With the constant hustle, every student and office-goer often compromise on their health. Eating healthy has become a task itself. With the number of pesticides and other agents added for quick ripening of fruits and retaining the colour of vegetables, the quality of the veggies is already going for a toss. Added to this, the time constraints force the people to grab the so-called tasty but dangerously unhealthy food options. These include fast food such as burgers and pizzas and other junk food.
There are a number of food kiosks and restaurants found in the busiest and happening places in a locality. These are mostly the roadside shops where one cannot expect cleanliness in the process of preparation. Apart from this, the most dangerous threat is the packed goods. For example, juice cartons, ready to heat products, everything comes with a lot of chemicals and preservatives which may look easy to use but takes a massive dig at health. With the increasing rates of diseases and diabetes, it is important to balance one’s diet and switch to healthy food choices.
Yasmina Khashoggi, who holds a bachelor’s degree in business entrepreneurship is currently studying journalism at Northeastern University says she felt that her health was sacrificed for convenience and hence decided to come up with a solution for this.
“Our society as a whole is becoming more conscious of the ingredients that we’re putting in our bodies, but the convenient options haven’t been evolving with our time,” Khashoggi says.
She envisioned a machine that offers healthy snacks for people with various dietary needs and one that advertises the nutritional value of products upfront. A machine that features a touchscreen and offers alternative payment methods to meet the needs of the average 21st-century consumer.
She has started her own initiative called the Evolve Vending. It offers snacks such as coconut water, kombucha, matcha green tea, coconut chips, and chocolate-covered bananas. The items are priced between $1 and $4. She also says that she has plans on going into this full time once she graduates.
Umayal