'Real Food Works' Brings a Healthy Choice to Tri-State Area

It is tough to stay fit, work-out, eat right and be a busy professional. No one likely knows that better than Lucinda Duncalfe.

In 2011, Duncalfe decided to take what she'd learned in her own weightloss journey and make it easier for others to follow. By eating plant-based, healthy foods that were low in oil and low in cholesterol, she soon felt better, gained energy and did it all while balancing a busy career. She decided to form Real Food Works, a Conshohocken-based company that delivers healthy meals to homes in hundreds of local communities.

"Real Food Works is a program that delivers fresh healthy food to customers each and every week," said Duncalfe, the founder and CEO of Real Food Works. "You choose what kind of subscription you want. Do you want dinners or lunches and dinners?"

Programs vary by size (you can order 5-, 10- and 15-meal programs for the week) and cost, but remain affordable and sensible.

"There are really two key reasons that our program is completely different than others," said Duncalfe. "The first is our amazing food quality. Our food is absolutely delicious because it is prepared by restaurants. So, they work with their menus and actually create meals for us, that meet our nutritional guidelines. Second, it is totally different because it is so healthy. It’s all based on plants, low oil, low cholesterol."

Many busy professionals find it hard to eat right and be on the go non-stop, and Duncalfe said her program is designed to help combat that feeling. She said she caters her company to many food styles, as well, to keep things open to different cultures.

"We have all sorts of food genres, Ethiopian, and Vietnamese and Chinese and more traditional American dishes," she said.

Rachel Klein, owner of Miss Rachel’s Pantry, in Philadelphia, said she enjoys participating in the Real Food Works program. 

"My company, Miss Rachel’s Pantry partners with real food works. [Dishes are featured such as] our five spice ginger Seitan skewers and this here is our chick-pea tuna salad."

Personal chef Angela Capanna has joined the team, as well. Her own company, Eat Your Heart Out Edibles, based in Washington Township, N.J., aims to provide a private chef experience to her clients. She said it isn't too hard to adapt her menu to the Real Food Works requirements.

“My menu is always around or under 400 calories, and I usually come up with my own recipes,” Capanna said to NJ.com.

Duncalfe said it is easy to start, and maintain, the program because:

• There is no commitment or minimum number of weeks you need to buy.
• You can cancel your program at any time.

"So please sign up and enjoy terrific food and better health," she said.

According to the company's "How It Works," each week, a client:

1. Wednesday — you'll get an email unveiling the following week's menu. You can do nothing and we'll deliver the standard menu to you the following week, or you can choose the specific meals you want.
2. Friday — you have until midnight on Friday to change your plan, skip a week, or customize your menu.
3. Saturdays — we place your personal order with our restaurants, and they order the produce and other provisions they'll need to prepare your food.
4. Tuesdays — we get your meals from our restaurants, pack your selections in an express cooler bag with freezer packs, and deliver between 4 and 7 pm.

For more on how the program works, visit the Real Food Works website or check out the YouTube video here.