A lack of healthy yet convenient ready-made meals for their clients inspired a group of personal trainers to fill the gap in the market with Nutrition Kitchen. Founders Pete Fisher and Josh Li tell us their story.
What inspired you to start Nutrition Kitchen?
Working as personal trainers in Central we were disappointed by the lack of convenient healthy eating options to recommend to our clients. Very few of our clients had time to cook, and the dominant culture wasn’t very healthy. The prevailing trends in the fitness industry were very short-term, unsustainable and fad-based. Juice cleanses and liquid diets on the one hand and drunken debauchery on the other were being presented as the only viable options; either embrace the expat drinking culture or move to Lamma Island and grow your own vegetables.
What exactly is Nutrition Kitchen all about?
We believe that freshly prepared, healthy and delicious meals don’t only have to be made at home, and we set out to provide this service. Our ready-made meals are delivered to your door (or office) every morning, ready to eat. We list the macronutrients clearly on the pack so it’s easy for you to keep track of your calories, protein and fat. We believe eating clean doesn’t have to be difficult and doesn’t have to be bland. We provide two or three meals per day in either small or regular size.
How has Nutrition Kitchen been received?
Hong Kong has completely transformed and now has one of the most vibrant health scenes in the world. We had anticipated that our brand would appeal to established gym-goers and we were initially surprised by the demand for our service from outside of the fitness world.
Why do you think so many people struggle to maintain a healthy diet in Hong Kong?
Time and stress. People are educated and diligent but so many of them simply don’t have the time to prepare their own food and end up grabbing whatever is convenient.
What are the biggest mistakes people make with their diet?
Typically, people get caught up in the holiday season and abandon all sense of moderation. The biggest issue with this is that they put the brakes on any momentum that they had established with their fitness and health habits and they are effectively starting all over again in January.
What’s your advice for getting our health back on track if you have over-indulged?
Seasonal excess is often followed with extreme and unsustainable dieting. This is the worst thing that you can do. Instead, you should start as you mean to go on. Impressive changes in health and physique will be achieved over the course of months, not weeks; being realistic from the outset will give you the best chance of persevering in the long term.
This article first appeared in the Feb/Mar edition of Expat Living magazine. Subscribe now so you never miss an issue.
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