As part of the Morning Lazziness series highlighting empowering women who are making a remarkable impact with their ideas, I had the pleasure of interviewing Shana Greenbaum.
Shana Greenbaum is the founder and CEO of Healthy Fresh Meals, a thriving home delivery meal prep and catering business based in Annapolis. A mom of two and wife, Shana combines her lifelong passion for health with her entrepreneurial spirit to make nutritious eating simple and stress-free for busy families.
Her commitment to wellness began early, inspired by her professional bodybuilder mother and an active lifestyle rooted in sports. After college, Shana’s background in restaurants and catering, paired with her personal fitness journey, sparked the idea for Healthy Fresh Meals. What started as her own meal-prepping habit quickly grew into a full-fledged business designed to take the guilt, frustration, and overwhelm out of family mealtimes.
Today, Shana leads a team of professionally trained chefs who prepare fresh, balanced meals for adults and children with menus that change weekly—requiring no minimum orders or subscriptions. Her mission is clear: to help every family enjoy healthy, delicious meals together without the stress of cooking.
A firm believer in growing a little every day, Shana also speaks candidly about balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship. Her journey inspires other women to pursue their passions while creating solutions that truly make a difference in people’s lives.
In this interview, she reveals the mindset shifts, bold moves, and lessons that helped her turn ideas into impactful online businesses.
What inspired you to start your business, and what problem were you passionate about solving?
I grew up in a household where eating healthy and staying active were second nature—my mom was a professional bodybuilder, and I competed in sports and fitness competitions myself. After college, I found myself back in restaurants and realized that while people wanted to eat healthier, there weren’t many convenient, truly scratch-made options available. I started prepping meals for myself, then for friends and family, and quickly saw the bigger problem: busy people and vulnerable populations alike needed access to nourishing food they could trust. That passion for solving the “healthy, convenient, and high-quality meals” gap became the heart of Healthy Fresh Meals.
How has your business evolved since its launch, and what key decisions have helped drive that growth?
What started in my parents’ basement with my mom, dad, and brother helping me cook and deliver has grown into a thriving company serving thousands of meals weekly across the DC-Maryland-Virginia region. The most important decisions along the way were investing in logistics (managing our own delivery structure) and purchasing my own building with a commercial kitchen.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to date, and why do you think it worked so well?
Storytelling. From being featured in the Washington Post to NBC4 coverage of us providing meals during the federal shutdown, every major marketing win came from authentically sharing our journey and impact. People connect to stories of a family-run business that grew with heart, resilience, and a real commitment to community. It’s never been about polished ads—it’s about real food and real people. Also, cultivating a team that feels like family. Each step allowed us to scale without sacrificing the quality and care that made people fall in love with our meals in the first place.
How do you stay connected to your ideal audience and understand their needs or behaviors?
We stay close to our customers and communities—whether through daily touchpoints with seniors, regular feedback from meal-prep customers, or ongoing conversations with county officials and partners. I personally review feedback and talk with customers because staying grounded in their experience allows us to innovate in meaningful ways.
What’s one branding move or campaign that helped elevate your business to the next level?
Rebranding from Strong Fit Meals to Healthy Fresh Meals was a pivotal moment. It broadened our identity beyond fitness to reflect our mission of serving healthy, high-quality meals for everyone—from busy parents to seniors aging in place. That shift opened doors for new contracts, community partnerships, and a much wider audience.
What does success look like for you, not just in numbers, but in purpose or impact?
Success is when I know our meals are improving lives. It’s seeing a senior smile because they feel cared for, or hearing from a busy parent who says our meals give them time back with their family. Numbers matter for sustainability, but the true measure is impact.
How do you personally define success, beyond revenue and growth metrics?
For me, success means balance—being able to grow a company that maintains high quality and high standards while still giving me time to be present with my children, my family, and my team. It’s building something lasting that reflects my values and leaves a positive mark on the community.
Can you share a challenge or setback that ultimately became a turning point for your brand?
In the early days, my family’s health struggles—my father’s cancer, my brother’s autoimmune disease—were incredibly difficult. But they sharpened my sense of purpose. Those experiences made me realize how important access to nourishing meals is, especially for people facing health challenges, and they pushed me to build a business that could deliver that care on a larger scale.
What daily habits or rituals keep you focused, creative, and grounded as a leader?
I wake up early—often around 4 am—to tackle my most important work before the day gets busy. I also carve out time to be hands-on with my team, whether it’s in the kitchen or during deliveries. Staying close to both the people and the process keeps me creative and grounded.
How do you approach innovation and risk in your business strategy?
I’ve learned to balance boldness with responsibility. We’ve taken risks—like investing in refrigerated trucks and entering senior nutrition contracts—that required upfront resources, but each move was calculated to align with our long-term vision. For me, innovation always has to serve both our customers and our mission.
What advice would you give to someone starting a business in today’s fast-changing digital world?
Start with purpose. The digital tools are powerful, but they can’t replace authenticity. Focus on solving a real problem for people, stay close to your customers, and don’t be afraid to share your story openly. Growth comes when people believe in both your product and your mission.
Where can our audience connect with you and learn more about your work or offerings?
You can find us at Healthy Fresh Meals, where we share our weekly menus and programs. We’re also active on Instagram and Facebook, and I personally love connecting with people who are passionate about healthy food and community impact.
