CHENNAI: Do you want food that tickles your taste buds and is healthy as well? Dietbox, a start-up by Avinash S L and Sandeep Soundappan, aims to provide tasty and healthy food for all the health conscious folks. “Sandeep and I used to train a lot and we found it difficult to spot a place which provides healthy food after a work out. That’s when we realised the need for a healthy food outlet in Chennai,” says Avinash.
What’s special about Dietbox? “We provide healthy breakfasts, lunches and dinners based on our client’s nutritional needs. We analyse their medical history and also provide a surplus or a deficit of calories in the food based on their goals,” he says.
The food is delivered fresh: three times, at three different places. “Apart from the three courses, there is a variation in the number of calories — low, medium and high - based on one’s height and weight,” he shares. Dietbox follows a weekly rotation in the breakfast and dinner menus, and a bi-weekly rotation in the lunch menu. A panel of nutritionists helped them come up with the health-based menu.
“It took us eight months of research and development to come up with our menu. For instance, instead of normal idlis, we provide ragi idlis. That’s the basic concept,” says Avinash. Apart from the three-course meal, Dietbox also offers a salad section and a millets zone where the focus is on fresh fruits, chicken, vegetables, and millets. “We focus on ancient food from villages like the foxtail millet, which is healthy but not well-known today,” he said.
With a clientele of over 250 to 300 within a span of two months, Avinash reveals that their goal is to reach a target of 1000 customers by March 2016. “Chennai is catching up with the trend of health and fitness. There is a big need for healthy food,” he shares. Avinash adds that their most frequent clients are “IT workers, bachelors, and women between the ages of 25 and 35.”
How long does the food stay fresh? “We use vegetables and fruits fresh from the farm and don’t add any preservatives, so our food stays fresh only for a couple of hours,” he says. To ensure that fresh food is delivered, Dietbox takes orders one day in advance, and procures fresh raw materials every day. Customers who subscribe for a month get nine meals free the next month. Breakfast is priced at `75, and lunch and dinner at `120 each (prices may differ depending on calorie variation).
What are their plans for the future? “We are planning to hit supermarkets soon with healthy goodies or munchies,” says Avinash. Some of the munchies on the list are ragi and millet biscuits. The start-up also plans to open a dine-in. “The idea is still at the back of our minds. If our customers require a dine-in, we will execute the idea,” he adds.
To order online, go to www.dietbox.org. For details, call 9840768888.