Seattle Sutton’s meal plans – which are based on each client’s nutrition needs – have achieved national success.

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Beltran Food Service Group Seattle Suttons Healthy Eating

Like many successful businesses, Ottawa, Ill.-based Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating arose out of sheer demand. Twenty-three years ago, as a nurse working in her physician husband’s office, one of Sutton’s diabetic patients told her it was too much work to stay on the menu plans she had designed for him, unless someone made the meals for him.

“It was like a bell going off,” Sutton recalls. “I knew that if I was going to do it, it would have to be the healthiest meals – no gimmicks, no contracts.”

Today, Seattle Sutton’s meal plans have achieved national success. They are available in 1,200-or 2,000-calorie-a-day plans, divided into three meals a day, seven days a week. The meal plan is low cholesterol, low fat, sodium restricted, has no artificial sweeteners or food dyes, zero trans fat and no high-fructose corn syrup.

The meals are popular among diabetics, the elderly, many who want to lose weight and people who want the convenience of eating healthy. “We’ll play no games with you – if you’re not losing weight, you either cheated or you’re laying there in a coma,” Sutton says.

Losing weight comes down to “calories in versus calories out,” Sutton explains, although staying healthy is much more complicated. “Our mission is to improve people’s eating habits,” Sutton explains.

“They learn by what we serve them. We serve every portion-controlled meal for the week, without any contracts. They learn portion size and to eat what they should for the rest of their lives.”

Menus change every five weeks and meals are repeated 10 times a year so clients enjoy a variety, Sutton says. An example of a day’s menu for October features a cranberry-nut roll with nutty fruit spread for breakfast, quiche and spinach salad for lunch and a garden patty on a bun, with potato soup and baked beans for dinner. Another day’s menu begins with strawberry bread and citrus sections for breakfast, a turkey fillet sandwich with fruit, and a baked tuna and noodle casserole with vegetables and a dark rye roll for dinner. The following day, breakfast is a lemon poppy seed muffin, cream cheese and fruit, followed by roasted red pepper hummus served with fresh vegetables and chips and dessert. Dinner includes meatballs in a low-fat sauce and potatoes au gratin, seasoned peas and whipped squash.

The company also takes into account advice from the professional health community. “We constantly listen to nutritional experts,” Sutton declares. “When the American Medical Association came out with the recommendation that people should eat fish twice a week because of its Omega-3, we put fish on our menu twice a week as suggested, since studies now show that Omega-3 supplements are ineffective.”

More than a Niche
Sutton’s freshly prepared meal plan is often prescribed by doctors to diabetic patients, she says.

Not only are the meals healthy, but the ingredients, calories and nutritional facts are listed on every meal. “This can be extremely helpful for Type I diabetics,” she says.

Meals are available nationwide and can be delivered to customers twice a week, or they can be picked up at local distributor locations. The refrigerated meals come ready-to-eat, although customers must provide their own skim milk.

Sutton’s popularity has expanded beyond a single niche, however.

The convenient meal plan is  convenient for senior citizens, whose children have attested that its convenience, health and affordability have, in some cases, prevented them from the alternative of putting their parents in nursing homes. Blind and visually impaired clients receive a braille or large printed menu with their first order.

And, when families order the meals, they can feel good about what they’re serving their children too, Sutton says.

“We’re not going to get people back in the kitchen – there are just too many other things to do,” Sutton says. “This generation does not want to cook and the next generation, they really won’t know how. If you tell a high school student, ‘Would you please prepare the rice for tonight’s dinner?’ They’d look at you and say, ‘Where do you buy that?’ 

“It’s OK, because Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating is available as a home meal replacement,” Sutton adds.

Sutton stresses that she is passionate about teaching people better nutritional habits, even if they don’t buy her meals.

The company has volunteered to provide healthy food for approximately 50 local elementary school-aged children as part of an after school program, and Sutton has volunteered to “come in and talk to the children about healthy eating.

“When you get thirsty, don’t drink soda pop,” she tells the kids.

“Read your labels. If something has high-fructose corn syrup, don’t drink or eat it. Stay away from artificial sweeteners and food dyes.”

Seattle, the Person
Sutton is not just the founder of the company, she is also the face if it. She’s appeared in numerous television and radio advertisements for her meals, and sparked public interest.

She has also appeared as a keynote speaker at numerous events over the last 20-plus years. Sutton published a book, The Seattle Sutton Solution: No Gimmicks, in 2004, and maintains a blog on seattlesutton.com.

“The blog has been hugely successful,” Sutton says. “The reason I decided to do it is because people didn’t only want to eat my meals, they also wanted to know who I am and my philosophies.

“Writing a book and doing a blog has given me an opportunity to tell my story about starting this business and about raising my five children,” she adds.

Some of those philosophies include advice Sutton gave to her children, most of whom are involved in the company today. “Always do better than is expected and get along with everyone,” she advises.

Thanks in part to those strategies; Sutton’s company continues to grow rapidly and is available from coast-to-coast. Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating just opened two new franchises – one for the state of Kansas and one for the state of Arizona.

Sutton has even had international requests. “It’s not out of the question because I never like to say never,” Sutton says.