Detox Kitchen is a London-based meal-delivery service, born as a fruit of the founder's curiosity for combining healthy ingredients and being conscious about how food makes us feel. Earlier this month, our favourite healthy takeaway service launched a new holistic 'Mama' meal package, catering for all new mums out there looking to skip navigating the mixed messages about what to eat after giving birth. We were curious to find out about the current wellness movement's influence on nutrition and their latest launch.
Words: Hanna-Amanda Pant
Image: Lily, Founder of Detox Kitchen
Going back to the basics, what inspired you to launch Detox Kitchen? What's your mission? What's your personal connection with nutrition?
I created Detox Kitchen with one mission, to get more people eating and enjoying healthy food. I wanted people to eat our food and feel amazing afterwards, and I wanted them to be surprised by how tasty it was. But most importantly, I wanted to create a brand that people can trust, and so everything we serve is made by us; we know where all our ingredients come from and we know how to cook them to get the most out of them, both in terms of flavour and nutrients. I hope that our food inspires people to eat healthier for good, to make better choices and to be conscious of where their food comes from.
What are the current health food trends prevalent in London we should know about? What's the most popular dish people keep coming back for?
The want for avocado toast is endless! Also, we have just launched the most delicious grab-and-go salad in our delis and our concession in Selfridges Food Hall called the Voke Poke. It’s our take on the ‘poke bowl’, but is aimed at vegetarians. The ginger onion jam is out of this world.
"At a time when even managing to make some toast and tea can seem a challenge, providing new mums with all the meals and snacks they need each day is also our way of bringing a little bit of that ‘village’ of support into the modern day."
Image source: Detox Kitchen
Do you feel that people are still very interested in healthy eating, or has the trend passed its peak popularity phase? According to your expertise, where's the trend heading?
I don’t think eating and maintaining a healthy diet is a trend. More and more people are starting to realise this, that it’s more of a way of life. We’ve always avoided anything faddy at Detox Kitchen. The key to having healthy, nutritious food in your life for good is to find food that excites you, that tastes amazing and that you aren’t just eating because it is seen as ‘healthy’.
How would you describe your loyal clientele?
Image source: Detox Kitchen
Our audience is amazing and we just wouldn’t be where we are today without them. Our home deliveries have always grown by word-of-mouth, which is such a wonderful feeling that people are out there recommending our food to their friends!
You've just recently launched your Mama package, including promoting a holistic approach to nutrition. What was the launch inspired by, and why is it useful for the audience it caters for?
For me the Mama package is all about providing nourishment to new mums and nurturing them when they really need it. I definitely needed a little helping hand during the early days of being a new mother and having really nutritious food conveniently delivered to me by my team meant that I could just focus on my babies and not worry about my own energy levels and general wellbeing. And being able to partner with Nutritional Therapist Amelia Freer on the menu meant we could develop delicious recipes around the nutrients necessary for mums who have just given birth.
At a time when even managing to make some toast and tea can seem a challenge, providing new mums with all the meals and snacks they need each day is also our way of bringing a little bit of that ‘village’ of support into the modern day.
What are the key, most simple healthy eating tips we should keep in mind to maintain our weight goals and a balanced nutrition plan?
Cooking from scratch and avoiding processed foods is the best way to have more control over your diet. You’ll immediately be cutting out added salts, sugars, oils and preservatives used in a lot of processed and ready-made meals. This really is a big part of the battle won.
But don’t think healthy cooking has to be boring! Pack in the flavour with garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, cayenne pepper...the list of spices with health benefits is endless. Not only will they add essential nutrients to your diet but they will also help add flavour and variety to your dishes. Have some fun with it, cook dinner this week using an ingredient you wouldn’t usually go for and really experiment with flavours, using your nose as a guide.
"The key to having healthy, nutritious food in your life for good is to find food that excites you, that tastes amazing and that you aren’t just eating because it is seen as ‘healthy’."
Image source: Detox Kitchen
Instead of obsessing about calories, listen to what your body is telling you it needs, and eat those things. Think about the quality of the food you’re eating. It will taste better, you’ll appreciate it more and be more satisfied. Focus on buying the best quality you can afford, go for free-range or organic if possible.
Image source: Detox Kitchen
In your opinion, how has the global wellness movement influenced nutrition in the past couple of years?
We are more educated now about the relationship between food and how it makes us feel, we know that by eating a healthier balanced diet we feel better in all aspects of our physical and mental health. The blogger trend has definitely helped to raise awareness of how delicious and versatile healthy food can be, which is great for the industry.
What does the future have in hold for Detox Kitchen and its loyal audience?
Continuing to spread the message and get more people eating healthy food! And world domination, of course.