With longer work hours, little exercise time and crazy schedules, staying fit can be a challenge. But with these healthy food deliveries, it’s a challenge you can tackle, writes RANJANI RAJENDRA
What’s one of the most common New Year resolutions we all make? To shed those extra kilos and embrace a healthier lifestyle, of course. How many of us actually stick to it for more than a month, or maybe two? But given the hectic lives most of us lead — office at 9 a.m., delayed lunches, getting home late in the evening, and a quick take-out dinner before you hit the bed — there’s little or no time and energy to think about carefully planned meals, ones that are balanced and nutritious and not just an on-the-go fried chicken burger or pizza slice.
This is where a slew of healthy food delivery services, most of them set up in the last year, step in. From a fresh salad, to whole-wheat pasta or stir-fried chicken, and even healthy versions of the juicy burger, they are all delivered right at your desk.
Sreevarshini Baskaran, founder of A Salad Company, says, “I was working in the IT sector in Bangalore before I quit my job and moved to Chennai. I was idle here and soon realised that sitting at home also translated into me piling on the kilos. I wanted to lose weight but in a healthy manner — no crazy exercise schedules or crash diets for me. As it turned out, there were very few places that delivered food that was wholesome yet healthy.” So, in January 2016, the IT professional-turned-entrepreneur launched A Salad Company, with the aim of delivering healthy lunches and dinners to the busy professional.
The company, like other similar services, has a menu chalked out for the whole month, and dishes are seldom repeated within a 30-day cycle. Packed in neat plastic boxes, the food is freshly prepared and delivered within a couple of hours of being made.
Working along similar lines are also companies like Dietbox, Pickled Pumpkin and Re:store, that send out lunches and dinners. “Our focus is on calorie-counted meals. So if you decide on a diet plan as per your fitness goals, we’ll send you the meals to achieve those goals,” says Sandeep Soundappan, who co-founded Dietbox along with Avinash S.L. According to Sandeep, the duo got in touch with nutritionists to design well-balanced meal plans. “We also deliver protein boosters. They can be ordered as add-ons or as a meal in itself for those post-workout cravings.”
Taking the health factor a notch higher is Re:store, that was started by Nandi Shah. The company aims to deliver healthy meals just like the others, but with a twist. They almost always have millets featuring in their dishes, bringing the focus back on the more nutritious grains. For those who love their smoothies and don’t mind making a meal out of it, there’s Relish. Set up by Ganesh Krishnan, Relish delivers health drinks, cold pressed juices, smoothies and nut milk. Priced at around Rs. 70 a bottle, the drinks are packaged in little PET bottles and delivered fresh.
Breaking away from the notion that only salads constitute a healthy meal, these companies focus on counting calories and restricting portion sizes, while keeping in mind quality and taste. “We don’t believe in starving ourselves of the finer things in life. What’s important is to keep in mind moderate eating. Most of us love a big hearty meal and don’t give a second thought to what goes into the food we eat. With Pickled Pumpkin, we deliver everything from a burger, salad to pasta — with healthy twists,” explains Sowmya Skandan, founder of the company. Their warm pasta salad, for instance, is made with whole-wheat pasta and skimmed milk.
The best part — they’re nominally priced, with most of the meals below Rs. 200. Some customers even order a 5-day or 21-day package.
So, whether it is a grilled chicken, a sumptuous biryani, a crisp salad or a flavourful pasta, there is a healthier option out there.
Most of these services close lunch orders the previous evening and dinner orders by 12 noon the same day.
Order one
Pickled Pumpkin: 8939825437
Dietbox: 9840768888
Relish: 9840310312
A Salad Company: 94447 91746
Re:store: 9884070315
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