After a long day at work, how many of us break into a happy jig at the thought of labouring over making dinner at home? Not many. While one always has the option to eat out, most don’t exercise it because not only is it uneconomical but also unhealthy.
Leaving boring tiffin services aside, the latest trend in the city is ordering healthy yet scrumptious rea-dy-to-make dishes at home.
In-laws are also happy
Shruti Deshmukh, who leaves for her job to Hitec City early morning, has been availing the service of food in a box for the past one and a half months. “All I need to do is throw the ingredients in a pan and a tasty meal is ready in under 30 minutes,” says Shruti, who lives in Somajiguda with her husband and in-laws.
“None of them (her family) have a problem because, you see, it's not really ‘outside food’,” she explains. “I usually order Thai curry from Scabetty or food from Swiggy,” she adds.
Divya Nitin, co-founder of Scabetty, says that she gets over 200 orders per week and it’s the European and Lebanese cuisines that are doing the best. “The main customer profile is of young married couples.”
More time in the gym
When Priya Verma is not running around looking after the fundraising operations of the NGO she works with, she is at home taking care of her two children. And with everyday meals to prepare, she admits that leaves her with hardly any time to hit the gym, an activity she loves to do.
Priya Verma with her children Anaia and Avi
“But that is not the case if I order these ready-to-make food boxes. They are convenient and the ingredients are
fresh, since I am particular about having healthy food. Also, if you are working late, you just order these boxes so that your schedule is not compromised. I usually place an order when I am on my way to the gym,” she says.
Lots to choose from
Apeksha Rao, who lives in Somajiguda with her family, says that food-in-a-box is an ingenious idea, especially when you have friends coming over. “It’s delivered quickly, is cooked at home and there is so much to choose from that you don’t get bored,” she says. “If I have a lot of friends coming over, I usually order five boxes, and rather than making our way to some place in the hectic traffic, we just kick back and enjoy some nutritious yet delicious food cooked at home,” she adds.
Apeksha Rao
Sense of accomplishment
For fashion designer Vyshnavi Reddy, who lives with her husband in Secunderabad, not making food from scratch gives her extra time at hand and also leaves her feeling proud and happy for having cooked at all.
Vyshnavi Reddy
“It’s a fun activity... you get oil (which is healthy as it’s olive oil), vegetables and everything in exact proportions... all you have to do is follow the recipe book. I have been obsessed with these boxes, especially since I am not particularly fond of cooking. Also, I love making non-Indian food at home, but to source fresh ingredients for the same, such as avocados, can be quite a challenge. Moreover, when you eat out, the food is not cooked to your specification; but here you control everything, from the oil used to how you want the food to taste. And it’s also economical. A non-veg meal for two would come to '550, minus all the extra taxes one has to pay when eating out,” says Vyshnavi.
