Omar Jimenez begins most days the same.
“First thing I do? I pray. Thank God for another day,” Jimenez said. “Then I go to the gym for an hour, two hours. Get my little workout done. Unless I have orders. Business comes first.”
He works part time at the Santa Maria Country Club, but when he’s not busy there he’s in his kitchen preparing orders for Omar’s Healthy Foods LLC. Customers submit their requests to be ready on different days of the week, so Jimenez’s schedule varies.
The Santa Maria native is going on two years since founding his meal prep business. It started as a hobby with him posting pictures of his cooking on Instagram. Eventually, fellow gymgoers expressed interest in buying the meals, which typically are varying combinations of protein, vegetables, and rice. Breakfast recently hit the menu, too. The meals are available for delivery or pickup, and the contents are customizable.
It’s what’s for dinner
Message Omar Jimenez on Instagram (@omars_healthy_foods_llc) or Facebook (Omar Jimenez) to see his current menu and place an order. Each meal costs $15 to $18. Opt in for pickup, or delivery near Santa Maria is available for an extra $6. Out of town orders are delivered for an additional charge, too. Buy in bulk for a discount.
However, there was a period of time when Jimenez’s mornings weren’t so disciplined. Today he’s going on five years sober, but he once battled drug addiction and underwent a serious weight loss journey.
“That process, it took me a while. I had to get my brain occupied and get myself right,” Jimenez said. “I started working out, going to the gym. I started cooking.”
Shows like Hell’s Kitchen and baking competitions taught the chef about how other people operate in the kitchen. It also gave him ideas for putting his own twists on recipes, though he’s worked in the restaurant industry for much of his life.
‘I’ve met some people with some amazing stories, and I tell them my story. That pushes me to keep on going.’
—Omar Jimenez, Omar’s Healthy Foods founder
He also got a formal culinary education at Allan Hancock College. With support from a few friends and family members, Jimenez got his health permits and business license and passed food safety courses to kick-start his own venture.
“I have a lot of family. I’m thankful for that, for them helping me out because without God or my family, this wouldn’t be possible,” Jimenez said.
Omar’s Healthy Foods maintains a menu of most requested favorites and switches out one or two new recipes almost weekly. Plus, Jimenez is known to take requests.
“I have some clients that like specific macros, which is like calories, protein, carbs,” Jimenez explained.
It’s a lot of work to log the macro counts in an app called My Fitness Pal, but he said he loves the challenge.
A few popular dishes are the beef cottage cheese bowl, the summer shrimp bowl, and the salmon bowl. Each comes with a choice of flavorful vegetables and fluffy jasmine or cauliflower rice. Jimenez also includes a signature sauce—the most special one is his mom’s homemade tomatillo hot sauce.
While he hasn’t tired of his own cooking yet, Jimenez indulges in his mom’s Mexican comfort food and Santa Maria-style barbecue on special weekends. But for daily living, the business owner enjoys keeping his diet simple and healthy. Jimenez’s personal favorite right now is the salmon bowl.
“Salmon has a lot of good benefits for your body. It’s low in fat, high in protein,” he said.
Clients agree. Jimenez said some order his salmon every week.
He buys fresh produce and meat from local grocery stores and prepares every meal to order, which cuts down on waste for him and his diners.
One challenge has been dealing with rising costs of gas and groceries. In April, Jimenez made a social media post telling his followers why his prices went up. The increase didn’t seem to deter business.
“Hey. They’re still here,” Jimenez said. “They’re still here, and I’m thankful for it. Because of them, I’m where I’m at.”
The chef believes his customers keep returning because of his superb service, tasty flavors, and presentation. He makes everything as if he was the one eating it and then delivers it to customers as far as Lompoc and San Luis Obispo. Pickup is an option for those closer to Santa Maria. As long as clients place their orders two days in advance, Jimenez can accommodate their schedules.
When it comes to presentation, he wants the food to look as good as it tastes. While Jimenez carefully packages each container, the beef cottage cheese bowl requires a little extra attention.
Hot ingredients like the ground beef, sweet potatoes, and squash are measured out in the container. Jimenez stocks 2-ounce cups with cottage cheese, hot honey, and his mom’s salsa. Rather than cutting into an avocado and risking brown spots, he gives the customer a whole avocado.
“So, when they eat their meal, they just open [the avocado] up. They get more,” Jimenez said.
His biggest motivation is seeing customers make their own progress. They send messages with news of losing weight, taking pride in their newfound discipline.
“I’ve met some people with some amazing stories, and I tell them my story,” the chef said. “That pushes me to keep on going, and I never give up.”
Those connections remind Jimenez of where he started and how far he’s come. He’s found that building a supportive community around healthy living is the path he’s meant for.
“I’ve always wanted to tell my story, and maybe someone could learn. People always tend to put people down or say they can’t do something or laugh at them,” Jimenez said. “Always prove people wrong, no matter what our life is or no matter what. Anything is possible and just don’t give up.”
Reach Staff Writer Madison White at mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in July 23 – July 30, 2026.
