Wally Jacob's healthy prepared meals, Wabowls, have been introduced in multiple local venues.
PENNINGTON -- After 15 years of fitness and meal experimentation, a Pennington resident says he's developed a healthy, grab-and-go meal option he's dubbed Wabowl.
"Growing up, I became interested in nutrition when I wasn't getting results at the gym," said Wally Jacob, who graduated from The College of New Jersey in 2000. "I discovered how eating certain ways could influence your physique."
The Wabowl, which is short for Wally bowl, is the culmination of his research. He began selling the bowls at the PEAC Health and Fitness club on March 28 and later, the Pennington Quality Market on April 29.
"Currently there are two bowls," Jacob said. "The all natural is spinach, garbanzo beans, barley, chicken, milled flax seed and a non-fat, Greek-yogurt-based sauce with eastern and southeast Asian flavoring. The vegan is spinach, kasha, lentils, tofu, milled flax seeds in a cultured-almond-milk-based peanut sauce."
The Wabowl's ingredients allow it to provide the consumer with a well balanced meal, according to Jacob, while providing a filling meal under 300 calories.
"The deal with Wabowl is whenever you see it, it's always a 1-to-1-to-1ratio of calories, carbs, proteins and fats or very close to it," he said. "The sauce also stands alone at that 1-to-1-to-1 ratio. So, the macronutrient caloric ratio is what sets it apart from all of the grab-and-go meals out there."
Jacob, who grew up in Hopewell, said he and his mother work to prepare each meal at Something Special Sharing Kitchen, a local commercial kitchen in Ewing.
"Currently, it's just the two of us, but moving forward, I am going to have to bring on some additional people," Jacob said. "Right now, I can handle the demand, as well as all of the other additional responsibilities that come with running a small business."
After the production of about 150 meals, Jacob said he will deliver the product himself to both the Pennington Market and PEAC. Each meal has a five-day, refrigerated shelf life, he said.
Since his product launched in the Pennington Market, Jacob has gone into the store nearly every day to market the Wabowl.
"I found that the amount of times I sample is correlated to the sales I make," he said.
Pennington Market shopper Margie Linden, who purchased her first Wabowl after trying a sample said she enjoyed the healthy product.
"I liked that it was fresh and tasty and that it was locally made, so I'm supporting local commerce," Linden said.
The all natural Wabowl is priced at $5.99 in the Pennington Market, and the vegan Wabowl is $7.49.
Jacob said he plans on introducing a third bowl to his collection in about five weeks, which will be a gluten-free Wabowl.
Thomas Regan may be reached at tregan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Thomas_P_Regan. Find NJ.com on Facebook.