For the last decade Colorado has constantly ranked as one of the fittest states in the country. There’s no doubt that trends of physical activity and healthy living in Colorado play a role in keeping these fit statistics strong, along with a commitment to consuming fresh and nutritious food.
During the last eight years almost 4,000 health conscious Coloradans have ordered freshly prepared meals from the Southern California based company Fresh ’n Lean. The company’s story began almost a decade ago, when in 2009, co-founder Laureen Asseo’s father, Frank, was told he was 85 pounds overweight and had dangerously high cholesterol. He immediately switched to a plant-based diet and started to exercise on a regular basis.
Over the course of six months, Frank lost the 85 pounds and restored his cholesterol levels back to normal. So remarkable was his transformation that family and friends took notice and wanted to know how he had not only lost so much weight, but perhaps more importantly, how he was able to normalize his dangerously high cholesterol. So, the Asseo’s hosted a Tupperware party where they served Frank’s food. By the end of the night 20 people expressed interest having meals prepped and delivered to them.
While still going to school at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise in Southern California, Laureen spent her weekends cooking meals for friends and family in her one-bedroom apartment, and from there Fresh n’ Lean was sprouted. As Fresh n’ Lean started to gain momentum, the company rented out its first shared commercial kitchen. In span of a year the space was rented seven days a week. It landed its first dedicated kitchen late in 2013: a 6,000 square-foot facility in Chino Hills, California. The company’s expansion continued steadily, and in 2017, Fresh n’ Lean transitioned to a new 55,000 square-foot headquarters in Anaheim, California, and began the construction of an FDA certified kitchen and fulfillment center.
Fresh n’ Lean has paleo, vegan, low-carb, dairy-free, gluten-free, low-fat and high-protein meal options. The company delivers ready-to-eat meals to all of Colorado as well as the rest of the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, so there’s no excuse to not eat clean.
Some of the popular meals have been the paleo Scrambled Eggs and Potatoes with Sausage, the plant-based low-carb Tri Cauliflower Almond Pilaf, the plant-based Indian Broccoli Black Eyed Peas, and the protein performance Moroccan Red Potato Stew with Beef Patty.
To order or for more information visit – www.freshnlean.com
Sources: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/news/2018-state-health-ratings
Here are some more options to get fresh food and full meals delivered to your door:
Blue Apron
If you’re looking for a food delivery service to turn you into the next Top Chef, look no further. Blue Apron delivers weekly meal kits to your door that are fresh, responsibly sourced, and perfectly portioned so there won’t be any food waste. They have very simple and easy recipes that will impress any guest you have over. They deliver nationwide (except Alaska and Hawaii). Visit – www.blueapron.com
Veestro
Vegans, your meal delivery service just arrived at your door. Veestro specializes in frozen vegan meals. They offer a wide variety of meal plans from the Starter Pack (great one for trying to go vegan) to the Wedding Pack (getting you to feel and look your best before your big day). They also have kosher pack, gluten free pack, protein pack, and many more!
Hello Fresh
Perfect for the omnivores and vegetarians, Hello Fresh provides meal kits for the busy body or parent who wants to cook but doesn’t have time to shop. They have three plans, the veggie plan (not vegan), classic plan (meat, veggies, carbs), and family plan.
Alexandra Caffery graduated from the University of Colorado and is pursuing a career in communications. For the past 2 years she has been working with a health and lifestyle publicity firm. 
