A “digital cafeteria” that provides individualised food options to corporate businesses and busy professionals have been introduced by the startup company Pocketfood, based in Nigeria.
Pocketfood is a “kitchen as a service” tool that was established in August 2022. It provides users with AI-supported, user-specific healthy meals that are prepared by ghost kitchens and delivered to the user’s place of work or front door.
Why Pocketfood was birthed
When Pocketfood founder Omolara Olarerin was working in an office, one of the most frustrating aspects was the lack of satisfying lunch options. This inspired her to start the company Pocketfood.
She explained, “I was tired of the redundant ‘buka’ food and overpriced restaurant food delivery and wanted something better.”
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“The model is a food subscription where the client picks their meals for a week, which is then processed and delivered in the specified timeframe. We are automating lunch time for millions of Africans who find it hard to find healthy, convenient and affordable lunch options at work.”
The founder narrates, “The idea came one afternoon after the office assistant mixed up my order yet again, and I pondered how great it would be if I had my own personal chef instead. I created an online survey and shared with colleagues, friends and acquaintances to see if this pain point was common. I found it to be very common, as most offices in Lagos do not cater for their staff.”
After that, she devised an online order form and secured the services of a personal chef to handle the incoming requests.
“This was my concierge test, and amazingly I got five orders the next week with zero PR, only word of mouth. This validated my idea,” said Olarerin.
Since then, Pocketfood has successfully completed more than 2,000 orders for 60 different users. Additionally, the company expanded its team with the assistance of a modest investment from “friends and family” just one month ago. It all started in Lagos, but the company has big plans to spread across the entire country before it even considers entering other markets.
“We are dabbling into AI and machine learning to provide and keep improving our lunch options and menu categories,” Olarerin stated.
“Nigerians are waking up to the benefits of eating healthy, and with our personalised meal plans that are affordable and easily accessible, we are creating a value proposition that none of our competitors has.”
Option for those who don’t eat out
Bringing a healthy lunch to work avoids the worry of eating out.
It is advised to take a 15- to 20-minute lunch break away from your desk to avoid “mindless eating,” which can lessen satisfaction and contribute to overeating.
Lean protein, fruit, and complete grains provide a balanced lunch. It helps you meet daily nutrition objectives and stay full.
If salad is your favourite healthy meal, start with a dark green leafy basis and add other veggies and a lean protein like chicken or fish. Vegetarian lunch proteins include beans, quinoa, and tofu. Dressings and other additives add fat and calories.
Half of your dish should be vegetables—dark green salad, raw or steaming.
Dinner leftovers can be used for cheap, healthy lunches at work. Several fast food and restaurant items are high in sodium, Smith added. Most adults should aim for 1,500 milligrammes of salt per day, according to the AHA.
At a work or social lunch, remember these healthy eating tips: Avoid fried foods and eat lots of fruits and veggies. If a restaurant’s portions are enormous, order a to-go box and eat less. Check for smaller lunch specials.