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With today’s busy schedules, sometimes fitness and nutrition fall to the back burner. We at Downtown have been sampling different delivery meal plans. Stay tuned for our continued Q&A with the founders of several food delivery companies.
For the past two weeks, we have had the delicious task of sampling Nutropia menu. What struck us most is that we no longer have to think about what we are going to eat, no need to worry about portion control or clean up. We simply open the prepackaged temperature controlled carry bags delivered each evening for the next day, each meal is labeled for the appropriate meal including two snacks. At the end of the day place the carry bag back outside your door or with your doorman.
This week Downtown Magazine had a chance to catch up with James Rappaport founder of Nutropia for a quick Q&A.
Eating well is the cornerstone of good health. With the help of certified nutritionists, you can customize a meal plan geared specifically towards you. Nutropia meals satisfy diets ranging 1200-3000+ daily calories. They can accommodate a variety of dietary requirements, fitness goals, and personal preferences.
1-Where did you grow up? I grew up in Fresh Meadows Queens since the age of 9.
2-What brought you to the fitness industry?
I started out in the health club industry when I opened Powerhouse Gym in Bayside at age 23 in 1996. Then 6 years later after being in a very healthy environment of exercise and healthy eating, we decided to open Nutropia. We are the oldest company in the New York area (17 years and counting).
3-Had you tried other food/nutrition delivery services?
I have tried several others but none live up to what you come to expect from Nutropia. We have more variety and flexibility than all others.
4-Tell us a little about your motive behind Nutropia?
My former partner is no longer with us, he used to work for the original Zone. One day he came to me and asked if I was interested in getting into the business. Since I already lived a healthy life and was in the health and fitness field it seemed like a natural fit.
5- Who creates the menu and what makes each meal healthy & nutritional?
All menus are have been created by our chef who is a 4 year CIA graduate, dietician, and nutritionist. Our chef also lives a very healthy lifestyle.
6-Tell us a little about your team?
Well, I have a background in nutritional and physical fitness. Ranee Lafratta the lead Nutritional consultant and partner, runs the Florida office. Our head Chef Ashley Campisi oversees the New York operation and also coordinates with our Florida Chef and team to ensure the meals are exactly the same in Florida as they are in New York, consistency is key. We also have a full team of qualified sous chefs and prep people who actually make the operation work. It is a well-oiled machine in both locations. Many of our team has been with us since the inception of our company.
7-Is the service for those who bodybuilders, want to lose weight or do not have the time to prepare meals?
Our plan is for everyone as we are not a one size fits all diet. We are healthy convenience. We have people who need to lose weight, people who have ailments, people who just want to eat good nutritious food and don’t have time to do it on their own as it takes a lot of time to shop and prepare these meals. We have bodybuilder and athletes and busy professionals. We service kids and older people as well. So as you can see we accommodate most needs. We have high protein low carb meals aka Paleo/Atkins. We have balanced mixed meals and vegetarian options. We have something for everyone.
8-Which areas do you currently service and where do you hope to see Nutropia in 3 years?
We currently service the New York Metro area which includes New York and the 5 boroughs, Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk). We service parts of New Jersey, Westchester and Greenwich Ct. We also have a kitchen in west palm beach Florida that services the Southeast coast of Florida from Port St Lucie all the way down south to Miami and all areas in between. As for 3 years from now, that depends on our growth in our current areas as that is a vast area to cover. But as long as we stay on our current path we will expand further into CT and Jersey. As far as Florida the next step would be the west coast of Florida, but one step at a time as it is slowly growing there.
9- Can you share with us a success story of one of the Nutropia clients?
As for success stories, we have many but choose to respect the privacy of our clients. We have had many people come off their medications for high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes. We have had people lose the weight they want for that special occasion or event they are attending, or that race they needed to run. We had one woman who was divorced and down stick with us, get in shape and become a successful trainer. Then she entered a masters figure competition and won in part to our helping her with her diet to go along with her hard work and dedication. So needless to say we have many success stories as people have lost over 100 pounds with Nutropia. But you have to stick with it and with so much variety and good food it makes it that much easier to follow the plan and stick with it.