juice and snack bars
‘Pick Me Up’:
Providing healthy refreshments to students
10 November 2012
A Proposal for opening portable
juice and snack bars
‘Pick Me Up’:
Providing healthy refreshments to students
INTRODUCTION
A study at the Scripps Research Institute (Johnson & Kenny, 2010) propositioned that similar to drugs like cocaine and heroin, junk food also affects the brain activity. Over the past few decades, there has been a sharp rise in cases of diabetes, hypertension and obesity in children (CBS News, 2008). Vending machines at schools provide cans of aerated drinks, deep-fried snacks and other junk food which are not only less in nutritional value but also detrimental to the overall health of children. The revenue-sharing strategies of school with such food and drink manufacturers might fetch profit in terms of money but it eventually leads to degradation in health of students. It is required to inculcate healthy eating habits in students so that they stay fit and enjoy salubrious foods.
The Purpose
The Problem
Most of the schools are in a revenue sharing agreement with the manufacturers of fast food and aerated drinks. Hence, vending machines are available in school where a student can buy soft drinks along with fast foods. As most of students prefer taste to health, there has been a steep rise in the sale and consumption of aerated drinks and fast foods. Rich in artificial flavouring agents, sweeteners, cholesterol and Trans-fat, these foods affect the digestive system of children gradually. As told earlier, these have an addictive effect. Hence, students choose to eat a pack of fried chips with soft drink instead of fruit salad with orange juice. As a result, they are falling victim to diabetes, hypertension, obesity and fatigue at a relatively younger age than their elders. It not only hampers the fitness but the capacity of learn too.
Our Company
We began in 2002 with a juice stall offering hardly ten varieties of fruit juices and subsequently expanded it to a chain of healthy drinks and wholesome snack stalls in more than 8 malls. Due to our products being farm fresh and healthful, we have soared as one of the most popular refreshment centres for people of all age. We do not aim at extracting unreasonable profits and hence, none of our products are very expensive. No matter if a customer has 5 US $ or 50, we have a healthy nibble available at reasonable price. We have been awarded with a Certificate of Excellence in healthful food marketing twice.
The Solution
With an experience of almost a decade in running espresso and juice counters in various shopping malls, we can provide delicious as well as healthy refreshments to children. We would like to change the menu according to the dietary requirements of children and hence provide no caffeine or sugar-based drinks. As per our planning, there will be more than
fifteen varieties of fruit and vegetable juices and non-alcoholic cocktails which youngsters would prefer to choose from. Along with the juices, we will also provide milk and milk shakes at reasonable prices. To complement the drink, there shall be more than twelve healthful snacks like grilled sandwiches, fruit sandwich, vegetable burgers with mixed herbs dip and various kinds of vegetable cutlets. We also plan to offer fruit and vegetable salads. These refreshments are wholesome and help strengthen the immunity of children. Without any harmful effects, these juices and snacks can not only satiate hunger but improve physical and mental health over time. This proposal is aimed at arranging for healthier consumables for students. Even if it takes some time for them to adapt to wholesome drinks and snacks, they would have to eventually start eating the new refreshments available in school in the absence of vending machines.
The essential specific objectives
1. To assure that each product or eatable is safe and unadulterated:
The school management as well as parents are free to inspect the quality of fruits, milk, vegetables and other foods without a prior notice. However, they are requested to prove their identity first. We assure that only best quality products will be used to prepare the consumables.
2. To explicitly provide the dietary and nutritional details of each eatable sold:
The labels will clearly indicate the nutritional value of each eatable. The school management as well as parents are requested to frequently ask for samples for quality checking analysis in laboratory. Again, they need to prove their identity and not to inform in prior.
3. To establish a nutritional advisory board comprising the parents, students and at least one certified health professional: Once every two months, we can organise a meeting
where parents, students and a medic can discuss the health issues in context of food. It will provide us with an opportunity to learn and improve.
4. To offer a fraction of the total profits to the school management if free space is provided for the portable juice and snack bars along with a long-term contracts: The school is taking a step forward to ensure the well-being of students and not letting vending machines to be operational. If we are ensured of long term contracts i.e. more than a year’s along with free space for the portable bars, we offer 30% of our total profits to the school management.
5. To provide job training opportunities for students during cultural and sports event: It will help the willing students learn to manage a professional work along with earning monetary benefits.
6. To support the local farmers, bakery and food manufacturers by buying their products and letting them test the products at the bar first: We shall let them local farmers and food manufacturers expand their business with us and get access to fresh and healthy food every day.
Timetable
Fruit/ Vegetable Juice and cocktails: Available from 8am to 2pm
Milk and milk shakes: Available from 8am to 1pm
Sandwiches: Available from 11am to 2pm
Salads: Available from 8am to 2 pm
Vegetable cutlets: Available from 11pm to 2 pm
Weekends off
In cases of special day-off, it shall be notified in prior
Cost
Cocktails: From 3 US $ to 19 US $ per 200 ml glass
Juices: From 2 US $ to 10 US $ per 200 ml glass
Milk and milk shakes: From 4 US $ to 17 US $ per 200 ml glass
Snacks: From 3 US $ to 10 US $ per serving of 100 gram
Salads: From 5 US $ to 12 US $ per serving of 100 gram
Complimentary sauces, dips and tissue paper for free
Conclusion
We would like to thank the school management for letting us recommend our plan. Assessing the health as well as monetary aspects of the plan, we express our strong aspiration to work on it. We expect to hear from the management soon regarding their consent and suggestions for the proposed plan. The necessary amendments and improvements can be negotiated. We are willing to discuss the plan in a meeting soon and hopefully before the end of this month. Along with being a promising business for us, local farmers and food manufacturers, it is beneficial for the school too. In closing, this project shall cater to the financial as well as nutritional requirements of more than one group of people. So, we look forward to a positive response.
References
CBS News. The children are also more prone to type 2 diabetes, raised cholesterol, and high blood fat. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/01/health/webmd/main4222324.shtml "Moms Eat Junk Food, Kids Get Fat". 2008. Web Retrieved 10 Nov 2012.
Johnson, Paul M.; Kenny, Paul J. "Addiction-like reward dysfunction and compulsive eating in obese rats: Role for dopamine D2 receptors". Nature Neuroscience .2010. Web Retrieved on 10 Nov 2012.
