Few things are better than fresh, homecooked meals using real ingredients that are full of natural flavor. With so much going on in our busy lives, having meals like this every night of the week is virtually impossible. Inevitably, we will cave to the ease of fast food, takeout and frozen dinners that are full of preservatives and artificial colors and flavors. Inkem and Pam Baker are hoping to change this and are making that hope a reality for many in our area with their meal service known as “Healthy Made Simple.”
“The business really came about as a result of support meetings that I had set up with a group of clients who had joined Weight Watchers,” said Pam. “They were not achieving their goals with exercise alone, and I wanted to help them get control of their nutrition. One of the women joked that it would be so much easier if someone would just make the food for them, and the rest was history. I really enjoy my role as a personal trainer and have a passion for helping others. Nutrition and exercise go hand in hand. Health and wellness can only be achieved with a good balance of both, and Healthy Made Simple gives our customers the tools to achieve their goals.”
Healthy Made Simple grew when Pam met and married Inkem. “I was able to go much broader with my services with his support and belief in my mission,” said Pam. “He has been my rock and the catalyst to where we are today!”
Inkem also brings immense knowledge of business and personal fitness to the endeavor. “My father and grandfather were entrepreneurs, and I grew up watching them run a small business,” said Inkem. “I’ve worked as a public school educator for 30 years, and I’ve always wondered if I could run a business. When Pam and I met, she told me about her home business, and I thought it was a great idea that could help people. As a former physical and health educator, I’m really interested in helping people solve health problems, and I’m very aware that many are a result of poor diets and bad eating habits.”
So, how does Healthy Made Simple work? Well, it’s simple! “Our new weekly menu is posted every Sunday, and we accept orders until Thursday at midnight,” said Pam. “Customers go to our website and select the food they want for the week, or sign up for a meal plan, then we prepare it on Sunday and deliver it to them on Monday every week. The customers can also pick up their orders on Monday from 5-7pm at our kitchen in Advance.”
And, the food speaks for itself. “They are low-calorie but don’t sacrifice taste,” said Pam. “They are properly portioned, so you don’t eat too much in one serving. Many are gluten free and all are made with the freshest ingredients and are scratch-made each week. When you consider the time it takes to shop, plan, prep, store and cook the meals, plus the cost of the food, the price is incredible. When you buy ingredients, they come in all sizes and amounts. These have to be stored and, when they get out of date, thrown away. With our meals, everything is in the dish or container-prepared and ready to heat and eat. Customers let us know that they suddenly don’t need as much refrigerator or cabinet space to stock up. We do our best to help people create successful eating habits that keep them healthy, lean and out of the doctor’s office.”
It is hard to pick favorites, but Pam certainly has some that she loves! “I love the international dishes, and we make a variety of these every week,” said Pam. “We also have lighter-fare offerings like soups and salads, as well as many healthy versions of mainstay comfort foods. I have many favorites, but I would say several are the Mediterranean Lasagna, the Hearty Beef & Barley Bowl, French Onion Soup, Pork Ragu with Polenta, Chicken Tikka Masala, Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade Sauce, Korean Brisket Tacos and the French Toast with Sautéed Pears and Cranberries. Honestly, there are just too many to list! We like to offer variety to keep our customers from getting bored.”
Orders can also be modified when requested, and include dietary needs, such as vegetarian, gluten-free, paleo and low-salt/-sugar. If you want to get your family into a healthy lifestyle, full of freshly made dinners with real ingredients, let Pam and Inkem show you how easy it can be! “We are doing our best to help people make some beneficial changes to their lifestyles,” said Pam. “Healthy Made Simple gives them an opportunity to become healthier and gives them more time to spend with their family or doing something they really enjoy. Our meals really make it so easy to stay on a nutrition plan if you are trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Our name says it all, we want to make being healthy incredibly simple.”
For more information about Healthy Made Simple, visit the website at hmsimple.com.
