Sampoorna Ahara – Bangalore

That plant-based meal delivery service you have all been waiting for.

Are you following a plant-based diet? Not sure what to cook or where to eat out? How about a meal delivery service that brings you some delicious plant-based delicacies to your doorstep! Meet Sampoorna Ahara, an initiative of NutritionScience.in. 

Of course, first things first. What will these meal boxes contain? Here is an example – Palak Paneer – without Palak or Paneer! “We ground up two varieties of Amaranthus greens – Dantu and Chilkarve – along with Methi leaves and added a special spice blend. All this is mixed with oven-roasted tofu for the perfect Whole Food Plant-Based Palak Paneer,” writes the Sampoorna Ahara team. Here are other examples – Baked Gobi 65 with zero added oil, Orange Pumpkin Idlis, oil-free Mirchi Bajjis. Well – I guess I have made my point.

NutritionScience.in is a nutrition training website that aims to cure lifestyle diseases through balanced diets and evidence-based nutrition. Dr Achyuthan Eswar, co-founder of NutritionScience.in said that the meal delivery service was an organic outcome of their interactions with people. A graduate of the SDM College Of Naturopathy And Yogic Sciences he and his family have been following whole food plant-based diets for many years now. “After graduation, I travelled all over the country with a group of friends. We visited various health care facilities to see how these centers are running and what made people come back even after they were cured. We found that an essential aspect of healthcare was often missed out – teaching people what they should do when they get back home. Prolonged effects are seen only through lifestyle changes,” he added. 

To achieve this goal, Eswar set up the PHC Lifestyle Clinic and NutritionScience.in under the guidance of Dr Michael Greger, about five years ago. So far the team has reached out to more than 20,000 people through not just one on one consultations but also workshops, demonstrations and their monthly ‘Healing With Food’ Masterclass. “Post sessions people would come up to us and say – okay you have told us what to do, how to do it and when to do, but can you please also cook and send food for us? That’s what lead us to set up Sampoorna Ahara.” 

Meal Plans

Sampoorna Ahara is currently in its beta testing phase. They opened their tiffin boxes to a limited audience on June 15, 2019. They already have about 150 registered customers. Eswar explained that there are three meal plans that they offer ,” One is the Sampoorna Bowl. This is for someone who wants to taste a Whole Food Plant- Based Diet,” he said. The second plan is Sampoorna Executive Meal designed for people who want to eat this diet every day. “People will get two meals, and their daily nutritional requirement will be covered with these two meals,” he added. The third meal plan is the Sampoorna Royal Feast, for all those who want to indulge and well, feast.

One of the biggest messages that Sampoorna Ahara puts across is that plant-based meals don’t have to be mundane or constant reminders of what people are missing out on. “Just last week we made a Spanish Paella with a fried plantain starter, but we baked the plantain. We also make raithas and kadis with non-dairy sources. The only thing that is mandatory is a fruit platter with every meal” Eswar said. People who sign up are asked detailed questions about their food preferences to ensure that they enjoy their meals. 

Tackling waste and redefining entrepreneurship

We have talked about the food, but what the food carriers? “My wife Shymala Suresh is a zero-waste activist. Right from the word go, we completely avoided the use of plastic and paper. All our meals are delivered in good ol’ stainless steel tiffin boxes,” Eswar shared. This also meant that the team had to find a manufacturer who would provide tailor-made tiffin boxes. Sampoorna Ahara offers more than the standard three-course meals, which is what the usual boxes are designed for. 

The whole set up also follows the Fractal Entrepreneurship principle for social entrepreneurs, which was founded by his mother, Radha Eswar. While Fractal works differently based on the organization, Eswar shared the basic principles through the Sampoorna Ahara model. “Let me explain how we do it at Sampoorna Ahara. I am the visionary entrepreneur here. We next have a manager entrepreneur, and one level below, a skilled entrepreneur. People join us to work with us, and not for us. If someone likes to cook, we help them to hone their skills and cook for more people.”

He added that all the employees are also trained on the basic concepts of whole food plant based meals. This way, organizations continue to function even when key people leave, and all those who contribute towards the growth of the organization get a well-deserved share. 

Sampoorna Ahara sources its produce from Farm Fresh Bangalore (FFB), a social enterprise working with organic farmers to provide them with consistent markets. Founder Nalini Murthy is an Agricultural Specialist from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. Apart from Sampoorna Ahara, FFB delivers customized produce packages under Eswar’s guidance, that caters to each family’s nutritional requirements. “Generally we have observed that fruit intake is very less among most people. We ensure that people get at least 400 g of fruit in their diet. The rest of the package is devised according to the family’s needs and preferences,” he said.

Feedback

Eswar shared that the response has been heartwarming. People have reached out to the team not just praising the food, but also reporting improved health conditions. Many customers have also opted for meals to be delivered to their workspaces. “They love the fact that they have access to healthy meals at work. The only problem is we send five to six containers, which does not go unnoticed,” added Eswar laughing.

So if you are looking for a way to include more whole food plant – based meals, just sign for Sampoorna Ahara. The name says it all.

For more details visit their Facebook and Instagram Page. Here is the form to sign up for your meal boxes. 

Featured Image Courtesy: Sampoorna Ahara