At Absolute Fit Food’s Langsuan kitchen, the Chef’s Table featured a cornucopia of vibrant colours – black rice, golden pumpkin, red quinoa, and plenty of greens – enough to offer a little perspective in our approach to eating. Often, as busy parents, we scramble to feed our kids, throwing together whatever’s in the fridge or grabbing a ready-made meal on the way home. This abundant spread certainly elevates healthy eating to a new level – and with Absolute Fit Food’s delivery service of meals designed by nutritionists and created by experienced chefs, the company aims to make it attainable as a long term, sustainable habit.
“We have launched a dedicated kids’ menu as part of our meal delivery service,” explains Claire Bostock, Executive Director of Absolute Fit Food. “It’s geared for healthy, balanced eating, but we play with flavours, hide or blend veggies and make them more appealing to children. A meal would consist of whole grain noodles, organic pasta or rice with fish or chicken, corn soup, fruit and mini-muffins for dessert, for example.”
Launched in 2012, Absolute Fit Food has developed meals comprised of superfoods, whole foods, hormone-free meats, ocean-caught fish, gluten-free ingredients and fresh local produce from the Royal Projects. There is no use of MSG, preservatives, trans fats or artificial colours. The company also makes their own sauce bases, and serves Jasberry rice, which is high in anti-oxidants.
“Part of our service is about educating parents,” says Claire, who has a little girl of her own. “Kids nowadays have more allergies, they are sick more often and have trouble concentrating… and a lot of it boils down to nutrition. Food is the foundation for growth and development, which leads to being healthy and active.”
We sampled a bit of everything, which was beautifully presented in kid-friendly formats: a veggie train loaded with ocean-caught fish and homemade sauces; high fibre yam noodles artfully arranged as a haystack, with a carrot horse, along with chicken skewers; red rice moulded in the shape of a bunny; raw vegetables arranged to resemble a bicycle; and homemade citrus yogurt served in an orange peel bowl. Clearly, the chefs were having as much fun crafting such dishes, as we had tucking into the flavourful, whimsical-looking fare.
As wonderful as it tastes to adults, would children actually eat things like spelt bread, spirulina pasta, protein-heavy quinoa and other superfoods?
“Some items, such as teriyaki salmon or spaghetti with chicken meatballs, are more popular for my kids, who have been served pretty much all of our creations,” says Daniel Eastwood, co-founder of Absolute Fit Food. “More challenging foods, such as gingko nuts or flax seed, are chopped or ground into tiny pieces and mixed with other flavours.”
Adult customers can opt for a full programme of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks or choose a specific course of a few meals for a set period, whatever suits them best. Meals are delivered daily in sealed containers. For kids, “you can do 10, 20 or 30 kid’s boxes a week combined with the adult package,” explains Claire. “We can tailor dishes to suit dairy-free, gluten-free and wheat-free diets, as well.”
Such special orders can be delivered 48 hours after the order is placed. There are currently around 250 Thai and international menu items, with four to six new items added each month. All meals are freshly made in Langsuan and delivered, via Absolute Fit Food’s own motorcycle delivery network, to “all parts of Bangkok, including Nichada Thani, the Riverside area, Moo Baan Panya.”
My thought is that diving full-on into this regimen, despite the convenience, probably won’t work for everyone, especially those with picky children who have already established their set eating habits. But little by little, such foods can become part of a family’s broader health and wellness goals. Also, the entire family can eat healthily together with boxes for both adults and children.
Daniel sums it up nicely, saying, “Teach kids at an early age of the impact of foods on their bodies, as well as about taking in well-balanced nutrients and reasonable calories, and eating in moderation. Don’t deny them of what they need, but also give them what they like.”
For more information, please contact Absolute Fit Food.
