From balanced meal bowls to DIY kits for parties, these Chennai brands are putting a spin on eating healthy

The Deepavali weekend brought with it an overdose of sweets and snacks. With sights now set on the other end of the spectrum, customers are turning to DIY meals, balanced bowls and salad subscriptions. How do brands that join Chennai’s ever-burgeoning food scene stay relevant in this niche, but competitive market? 

Toss by Coffee? Since 1999

“We are solely focussed on taste, otherwise there is no point to this at all,” says Nirav Shah, about Toss, a salad subscription service from Chennai cafes Coffee? Since 1999 and Bask. Having launched salad subscriptions two years ago, Nirav says that they strongly believed that healthy food does not need to be bland. “Otherwise, it is not sustainable and not something people will enjoy everyday,” he adds.

Their weekly menus have five salads, with a range of ingredients that includes soba noodles, bok choy, roasted sweet potatoes, ricotta cheese, pumpkin seeds and cherry tomatoes, as well as a different dressing everyday and an option to add meat. “Our customers range from people who want to switch to raw food or working professionals who want to have at least one meal a day which is balanced,” Nirav says.

A nutritionist was on board to help design their menu initially. “All the salads are made an hour before they go out for delivery,” Nirav adds.

Subscriptions start at ₹1,375 plus taxes per week. Contact 9176008808 for more details.

The Good Life Eatery

In the run up to the festive weekend, The Good Life Eatery (TGLE) announced yet another edition of its bootcamp — a two-week programme where the goal is sustainability achieved through simple, science-backed nutrition. “The meals are customised according to the customer’s calorie deficit requirement with regard to the portion sizes and macros,” says Jayashree Ramamoorthy, founder. The bootcamp which began after the festive weekend, has seen an uptick in interest.

When TGLE launched in 2020, it started off with subscriptions for regular, balanced nutritious meals.

“While the awareness about eating healthier has grown significantly in Chennai, the market is slowly catching up,” Jayashree says. TGLE now has balanced, multi-cuisine meals with carbs, proteins, vegetables and healthy fats under 500 calories; or lite meals which are low carb meals including soups, salads and stir-frys under 350 calories. Jayashree says they get macros on all the dishes on their menu evaluated by an independent nutritionist.

Having labels that are easy to understand is another aspect they focussed on, while working on their protein bars. “We are working on protein muesli, pancake and waffle mixes as well,” she adds.

Subcriptions start from ₹1,650 onwards. Contact 7305204345 for more details.

Amore Eats

For Amore Eats’ California-based founders, the rapid evolution of the food scene in Chennai is something they could not help but notice. “Even for senior citizens, late night eating was becoming so common,” says Lakshmi Narayanan, one of the co-founders based in Chennai. Amore Eats was soon launched as a delivery-only kitchen in OMR.

“We work with a dietician who validates our recipes and macros, and currently have direct deliveries as well as through delivery platforms,” Narayanan says. The meals include chia pudding, kung pao vegetable protein bowl, beetroot tikkis, soba noodles salad, rice bowls with barley and seared paneer. For smaller, quicker meals, there are wraps, omelettes, and sandwiches as well. “We have a range of options and are keen that these balanced meals should be for everyone across ages,” Narayanan adds. They hope to also introduce a subscription model in the coming months.

Priced at ₹250 onwards. Contact 91507 06492 for more details.

Freshlings

When Freshlings began a subscription service for greens during the pandemic, it saw customers attempting to make everything from scratch — from pesto to palak paneer. It was not long before Future Farms, the parent company decided to put their produce to good use as well. “We now send out nearly 400 meals a day from our kitchen,” says Mathangi Kumar, head, product.

With 26 independently different salads on their roster, Freshlings, founded by Sreeram Gopal, Preeta Suresh, and Mathangi, has monthly subscriptions for either three or five days a week. “We were keen on being a simple, nutritious meal plan that people could turn to. While we started off with five salads, this would be monotonous for a month and we worked on expanding our menu as people expect and enjoy variety, from Mexican to Mediterranean salads,” Mathangi says.

Taking on bulk orders for corporates and catering to smaller gatherings at homes as well as larger events meant innovating with a nutritious, balanced approach to finger foods and snacks. “Our DIY Taco Kits are a big hit for children’s birthday parties. At a recent high tea, we made Vietnamese paper rolls but put a spin on them with the coconut raw mango sundal,” Mathangi shares.

Monthly salad subscriptions start from ₹3,600 onwards. Contact 9940420758 for more details.

Ciclo Life

While Ciclo Life, an online-only offering from Ciclo Cafe has been dabbling in salads and a host of other healthier options since 2019, the brand’s latest offering comes in the form of warm and hearty one-bowl meals. “We have realised over the years that people in Chennai prefer their food to be hot and cooked, and a bowl meal is balanced and nutritious,” says Ashish Thadani, founder, Ciclo Cafe. While they do not recommend what their customers should eat, they are more than happy to customise meals. As a part of their subscription services, people can order three meals a day on a monthly or a weekly basis.

Across delivery platforms, Ciclo Life specifies ingredients and macros, and this continues for their bowl meals. On the menu is a Korean bibimbap bowl, a cilantro jalapeno bowl, and a green Thai curry bowl, or if you’re craving Indian food — a palak paneer bowl. “This market is niche, and is small despite being a growing one,” Ashish says. “We strongly believe that everything can be customised, and have worked on everything from 100-calorie brownies to low-calorie ice creams. Our job here is to give people options,” he adds.

The new bowl meals are priced from ₹400 onwards. Contact 9791048113 for more details.