Healthy Coast Meals offers clean eating in Crestview

CRESTVIEW — Healthy Coast Meals is a company that makes clean eating easy and convenient for its customers.

Owners Ashley and Ross Cole have one store and commercial kitchen in Fort Walton Beach. They opened their second "Grab and Go" retail store Jan. 5 at 1900 Ferdon Blvd. S., Suite 180 in Crestview.

The Crestview site has prepackaged, color-coded meals for purchase. Breakfast items are crustless quiche and protein waffles. There are also vanilla and chocolate chip protein donuts. Of their entrées, their most popular are the buffalo chicken plates and burrito bowls.

Ross Cole said professional chefs prepare all the foods from scratch.

"While we do cook everything in Fort Walton Beach, we are very concerned about food safety," Ross Cole said.

The food for Crestview is cooked there, then immediately transported in brand-new refrigerated vehicles that keep the food between 35-39 degrees.

All HCM foods are gluten-free, meaning no wheat flour is used in any product. They are also peanut-free and shellfish-free as well.

"Too many people are allergic to shellfish that we will never have a shellfish, a shrimp, a lobster … in our kitchen," Ross said.

Some items are sugar-free, and some are dairy-free. They are labeled accordingly on the packages and every ingredient is listed on every meal.

In addition to Grab-and-Go products, customers have the option of signing up for various meal plans, bulk purchases, and additional options.

Pre-orders are available by phone and online at www.healthycoastmeals.com. Customers pick up items indoors, at the store's drive-thru, or have them delivered directly to their homes for a fee.

As former professional athletes, Ross said eating healthy is important to him and his wife. They know the amount of work that goes into weighing and preparing food for a healthy diet.

Packets are weighed out, the nutritional content is on the outside, and customers can come pick up 20 meals for the week instead of losing a day preparing them.

"They can come in here and just grab them and they still have their Sunday," he said. "They don't lose that time in their life."

Healthy Coast provides a 10 percent discount to active duty and retired military members, first responders and Okaloosa teachers.

NOTE: This article was updated as it incorrectly stated food transportation temperatures. Healthy Coast meals are kept below 40 degrees for safety.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Healthy Coast Meals offers clean eating in Crestview