Food and fitness are at the heart of Mouth and Muscle, a Milwaukee-based startup that combined both nutritious food options and exercise coaching to help users meet their fitness goals.
Midway through 2018, co-founders Dan Barmantje and Claire Menck decided to dip their toes into the entrepreneurial pool, melding together their areas of expertise. Barmantje is a fitness coach, while Menck is a chef.
Together, the duo said they aspire to help people create custom food plans and workout regimens for any person, any age, any gender and in any specific walk of life.
The company’s menu of services includes nutrition coaching, fitness coaching and, most recently, a meal delivery offering.
“We tailor our offerings,” Menck said as she emphasized one size does not fit all when it comes to a health and wellness regimen.
Barmantje and Menck launched Mouth and Muscle in May and took their business to another level in September with the introduction of a meal kit program, Meals TO_GO, which is specifically tailored to people on the go who are interested in making healthy food choices.
While Meals TO_GO offers a range of food options---an effort Menck said is designed to serve any palate---the startup focuses its dishes on those that are nutrient-packed.
All of the foods served through the Meals TO_GO service are prepared fresh each week, Menck said, and many are low or free of dairy products.
Mouth and Muscle also is offering gluten-free options and dishes with a heavy emphasis on whole gains and complex carbohydrates. Vegetarian and vegan options also are available.
In its brief life, Menck said Mouth and Muscle has been received well in the community, as has the introduction of Meals TO_GO, which presently is available in Milwaukee, Ozaukee and Waukesha counties.
As 2019 gets underway, Menck said she and Barmantje are focused on expanding the business further. The company, for example, is offering a free macro analysis to prospective customers in discovering what exactly they should be eating for optimal health.
Further building out Meals TO_GO and other food-related offerings also is on the docket, Menck said.
“We’re very community-based in our focus; that’s one of our values,” Menck said. “Everything we prepare is very local. It’s one of the things that’s very important to us.”
