The wave of health and wellness is building as more people are interested in eating right and living a healthy lifestyle. When it comes to healthy food options, people want foods that are nutritious, delicious and sustaining to fuel their bodies. Health-conscious people are trying to eliminate processed foods and introduce more whole foods to their diet.
Healthy Eating is Trending
Analysts say the trend started building momentum in 2010 when awareness about taking care of your body was a driving force and coincidentally when health care costs began rising. The trend certainly picked up steam since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as wellness became the operative word and avoiding sickness was paramount to so many. The majority of those making changes and choosing a healthier lifestyle are women, adults aged 18-35 and parents.
Understanding Whole Foods
So exactly what are the dietary goals and what are whole foods? They are best described as foods that are in or are close to being in their natural state as nature intended us to eat for optimal health. These foods are nutrient rich with essential vitamins and minerals fueling our body to keep it in top working condition and provide great energy.
Whole foods have not been processed, refined, or had ingredients added to them. The list includes fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, meat, fish, and eggs– items that exist in nature with no artificial modifications.
Many describe eating whole foods as living off the land or nature, perhaps the way our grandparents or great grandparents used to eat, with no artificial colors or preservatives.
Synthetic or man-made foods with added sugar and salt are devoid of healthy nutrients and in fact, often contain too many unhealthy ingredients which can lead to health issues. Health experts say eating more of the whole foods like fruits and vegetables provide necessary fiber and nutrients needed for our bodies to operate efficiently. For example, your breakfast could switch from an artificial fruit filled pastry or breakfast bar to a smoothie made with fresh fruits and vegetables capturing the most nutrients from the ingredients.
Benefits of Whole Foods
Nutrition experts say our diets should contain more whole foods because of the benefits they provide. Powerful anti-oxidants found in foods like berries and tomatoes work to break down fat and cholesterol in our bodies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that too few of us are getting the proper amounts of Vitamin A and C, fiber, magnesium and potassium found in whole foods. Rather than supplementing our diets with these nutrients, experts agree consuming more whole foods is the key to better health.
The concept of whole foods is so popular that the Whole Foods market grocery store chain, first opened in 1980 as a idea to offer more natural, healthy foods to shoppers concerned about their dietary health, has just become the world’s leading retailer of natural and organic foods in North America and the United Kingdom. Capitalizing on its success, Jeff Bezos’ Amazon, purchased the chain for $13.7 billion in 2017. This has catapulted other entrepreneurs to consider investing in the health food trend. Although Whole Foods market is a chain, many are interested in the growing number of whole foods franchises available in the marketplace right now.
Healthy Whole Foods Franchise
A healthy whole foods franchise is a business model developed around the increasing trend of healthy menu options derived from whole foods. There is an increasing number of businesses throwing their hat into the ring, the best example is the acai bowl and smoothie franchise, SoBol.
At SoBol, we fill a niche, providing healthy meals through our bowls and smoothies made with all natural ingredients from local farms when available and in season. We have an appeal similar to Whole Foods in that we attract customers who run the gamut from those dealing with dietary restrictions to folks wanting to eat right and enjoy a healthier lifestyle.
At SoBol, our bowls and smoothies are made with whole foods like berries, bananas, coconut, acai, honey, mango, spinach, kale, pitaya, kiwi, and pineapple. All menu items are completely customizable allowing our customers to decide what goes in their food and in their bodies.
Our offerings require heart-healthy, all natural, and fresh products. That’s why we pride ourselves in blending our acai fresh each day, producing our own homemade granola and topping our product with only the freshest of fruits. All of our products are real food for people looking for a delicious, quick and affordable meal.
As consumer demand for healthy food choices increases, they are turning to SoBol where they can depend on nutritious and delicious food. We are meeting that demand through expansion of our brand. We have nearly 60 locations throughout the U.S. with franchise owners seeing about $594,000 in annual store revenue.
If you’re like us and stand strongly for whole foods and see that not only is it a growing food trend but a smart investment, sign up to receive more information about becoming a franchisee and joining the SoBol family.