That is our problem there because its too flavorful. Most often its because there is too much seasoning like salt,sugar and worst of all MSG (monosodium glutamate).Because of this, we have been relatively slow in adapting to healthy eating as we often relate healthy food to being, plain, tasteless and unattractive. On top of that, healthy food is also not as accessible and convenient.
I remember when I was younger, my siblings and I were very resistant when mom started baking wholemeal bread as the texture and taste were different from what we were used to with white bread. Only with mom’s persistence, we have now accepted eating wholemeal bread. In fact, white bread has become something foreign to us.
So that is what CleanBites is about. CleanBites will be the avenue through which we will introduce healthy eating to Malaysians. It will be the kindergarten for healthy food. We will focus on gradually refining Malaysians’ food palette and changing their perceptions of healthy food.
How do we do this?
Our food can be differentiated to 3 levels. At each level we introduce healthier choices. Level 1 being something that is closest to what we are used to and level 3 being the healthiest and taste the most foreign. With every food you learn 1 new thing about making healthier choices. For example white rice vs brown rice, the 5 whites to avoid(sugar, salt,flour, white rice and white pasta.) etc.
Can’t enjoy healthy food with friends?
Have you ever had this problem? You start eating healthily but you are torn between going for a less healthy meal to compromise for friends or family because food is usually best enjoyed with them. CleanBites creates a win-win situation where both parties can enjoy their meals. You can bring your friends and even help them start on the healthy eating path by ordering level 1 food while you enjoy the healthy food of level 3.
Our Beliefs
When we design our food we practice these beliefs:
Clean food
Whole food
Avoid the 5 whites
Sustainable
Local produce — to reduce cost
Proper research with citations
Learnings — Each food has a learning
We believe in mediocrity
We believe in making healthier choices through habit. We can and should indulge a little here and there. But by getting used to the taste of healthier food and understanding its benefits, we will slowly grow a natural love for healthier food and will slowly stop eating unhealthy food.
SUSTAINABILITY
Here the dream is to have a restaurant surrounded by homes. We will promote and educate growing foods at home. CleanBites will then buy the food from them or give them these homes who has become a member of CleanBites a discount. This will be a collaboration with Ecocentric Transitions. We will also showcase our suppliers as inspiration, these farmers who believes in sustainability like organic farms and farm that treats their livestock and environment well.
With an input of fresh sustainable raw food we convert them to delicious healthy food which will generate waste. We will complete this circle of sustainability by promoting and leading by example with the practice of zero waste. Our recyclable solid waste will be recycled, food waste will be turn into compost, which can then be used by our home farmers as compost. Furthermore used oil will be turned into biodiesel by Fat hopes energy. We will act as the centre of this healthy food community an engine of sustainability and healthy food.
We will also solve the accessibility problem.
Because the main reason people are not taking breakfast the most important meal of the day because they are rushing to work in the morning. So what better way to serve them than on their way to work? So we will work together with ShuttleGo to deliver breakfast to their users as well as the apartments that they cater to by delivering to their security stations. Where they can then pick up their food from the shuttle on their way to work and if they don’t use the shuttle still be able to pick up their food from their security stations.
So what have we done?
Using the lean start-up methods we have been focusing on the food and growing modularly by tapping into existing solution. We have been designing food at home and continuously improve with feedbacks and validation. Now we want to start doing delivery to get real customer validation.
Eventually we will have 3 restaurants and launch CleanBites as a franchise to scale faster and help more people to eat healthier and promote sustainability. Where each restaurant should be ideally near housing where we can get them to grow food at home and sell it back to CleanBites. Food waste is then turn into compost and goes back into the community to continue growing food, a sustainable circle.
HEALING THE PLANET ONE BITE AT A TIME — CLEANBITES
Contact us like us on facebook if you want to know when we launch, try our food, give us feedback or even just to send a support message :D
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