Blotting

What is your opinion on blotting to this degree?

CLIFTON — Locally grown, wild-caught and cage-free are cornerstones of healthy meal preparation at one Clifton-based meal delivery business.

The gourmet meal delivery service, Elite Lifestyle Cuisine (ELC), is the brainchild of International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness (IFBB) award winner and "Muscle Chef" Carlo Filippone. Using his personal recipes, he and a small team of chefs craft hundreds of single and family-sized meal portions which are cooked from whole ingredients at the Getty Avenue facility, flash-frozen and delivered to homes across the nation.

Contemporary health and wellness movements have created a niche for Filippone’s business, he said, but the "passion" for healthy cooking has "always been there."

"I live the lifestyle," said Filippone, of Cliffside Park. "I’m going to be 46 years old and I can certainly say that [a healthy diet] has enhanced my quality of life and allowed me to do at 45 what a lot of 25-year-olds may not be able to do."

Though given his fitness background, Filippone said his meals are suited to anyone who is short on time.

"We live in a world today… where you’re traveling all the time, you’re running around, you don’t really stop to eat, and if you do it’s going to be something that’s fast, efficient, and affordable. That doesn’t translate to good health."

Filippone said his products are an alternative to conventional frozen dinners and take-out. His meals use local ingredients where possible, he said, as well as whole grains, cage-free poultry, hormone- and antibiotic-free meat, and products free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Clients can order via a subscription service or "à la carte" per item which is shipped to their door. Single meals range between $5 and $13 and clients may choose from more than 40 meals, including low carbohydrate and "diabetic friendly" options on elitelifestylecuisine.com.

The meals have a frozen shelf-life of approximately 90 days due to lack of preservatives and to prevent freezer burn, Filippone said.

When Clifton Journal visited ELC’s kitchen last week, a delivery of rice, canned beans, California tomatoes, and honey arrived. On large racks trays of paprika-seasoned cod (Filippone said he does not use tilapia) waited to be packaged and platters of beets were coated in olive oil before roasting. Steaming trays of beef stew were spooned into small microwave-safe containers before they would be flash-frozen and stored in a walk-in freezer.

Items like their bestselling turkey meatballs are prepared twice a week, said Filippone, while most other dishes are shipped out within 10 days of preparation. All list nutrition information and ingredients on the label.

"We went from a restaurant, to a café, to putting items in containers, labeling them and shipping them. I never expected to be in the business I’m in but there’s a demand for it."

Though cooking came naturally to the son of Italian immigrants who owned a pizza shop, he said it wasn’t until he became immersed in bodybuilding that he saw the lack of "awareness" about health and wellness in the 1980s and 1990s.

Despite his shelf of trophies, Filippone maintains bodybuilding was a "hobby" he took on as a "dare" in his early 20s.

At the time, his fellow bodybuilders were eating foods like canned tuna, potatoes, and boiled chicken.

"I always wanted to find a better way," said Filippone. While studying nutrition he developed his own recipes similar to ELC’s menu.

"I consumed it [at the time,] but I didn’t sell it," he said, due to lack of demand.

Some of his recipes would appear in "Muscle and Fitness Hers" and "MuscleMag International," the latter for which he served as "in-house chef" writer for eight years.

Filippone opened an eatery inside of a gym, the second restaurant Filippone had owned. The 500-square-foot café served about 150 meals a day from its stove and grill, forgoing the usual gym fare of salads and sandwiches.

"I would sell them chicken parmesan for about one third of the calories that tasted just as good that they consumed at a very fair price," said Filippone. His success in this small environment propelled him to explore serving his food on a larger scale, he said.

Now seeing demand for his product, Filippone debuted ELC in 2013 and currently serves more than 600 clients, according to ELC’s website. His "less than half the calories" grilled chicken parmigiana over multi-grain pasta weighs in at 482 calories per 19 oz. serving.

"I think that’s why we’re doing well, because we offer a product that is already cooked; you can microwave it and eat a healthy meal in less than seven minutes."

Although public awareness of health has developed since his youth, Filippone said there continues to be a lack of education on nutrition.

"Something’s wrong," he said. "And it’s people don’t understand how to eat well."

He used the example of peanuts, noting the healthiest varieties are unroasted or dry roasted with salt. Varieties which add sugars and additional ingredients diminish the nutritional value, while consumers still think they are eating a healthy food due to branding.

Things are improving, however, according to a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) study which found an improvement in eating habits of working age adults from 2005 to 2010.

On average, daily caloric intake decreased by 5 percent, the study found, and more meals were being eaten at home. Working adults also reported "increased concern for nutrition" during grocery shopping.

Those health-minded individuals who do not regularly exercise are ELC’s target demographic, its president said.

"Just by eating the proper foods, they’ll make a change," said Filippone.

Ideally, he said, "everyone" should eat two "great, healthy meals" a day and two or three snacks a day. Or, he said, three meals and two snacks.

"That’s the way I would do it myself," said the retired bodybuilder.

In the kitchen, Filippone said his mantra is to "keep it clean."

Filippone said he is "proud" to have helped pioneer the industry of health and wellness, but accolades from others in health and fitness have boosted his confidence.

His business partner, former Giants punter Steve Weatherford began as Filippone’s meal service client.

He later appeared with Filippone on "Good Day New York" to showcase ELC’s cuisine. Dr. Mehmet Oz of the "Dr. Oz Show" also joined Filippone as a fitness trainer at ELC’s launch of their 90-day fitness challenge called the "Journey" earlier this year.

"To get his vote of confidence has done wonders for our brand and my confidence," said Filippone. "If Dr. Oz believes in you, then you might be doing something right."