For many years, Yogita Pawar would jog for 30 minutes, do push-ups and crunches for another half hour and try to be be active for more than two hours everyday.
However, she would feel tired and sleepy through the day, and despite the gruelling fitness routine, did not lose much weight.
“That was when I figured that the problem was in my diet, heavy in carbohydrates and oil, low in the much needed proteins and vitamins. I signed up with Nuts Over Salads, an online healthy eating platform. “It was a revelation. I started having salads, vegetables and nuts everyday and stayed away from junk food. I feel fitter and healthier.”
Yogita is one among the growing tribe of youngsters in the city -- giving up on mayonnaise-filled burgers, cheese burst pizzas, oily puri-paliya, and ghee dosas to name a few. Eating healthy is the new mantra in the IT capital, with a surfeit of healthy eating options ranging from online platforms such as Nuts Over Salads moving to standalone cafés, Smoke House Deli launching a healthy menu and newbies like Hwealth cafe setting up shop in the city and finding takers.
Aditya Rao, one of the founders of Nuts Over Salads says, “There has been a growing interest for eating healthy food, especially among youngsters here. People are aware about lifestyle diseases and want to make a food choice that gives them healthy and tasty food.”
“They are not only into healthy eating, but are also into running marathons and are working out. Working out by itself will not make some one healthy. It is important to eat right as well.”
He adds, “We have recently started a stand alone restaurant in Whitefield and have been happy with the response. On an average we have more than 500 customers everyday. One of the major reasons that people are willing to try out healthy food options such as salads is because it is no longer restricted to carrots and cucumber. Tastier options such as quinoa, couscous not only look good on the plate, but add taste and flavour to the food. We have noticed that people who loved belting multiple plates of biriyani everyday are now heading to our stores. They feel fitter after feasting on salads.”
He offers a word of caution. “Though healthy eating habits are on the rise, a lot of work still needs to be done. Many still prefer biriyanis and heavy meals.”
The idea of starting a cafe that serves food without refined flour, sugar and salt germinated in the minds of Nicholas R. and his friends after they discovered that their teenage kids would not trust the food served at home. “They would say that most of the food served at home would be high in calories and would negate the many hours they spent in the gym,” says Nicolas.
Nicolas and his friends launched Hwealth cafe with branches in Koramangala and H.S.R. Layout. “We do not use any sugar and use only extra virgin olive oil. We serve salads, pastas and burgers. A calorie counter near each dish tells you the amount of calories consumed. We have had a massive response. As long as it is tasty and is presented well, healthy food is bound to find more takers in Bengaluru. We experimented a lot and developed a new cuisine that tastes great and is healthy.”
Chef Saurabh Ahuja from Smoke House Deli agrees: “We have developed a special healthy menu for patrons. We have used healthy alternatives such as ragi and millets, instead of the standard wheat and rice items such as the risotto and some of the dessert items. The response has been terrific. I think in a city like Bengaluru, people are willing to try something different, especially if it is a tasty and a healthy alternative.”
PurpleBasil, a food start-up that delivers healthy food to customers on Sarjapur Road and in Indiranagar, Yemlur, Domlur and parts of Koramangala, was started by a group of working professionals. “PurpleBasil was the result of our real life struggles. We wanted to eat healthy food and could not find anything that was truly healthy and tasty. We got in touch with top culinary experts and designed a series of three course meal offerings. Rather than focus just on calories, we wanted to provide wholesome meals that offered all round nutrition, with exquisite taste and convenience,” says Dhananjai Raja, one of the co-founders.
He adds: “We have many repeat customers and ensure that if it is something we would not eat or buy ourselves, we will not sell it. We keep altering the menu.” Nutrionist Shalini Manglani points out, “I think awareness has meant that there is a potential for healthy eating places. Better ingredients are being used, plates seem more balanced and food seems to be moving in the right direction. However, I feel restaurants should also pay more attention to their portion sizes and disclose more information. I feel that portions in some of the healthy eating places are still too large.”
