UNLV student puts fresh twist on portable meal-prepping

Chelsea Meggerson poses with Mason jars of “fruit cups” in her kitchen Sunday, Aug. 24, 2014. Meggerson, a UNLV student, provides a service where she provides families with fresh meals in Mason jars. She shares her recipes on her website theinspiregreen.com.

Organic spinach, kale and lettuce are washed and ready, spread out across countertops in Chelsea Meggerson’s Summerlin apartment.

Meggerson talks as she layers yogurt, fruit and chia seeds into long rows of Mason jars.

“My clients thank me every week,” she says. “I get so much more out of this than they do.”

A typical menu

• Breakfast — Green smoothie: Spinach, kale, peaches and strawberries blended with homemade almond milk and water or coconut water.

• Lunch — Quinoa salad: Artichoke hearts, olives, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, lemon juice, parsley and homemade dressing.

• Dinner — Chili: Quinoa, black beans, kidney beans, northern beans, corn, cilantro and jalapenos, served with homemade corn bread.

• Dessert — Apple pie, pumpkin spice loaves or banana nut loaves.

Six hours later, entire meals — lasagnas, salads, apple pies and more — are packed into more than 100 Mason jars, ready to provide Las Vegas families with up to a week of healthy food.

Meggerson’s obsession with healthy eating began as a personal project after she realized last year she had gained 40 pounds during her first two years of college, first at UNR, then at UNLV, where she is a criminal justice major. She decided to make some serious changes. Meggerson created an Instagram account, posted pictures of her progress and invited followers to track her journey.

After expanding to a website, writing an eBook and attracting more than 17,000 followers on Instagram, she decided to transform her passion into a job and began preparing meals for local families.

Portable meal-prepping is nothing new: Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig have done it for years. But unlike many companies’ microwaveable preset portions, Meggerson’s business is geared toward a new generation of eaters who want fresh, organic ingredients.

Health in a Jar

Mason jars of food are shown in Chelsea Meggerson's kitchen Sunday, Aug. 24, 2014. Meggerson, a UNLV student, provides a service where she provides families with fresh meals in Mason jars. She shares her recipes on her website theinspiregreen.com. Launch slideshow »

The main benefit of using Mason jars is portability. Picture a busy mom throwing a few to her children after soccer practice.

“(The most common) excuse is that we don’t have the time to eat healthy,” Meggerson said. “I make the time for my clients.”

Meggerson’s meal prep begins Saturdays at the Tivoli Village farmers market and Smith’s, where she buys mostly organic. She plans her menu, prepares her ingredients, then starts filling jars. Since Mason jars can be baked and boiled, much of the actual cooking happens once the food has been packed.

Pricing varies depending on the size of the family; customers pay both for groceries and a preparation fee. A typical family of five receives about 60 jars a week.

Jessica Canarelli pays $250 a week for groceries to feed her family of five, about average, according to the USDA. She pays another $250 for the meals to be prepared.

Click to enlarge photo

Mason jars of food are shown in Chelsea Meggerson's kitchen Sunday, Aug. 24, 2014. Meggerson, a UNLV student, provides a service where she provides families with fresh meals in Mason jars. She shares her recipes on her website theinspiregreen.com.

Canarelli, who lives in Summerlin, said she began looking for a cook when her husband turned vegan.

“It’s great for our family,” Canarelli said. “I don’t like to cook, I don’t like grocery shopping, and I don’t have to.”

As for the jars once families are done with them? They go back to Meggerson’s apartment, where she washes them and starts the process over again. Meggerson estimated she could have 400 jars in her kitchen at once.

“I would put my whole life in a Mason jar if I could,” she said.

Tags: The Sunday
Business

Share