Customers have taken to prepackaged meal choices being sold by Luby's Culinary Services at a pair of test sites. The series of eight different preportioned choices are sold under the company's Livin' Smart wellness brand and contain less than 600 calories and under 30 grams of fat.

The recipes were developed by the company's chefs and dietitians. They are made onsite, packed and labeled with POS and nutritional information. The operation at Baylor College of Medicine was selling over two dozen a day a month after the program was introduced.

“Surveys showed that customers wanted choices that were mobile, quick and healthful,” says Todd Coutee, division vice president for Luby's. “Now, we're finding some customers buying one at breakfast to have as lunch, and some who buy them to take home for dinner.”

Livin' Smart prepack products were debuted November 2nd with a chef and nutritionist discussing the beneficial nutritional profile of the choices and giving out samples. “By the fourth day, we had to double production,” Coutee offers.

He says the company plans to add locations after the new year — perhaps even expanding the program to catering — and also to increase choices to include breakfast and dessert options. Currently, the choices are entrees like garlic lime chicken with black bean congri and steamed broccoli and lemon grass sirloin skewers over brown rice with fresh asparagus, two of the favorites.