GLOW- Healthy Smoothies and Snacks
The global smoothies market reached a value of around US$ 14 Billion in 2020. A smoothie refers to a thick beverage which is prepared by blending an assortment of fruits, vegetables and other ingredients including milk, seeds, yogurt, ice-cubes, sweeteners, and nutritional and herbal supplements. It is high in nutrients such as vitamins and fibers and can be easily prepared and stored for immediate or later consumption. With the rising trend of green smoothies, various consumers are incorporating green leafy vegetables, such as kale, spinach, lettuce and collard greens, into their smoothies to improve digestion, boost the immune system and minimize unhealthy food cravings.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, arthritis, heart disease particularly in developed countries, are some of the leading health problems. However, owing to rising health consciousness together with the adoption of healthier lifestyles, consumers are altering their everyday diet. They are shifting from carbohydrate-filled food products toward healthy protein-enriched snacks and meals. In addition to this, they are consuming more practical foods and beverages like smoothies to meet their daily nutritional requirements. Apart from this, owing to hectic lifestyles and long working hours, a rise in the demand for on-the-go-meal options has been observed which, in turn, is strengthening the industry growth. Looking forward, and according to the Smoothies Market Report (2021), the global smoothies market is expected to exhibit continued growth during the next five year.
We had the opportunity to speak to Amina Rashad one of the leading entrepreneurs in Egypt in this space, and the founder of Glow- Healthy Smoothies and Snacks, who is a firm believer in the “Power of the Smoothie”, not only as preventive measure, but also as an important health, weight loss and nutritious addition to one’s diet. Amina shared with us her personal story of how this transformed her life and how she hopes to help others in their journey to better health and livelihood.
1. Tell us about your journey to embrace healthier / sustainable foods, lifestyles, and living?
My interest and engagement in this area all started when I was 42, when my health hit rock bottom. This led me to start a Detox program which I noticed helped my health and well-being significantly. After years of eating what I thought was food that was beneficial to one’s health, I became aware and learnt that so many foods we believe are good for us, are in fact are unhealthy.
I started to study nutrition and this lead to the creation of this business and the business was created and took off from this point onwards. I started working with clients who would ask me to make them smoothies and juices to help boost their health. In 2017, it all started, and from my kitchen, and the whole project just boomed on its own due to popular demand. People are desperate to find tools to help their health and smoothies are the perfect tool in our day and age to have an easy meal with all the nutrients you need to boost you throughout the day – A smoothie is a life saver. Glow now has a full-fledged factory (that strictly follows our homemade strategy, preservatives and processed sugar free guidelines) and distributes all over Cairo using Glow’s own fleet of delivery trucks.
2. What are your leading products and who are they targeted to?
Our leading products are our Detox programs, Plant based Programs and Clean Eating Programs. However it all started with the Smoothies, but as the project grew we added have a variety of products made by Glow and other suppliers on our website and the
Glow App. These items range from Tofu all the way to plant-based cookies and vegan ice cream.
3. What do you see as your main challenges in growing your business and how will you overcome these?
Our main challenge is raising awareness and reaching our customers through various marketing channels, in Egypt. However the awareness is growing along with the customer base.
4. How will you measure the success of your business?
The success of our business is measured based on our customer feedback and percentage of growth, which has been a stable 40 to 50 percent growth each year!
5. What is your vision for the next 5 years for your business?
Our vision is to create a healthy platform making healthy living and clean eating easy for busy people in Egypt and the Middle East.
6. What is the one thing you will want people to remember about your product?
The one thing I would like people to remember about our brand is that we are a team of professionals that offer a path for a healthy lifestyle that you can contact at any point on your journey, and we will support you from where you are and work with you, hand-in-hand, to reach your goals.
Each month we feature someone who is doing outstanding work to build a sustainable future in our region. Whether you are an entrepreneur creating new products or an activist promoting sustainability, or an individual who has gone through a life transforming journey, we will want to interview you, share your story more widely, with the hope of inspiring others. We will want to make you one of our Yalla Stars. If you have any great suggestions for a Yalla Star let us know .
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