For 25-year-old Vrinda Vinod, who lost her grandfather to hypertension, her fascination with healthy food started at an early age when her mother brought up a healthy twist while packing their lunch boxes at school. After graduating from a law school in Bengaluru, Vrinda returned to the city and in November 2023 transformed her rented space in Pattom into Cloud Kitchen, The Salad Bistro, serving salads, smoothies and desserts that were thoughtfully prepared.
Vrinda joins the list of food entrepreneurs who have decided to get into the “healthy food” business in the state capital in recent years. Outlets like Wealthier, Salad Café, Boiled and Steamed are among those serving healthy but not boring meals ranging from salads to oil-free and sugar-free protein thalis.
Srinath Ravindran, one of the three founders of Boiled at Jawahar Nagar, says, “Healthy eating is the future. Diseases which used to be seen in people in their 60s are now appearing in people in their 30s. The current generation has started going to the gym not only for bodybuilding but also for their general health.”
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Boiled follows a strict “No Oil, No Sugar” policy, with their best-selling items being Ghee Chicken, Honey Chilli Lemon Chicken, Coconut Milk Poached Chicken and Boiled Special Chicken Salad. “We use only honey in our recipes,” says Srinath.
Chicken cooked with boiled coconut milk. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“Evidence shows that a high-sugar diet can lead to obesity and inflammation as well as increased levels of triglycerides, blood sugar and blood pressure – all risk factors for heart disease,” says Dr Leena Saju, nutritionist at KIMSHEALTH Hospital.
Another outlet that follows the same policy is Steamed in Kuravankonam. Founded by young entrepreneurs A Prannoy Jose and Gauri Nandan VR, Steamed started as a cloud kitchen. Currently, the restaurant serves a variety of platters, shakes, wraps, momos and even mandis that do not use oil. They also had a sweets box for Diwali 2024 which contained sugar-free protein bars. “We take into account the amount of nutrients, proteins, carbs and other components required by a person. Our focus is on the quantity of nutrients,” says Gauri Nandan.
Steamed Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Sudeep Suresh, 38, discovered Steamed while scrolling through social media. As someone who has been trying to eat a healthier diet for the past few years, this was a welcome discovery. “The oil-free concept they offer is healthy and I also like their menu. I especially like their protein thali because it is not too heavy but is filling too,” says Sudheep, who has been living in Thiruvananthapuram for the last eight years.
Steamed Golden Thali Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The outlets claim they have found healthy alternatives through trial and error. For example, Steamed replaced mayonnaise by creating its own dip, which uses cashews as a base. “Even for a cholesterol or diabetic patient, if they want to enjoy shawarma or a wrap, we have options for that,” says Prannoy.
Steamed Honey Chicken | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The owners say there’s an emphasis on creating healthy dishes that aren’t boring. Wellthier’s founders, brother-sister Anish Krishna AB and Anosh Krishna AB, have solved this problem by providing their customers with a variety of salad dressings to taste. Cloud Kitchen offering premium customized salads prepared in consultation with a nutritionist, Wealthier offers a wide range of dressings, which are leaf-based, vinegar-based, yogurt-based, sauce-based, etc. “Seven different flavors ensure that one can enjoy delicious and healthy food for a week without getting bored,” says Anosh.
They also use diverse sources of protein such as beef, turkey, chicken and salmon to meet the dietary needs of their customers. “To make salads more nutritious and wholesome, it is essential to include protein sources. This helps balance the macronutrient profile,” says Dr. Leena.
Mediterranean Salmon Salad from Wealthier | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Apart from the ingredients, the cooking process plays an important role in ensuring that the food eaten is healthy. Initially, Prannoy and Gauri used a pressure cooker to preserve the nutrients. Later they moved on to other techniques such as steaming, air frying and toasting. Dr. Leena explains that these methods help in reducing calorie intake, preserving nutrients and enhancing taste.
While eating healthy is a step in the right direction, consistency is also important. “For any diet to work, it needs to be consistent,” says Anish. For this reason, many outlets are offering subscriptions for healthy eating at prices ranging from ₹1,610 to ₹14,970, depending on the number of meals and days.
“I included healthy food in my daily diet, so the subscription was affordable,” says Sudheep.
“We have an average of 20-25 clients per month,” says Vrinda. “We see a lot of MBBS students, as there are many medical colleges in the city. There are technical experts too, but they are mostly clients, not clients,” says Vrinda.
“Seniors with diabetes and cholesterol problems come to us because they want something other than kanji (Gruel),” says Prannoy. “We have received contracts from mess as well as paying guest facilities, government and private institutions and others,” he adds.
