If there is one thing you can be sure of, no matter what city or country you live in, people LOVE to EAT! Fast food, good food, fat food, healthy food, organic food, rich food or seafood. There is no doubt that food is a hot topic, and so is how long it takes to make it. In the world of fitness, there is even more conversation about how to create a work life balance that allows people to not only eat better on the go, but also have food that tastes good in a hurry. With that, the demand for a whole new industry of restaurants, food trucks, pop-up meal stands and storefronts in gyms has become the talk all across the country. One of Houston’s latest additions in gym storefronts is Coaching In The Kitchen by Jade Gold. We had a chance to catch up with the owner to ask her a few questions about the food industry and what makes this next level foodie so popular now.
What is Meal Prep and why is it so popular?
Jade: Meal prep is just a short term used to describe an assembly line way of “preparing meals” and cooking all at one time. It saves time, creates a system of eating, reducing cooking time during a normal workweek, and for many, it is a system that measures calories, fats, proteins, carbohydrates and sugars in a systematic way. The packages are usually compact and easy to grab and go. Its popularity is growing because people are more health conscious now and want to stop grabbing unhealthy fast foods every time they are hungry.
What inspired Coaching In The Kitchen?
Jade: Easy; as a health and fitness coach, as well as a competitor in body building, I had to learn how to meal prep for myself or use a service to do it for me. I actually love cooking and started offering it to my clients as a side venture because I wanted to create a one stop shop for all their fitness needs, so they didn’t have to think about going anywhere else. The opportunity came to partner with MoCity Fitness, and the idea was to create an internal storefront that sells health meals right there in the gym, made to order and ready to go! It was just a win-win for all the clients in the gym, who are already in the mindset of improving their health through a lifestyle of healthy eating, and to help new clients with their eating needs.
What does Coaching In The Kitchen Offer?
Jade: Healthy meals on the go. We have what’s called our Classic Fit Menu. It has some of the food basics like grilled chicken, ground turkey, ground sirloin, salmon with a carbohydrate (carb) like sweet potatoes, brown rice or red potatoes with a veggie, all measured with nutritional information for people specifically counting calories, macros, etc. We also sell meat already grilled and seasoned by the pound like ribeyes, lean grass fed sirloin and grilled chicken. We serve breakfast on Saturdays like egg white omelets, protein pancakes, red velvet pancakes and protein bagels, just to name a few. We have frozen organic juice pops everyone loves, organic fresh juices and protein shots. We also offer customized meal prep for competitors and specific diet plans given by a nutritionist.
Can most people afford meal prep?
Jade: Yes, but many think they don’t have the budget for it because they are not taking all of the costs into account. Example, when you go grocery shopping, that takes time. You have to prepare your meals everyday, measure your food, and most people cook differently for their family so that’s a whole different meal preparation. Or if they eat out in a restaurant, the average chicken breast meal from somewhere like Café Express, which is not even a high end restaurant, is still somewhere between $9.95 to $12 for one chicken breast and small portion of veggies. In a restaurant, like say Cheesecake Factory, that meal starts at $12.95 and goes up. Our meals for breakfast start around $5.00, and dinner and lunch around $7.00. It’s really a steal! You didn’t have to cook it, shop for it or prepare it so all things considered, it’s very affordable, and just has to be worked into a budget vs. shopping for groceries.
Is Coaching In the Kitchen a Restaurant?
Jade: No, we simply prepare meals daily brought to a store front in Mocity Fitness that can be purchased or pre-ordered for delivery. They do not have to be a member of the gym to place an order. All they have to do is come in and purchase meals, or create a custom order. Of course, we would love if they at least came in for a tour while they are there.
Who would best benefit from using meal prep?
Jade: Any and everyone! Youth; athletes; busy moms; busy dads; someone working on losing weight who needs meals ready to go already made for them; body builders; fitness enthusiasts; corporate professionals who need meals for healthy lifestyles; you name it. Anyone and everyone is a great candidate if what you’re eating is important to you and if portion control and eating clean is a priority.
How can people reach Coaching In the Kitchen and your hours?
Jade: We are located inside MoCity Fitness at 2601 Cartwright Rd., Missouri City, Texas 77459 or they can use the website www.JadeGoldFitness.com or email Info@JadeGoldFitness.com or call 713-829-8599 and texts are accepted as well. The store hours are 5:00pm-8:30pm on Monday-Thursday and on Saturday 8:00am-Noon. Breakfast is only sold on Saturdays, unless pre-orders are made.
What are your goals for the business?
Jade: Honestly, I want people in our community to become more health conscious about their eating habits. I want them to prioritize meals that make sense to help everyone live healthier lifestyles. I don’t want to start franchises, I don’t need that overhead. I just want to focus on this area and provide great tasting food, good quality service, educate more people about the long term and short term effects of getting the proper nutrition and make this part of a healthy lifestyle that is easy for everyone to enjoy and afford.
What else can be purchased from Coaching In the Kitchen?
Jade: We are a distributor for International Egg Whites which can be purchased by the gallon or half gallon, and a distributor for P28 products which are the high protein breads, pancakes mixes, wraps and bagels. These are mostly used in the bodybuilding community, but anyone who has the need for it can purchase it directly from our store front.