HYFN Well-being: Rachna Govani from Foodstand

Walk us through your relationship with food and nutrition. At what point did it become important for you?

I grew up in a typical South Asian household in New Jersey where my parents owned a few corner stores. I was essentially the third employee of the business and got to see the ins and outs of how these corner stores ran. My parents had a strong desire to supply nutritious options to their clientele but working in this environment my parents and I quickly noticed the faults of the food industry.  In short, the best margins came from selling junk food - this is where our profit was made. Though we explored different avenues within the business, we realized that in order for corner stores to sustain, we need to sell highly processed junk food. My family and I became very aware of the problem as to why unhealthy food is cheap and why good food is expensive. At a young age I gained early exposure to a bad system that did not work for the health of people and that’s where my relationship with this mission began.

Tell us a bit about Foodstand. How did it go from concept to where it is today?

A few years ago, I was a part of a corporate incubator - one where we came up with a bunch of ideas to see how we can fix the food system - a lofty goal. We challenged how we could create healthier habits and generate more sales for a healthier food system. With some trial and error we eventually got to a place where we wanted to create a community platform to inspire healthy eating. We introduced the idea of behavior modification without dieting and calorie counting last October and it evolved from there. Foodstand helps you build healthier eating habits through community-powered micro-challenges.

And what’s your favorite aspect of the app?

My favorite aspect of the app is that it’s focused on micro modifications as opposed to extremes. It’s difficult to completely adjust and modify your long term habits with the snap of your fingers and this app is not programed to do so. Foodstand allows you to make small changes one step at a time to make you feel constantly successful. They are small short term victories that eventually overtime turn into long term habits and one day, a new lifestyle.

What role do you think wellness and healthy eating play within the South Asian Community?

I think it has changed quite a bit over the last ten years. With the rise and continuing knowledge of medicine, health and nutrition, both eastern and western societies are quickly learning that wellness needs to be a part of our lifestyles. Health and wellness have become mainstream and I see it quickly adapting to my South Asian communities. People are working out, using alternative ingredients in their recipes and understanding that they need to acclimate themselves to this lifestyle.  

How did this affect your outlook on nutrition?

My outlook on nutrition is not unique to the South Asian community. There’s an information overload about how mainstream media portrays nutrition. With all of the fads and new diets that come out, it leaves people confused.

My viewpoint is that healthy eating is simple - cut back on processed foods and eat more mindfully.