Healthy and tasty: these 7 startups are changing the snack lineup on shelves

With consumers growing health and fitness conscious, many startups are using healthier ingredients to make snacking guilt-free.

To the average Indian, snacking is synonymous with packaged options provided by the likes of Britannia, ITC, and Haldirams. According to a Research and Markets report, the Indian snacks market will touch $1 billion by 2024. However, rising awareness about unhealthy lifestyle patterns has made the millennial generation more conscious about fitness.

Guilt-tripping over junk food is a story every 20-something can relate to. To serve this large customer segment, a bunch of startups is venturing into the healthy snacks sector. These platforms offer healthy and tasty options for those who take their munchies seriously. YourStory lists a few players in the healthy snacks market:

1. Snackible

Launched in May 2015 by Aditya Sanghavi, Snackible has raised angel funding of $175,000 from multiple angel investors. Snackible’s snacks include Whole Wheat Waffles, Himalayan Black Salt Apple Chips, Seedy Trail Mix, Hot Wasabi Peanuts, Cream and Onion Wholewheat Thins, Seedy Crunchers, Herbs and Cheese Makhana, and Baked Bhakarwadi. In 2017, Mumbai-based Snackible pivoted from a subscription-based model to retail. It is now available in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru at Godrej Nature’s Basket, Foodhall, and Hypercity. They are also present in cafes and restaurants, vending machines, canteens, gym outlets, and with nutritionists.

2. Supa Star

Founded by Pawan Raj Kumar, Shoaib Kohli, and Suupratik Deb in 2015, Gurugram-based Supa Star Foods manufactures healthy snacks from corn. Supa Corn sells different flavoured corn kernels like Peri-Peri and Chipotle, apart from fresh corn kernels, and corn cobs. The team claims that their packaging technology, called Oxyfresh, helps the product stay fresh and free of any micro-organism growth for nine months. Their other product is Misht, a new-age mithai. Supacorn, which has raised an undisclosed amount in funding, is now available in around 3,000 shops across the country.

3. OrgTree

Mahesh Basavanna and Chandrashekhar Basavanna, two brothers from Mandya district, Karnataka, founded OrgTree in 2014. Millets need no pesticide or unnatural processes to grow, and Orgtree manufactures millet snacks under the brand Kiru. It offers Kiru Millet cookies (Almond, Ginger, Classic priced at Rs 90 for a box of 150 gm), the Kiru Health Bar (a multi-grain health bar priced at Rs 40), and Kiru Millet Sticks (banana and ajwain variants, priced at Rs 35 for 50 gm). Currently bootstrapped, OrgTree has an online presence and delivers to all metropolitan and Tier-II cities across the country.

4. Snackit 

This Bengaluru-based bootstrapped startup rents out vending machines stacked with healthy snack options and beverages to corporates. Snackit clocks up over 4,000 transactions daily from regular snacks, as well as healthier options like oat cookies, jalapeno peanuts, fruit medleys and granola bars. It was started in October 2015 by Ashish Nimodia. Snackit promises 24/7 service and quick replenishments, ensuring that companies have a continuous flow of snacks and beverages, day or night. The monthly rental of the vending machines is between Rs 12,000 and Rs 18,000. Snackit is also present in Chennai, Hyderabad, and Mumbai.

5. Poshtick

CA professionals Pranav Sharma and Kritik Thakur co-founded Poshtick in 2016. Poshtick’s flagship product is the Finge (a portmanteau of 'fitness' and 'binge') Box, with three snacks and a healthy drink. Each item’s calorie and portion is clearly stated along with the items. Their range includes cookies, cakes, brownies etc. No product has sugar, but honey and jaggery are used as sweeteners. A box for diabetics, with items for preventive healthcare, is also available. These boxes are available on weekly and monthly subscriptions. The average order size is Rs 450-500.

6. WIMWI Foods

IIM-A graduates Shristi Shaw and Kanupradeep Subramanian set up WIMWI Foods in March 2014 in Ahmedabad. Their first product, Shiitake mushrooms - rich in protein, B-complex vitamins, and dietary fibre, was launched in early 2015. They soon raised seed funding from CIIE and a couple of Ahmedabad-based investors, and moved operations to Bengaluru. WIMWI Foods launched granola bars in July 2016 and has grown month on month at an average rate of 34 percent in sales. WIMWI raised a pre-Series A round from two Chennai-based investors in November 2016, giving an exit to all the seed round investors.

7. The Green Snack Co

The Green Snack Co, founded by Jasmine Kaur in 2015, began with three variants of kale chips. Their range now includes varieties of quinoa puffs and grain sticks – all of which the startup claims are gluten-free. Instead of baking or frying, the kale crisps are dehydrated at a low temperature to preserve nutrients; quinoa puffs are roasted. Their range is now present in over 40 retail and gourmet stores in Mumbai, Delhi, and Pune. They are also available on over 10 gourmet food websites and have tie-ups with cafés and restaurants.