Health food should be neither boring nor inconvenient, according to Dr.
Malathy Nair, one of three partners behind the startup Better Bowls, a
company whose health-conscious instant pudding mixes packaged in single
serving cups appeared on shelves at all Giant supermarkets in early May
2009.
Based at the Hershey Center for Applied Research, Better Bowls is the brainchild of Nair, a food innovation expert who holds degrees in microbiology, biophysics and food science, and worked at General Mills and Hershey Foods prior to starting Better Bowls.
Nair touts the company's dry mix pudding snacks as an improvement on traditional single serving health snacks that allows for customization. Better Bowls come in a single serving container, which acts as a mixing bowl and measuring cup. Simply fill it to the line with skim milk, let it sit for a minute and then customize the snack with whipped cream, fruit, granola or whatever you like.
What sets Better Bowls apart in terms of nutrition, Nair says, is that the product combines high fiber and low calories.
"It really brings these products from a once-in-awhile indulgent dessert to a healthy snack," Nair says. "The pudding is a good source of protein, fiber and calcium when you prepare it with skim milk--and it's literally fat free."
Better Bowls also has gelatin mixes that are similarly packaged, with seven grams of fiber per serving and 50 percent vitamin C. The company's products, which have no artificial colors and are all natural and gluten-free, come in regular and sugar free varieties.
Better Bowls are also low in calories, "and yet they are very filling," Nair says. "It's great for people who are trying manage weight, or diabetics, or anyone looking for a healthier snack."