fit-flavors restaurant owner lives out her purpose with new book

By STLSportsPage.com

Update:

Jillian Tedesco is at it again. In an effort to help others live a healthy life she began working in a gym, then started a chain of restaurants and now she has come out with a book explaining her philosophy and chronicling her journey, called “Owning the Wait; Harnessing Your Spiritually and Mindset.”

“My biggest message is really two things,” she said. “The first one is simple, life with God is better. The second message is to see nutrition from a new perspective.”

As “swimsuit weather” is here many are panicking and trying to do crash diets. Tedesco thinks “diets” of any type are no good.

She views weight loss more like weight management and sees it as a long term approach vs a short term diet or challenge.

“My entire career has been helping people in the health and fitness space,” she told STLSportsPage.com. “Lots of people struggle with their health, weight or relationship with food. My book provides a seven-step framework to bust through fixed mindsets and false narratives around your approach to your health, weight and relationship with food to harness your mindset for a lifestyle change.”

The book is full of inspiration and motivation as well as instructions on how you can be your healthiest and feel your best. Readers may be surprised that the personal trainer turned chef leaves wiggle room in her philosophy. Many trainers advocate a specific, strict lifestyle such as veganism or daily workouts, however she advocates doing what works for you and not being too hard on yourself. On those days strays from her usual eating plan, she avoids the words “cheat days” and inserts “fun days.”

Tedesco, who started out as a personal trainer working in gyms for years found that nutrition and cooking was a passion for her so she went to school to become a chef. The book is motivational because while she was making her big life-change, she was also a newly married person and the journey included her becoming a mother while working to establish her new career and eventually starting a business.

The thing we liked about the book is Jillian Tedesco does not claim to have a huge life-changing event, but rather she is a regular person who most people can identify and she talks about the journey she took to where she is.

One of her underlying messages is you can do whatever you set your mind to. She started her business of selling “home-cooked” prepared healthy, nutritional meals out of her house and today she owns fit-flavors restaurants with at least five locations. She also smashes the myth of “doing it all”– by yourself. She acknowledges that she had help along the way, and she took it. She never stopped educating herself and she established boundaries of where her family life fits in to her business life.

From trainer to business owner to podcaster, Tedesco is excited about her new book.

“The feeling is a bit surreal,” she said. “I remind myself to let go of my expectations and trust that God has a plan for where this book will land. My biggest prayer is that it will land in the right people’s hands.

“I also pray that it will bring my readers value and light the fire that is inside them. Whatever that fire may be, it motivates them to see a new perspective, or take action. I feel a sense of joy and accomplishment as I know the work and hours poured into this book was for a greater purpose, truly God’s purpose. I know my vulnerability and experiences will be able to help so many people.”

For information on the book: CLICK HERE.

Original Post Sept. 16, 2021

Many have noticed, but in the year 2021, “fast food” isn’t fast. The drive-through lines are long and when you get through the long waits, the food is still “fast food” which often means unhealthy on a regular basis. We have discovered a locally-owned chain of restaurants where you can get your food fast and it is plays right into a healthy lifestyle—which is what STLSportsPage.com likes to advocate. Though fit-flavors has been in business for a while; we just found out about it after they opened their most recent location–and wanted to spread the word.

According to the owner, Jillian Tedesco, fit-flavors (and she says “lowercased” is correct) is a lifestyle brand, not a diet.

This website has always advocated a healthy lifestyle rather than a “diet.” Editor-in-Chief, Rob Rains lost 60 pounds about eight years ago by changing his lifestyle to more low-carb and he has kept it off by continuing with that lifestyle. The low-carb entries is what brought Rains into Tedesco’s store. He tries to keep his carbs, sugar, and fried foods to a minimum, and fit-flavors makes it easy. Whether it’s gluten-free, low calorie or low carb— fit-flavors has something for everyone– including those who just want a delicious meal.

“We meet customers wherever they are on their nutrition journey,” said Tedesco who does a podcast called Owning the Wait, which will be the title of a book she is writing. “Whether they are trying to lose weight and have questions, following a low sodium diet, on a fad diet, or have food allergies, we can be a resource to them. We pride ourselves on having something on the menu for everyone. We love to educate customers about how nutrition works and why a lifestyle approach is a more sustainable approach than any fad diet.”

The new restaurant, fit-flavors recently opened in Sunset Hills and they plan to celebrate their Grand Opening on Sunday, September 26, 2021 from 11am to 2pm.

The concept started when Tedesco was a personal trainer and she started producing healthy, all natural, pre-cooked/packaged meals that are portion controlled and ready to heat and eat. It started with cooking for a handful of clients and has grown into a group of five successful restaurants.

“I feel like I am living out my purpose,” said Tedesco, who was spotlighted in 2020 by the St. Louis Business Journal for her success with the 40 Under 40 list of rising stars in the business community. “I believe God has His hand in the business and has guided us through the years. I believe it is my personal purpose to serve others through the fit-flavors platform. Whether that is through food, nutrition, or education, All the experiences in my life have led me to where I am now.

“I love that I get to combine my passion for food and culinary with my experience and knowledge around nutrition science and coaching people to make a lifestyle change. Our product and business are a result of my passion and experience.”

In these times it seems like customer service has become a lost art. A visit to fit-flavors will revive your faith in people who are proud of their business and want to be helpful.

“My favorite thing about fit-flavors (besides the flavorful meals) would be our nutritional resources,” said Katie Ehlen, (shown left in front of the cooler) one of the managers at the Sunset Hills location who was very helpful as new customers wandered into the shop. “We offer a nutritional counseling program called FitU run by our licensed and registered dietitian Allison Lesko. Our company is always trying to educate clients on the importance of nutrition as a whole.”

Four times a year they change their menu to go with the seasons. They cycle about 30 of their products to seasonal items in order to keep the menu fresh and interesting.

“I lead menu development for fit-flavors,” said Tedesco. “The menu development team consists of our Nutrition Analyst, Executive Chef, Sous Chefs, Baker, and Registered Dietician.”

“As someone who has always struggled with balancing nutrition, this program has been a beneficial experience for me,” said Ehlen. “I can honestly say the knowledge I have gained from fit-flavors and FitU will serve me for life. Having a menu that changes with the seasons is also awesome. I look forward to the new menus and seeing what new flavors that we create.”

The Sunset Hills Location has been in the works for a while.

“We have wanted to come to that area since 2017,” Tedesco said. “But it wasn’t the right timing for our business. After coming out of the pandemic, we found that people now more than ever are looking for convenient, healthy pre-made meals. Three things that we are experts in. The opportunity and timing were right, so we jumped on it.”

Fit-flavors is located in the shopping center at the southwest corner of Watson and Lindbergh — near Home Depot–at 10756 Sunset Hills Plz. St. Louis, MO 63127. The newest location features microwaves, tables and even couches for the busy worker taking a minimum time to grab lunch. They can choose a meal, microwave it and then sit on the comfy couches and scroll their social media– or catch up on all the Cardinals action with the latest articles on STLSportsPag.com. They also have carry-out and delivery.