When doctors told Victoria McCoy she had just six months to live, she knew she needed to make drastic adjustments to how she was living.
McCoy was diagnosed with lupus at age 19. She has experienced kidney failure, heart complications and severe inflammation. After getting the heartbreaking prognosis, she decided to change her diet and commit to physical wellness.
Fourteen years later McCoy is beating the odds — and dedicates her life to helping others do the same through her St. Louis-based meal prep company, Victorious Foods.
VICTORIOUS FOODS is a Black-owned St. Louis meal-prep company specializing in ready-to-eat, nutritious meals.
“I cut out anything from a box or a bag. That was my go-to mission,” McCoy said. “If it came in a box or a bag, I’m not going to eat it. If it had a shelf life of two years, it doesn’t need to be in my body. … I had to prepare for success.”
McCoy said that after switching strictly to whole foods and cutting out processed items, she lost 50 pounds in just six months and was able to drastically reduce her daily medications.
“Food can either heal you or hurt you; the choice is yours,” McCoy said. “A lot of things revolve around what we eat. … I always say food is medicine.”
While healthy eating and regular exercise won’t cure lupus, doctors say they can help people manage the disease and reduce the risk of complications.
Lupus also disproportionately affects Black women, who are three times more likely to develop the disease than White women, according to the Lupus Foundation of America. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that Black adults also have higher rates of chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes, differences public health experts often attribute to unequal access to healthy foods and quality medical care.
Research suggests that one simple habit — planning meals ahead of time — can make healthy eating easier. Studies published by the National Institutes of Health have found that women who regularly plan their meals are less likely to be overweight or obese.
For veteran pageant contestant Wauneen Rucker, buying prepped meals became a game changer as she geared up for her final pageant at 57 years old.
“Between her meal planning and connecting me with her brother for fitness coaching, together they got my body right,” Rucker said.
As a wife and mother with a hectic schedule, Rucker said eliminating cooking from her duties provided her with much-needed relief.
“I would have my lunch and my dinner already prepared for me and at least took that off my plate, so I could then devote that time to prepare for my family,” Rucker explained.
McCoy offers a wide variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner options. Entree choices include poultry, steak, fresh salmon and shrimp, paired with vegetables like carrots, broccoli, green beans and roasted potatoes.
Rucker is an expert in the kitchen herself, but she tips her hat to McCoy for culinary specialties she hasn’t quite mastered.
“I am a certified pastry chef — gone to culinary school, the whole bit. I can’t do it like she does it. I don’t know what she does, but she does it,” said Rucker, noting her fondness for McCoy’s mashed sweet potatoes.
Rucker said she also appreciates the personal connections McCoy maintains with her clients.
“She actually personally delivers the meals to your door. You get to see her face and talk about what you liked. … It’s that personal touch,” Rucker said. “Aside from the customer service, the stuff is just good.”
McCoy’s work extends beyond daily meal prep. She recently launched a nonprofit, Victorious Living Foundation, to provide resources and support to people living with chronic illnesses. Her goal is to prevent others with chronic conditions from facing the same hardships she experienced early in her diagnosis.
As part of that mission, McCoy will host a 5K run/walk on Saturday, Aug. 29, at Spanish Lake Park to encourage healthy living and raise awareness about lupus and other chronic illnesses.
“When I was diagnosed at 19, I ended up losing my job … and my medication wasn’t covered by insurance anymore,” McCoy said. “I was paying $700 for medication with money I didn’t have. So I want to help offset some of that cost for people with chronic illnesses.”