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Like a lot of women, Linda Soper-Kolton was trying to balance a busy career and still prepare fresh meals for her family. "I was just looking for an outlet for my passion to eat healthfully," said Linda Soper-Kolton.
The answer was to launch her own all-organic, vegetarian store, GreenGourmetToGo in Bridgeport. Tall, blue-eyed and blonde, Linda could easily pass for a model. Instead, the Fairfield wife and mother of a 9-year-old son worked for years as an executive at Save the Children in Westport.
She was always consumed with healthy cooking and eating. "I was one of those crazy people who orchestrated fresh meals seven nights per week," she said. But long days at her demanding job made her commitment to "no dinners from a box" challenging. "I thought, wouldn't it be great to find a takeout store that carried freshly made, all-organic, vegetarian food? Then I wouldn't have to cook every night."
There was no such local venue, so she took matters into her own hands and enrolled in the National Gourmet Institute in New York City for a yearlong course (while continuing her day job at Save the Children). She not only learned technique and theory, but also realized "what you put in your body affects every facet of your life." Linda graduated as a full-fledged chef from the Institute, whose philosophy promotes a healthful approach to cooking and eating.
In March she opened GreenGourmetToGo, where customers can grab, as she puts it, "fast food that is slow-cooked." The organic, all-vegetarian menu changes daily and takes advantage of seasonal, locally grown produce and products. And there are vegan dishes as well as wheat-, gluten- and dairy-free options.
But Linda not only caters to her customers; she caters for them. She produces meals for business lunches and gatherings that are "more about fueling and less about filling," and she creates menus for children's parties that are non-allergenic and "classroom friendly," taking into account children's food sensitivities.
"Wellness begins with good food," said Linda. And there's plenty of it at GreenGourmetToGo.
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