Real athlete diets

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Paying attention to how your body feels after eating is an exercise worth pursuing. Adjusting your diet accordingly is the way to honor what it’s telling you.

Kelly and Morgan Newlon founded Real Athlete Diets (RAD) with that principle in mind. They believe that if you eat well you will feel well, and if you happen to be an athlete (which isn’t a prerequisite for eating RAD food) you will perform well, too.

RAD creates performance-oriented food and brings it to you, making it easy to eat the kind of food that makes your body happy. They know using the best ingredients matters and use locally grown, organic produce and protein whenever possible. They specialize in individual meal delivery, catering and athlete camps, but their love for feeding people knows no bounds — if you live in Boulder and fit into at least one of these categories, here are five good reasons to let RAD cook your next meal.

1) You spend a lot of time at work/in the office.

Having RAD cater your mid-day meal is a sure way to avoid the afternoon slump that follows inhaling the sandwich/chips/cookie trifecta that characterizes so many “lunch is provided” situations. The chorizo chickpea ragout and Thai peanut chicken salad are staple items on the RAD menu and have become favorites at local law offices, outdoor industry retailers and other conscientous businesses. If group meals aren’t in the budget for the whole office, RAD will deliver your food to one of two pick-up locations, and you can bring it back to work (warning: your co-workers will be jealous).

2) You’ve got responsibilities (family/work/home) and you really like to exercise every day

All of these are noble pursuits, and they probably mean you have good intentions to eat well also, but sometimes there aren’t enough hours in the day to give every responsibility 100 percent. Having a RAD meal ready-to-eat helps prevent reaching for whatever is in the cupboards or going out to eat for dinner — again — when you’re home late after work or a work-out. How does cruciferous turkey meatballs with smashed potatoes and a giant massaged kale salad with toasted hazelnuts, parm, lemon dressing and dried cherries sound? Order the dark chocolate espresso brownies, too — you worked out today.

3) You have a food allergy and aren’t sure what to do about it

It’s easier than ever to buy gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, etc. products, but if you’re interested in real food versus packaged food, RAD is the way to go. Many of RAD’s menu items are allergen-free by nature, but Chef Kelly isn’t challenged by the unique food needs that clients present to her.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, she knows her way around the kitchen, and, perhaps more importantly, has spent many years in a mentoring role. “Our approach is about working one-on-one as a team with the client,” Newlon says, “with a common goal of becoming more comfortable with food as it pertains to the individual and most importantly as a life skill.”

4) You’re a pro

The folks at RAD work with athletes who have specific goals. Current clients include Olympian cyclists, climbers bound for Everest and ultra-running legends. Chef Kelly works with athletes (and their coaches) who recognize food is as important a training tool as daily workouts. The RAD team has traveled with athletes who are participating in multi-day events or training camps, and if the destination is outside of their service area (in, say Tibet), they’ve been known to work with clients so they can best navigate the local food scene while sticking closely to their prescribed dietary plan.

5) You’re hosting an event

Recently, RAD catered lunch for a three-day barista class at Ozo Coffee Roasters. It was a small affair — for about 15 people — but for Kelly and Morgan of RAD, it was a great opportunity to work alongside a local business whose ethos and values are in line with their own.

“We like to work with companies we believe in,” Morgan says. “And one of the great things about Boulder business culture is that the things that are important to owners are often shared across companies.” That said, nothing speaks to the soul like good food and good coffee, and the Ozo participants were as psyched for lunch as Morgan was for his to-go bag of freshly-roasted beans.

Whatever category you fit into, or perhaps you perfer to remain outside of the box, rest assured the food you receive from RAD is held to high standards — from its timely delivery to artful presentation to thoughtful recipes and well-rounded flavors. And, if you let your body make the final assessment, there’s a good chance that RAD could become a part of your daily mealtime rotation.

Respond: info@boulderganic.com