Think eating clean and healthy is synonymous with dining on bland and boring? Not with Mamma Mia’s Italian Prep Meals from the popular Pacific Beach restaurant. Boasting a “new concept” of traditional Italian cuisine, Mamma Mia’s owner and executive chef, Cinzia Mezzetti, offers the perfect balance between nutrition and taste with made-by-order, grab-and-go, home-made meals that are truly “delicioso!” Fresh ingredients and sauces smother lean meats, carbohydrates and vegetables void of artificial additives, flavors or preservatives. Not only are Mamma Mia’s Italian Prep Meals ideal for those on a weight-loss plan, but they’re spot-on for anyone looking for a scrumptious, healthy meal as well. Without compromising flavor, these low-calorie, low-fat, dairy and gluten-free clean lunches and dinners bring healthy, fresh food directly to your home or office.
Touting years of experience as an Italian chef, the Pacific Beach resident crafted the novel meal plan as a result of her athletic venture into the world of bikini and body-building competitions. The statuesque beauty was forced to drastically change her food regimen in order to gain muscle mass while “leaning out.”
“I had to eat clean and lean,” she said. “I cut my pasta, my pizza, my breads and sweets. All food had to be grilled or boiled. But I’m a professional chef. I love good food. And I was not about to eat plain boiled chicken. I headed straight to the kitchen knowing that I could make even ‘diet’ food delicious.” Mezzetti worked with a nutritionist to experiment with recipes that controlled portion size, calories, fat content and salt intake – “we all need a little salt” – without sidestepping flavor. “There are no limits to what I can do in the kitchen,” she continued. “None. I love the challenge of working with food combinations to make the food tasty and different because I eat the food.”
Satisfied with a meal plan that consisted of “everything light, organic and made from scratch,” she knew her “beautiful dishes” could work for others. Mezzetti researched San Diego’s healthy to-go choices and quickly became convinced that she could offer a menu unsurpassed in variety, taste and convenience. She developed two clean menus, one to lose and one to gain, weight. Patrons have the option of customizing their meals. “These are healthy, flavorful, diet-free meals,” she said. “You pick your quantity of clean protein and add your choice of vegetables, carbs and I keep everything balanced and nutritious. I know how to manipulate foods to keep the calorie and fat content low and the flavor high. Everything is made fresh and preservative free.” Mezzetti added that her clean meal menus – “every day” and “clean” – aren’t just for athletes. “This is clean eating for busy people,” she said. “My menu, not found anywhere else in San Diego, is also good for anyone with diabetes or high cholesterol. While I designed the menus for fitness buffs, fitness is a small slice of a bigger market. Everyone wants to eat healthy, fresh and easy. I have a big kitchen and I’m ready to serve a lot of people.”
Mezzetti stressed the importance of meals traveling straight from the kitchen into sealed packaging for quality control. “Anyone who orders food online has no idea who touches the food or how long it’s been sitting in a package,” she said. “My food is freshly-made and I’m the only one who touches it. My boxes are sealed. These are meals you can trust.”
Food stays fresh in the fridge for up to three days. Orders can be made online and picked up at Mamma Mia’s on Balboa Avenue, or delivered for a $4.50 flat-rate fee to downtown San Diego, La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Point Loma, Clairemont, Old Town, UTC, College Area, and Mission Valley, Fashion Valle and National City. “My meals can make you happy,” concluded Mezzetti. “Why not enjoy what you eat? Senses are important; eating is important. These are quality meals that I believe in. ” ITALIAN PREP MEALS Where: Mamma Mia’s, 1932 Balboa Ave. How to order: www.italianprepmeals.com. Info: [email protected], 858-272-2702.