Kathy’s Table – Who Knew Healthy Food Could Taste This Good?

Jacksonville has no shortage of places to find healthy eats.  But the problem with a lot of healthy food is that often when fats, meats, and carbs are missing, so is the flavor.  So when I find a place that offers healthy foods that also taste really great, I get a little excited.  Kathy’s Table is just that kind of place.  Kathy Foote is the driving force behind Kathy’s Table, a food delivery service that offers up healthy dairy-free, gluten-free meals that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home.  We’ve been following Kathy’s journey on Instagram for a while now and recently got a chance to stop in at her newly opened storefront to pick up some healthy treats.

Kathy’s Table – Storefront

Kathy started her cooking journey out of necessity after being diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease.  The need for a strict whole food diet led her to start creating her own clean eating meals and snacks.  Finding tasty sugar-free, gluten-free, non-processed foods can be a tall order to fill, so Kathy took it upon herself to fill that niche here in Jacksonville.  Drawing from her extensive experience in the fitness industry, she started out offering her healthy treats to her personal training clients.  She then added in meal plans and food delivery via orders placed on her website.  Demand for Kathy’s food has continued to increase, and her business has grown and expanded to meet the needs of her clients.  Kathy offers a la carte items as well as a variety of carefully curated meal plans designed with specific health goals and dietary needs in mind.  Kathy recently opened her storefront, which offers plenty of space to prep and cook food for delivery, as well as provides a convenient spot where folks can pop in to pick up items on the go.  I was excited to finally have the opportunity to stop by.

Kathy’s Table – Gluten-free, Dairy-free

The storefront on Philips Highway at the end of Butler Boulevard is large, bright, and open.  The simple, no fuss decor is a perfect match to Kathy’s sleek, clean branding.  I was delighted to be greeted by Kathy herself, who happily shared with me a little more about her business and also offered to give me a quick tour of her space.  The prep area and kitchen were immaculate, clean, and very well-organized, which I imagine is a necessity when planning, prepping, cooking, and packaging up such massive quantities of food.  I was told that Sundays in particular are busy, since a lot of meal plan deliveries go out on Mondays.  Kathy uses locally sourced ingredients whenever possibly and always has a few vegan options available in addition to her gluten-free and dairy-free offerings.

Kathy’s Table – Salad, Protein Bars, and Chocolate Pancakes

Kathy explained how her meal plans work – she puts together a menu that changes every two weeks.  Each menu has a full range of good-for-you items, from breakfast foods, to lunches, dinners, snacks, and juices.  Kathy even makes healthy cookies, cupcakes, and breads so clients can satisfy their sweet tooth in a healthy way.  Subscribers to Kathy’s meal plans simply go online and choose which menu items they would like to receive.  Menu items are adjusted to cater to each meal plan – less carbs and calories for the “Skinny” plan, more lean proteins for those on the muscle-building “Arnold” plan, no grains for those on the “Paleo” plan, etc.  Meals are then loaded up and delivered either to a local pickup location or right to your home or office.  From there, it’s as easy as reheating and eating.  It is a simple and delicious way to stick to your health goals and enjoy some very tasty food at the same time.

Kathy’s Table – Meal Plans

I spent a good long while looking over the fully-stocked grab and go cooler trying to decide what items I wanted to take home with me.  There were so many options and they all looked good.  I finally decided on the Vegan Mac and Cheese (recommend by Kathy as one of her more popular items), the Salmon Cakes with quinoa and veggies, some Maple Pecan Protein Bars, and a bottle of fresh pressed Coconut Banana Juice.  Each item that Kathy offers is basically a full meal its own and runs around $7-$9 per item.  I also had my heart set on some of Kathy’s “Chocolate” Chip Cookies (made with cocoa nibs to keep them sugar-free and dairy-free), but was told that those usually sell out pretty much immediately after being pulled out of the oven.  So I’ll be looking forward to trying those some other time.

Kathy’s Table – Healthy and Delicious

I dug into my Salmon Cakes for lunch when I got home – and to say that I enjoyed them would be a massive understatement.  I savored them.  I lingered over them.  To put it simply, they were delicious.  The salmon cakes were thick and juicy and not packed with a bunch of unnecessary fillers.  The salmon flavor was great, and the seasoning was perfect, with just a bit of spice to make the dish interesting and extra flavorful.  The salmon cakes were served with some simply prepared carrot medallions over a bed of perfectly cooked quinoa, which was lightly seasoned and accented with raisins.  The sweet raisins were a nice contrast to the heat in the salmon cakes and added a fun texture to the quinoa.  As an added bonus, the “plating” of this dish was really nice.  A lot of times, prepared grab-and-go meals can end up looking a bit lackluster.  It’s to be expected sometimes, considering the fact that the food is packaged into smaller-sized plastic containers which don’t really allow for elaborate presentation.  But my salmon cakes (as well as most of the other items in the in-store cooler) were packaged nicely and still looked beautiful and appetizing.

Kathy’s Table – Salmon Cakes with Quinoa and Carrots

To my surprise, I was also a fan of the Vegan Mac and Cheese.  I am a full-carb, full-fat, cheese-loving kind of girl, so I didn’t really expect to be blown away by the vegan mac and cheese.  I stand corrected.  This vegan mac and cheese was just as creamy and luscious as its more unhealthy counterpart.  And it was definitely not lacking in flavor.  I thoroughly enjoyed my vegan mac and cheese, and while I am not a full-on vegan convert yet (by any stretch of the imagination), this is a perfect stand-in for when you’re craving cheese and carbs but need to be a little more health-conscious about it.

Kathy’s Table – Vegan Mac and Cheese

My kids’ favorites were the Coconut Banana juice and the Maple Pecan Protein Bars.  My toddler pretty much drank the entire bottle of juice before we finished the drive back home.  The coconut and banana flavors blended perfectly and weren’t muddled by any extra fillers or sweeteners.  The juice was refreshing, light, and flavorful.  And I know that only because I managed to get in a few sips before begrudgingly handing it back over to my little girl to finish it off.  Needless to say, the juice was a big hit, as were the protein bars.  Packed with gooey chocolaty goodness with nuts, dried fruit, and oats throughout, these protein bars would make a perfect kids’ lunchbox snack or breakfast (alongside some of the aforementioned juice).  They are rich and decadent, but also healthy and full of protein.  And the fact they are so huge means that they will last a while.  I cut mine up into smaller bite-size pieces for my kids and got quite a few servings out of them.  I will definitely be picking up some more protein bars in the near future…I’m addicted!

Kathy’s Table – Maple Pecan Protein Bars

If you have dietary restrictions or are looking for healthy pre-planned meals designed for your specific health goals, Kathy’s Table is a sure bet.  Whether you decide to sign up for a meal plan or just stop in to grab a few items a la carte, you are sure to find something delicious and good for you at Kathy’s Table.  What I really love is that Kathy’s food is not strictly vegan or vegetarian.  I am a meat-eater, but I still like to eat healthy whenever I can.  Kathy’s Table has that covered with some delicious meat-based meals (Roasted Red Pepper Chicken, Soffritto Pork, Mom’s Meatloaf just to name a few).  But Kathy can definitely whip up some very tasty vegan and vegetarian eats as well.  So no matter what type of diet you follow, Kathy’s Table has something for everyone.  I also love that Kathy pours her heart into every dish.  That was immediately evident when I met her, toured her storefront, and saw her interactions with her staff.  Seeing that her business was started as a result of her own medical and health needs, Kathy’s food really is a labor of love.  And going into her store really is like pulling up a chair at her kitchen table.  Her food is like digging into home cooked comfort food (only much better for you).  Her staff is like a family.  So stop by and pay them a visit.  Check out her healthy eats, and take a look at her website for more information on her meal plans.  You will not be disappointed.

Kathy’s Table – Coconut Banana Juice

Kathy’s Table – Healthy Grab and Go

Kathy’s Table – Healthy Meals

Address: 7035 Philips Hwy Suite 3 Jacksonville, FL 32216

For this review we welcome a member of our own JRR family:  Rhonda Kovar is a former call center manager turned stay-at-home mom.  She grew up in the heart of North Carolina and moved to Florida after getting hitched in 2002.  She is a graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne University and a lover of all things crafty, musical, or edible.  Rhonda loves finding new and delicious ways to turn her two tiny picky eaters into future foodies.  You can follow her on Instagram.