Americans say they are too tired after work to cook. For those people, Isbell’s plan may be appealing. Every week, you can order as many meals as you need. He says it started after helping a friend’s mom.
“I delivered [food] on Monday and four days later two of her friends called me and said, ‘whatever you gave Janice we’d like that,’" Isbell said. "That’s the way meal prep evolved. Five meals, to not five meals anymore.”
This isn’t possible without Michelle and Phillip. Every week they get orders on Monday and deliver them by Wednesday. Both work 40 hours over those three days to get everything done. One thing stands out, though.
“Definitely our portions; there’s no doubt about that," said Isbell. "You can read our reviews and over and over and over; all you hear is people saying that we give generous portions.”
But you can eat healthy on your own at home as well by cooking for yourself.
Emily Tills is a dietitian northwest of Syracuse. She says using free time to your advantage really helps.
“Setting aside 15-20 minutes on the weekend to have a conversation with your partner saying 'what do we have on our calendar this week and how can we make sure that we’re going to have good well rounded meals,' " Tills said. "Even if they contain some [convenience] items, it’s still going to be a win.”
Back at Isbell’s, Brian feels like he is helping the community as he does something he loves.
“That’s why the culinary arts is something that I appreciate because I can give back to people through my food," he said. "And that makes me happy.”