FXBG Neighbors Podcast
Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast
FXBG Neighbors Podcast
EP #27 Health in a Hurry: Chelsea John's Clean Eatz Revolution
Ever been handed a diet plan by your doctor with no real guidance on how to follow it? Chelsea John knew this frustrating gap all too well from her healthcare background, which is why she created Clean Eatz Fredericksburg.
Chelsea joins us to reveal how her thriving business serves as the crucial missing link between medical advice and practical implementation. Her passion for helping others achieve their health goals shines through as she explains the Clean Eatz concept: perfectly portioned, macro-balanced meals that take the guesswork out of nutrition. "Everything is weighed out," Chelsea explains, "so it's perfectly portioned for what people are supposed to be eating."
We explore the common misconceptions about healthy food (no, it doesn't taste like cardboard!) and how Clean Eatz addresses specific dietary needs - whether you're managing diabetes, building muscle, or simply seeking balanced nutrition. Chelsea shares candid insights about entrepreneurship, revealing both the challenges and immense rewards of building a business around helping others. "Some days you're going to want to hang up your hat," she admits, "but then there's going to be so many days that you wake up with so much joy and passion that it makes it all worth it."
With locations in both Fredericksburg and Stafford and weekly rotating meal plans to keep things fresh, Clean Eatz has become a local health resource that transforms lives. Customers regularly return with stories of weight loss, reduced medications, and renewed energy - testament to the powerful impact of making proper nutrition accessible to everyone.
Ready to simplify your nutrition journey? Visit Chelsea and her team at their Fredericksburg location near the DMV or in Stafford in the One Life Fitness shopping center, and discover how convenient healthy eating can be.
Chelsea John
Clean Eatz
Fredericksburgva@cleaneatz.com
5426 Southpoint Plaza Way, Fredericksburg, VA
540-898-7453
This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Dori Stewart.
Speaker 2:Welcome to another episode of the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast. Today we have a fantastic neighbor to introduce you to Chelsea. John is the co-owner of Clean Eatz Fredericksburg in Stafford. Chelsea. Welcome to the podcast. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3:I'm so excited to be here.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm excited to learn more about your business. So let's start there. Can you share with the listeners a little bit about your business?
Speaker 3:So at Clean Eatz, we are a brick and mortar store where customers can come in. We offer healthy macro balance. So, such as your carbs, your calories, your proteins and your fats meals, everything that we make, everything is weighed out, so it's perfectly portioned for what people are supposed to be eating. So you don't have to worry about am I eating too much? Am I not eating enough? So everything is exactly what you should have.
Speaker 2:So this is huge to have something like this locally. I'm so excited that I have found you, because my husband and I have been on this whole journey of clean eating and getting healthy. My husband has lost 40 pounds since the beginning of the year and yeah, and so we've been. We've been searching recipes and we're not I'm a terrible cook, but trying to find recipes that are high protein, low calorie and, you know, to find something where we could order something pre-made and make our weeknights easier. And you have done all the work for us is just genius. Thank you for this, of course, of course. So tell us about what made you decide to open this up. Tell us about your background, your journey.
Speaker 3:Um.
Speaker 3:So I decided to open up Clean Eatz because I knew, um, my background is healthcare and I don't know how many times patients will go to the doctor.
Speaker 3:A doctor tells them hey, you need to lose weight, and then everyone is handed a piece of paper, um, and that's pretty much it and you have to figure it out on your own.
Speaker 3:And diet and nutrition is a very scary thing and you know, people are just kind of left off to their own and I feel like we're that missing piece that we can kind of help those, those patients, and turn them into customers and say, hey, this is, this is what you should be eating, these are the options that we have for you. If you're diabetic, these are the carbs that we would recommend for you and these are the meals. If you're looking to gain some more weight and you need extra protein, these are the options that we have for you. So we can kind of be that middleman per se, because a lot of times patients don't know like, or they might not have insurance coverage to get, you know, advice from a registered dietitian. So I feel like we're that good segue for them to have that healthy balance and to be like okay, this is what I need to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. I love that so much. So do you find that there are any myths or misconceptions that people have about your business?
Speaker 3:So a lot of times people think that our food is going to taste like cardboard because it's healthy, oh, and they're very surprised when they eat it. And I think a lot of times too, whenever you go out to eat, we're served these huge portions. We don't necessarily have huge portions, we have healthy portions, and so it's just a different mindset and a lot of times people will be somewhat hesitant to come and try our food and then, after they eat it, they're just like, wow, that was really good.
Speaker 2:And they're surprised. Yeah, yeah. Well, thank you for clearing that up for us. I can't wait to try it. I'm excited. So clearly you're very busy with two locations. So first, congratulations on on opening two locations. That's huge, and your husband is your co owner. And so talk to me about when you're not working. Do you get a break? What do you do for fun?
Speaker 3:So what do I do for fun? I actually go and I work out, or, you know, at the end of the day I do like to do some couch rotting, couch riding. So for the most part, we're pretty busy, he and I gosh, I don't even know we try to make sure that we have date nights. So that way, even though we're super, super busy, we're still staying connected and working on ourselves.
Speaker 2:Nice, nice. So you mentioned that your Stafford location opened in November. How long has your Fredericksburg location been?
Speaker 3:open. So in September we'll be celebrating four years.
Speaker 2:Oh, nice Congratulations, Thank you. And so, thinking back to when you first started your business, what is some advice that you would have for others who are thinking about starting a business, or or what is something that you wish you had known back then?
Speaker 3:Um. So some advice that I would give to my younger self is it's going to be tough. Um some days you're going to want to hang up your hat and question why you did it, but then there's going to be so many days that you wake up and you have so much joy and so much passion for what you have that it makes it all worth it. When you build these teams and they rally and they have the same passion that you do, it's just amazing, and a lot of times I get up because of the people that work for me and also the community that we serve.
Speaker 2:I love that. It is important to have a really strong why and what you're doing is so important. You know you're not, you're not just serving food to people, which is important, but you are helping people live a longer life. I mean, you must get so much satisfaction out of what you do.
Speaker 3:Yes. So, like I said, I have a healthcare background so I've always loved taking care of people. So this to me, I actually get to see the results of my hard work and my team's hard work. When these customers come in and they're like I've lost weight or I don't have to take a medication or I feel so much better, or they go on vacation and you know they overindulge and they're like I feel like crap, I need to get back, and you're here, Thank you.
Speaker 2:That's amazing. So what is something that you wish the listeners knew about your business?
Speaker 3:Something. Um, we have a weekly meal plan and it changes every week, so that way you don't have to eat the same things. We also have our freezers full of meals and if you have any questions, please come in. Ask us all the questions so that we can help you get to wherever it is that you need to be. Wherever you are in your journey, we want to be there with you.
Speaker 2:That's cool. So you can come in and pick up your meals for a whole week yes, ma'am. Meals for a whole week yes, ma'am, I love that Very cool. So if the listeners want to swing by and visit you or check you out, where can they find you?
Speaker 3:So in Fredericksburg we are at 5426 Southp oint Plaza Way. So I tell people that we're over by DMV. So maybe if you have to wait in a long line at DMV or you're hesitant to come, maybe we could be that bright spot in your day to come and stop in and see us. And then in Stafford we are located off of 610 and we are in the same shopping center as One, life Fitness.
Speaker 2:Perfect Chelsea, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast today and sharing Clean Eatz with us.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much for having me. I am so, so thankful.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to fxbgneighborspodcast. com. That's fxbgneighborspodcast. com, or call 540-534-4618.