Community News

HEART TO HOME MEALS OFFERS FOOD DELIVERY TO OLDER ADULTS

FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS BRINGS MEALS, SOUPS AND DESSERTS TO HOMES IN YORK REGION AND THE CALEDON AREA

MELISSA WALLACE melissawallace@yrmg.com

Life should get easier as you age.

That's the premise behind Heart to Home Meals, which aims to empower individuals with healthy food choices and bring meals to your door.

The business, launched in Aurora in October 2022 by Teri and Mike Staley, offers more than 200 meals, soups and desserts prepared to the highest standard.

"Our chefs follow the Canada Food Guide, and

we have a global executive Four Seasons chef who has travelled the world, cooked

for celebrities, and makes nutritious food taste really good," said Teri. "He creates all these options and then at the peak of cooking, the meals are flash frozen to lock in the nutrition and flavour.

"You get the meal, put it in the oven for 30 minutes or in the microwave for 10 minutes, and it's almost as though the meal was just cooked. The smells fill your kitchen, the flavour bursts in your mouth."

Serving York Region and the Caledon area, the business has rapidly grown, with approximately 1,800 customers, including a network of veterans. Meals come in three different sizes: mini, standard and hearty for larger appetites. Nutrition options are colour coded for easy classification. They include meals for limiting sodium and carbohydrates, gluten, saturated fat, high-fibre diets and additional protein, to name a few.

"The COVID-19 pandemic drove the 'aging in home' concept, where people preferred to stay in their homes and communities," explained Teri. This exacerbated the "tea and toast syndrome," where people would have a piece of toast or cup of tea for supper. "Your body doesn't get the nutrition it needs and, just say after surgery, the hospitals will tell you that one of the things that brings people back is malnutrition, and the rising price of food and everything else makes it worse."

The "aging at home" group is the business' main customer base, followed by individuals coming out of the hospital.

"When you're discharged and staff are talking to you about the meds you have to take and the need to eat healthy, do you really think you're absorbing all that information?" asked Teri. "You're overwhelmed. So what I say to the staff is just tell them to call us and we will help them."

Meals average between $8-$9, and a variety of soups are $3.60. Delivery is free, and the driver can put meals in an individual's home if they need help. This also serves as a wellness check, to ensure customers are taking care of their health and to answer any questions.

The Staleys hope Heart to Home Meals will provide convenient options for individuals looking to eat healthier. The service is not only available for older adults, but for anyone who needs it, including students, people with mobility issues and those who are busy and active.

Learn more at https:// www.hearttohomemeals.ca or call toll-free 1-800526-2679 or locally at 905713-5718.

NEWS

en-ca

2023-03-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://communitynews.pressreader.com/article/281556590072471

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