Urban Foodies offering healthy food options in Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The aroma of freshly baked chicken with a tangy and sweet Filipino barbecue sauce is a sweet smell to Samantha Lopez.[br /][br /]"We started it out of necessity. We fell on hard times last summer, in order to keep food on the table, I started offering meals to family and friends, and then it grew from there."[br /][Ads /][br /]The Fresno woman is the owner of Urban Foodies, a meal prep and catering business.[br /][br /]They also make specialty sauces.[br /][br /]Lopez, along with her husband and boys, started the business after seeing a great need for healthy options in Southeast Fresno.[br /][br /]"We do a variety of things from turkey meatloaf, to things like Buddha bowls, and salads, and things like that. It's not diet food by any means, it's healthier food options, whole food options, and perfectly portioned."]][br /][br /]Lopez says the orders have grown in popularity and she has grown personally since cooking at Pro Culinary Commercial Kitchen in Central Fresno.[br /][br /]Mike Cook says the commercial kitchen serves as a culinary incubator and launched about five months ago, "People come to us with a great food idea, but they have a problem taking it from concept to career. That's what we do."[br /][Ads /][br /]Urban Foodies has been able to get a grant to help them to develop their idea of providing meals to underserved areas.[br /][br /]"I thought everybody cooked, and everybody loved food like I did, but not everybody is into the cooking," said Lopez while laughing.[br /][br /]A passion you can taste in each bite and a family that hopes to make a difference, one meal at a time.[br /][br /]For now, you can order online through Urban Foodies [url HREF="https://www.instagram.com/urban.foodies559/" TARGET="_blank" REL="nofollow"]Instagram [/url]and [url HREF="https://www.facebook.com/urban.foodies.33" TARGET="_blank" REL="nofollow"]Facebook[/url] pages.[br /][br /]The cost is $10, and they're working on creating a subscription program.[br /][br /]Lopez says this is just the start of her dream to bring food to Fresno families.