General Information
Living Lean was founded in 1995 on the principal that people don’t always have the resources of time, knowledge or ability to consistently prepare and provide tasty and nutritious meals.
Our typical clientele orders food for a variety of reasons – they want food that is delicious, high in quality and convenient. Some are attempting to achieve weight loss, some are simply too busy to cook on a regular basis. Our clients range from people who are busy professionals, people who are wanting to feed their families a home-style nutritious meal, and people who do not cook or cannot cook.
Epicurean Lite - Living Lean’s new name offers even more variety and food that appeals to a wider range of tastes and needs. We offer foods – from traditional to exotic, prepared in a healthy style; meals that work for people and their families who want to eat food that’s good and good for them, too!
Epicurean Lite is designed knowing that you don’t have the time to plan, shop, prepare and cook and clean-up each meal every day.
So, look for your favorite meals and know that
Epicurean Lite's preparation
provides you with a wonderful dining experience!
Our weekly Order Form is sent via email Tuesday of each week and is also accessible through our website. Epicurean Lite’s menu features a 1200 and 1800 calorie level plan and rotates every week to give you a variety of tasty home-cooked style meals.
No minimum number of meals necessary. Order as your schedule permits.
Relax knowing that if you want to consume either calorie level, just order breakfast, lunch and dinner. Adjustments are made through portion size and orange stickers indicate the 1800-calorie level. If you just want great, healthfully prepared fresh food, order as you wish.
Epicurean Lite is in the process of nutritionally analyzing meals. Nutritional information (calories and Weight Watchers Points) is listed on the weekly Order Form as available and more detail is on the package label.
Packaging & Menu Selections
Epicurean Lite meals are packaged with freshness as our Number 1 goal. We want your food as fresh as possible until you, our client, enjoy the meal. Epicurean Lite is TRANS FAT FREE. Epicurean Lite has no additives or preservatives. You are able to enjoy your food with the confidence of knowing that it has been prepared with no MSG. When we add oil or margarine to a meal, we use only extra virgin olive oil, canola oil or Smart Balance - all considered beneficial to your health.
We stand behind the freshness and quality of our food. Additionally, we want your meals to be visually pleasing, sensibly packaged, simple to heat, eat and enjoy! After all, that’s one of the reasons why we have been invited onto your table – for convenience, simplicity, goodness and taste!
Our methods of packaging ensure that your meal is fresh the day you receive it and is guaranteed fresh through Thursday.
Breakfast: The entire breakfast is packaged in a clear bag with the main course normally either wrapped and on a plate, or in a bowl for heating convenience. All 1200 and 1800 calorie level breakfasts include a piece of fresh fruit. 1800 calorie level breakfasts also include 99% fat-free yogurt.
Lunch: Packaged in clear single compartment or three - compartment containers, these containers are not designed to endure heat from the microwave, but there may be parts of the meal that are best enjoyed heated. Because we don’t know when you will enjoy your meal, many components in the way of breads, buns or garnishes for sandwiches are wrapped separately, so that they will retain maximum freshness and not become soggy and cause other foods from becoming same.
Dinner: Dinners are always packaged in black, microwave-safe containers. All food is cooked to perfection. See heating instructions below.
Family Packaging: Because family time is at a premium and very precious, Epicurean Lite is able to package any meal family style, for you to heat and serve. Just let us know the number of people you wish to serve.
Enjoy your day! Enjoy your dinner! Enjoy your family!
A la Carte Selections: Each week, our kitchen prepares beautiful fresh fruit platters. We select the freshest fruits in season and encourage you to enjoy yours early in the week.
Our kitchen also prepares a blanched or steamed vegetable plate composed of the many wonderful fresh vegetables that are on the menu for that particular week. We also offer soup weekly packaged in quart-sized containers. Among other items, Epicurean Lite offers a wrap each week, and our very popular and classic Chef’s Salad, served with our homemade low-fat, low-calorie 1000 Island dressing.
Epicurean Lite foods are measured, weighed and portioned accurately and consistently. General information regarding portions are as follows*: 1200 meal, the protein portion (meat, poultry, seafood) is normally a 4 oz. portion and 1800 meal, a 4 1/2 oz. to 5 oz. portion. The carbohydrate portion (potato, brown rice, pasta) for the 1200 meal is 1/2 or 3/4 cup and 1800 meal, 1 cup to 1 1/4 cup, dependent upon other components of the meal. Vegetables are normally portioned in 1/2 cup portions for each calorie level meal.
*All portions are dependent upon other components of the particular meal.
Tips for Enjoying your Food from Epicurean Lite
- For optimum freshness, refrigerate your meals at 38 degrees upon receiving them
- Meals are normally packaged so that they may be heated in the microwave or transferred to an oven safe container for oven use
- In warm weather, use a cooler with ice for transporting your meals
- Consume meals with salads early in the week
Epicurean Lite is enjoyed by people who desire excellent food and service. We understand that you expect and demand consistent quality, delicious and consistent flavor and a familiar visual appearance. With that in mind, there are instances, when a component of a meal may not meet our standards or is not available. Therefore, we reserve the right to make substitutions. Every precaution is taken to eliminate pesticides from our foods. We wash all our fruits and vegetables extensively, except for grapes and berries. Highly perishable grapes and berries are susceptible to molding, especially after they have been washed.
Cooking Instructions
General heating instructions
Our kitchen staff takes a great deal of pride in delivering to you food that is cooked to perfection. For optimum results, please review the following:
- Unwrap items such as hamburgers, tortillas and garlic toast before heating. Remove salads (packaged in resealable bags with salad dressing) before heating or freezing your meal.
- Remove any portion control cups that are packaged with your meal (ex. Pico de Gallo, horseradish, tartar sauce, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion packets.)
- Foods vary in density - heat accordingly
- Containers will be hot after heating - use potholders
- Remove foods that are not the same density (ex. Shrimp - do not heat at the same time or at the same power level as other components of the meal - shrimp heat faster and will become overcooked and rubbery) and heat at the end of the heating process
- Beef Tenderloin is cooked medium rare. If further cooking is desired, heat carefully on medium to medium-high head in the microwave for up to 20-30 seconds additionally. Be careful not to overcook.
- To prevent your meats from drying while heating, sprinkle chicken, seafood, beef with a little water before heating
Microwave Heating Instructions
- Read instructions if printed on each meal
- Epicurean Lite recommends heating all food at medium power level and raising it to medium high power level about half-way through the heating process, so that food is not overcooked
- It is recommended that dishes be vented and microwaved from 3 minutes or more depending size of dish, number of dishes and microwave power
*****PLEASE NOTE*****
All microwaves heat differently,
so these tips will allow you to enjoy our food
as if we were serving you in the convenience of your own surroundings
Oven Heating Instructions
- Remove foods from the microwaveable dish that you wish to heat in the oven and place in an oven-safe dish.
- Preheat oven to 350 - 375 degrees.
- Depending on the quantity and density of the meal, heat for 10 - 15 minutes minutes or until hot.
- All bread products (including pizza, sandwich buns, foccacia bread, biscuit topping for Chicken Pot Pie, cornbread) are at an optimum when heated in a conventional oven or toaster oven rather than in a microwave.
Freezing and Thawing Instructions
- Remove foods from the microwaveable dish that you wish to heat in the oven and place in an oven-safe dish.
- Preheat oven to 350 - 375 degrees.
- Depending on the quantity and density of the meal, heat for 10 - 15 minutes minutes or until hot.
- All bread products (including pizza, sandwich buns, foccacia bread, biscuit topping for Chicken Pot Pie, cornbread) are at an optimum when heated in a conventional oven or toaster oven rather than in a microwave.
Special Requests
We are always happy and available to consult with a client regarding special dietary needs and requests. If there are foods that you cannot eat, we will be happy to make substitutions or omit certain foods if at all possible. There is an additional charge for any special request and the request needs to be approved and confirmed by our office.
Delivery and Pickup
Epicurean Lite’s delivery is the best and most convenient way to get your meals. The delivery charge is based on location, and ranges from approximately $5 to $12 depending upon your address. Our delivery system normally delivers your food to you within a three-hour window. If you will not be available during the delivery period on Monday, please notify our office and make arrangements to leave a cooler with frozen ice packs in which we may place your food.
You may also pick up your food at our office. Keep meals refrigerated to ensure maximum freshness.