Strategies for eating fast without fast food: These RI companies can help with meal prep

Sophia Eckler had about six hours worth of classes on a Friday afternoon at Providence College.

The 20-year-old's schedule offered a brief respite to grab a salad at home. But Eckler was too drained to prepare a healthy meal following her afternoon session. Ordering a pizza or stopping by a local pub for some comfort food were not viable options for the lifelong swimmer and health policy major.

Instead, Eckler made a stop at Cava in nearby Smithfield for some Mediterranean fare.

Cava is a popular option for on-the-go eaters who wish to eat quickly without eating typical fastfood fare, according to Joseph DeFusco, of Johnston, a connoisseur of healthy food and supplements who works sales at Ocean State Nutrition.

Eckler paid $12.75 to choose a mixture of rice, chicken, hummus, cucumber, tomato, olives, corn and feta. Cava provided a welcome break from her own healthy cooking.

For some others, options like Cava and Chipotle or East Side Pockets can also fit into a disciplined meal plan, offering occasional and healthy departures for eaters who are frequently too busy for lots of supermarket shopping and time in the kitchen, said DeFusco.

Ocean State Nutrition is among a collection of brick and mortar stores in the region that sell prepared meals, in bulk for those who prefer that.

"Crack Chicken" is among various frozen Clean Eatz "Grab 'N' Go" meals selling for about $8 at Ocean State's store on Smith Street in North Providence. The meal, at 450 calories, consists of chicken in a cream, cheesy sauce with bacon over broccoli florets.

"Our meals eliminate the guessing, temptation, and lack of being prepared due to a busy lifestyle," says CleanEatz."Our goal is to give you the tools needed by preparing properly portioned-sized meals with a balance of protein, carbs, and fats."

The origins of GoalFood , on Oaklawn Avenue in Cranston, date back more than a decade. GoalFood's 440-calorie steak fajita bowl ranges in price from $9.49 to $6.89. It packs 41 grams of protein, 14 grams of fat, and 38 grams of carbs.

Hard Body Meals, also frozen, are made in Massachusetts and available for purchase at Innovation Fitness in Cranston, also on Oaklawn Avenue. A favorite is pesto 5-cheese tortellini with steak tips. Yes, it's a reheated frozen dinner.

But loyalists say it's far tastier than the supermarket-bought frozen meals of yesteryear. At 698 calories, the meal can more than suffice for dinner at the end of a sub-2,000 calorie day.

That includes some modest breakfast, a protein supplement and a 500-calorie frozen meal microwaved at lunch. With some careful apportioning at breakfast, it's possible to add a third meal or some snacks.

This isn't necessarily the most romantic, or most inexpensive, way to eat day in and day out. But it has its benefits, especially for people who do not live in a communal setting.

First, the level of shopping that's necessary to cook at home is eliminated from the schedule. So is the detailed budgeting for that type of shopping.

With a microwave at home or work, a ready-to-eat meal is less than five minutes away.

That meal is properly portioned. It's quite manageable to time the actual eating of such meals very precisely -- no matter how crazy life gets. That ability can also help with different dieting strategies.

And it leaves plenty of energy in the tank for cooking up feasts on more special days.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Strategies for eating fast without fast food: These RI companies can help with meal prep