FOOD

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weekly customers his locations serve
already built a clientele of almost 50
come for weight loss, he says, but about people, most of whom have found her
25 percent buy the meals for conven-
by word of mouth.
ience.
Kobernick offers a daily delivery
Lieberman started off as a customer.
service of gourmet meals prepared that
"I saw an ad for Seattle Sutton's. Two
day by local chefs in a commercial
months later I had lost 20 pounds and
kitchen. "My food is made fresh right
my wife had lost 10," he says. After four in your back yard — it's not prepared
months, Lieberman's cholesterol
somewhere else, frozen and shipped."
dropped from over 200 to 144, cancel-
Kobernick says her diet isn't low-
ing out the need for his old friend
carb or low-fat; it just includes the right
Lipitor.
carbs and the right fats. What you won't
"We've been eating the meals for a
find is white flour, refined sugar, chemi-
year and a half," he says, adding that
cals or preservatives. And the meals are
the plan has actually saved him money,
supervised by a personal chef, nutri-
because he doesn't have to eat out or
tionist and medical director.
spend money on groceries.
An entrée may include Asian beef
When Michelle Kobernick, 39, of
with scallions and bell peppers followed
Huntington Woods started Gourmet
by almond ricotta cream for dessert, or a
Everyday last January, she was deter-
chicken Caesar salad for lunch and
mined to help lower Michigan's high
moussaka with ground turkey, eggplant
obesity rates and teach people how to
and yogurt sauce for dinner. And break-
eat healthily, whether at home or in a
fast can range from a frittata with
restaurant. "I have a personal relation-
smoked salmon and chives to broccoli-
ship with everyone who orders from
cheddar quiche. It certainly beats a
me," she says. "I like to check up on
bland grilled chicken breast or a scoop
them and offer my support."
of cottage cheese.
With a background in exercise sci-
"The food tastes like it came out of
ence, Kobernick has taught health and
a great bistro — the herbs and season-
physical education and has worked as a
ings are delicious," says Russell
personal chef. "When I was cooking for
Barnett, 54, a Bloomfield Hills cus-
people in their homes, they started
tomer who has lost 27 pounds since
requesting meals based on certain diets
June, while his wife, Mary, has dropped
like South Beach," she says. "I knew
about 15 pounds.
there was a need for Gourmet
"We both feel healthier and we
Everyday."
never have to worry about, 'What do
She was right. Since she began her
you want to do for dinner tonight?'
business less than a year ago, she has
There is no travel, prep or clean-up

Paul Lieberman opened his first Seattle

Sutton's distribution center in 2003.

Right: A Seattle Sutton's offering.

1 6 • ocTotiER 20,15 • JNPLATINUM

work — Michelle has all the bases cov-
ered. She even calls us to see how
we're doing."
Seattle Sutton, a registered nurse
and founder and president of Seattle
Sutton's Healthy Eating, began the
company in Chicago in 1985 and has
seen it grow to reach several states.
There are 30 locations in Michigan,
with plans to add 10 more by the end of
the year — including a corporate
kitchen in Sterling Heights, slated to
open late this month (currently, says
Lieberman, food is prepared in Seattle
Sutton's corporate kitchen outside
Chicago and brought in by refrigerated
truck twice weekly).
Unlike other national programs,
there are no clubs to join or contracts to
sign. Meals can be picked up on
Mondays and Thursdays at the Seattle
Sutton's location of your choice; for an
extra $20 per week, meals can be deliv-
ered to your door.
"It's the no-brainer effect," says
Wallace Duvall, franchise holder of all
the Michigan locations. "The meals are
prepared and paid for, so you don't have
to think about what you are going to
eat."
The plan allows carbs, but is sodi-
um-restricted and includes no red
meats. It is calorie- and portion-
controlled and everything has been
weighed and measured for the cus-
tomer.
A Seattle Sutton's day may begin
with multigrain waffles or pumpkin