- promises to tackle NCDs through convenient, affordable wholesome meals
In a move geared towards making healthy and nourishing meals readily available around the clock, holistic wellness start-up, Healthy Treats has launched its app and online services in Accra.
The wellness newcomer, which is a product of the German Development Corporation GIZ’s Lab of Tomorrow (LoT) programme, promises that its online suite will provide convenience to patrons without sacrificing quality.
Speaking at the launch, Founder of Healthy Treats, Doris Ahiati said the initiative was borne out of concern over the rising incidents of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which currently account for more than 43% of deaths in the country.
“We decided to tackle this growing health challenge that impacts the quality of life of Ghanaians and also adversely affects performance by leveraging technology,” she remarked.
Expanding on the magnitude of the problem of accessing wholesome meals, she said that young professionals, especially, prior to gaining employment, have more control over their time and are able to live relatively healthy lifestyles by making healthy choices with convenience.
“But once we start work, the demands of the job, the need to be accountable, and the demands from supervisors and managers sometimes make it difficult for professionals to spend time finding the healthy food options while at work.
This leads to a situation where during lunchtime when we step out of the office, whatever we are able to conveniently access, whether it’s healthy or not, we are left with no choice but to buy it and eat it for lunch. On other occasions, because we may work late into the night and get home hungry, we are compelled to eat late into the night and then go straight to bed because we are tired. This denies us of the quality of health and life we desire,” she explained.
Touching on her outfit’s unique value proposition, she cited the variety of meals it provides through its partnerships and aggregation with handpicked vendors, as well as its engagement with in-house health professionals and external dieticians and nutritionists.
“The Healthy Treats App provides an interface for aggregating restaurants chefs and kitchens that exclusively focus on preparing healthy food,” she added.
On his part, co-founder of the programme’s implementing partner, Design Thinking Hub Ghana, Professor Gordon Adomdza said Healthy Treat’s model is consistent with the tailored problem-solving espoused by proponents of design thinking.
He added that the initiative could not have come at a better time, as the ongoing pandemic has brought to the fore the need for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Similarly, the Manager of one of the partnering vendors – N8tive Food and Beverage Bar – Adubea Ayisi expressed the belief that the partnership will reinforce the fact that healthy meals and a consequently, a healthy lifestyle is affordable.
