From boxing up meals to bottling cold-pressed juices, here’s our pick of the subscription box services in Coimbatore

Pre-portioned ingredients and chef-created recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Here’s our pick of the subscription box services in the city

Whether it is a matter of convenience of not being able to cook while rushing off to work or simply a fixation with trying out something new every day, food subscription boxes, the latest fad in town is here to stay. From boxing up a variety of meals from different cuisines to bottling cold-pressed juices on subscription, these companies in the city deliver the best of gourmet meals at the click of a button.

Thookuposi

As the name suggests, Thookuposi serves up a variety of south Indian delicacies like paniyaram, kozhukattai and kuzhai puttu. Started with the aim to provide customised and healthy meals for senior citizens, the company expanded its options to include everyone as the response to their meal boxes were overwhelming. “We make small batches of home cooked food which is delivered at your doorstep. We customise our food according to each guest’s palette and adjust salt and spices to suit their requirements,” says Kaleem S, manager at Thookuposi. Meals can be subscribed to on a monthly basis at Rs 2,000 onwards.

Habitos

With most food companies catering to adults, Habitos, an organisation under the Idli Dabba umbrella, packs and delivers snack boxes for children at school. Keeping in mind that kids who often run off to school in haste do not have a hearty breakfast, Habitos whips up tasty yet healthy snacks like sundal, buttered corn, jaggery cakes and mini pizzas loaded with veggies. “We offer to deliver snack and lunch boxes at schools on a term-wise or yearly basis. Our aim is to make sure children do not miss out on essential nutrients simply because they are unable to have a healthy breakfast in the morning,” says S N Palaniappan, one of the co-owners of Habitos. He also adds that the team at Habitos conducted a lot of research into the eating patterns of kids before they curated their menu for schools. The meals are packed and delivered in recyclable tupperware to minimise wastage, he adds. Each snack box is priced from Rs 15 onwards, while the average price of a lunch box is Rs 35.

ITC WelcomHotel

The meal boxes curated by chef Bidhu Bhushan Das of ITC WelcomHotel is a food lover’s delight as it comes in three variations–Indian, Continental and Oriental. Initially, the Bento boxes were only made available for guests but with it becoming a hit, it is now available at the restaurant, as well as for home delivery. You can customise your own box with a starter, main course with gravy and a dessert. There are plenty of other options like pastas, lasagnas, salads, pastries to choose from. “The Indian box with the rotis, rice, dal, salad and payasam is a favourite among our guests,” says chef Bidhu. Rs 600 onwards.

Fire in the Oven

This multi-cuisine restaurant delivers customised meals especially for those who are health conscious. “What started as a delivery system for the people who lived in the Tristar apartment complex quickly turned into a lucrative business with many gym goers calling in to place orders for our fitness boxes,” says Bhoopathi, who manages the restaurant. The box contains a portion of steamed vegetables or steamed meat cooked as per request. People can pick their choice of vegetables or meat and also request for a sauce of choice to go along with it. Rs 120 onwards.

Juice mania

If you thought only healthy food can be delivered at your doorstep through subscription boxes, think again. Prana and Nectar, two companies in the city are now bottling healthy cold-pressed juices and delivering them to all those who crave tailor-made brews.

Prana

Whether you want to embark on a juice cleanse to lose weight or you just want to kick back with a cold bottle after a long day, Prana, is the place to go. “Using a blender can kill the essential nutrients in the fruits and vegetables so the best way to enjoy the benefits a juice form is to extract their goodness by cold-pressing them,” says Tharini, co-founder at Prana. The brand offers green juices or vegetable combo juices which contain detox boosters like turmeric root, apple cider and spinach. The cold-pressed brews are packaged and delivered in glass bottles in an effort to promote sustainable living, adds Tharini. Rs 3,100 onwards for a month’s supply.

Nectar

From the popular ABC miracle (apple, beetroot and carrot) to immunity boosters and glow mocktails, Nectar has different varieties of juices that are cold-pressed to trap all the goodness of the fruits and veggies. “Once the customer places an order, only then do we start cutting the fruits and vegetables required and juice it in our hydraulic press,” says Josephine Celina, co-owner. Sugar and preservative-free, the juices are 100 percent fruit extracts with no added water, we learn. Customised bottles of juice start from Rs 80 onwards.