Meal Medic food service aims to help seniors eat healthier
By LOIS KINDLE
There comes a time in many people’s lives when they no longer have the ability, energy or desire to cook for themselves. As a result, they tend to eat whatever’s convenient and sometimes not at all.
Sean and Emily Rooks, shown here with their 3-year-old daughter, Aria, own Meal Medic, a food service offering Sun City Center residents free delivery of nutritious, freshly cooked, heat and serve meals.
LOIS KINDLE PHOTO
Emily and Sean Rooks, owners of Meal Medic, want to change that.
Their company offers freshly cooked, nutritious comfort food at a reasonable cost and delivers it free of charge to your door. All meals are low sodium and under 700 calories, said Emily, the person who cooks them.
“I saw an advertisement (for Meal Medic) in The SCC Observer,” said Carol Campbell, 83, of Sun City Center. “I have Parkinson’s, and when my daughter went out of town for a week, I thought I’d give it a try.” Campbell ordered off the traditional menu and was absolutely delighted with the food.
“It was delicious, of good quality and very healthy,” she continued. “The menu choices were great and (due to generous portions) most of the five meals I ordered lasted two days. I’d definitely recommend (the service) to anyone.”
Customers can order off a menu of 12 traditional or 12 low-carb meals, which are changed weekly to provide variety. The couple offers semi-customization, within reason. For example, you could order yams instead of white potatoes or chicken instead of beef.
All Meal Medic meals are cooked in south Tampa at the Pro Kitchen Hub commercial kitchen. The company is licensed and insured, and the county makes inspections of its operation twice a year like it does restaurants.
Here’s a sample of a Meal Medic meal of orange chicken thigh, couscous and fresh green beans. Each meal is $8.99 and delivery is free.
MEAL MEDIC PHOTO
Deliveries of the fresh, never frozen, heat-and-serve meals are made Wednesdays and Sundays between 4 and 8 p.m. If you’re not home, they’re left at your door in an insulated bag inside a cardboard box.
Starting Aug. 4, a menu for the upcoming two weeks will be left with delivery and continue bi-monthly. Full menus are also posted at www.mealmedic.com, where you can place an order if you like. You can also order by calling 813-406-1244 or emailing info@mealmedic.com.
Meal Medic aims to help sen-iors who no longer have the ability, energy or desire to cook for themselves. The goal is to keep them healthy and independent as long as possible by providing delicious, balanced meals they can simply heat and serve.
The minimum order is five, well-balanced meals, which cost $8.99 each. By way of comparison, Meals on Wheels charges $6.50 per meal. Payment is made by debit or credit card. Meal Medic uses a number of high-quality food suppliers to include antibiotic-free chicken, grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish and fresh fruits and vegetables.
Thomas Lamb, 54, of south Tampa, has been a Meal Medic customer for about a year. “It saves me time and has made life easy. It’s super convenient,” he said. “The meals are healthy, and my meal plan is geared to my dietary needs. I’ve lost weight and feel much better.”
