Pulse Fitness and Nutrition will set your heart ablaze. Tasty!

Acting on a tip from a friend, I found a place that was surprisingly well developed with an excellent business model, lovely website and an emphasis on service. Pulse Fitness and Nutrition has three locations, in Jackson, Dexter and Cape Girardeau, but the one I visited was at 318 E. Main St. in Jackson. The process for getting an excellent supper from Pulse started with an online order, but don't tune me out yet! There are other ways to try the food — you'll see.

The week before, I placed an online order for two entrees of my choosing from www.pulsefitnessandnutrition.com. I paid, and then I had to wait until Monday for my pick-up date. At around 4 p.m. the next Monday, I visited the Jackson location to pick up my meals. Pulse occupies two suites in a building close to the post office, one side being the food (Nutrition,) and the other being the gym (Fitness.) I entered the Nutrition door, clearly labeled, and was greeted by Tyler, who founded Pulse Fitness and Nutrition in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic — a gutsy move. With meals that can be picked up or delivered straight to your door, I bet this handy feature helped the business thrive.

Tyler introduced himself, shook my hand and gave me a brief rundown on the place, since he recognized me as a new customer. To my immediate right upon entering were large glass-fronted coolers, one full of orders in black bags with tags — including my order — the other with stacks of food containers filled with the most bright and beautiful food. And this is your second option for getting some meals from Pulse Nutrition: the Grab-and-Go meals. You can walk in, pick from what's available, pay and leave. You will have in your hands a healthy meal that has been locally sourced as much as possible, with readily available nutrition facts broken down in detail online.

Pulse Nutrition's fiesta rice bowl, a whole garden in a bowl and just lovely, seen here before heating.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

Pulse Nutrition's fiesta rice bowl, a whole garden in a bowl and just lovely, seen here before heating.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

Let me apologize in advance, because I didn't write down the exact name of the dishes I tried. I ordered a garlic shrimp scampi for me, and my husband wanted a fiesta rice bowl. My shrimp scampi was amazing. Instant garlic steam bathed me after 90 seconds in the microwave. The Parmesan cheese shards had melted beautifully. The pasta wasn't regular pasta; it was a healthier substitute, and I was instantly suspicious. And ... I shouldn't have been. After heating, it had the taste and texture of the pasta I was used to and just served as a bed for the wonderful, garlicky, buttery shrimp. I squeezed the fresh slice of lemon over it, and wow, the zing and freshness made me feel like a champ for eating something not only delicious and guilt-free, but full of vitamins that my body needs to function. So good! I took a single bite of my husband's meal because he was giving me that look, the one that says that he's hungry and "don't touch the protein" (not really, he's really very willing to share,) and I told him that it tasted like a garden exploded in my mouth. Fresh salsa, fluffy rice that reheated like a dream, excellent freshness. Just, fresh everywhere, like the Fresh Fairy came down from Freshville with her wand and sprinkled crispy and bright vegetables and herbs everywhere. I hope that paints the picture appropriately.

I also ordered an appetizer, Philly cheesesteak-stuffed potatoes. With real chunks of steak cut into small cubes and perfectly cooked with a touch of pink, peppers, mushrooms, cheeses that melted so perfectly after warming and a touch of some Philly sauce, these potatoes were delicious and comforting.

According to the website, Tyler went to culinary school and obviously took the education for all it was worth. Delicious, yummy, healthy, reasonably priced at about $9 to $12 an entree, I can see subbing out a through-the-mail meal service for this. Fresher, easier and with less generated waste, this is a better all-around option to mail services such as Hello Fresh. Pulse will also deliver to your door, and you get to support a local business that supports other locals by buying locally. Yay, local!

Now, the bad news is that you probably won't be able to get these exact meals next week. The menu is rotated weekly with new, in-season recipes, and this is only for the good, I believe, something new to try. I'll frequent Pulse regularly, so thanks for great idea and the future meals!