Hitting new year health goals, including eating healthier with the help of a Massachusetts meal company
Health experts say clear goals — not resolutions — are key to healthier eating. A Massachusetts meal delivery service is helping busy people stick to nutritious habits this New Year
CHRONICLE. EVERY JANUARY IT STARTS THE SAME WAY A FRESH CALENDAR, A CLEAN SLATE AND A LIST OF NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS. DO YOU HAVE A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION TO DO MORE? FOR MYSELF? THEIR PROMISES WE MAKE TO OURSELVES TO BE HEALTHIER, HAPPIER, MORE ORGANIZED, MORE SOMETHING WE START TO THINK ABOUT WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO US AND HOW WE CAN TAKE STEPS TO IMPROVE ON THOSE KINDS OF BEHAVIORS OR CONCERNS OR AREAS OF INTEREST. SOME ARE BIG AND BOLD, LIKE STAYING ORGANIZED WHILE PLANNING A WEDDING. ANYTHING YOU’RE HOPING TO HAPPEN IN THIS NEW YEAR, I THINK 2026 IS GOING TO BE A FABULOUS YEAR, AND I’M GETTING MARRIED. WHAT? AND OTHERS ARE SMALL AND PRACTICAL. OH MAN, I THINK TO FLOSS MORE. UMASS CHAN MEDICAL SCHOOL ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRY, DOCTOR BETSY ALLSTON SUGGESTS USING THE WORD GOAL INSTEAD OF RESOLUTION AND BE AS SPECIFIC AS YOU CAN WITH THAT GOAL. WE’RE ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN HAVING PEOPLE SET GOALS THAT FOCUS ON SKILLS OR ACTIONABLE STEPS YEAR AFTER YEAR. ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR RESOLUTIONS IS EATING HEALTHIER. MY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION IS ALWAYS JUST TO TRY TO STAY HEALTHY AND BE THE BEST VERSION OF MYSELF, AND WORK OUT, OFTENTIMES HARD TO STICK WITH. LIFE GETS BUSY, COOKING TAKES TIME, AND THE MOTIVATION FADES SOMETIME BETWEEN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, NOT JUST WITH HEALTHY EATING, BUT WITH RESOLUTIONS IN GENERAL. ONLY ABOUT 9 OR 10% ARE ACTUALLY ABLE TO STICK TO A HEALTHY GOAL OR A GOAL THAT EXPANDS ON THEIR LIFE IN SOME WAY. BUT THAT’S WHERE TOUGH COOKIES COMES IN. OUR CUSTOMERS DON’T WANT TO BE IN THE KITCHEN. THEY WANT TO EAT HEALTHY, BUT THEY MIGHT BE OVERWHELMED BY WHAT THAT TAKES. SO WE MAKE IT SO EASY FOR THEM. THEY CAN JUST GRAB THE FOOD, HEAT IT UP HOWEVER THEY’D LIKE AND IT’S READY TO GO. THIS MASSACHUSETTS BASED HEALTHY MEAL DELIVERY SERVICE WAS BORN NOT OUT OF A BUSINESS PLAN, BUT OUT OF FAMILY. I JUST HAVE A PASSION FOR HEALTHY EATING, AND I WOULD COOK FOR MYSELF AND MY FAMILY GROWING UP, AND THAT’S KIND OF HOW WE GOT STARTED. FOUNDERS ALEXANDRA AND MICHAEL FARADAY STARTED COOKING NUTRITIOUS AND BALANCED MEALS FOR ALEXANDRA’S BROTHER, A PROFESSIONAL BOXER, TO SUPPORT HIS TRAINING AND PERFORMANCE. MY BROTHER, WHO’S A PROFESSIONAL BOXER OR HE’S RETIRED NOW, REACHED OUT TO ME AND SAID, WOULD YOU COOK FOR ME? I’M PAYING SOMEBODY ELSE TO COOK FOR ME RIGHT NOW. YOU SHOULD MAKE MY MEALS. WORD SPREAD FAST. WE STARTED COOKING FOR PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES, AND THEN WE WERE SO BUSY THAT MY HUSBAND SAID WE SHOULD JUST BE LAUNCHING TO THE PUBLIC. THERE’S SUCH A NEED FOR HEALTHY FOOD RIGHT NOW. GIVE ME AN IDEA OF HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU’RE SERVING NOW. YOU STARTED AT WHAT AND YOU WENT, NOW YOU’RE AT. OH, WE STARTED AT ONE, MY BROTHER. AND NOW, I MEAN, WE’RE SERVING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EVERY WEEK. TODAY THE COMPANY IS SERVING EVERYONE FROM SENIORS AND BUSY PARENTS TO PROFESSIONALS ON THE GO. OUR MENU CHANGES COMPLETELY EVERY OTHER WEEK. OVER 30 MENU OPTIONS. EVERY MEAL IS COOKED WITH INTENTION FROM THERE. STOUGHTON MASSACHUSETTS COMMERCIAL KITCHEN. WITH OUR MEALS, THERE’S THREE INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS. SO WE HAVE A PROTEIN, CARBS, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE VEGGIE. AS THE COMPANY GREW, THE TEAM EXPANDED. EXECUTIVE CHEF ROLAND GILBERT NOW OVERSEES THE KITCHEN RIGHT HERE. JUST OUR TYPICAL VEGETABLE. WE HAVE OUR BELL PEPPERS, ONIONS, RED ONIONS, CARROTS AND SOME GARNISH HERE. EACH VEGGIES SLICED BY HAND KIND OF GO INTO LIKE A FORD KIND OF MOTION. YOU KNOW WHAT? AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT MAKES THE SAME, RIGHT? EXACTLY. AND THE MENU OFFERS A REAL VARIETY, FROM COMFORTING CLASSICS TO GLOBALLY INSPIRED DISHES. THERE’S ACTUALLY A MENU ITEM FOR THIS WEEK THAT WE ACTUALLY PREPARED. SO WE HAVE A COCONUT YELLOW CURRY. WE’LL GO WITH THE BALANCED PORTIONING. SO WHICH IS ABOUT 4.7OZ. THE CHICKEN IS SIMMERED WITH WARM SPICES AND PAIRED WITH THE CRISP GREEN BEANS. MEASURE OUT THE VEGGIES AND WE’RE GOING TO DO THREE OUNCES. THIS IS A DISH DESIGNED TO FUEL YOUR BODY WITHOUT SACRIFICING FLAVOR. WE JUST KEEP IT SIMPLE. IT’S INGREDIENTS THAT YOU CAN TRUST. DON’T USE SEED OILS. WE DON’T USE PRESERVATIVES. NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS. IT’S ALL HEALTHY, HOMEMADE MEALS MADE FROM SCRATCH. THE BEST PART? SO THIS IS THE FINAL STEP. IT’S PACKING THE ACTUAL ORDER. WHEN THE WEEKLY DELIVERY ARRIVES ON A CUSTOMER’S DOORSTEP, AND ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS HEAT IT UP. NO GROCERY LIST, NO PREP, NO EXCUSES TO SKIP EATING HEALTHY. THE ZESTY LEMON SPICED CHICKEN BECAUSE WHEN IT COMES TO NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS, THE GOAL ISN’T PERFECTION. IT’S SUSTAINABILITY. HAVE A PLAN? KNOW WHAT THE RESOURCES ARE THAT YOU NEED TO ENACT THAT PLAN AND RECRUIT SOCIAL SUPPORT TO DO THAT. AND AS YOU HEARD, TOUGH COOKIES GOT ITS START BY COOKING FOR ALI’S BROTHER, THE BOXER. BUT THEY’VE ALSO COOKED FOR SOME NFL ATHLETES AND DONE SOME EVENTS WITH THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS. WHATEVER YOU’RE FEEDING, THE PATRIOTS, KEEP FEEDING THEM. THEY’RE DOING GREAT. AND APPARENTLY THEIR PASTA DISHES ARE A BIG HIT. THEIR MOST POPULAR DISH? WELL, AT LEAST ONE OF THEM, ALI SAYS, IS THE
Hitting new year health goals, including eating healthier with the help of a Massachusetts meal company
Health experts say clear goals — not resolutions — are key to healthier eating. A Massachusetts meal delivery service is helping busy people stick to nutritious habits this New Year
Updated: 8:12 PM EST Jan 5, 2026
Every January starts the same way … a fresh calendar, a clean slate and a list of New Year’s resolutions. Dr. Betsy Austin of UMass Chan Medical School suggests using the word “goal” instead of “resolution” and being as specific as you can with that goal. Year after year, one of the most popular resolutions is eating healthier. Tough Cookies, a Massachusetts-based healthy meal delivery service, hopes to help keep people on track with their healthy eating by making it easy. Founder Alexandra Faherty says, “Our customers don’t want to be in the kitchen. They want to eat healthy, but they might be overwhelmed by what that takes. So we make it so easy for them, they can just grab the food, heat it up however they’d like, and it’s ready to go.”
Every January starts the same way … a fresh calendar, a clean slate and a list of New Year’s resolutions. Dr. Betsy Austin of UMass Chan Medical School suggests using the word “goal” instead of “resolution” and being as specific as you can with that goal.
Year after year, one of the most popular resolutions is eating healthier. Tough Cookies, a Massachusetts-based healthy meal delivery service, hopes to help keep people on track with their healthy eating by making it easy.
Founder Alexandra Faherty says, “Our customers don’t want to be in the kitchen. They want to eat healthy, but they might be overwhelmed by what that takes. So we make it so easy for them, they can just grab the food, heat it up however they’d like, and it’s ready to go.”