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

Chennai's evolving food scene now has brands innovating with DIY meals, balanced bowls, and salad subscriptions

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? 

“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.

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.