Food delivery services have been around for years, but Burbank-based Fresh Mommy is a novelty in the market. It’s the first such service designed for new and expectant mothers, according to Todd DeMann, CEO and chairman of Fresh Dining LLC, of which Fresh Mommy is an extension. The program is also unique in that, in addition to offering calorie-restricted, organic meals, clients receive in-home fitness training to help their bodies to rebound quickly from pregnancy. Fresh Mommy has been up and running for approximately a month. “So far it’s been fantastic,” De Mann said. “We’ve been signing up customers every day.” De Mann believes that Fresh Mommy does a service to mothers because, in the months following childbirth, all focus is on the newborn. “No one really focuses on the mother,” he said. While it goes without saying that the newborn needs attention, mothers do as well, due to the fact that they experience dramatic physical and mental changes following childbirth, De Mann added. The idea to launch Fresh Mommy came from the experiences of De Mann’s wife, Rosemary, along with an associate named Heather Clay. According to De Mann, the trio decided, “Let’s focus on mommy while she’s taking care of the baby. Mothers don’t take care of themselves, and they never get back to their [pre-pregnancy] weight.” Some mothers aren’t just satisfied with simply reverting back to their pre-pregnancy weight, either. They want to be in better shape than ever. The program can also be useful to pregnant women, who are asking, “How much weight am I supposed to gain? I’m gaining too much weight too fast,” De Mann said. Fresh Mommy comes in three packages: platinum, gold and silver. Each includes the insight of Blue Clay Fitness professionals, who provide workout sessions that combine cardio training, weight resistance, stretching and core stability in clients’ homes. A typical day’s menu for a Fresh Mommy participant might include mixed- berry crepes with natural blueberry sauce and fresh fruit for breakfast; California Cobb Salad with smoked turkey for lunch; sweet and sour pork chops with sugar snap peas and grilled pineapple for dinner; edamame with red sea salt for a snack; and banana bread pudding for dessert. “It’s like having a personal chef,even my snacks are gourmet. I can’t believe I get to eat like this and still lose weight,” exclaimed new mother and actress Constance Zimmer, who has appeared on shows such as “Entourage” and “Boston Legal.” In designing the menu, Fresh Mommy seeks to ensure that the right types of proteins, carbohydrates and total calorie counts are chosen. Food offerings take into account whether mothers are breastfeeding as well as their height, age and other traits. A breastfeeding mother, for example, requires more calories per day than a non-breastfeeding mother. “Fresh Mommy adheres to the needs of breastfeeding, nutrients for me and the baby and losing weight at the same time, so I don’t have to think about anything,” Zimmer stated. “It makes my life easy even though I’m taking care of a newborn at the same time.” Moreover, Fresh Mommy seeks to minimize inappropriate foods for both expectant and new mothers, such as shellfish, due to its mercury content. Gas-causing foods are also cut from the menu, which could be considered a benefit for fathers as well. Fresh Mommy’s purported benefits for its clients include increased energy, lower insulin levels and faster muscle recovery. The cost for the program depends on which package the mother chooses. The standard program, for example, is $65 daily, and can be upgraded for $10 to provide an additional dinner and dessert. The platinum program is $6,000 monthly which includes additional fitness and chiropractic services, organic baby products, pet care, spa services, personal shopping, laundry services and more. Their clientele includes all sorts of mothers, according to De Mann. Fresh Mommy is “for any mother who really wants to take control of their own bodies,” he said. “We have mothers who stay at home, career mothers looking to snap back very quickly.” Fresh Mommy is the latest success for Fresh Dining LLC, which is located in a 15,000-square-feet facility near the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. “It’s centrally located,” De Mann said of the company’s headquarters. “It allows us to produce a large quantity of food in a very nice, high-end facility very easily (accessible) to downtown and over the hill to West L.A.” Established in 2005, Fresh Dining has recently expanded service to Orange County and San Diego. It has 75 employees, including a team of five-star chefs. The Burbank location has also given the company sway in the entertainment industry. “We don’t solicit any celebrities,” De Mann said. But new moms such as Ricki Lake and Debi Mazar, who are looking to stay in shape, will often have food delivered to them on set. “We even service studio heads,” De Mann said. “Their own private chefs don’t know how to cook healthy.” The company took a slight hit during the writers’ strike. They offered discounts to those in the entertainment industry for the duration of the dispute. “We’re here to support the industry,” De Mann stressed. Later this year the company plans to offer FreshKids, which will attempt to provide children with the chance to remain at a healthy weight and ward off obesity. Information: www.freshdining.com.
