It all began with hunger pangs after the college cafeteria had closed. Searching for something to eat during her evening classes, Samira Al Romaithi’s only option was vending machines.
And what they were offering did not exactly meet her idea of a healthy meal. Snacks and drinks high in sugar and fat but low in nutrition.
“The only healthy option in stock was the water,” she recalls.
Then, on holiday in California, Ms Al Romaithi encountered more vending machines. But this time the options were healthy.
After completing her studies for a second master’s degree, she decided to combine her entrepreneurial spirit with an interest in healthy eating and develop a new kind of vending machine for the UAE.
Consulting a nutritionist to help her offer healthier products, she found there was nothing comparable in the market.
“We opted to go for products that are healthier alternatives to the ones in conventional machines,” Ms Al Romaithi says.
There were other obstacles for her new company, Yalla Eat Healthy, including convincing clients that they needed to replace unhealthy food items in their existing machines. Many locations also had existing contracts with other vending machine companies that could not be broken.
With help from the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, Ms Al Romaithi was able to launch Yalla Eat Healthy in 2011, although she admits that, “it took a while for the business to pick up”.
Her company, she says, has a simple business philosophy: to improve the eating habits of residents by providing quick and healthy food choices.
“There are many cases of people suffering from chronic diseases and other health problems, so the idea of having a convenient way to provide people with more healthier options seemed more appealing,” she says.
Yalla Eat Healthy operates 35 vending machines across Abu Dhabi, with locations in hospitals, universities and workplaces. Unfortunately, there are still plenty of sugary sodas and fat-filled snacks out there.
The National inspected 12 vending machines in hospitals, universities and private and public sector companies.
Only two places offered healthy options. This included the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company clinic at Al Maqta where the machine only stocked water.
“Almost two years ago, the vending machine contradicted healthy living with its unhealthy service,” says one staff member, who asked not to be named.
“The administration put in water instead and opened a Caribou Coffee to meet the demand.”
Typical items in Yalla Eat Healthy vending machines include a tuna light lunch and pressed fruit juices.
For children there are reduced sugar drinks and snacks and low calorie snacks. There are also fruit bars and crisps that are baked rather than fried.
Every product is carefully chosen for their low calorie and fat content.
Ms Al Romaithi says she is on a mission to spread health awareness and the importance of sustaining a healthier lifestyle.
“It was, and is still, taking time to build up awareness because products sold in Yalla machines cost more than those in conventional ones because of the higher quality or brands of products provided.”
Having healthier snacks in places like schools, universities, gyms and health facilities can help to guide people to make the right choices when it comes to their health, Ms Al Romaithi says.
“I have a personal interest in fitness and healthy living and so I think it is unfortunate that there are still so many vending machines on the market that provide unhealthy options.”
Yalla does not completely avoid products such as chocolates and cookies. “We do have candy bars but with lower calories, fat and sugar,” says Ms Al Romaithi. As people become more aware about the importance of eating healthier, she hopes to slowly introduce more healthy alternatives and cater for those with allergies, offering gluten-free and peanut-free snacks.
Her vending machines also feature TV screens giving information and tips about nutrition and fitness. In the near future, she plans to partner with other organisations to help spread awareness and information about healthy living using the screens. So far, the reaction from the public has been positive, she says, with many taking the advice.
Dr Mirey Karavetian is an assistant professor at Zayed University and a clinical dietician at the Genesis Clinic in Dubai.
She notices that even though the university’s catering offers plenty of nutritious options, students still like to visit traditional vending machines.
“We are working on eliminating the unhealthy machines in the campus,” she says. “In any institution or entity, people take whatever is available.
“If a person eats a chocolate bar or fizzy drink, what happens is it keeps her satisfied for only an hour,” says Dr Karavetian. Such kind of foods offer sugar that is quickly absorbed in the blood stream and uses up valuable calories, she says.
This kind of eating pattern means that people are supplementing their diet with foods that have none of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients of regular meals, she notes.
“You ate a meal that had the same calories, but didn’t give you satisfaction.”
As a result, people are reaching their daily calorie limit but are still hungry.
Dr Karavetian points out that only children should be eating snacks as part of their daily diet. For anyone older than 13 or 14, they are unnecessary. And when people turn to vending machines it is often because they are hungry and missing out on a regular meal.
“Those who plan to have snacks should have it after their lunch, around 4pm when they get sleepy,” she says.
Her solution is to replace the current vending machines, which are designed for products with a long shelf life such as chocolate or biscuits, with more advanced temperature-controlled models. This allows institutions such as universities to offer sandwiches, vegetables, fruit, yogurt and milk.
“If an institution complies with a healthier system, people will be obliged to follow a healthier lifestyle,” she says.
Dr Karavetian is working on a study that focuses on the risk of Metabolic Syndrome, a cluster of diseases that includes obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, among Emirati students at a number of universities.
One aim of the study is to discover how much students know about nutrition and health and to see if there is a link between poor knowledge and Metabolic Syndrome and obesity.
After the data is compiled she hopes that the universities surveyed will develop a compulsory course on nutrition and health. “Such course would develop awareness about health and food,” she says.
As lifestyles change so does people’s food choice.
“The healthier your employees or students are, the better they produce,” says Dr Karavetian. “Vending machines should be a long-term investment. The more you know about food the better you live.”
aalhameli@thenational.ae