Fast-food is destroying our health. Over the past 30 years, fast-food restaurants have become unhealthier by increasing portion sizes, calorie counts and sodium levels (McCrory et al., 2019). As people’s lifestyle becomes more hectic and fast paced, it is more convenient for them to eat fast-food. This type of unhealthy food is easy to grab on the go. At the moment, there are very little available healthy fast-food options. Creating healthier but faster meals can help prevent “one in every five deaths globally” (Afshin et al., 2019).

The intake of fast-food has many negative effects on one’s body. Long-term, it has been linked to “a higher risk of obesity, depression, digestive issues, heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and early death” (Brissette, 2018). All these health problems are extremely costly, and have a tremendous negative impact on one’s quality of life. In Canada, in 2008 alone, more than $4.6 billion were spent on treating health problems related to obesity (Teitel, 2012). This number has continued to grow through the years.

Eating fast-food, even once, can result in a reduction of the diameter of arteries, and thereby increasing blood pressure. As well, “the quick spike in sugar from eating junk foods high in refined carbohydrates and added sugars”, will leave someone feeling tired, cranky, and hungry for more (Brissette, 2018). Despite the negative consequences of eating fast-food, more than 1 in 3 Americans eat fast-food at least once a day (Bakalar, 2018).

Furthermore, Jones et al. (2014) conducted a study were the price of healthy and unhealthy foods were compared. One of their findings is “that the price of more healthy foods was consistently greater than that of less healthy foods over the period 2002–2012, and that the absolute price gap between healthy and less healthy foods has grown over this period.” As unhealthy food is more affordable and convenient, consumers can easily forget the nutritious aspect behind what they eat. If no alternative solutions, such as fast, easy, yet healthy and affordable food options, are made available to customers, they will continue to revert to fast food meals, and all of the above negative consequences of fast-food will persist.

Some companies have tried implementing convenient and healthy solutions by creating fast and easy meal kits, which would offer an alternative to fast-food. As well, fast-food restaurants have tried to incorporate healthier options on their menu to cater to health-conscious customers. These attempts will be discussed next.

First, meal kit companies such as Good Food, Hello Fresh and Blue Apron have taken advantage of the fast-paced world we currently live in to offer meal kits delivered at our front door. These companies have tried to profit off the current health gaps of fast-food restaurants by providing customers with a selection of fast, easy yet healthier meal kits. These kits normally contain all of the ingredients required to cook a chosen recipe. Consumers simply need to prepare the meal, as the recipe indicates. Most meal kits are delivered on a weekly basis, and consumers can choose new recipes every week. This said, “consumers are losing interest in meal kits” (Ladd, 2018).

The first mistake meal kit companies have made is to disregard “the principles of human-centered experience design”, meaning that companies forget to consider the user’s needs and behaviors (Walton, 2018). A study has revealed that Americans prefer doing grocery shopping the traditional way (Danzigler, 2020). This allows them to cook more portions for leftovers. Meal kits do not provide this liberty. They provide the ingredients required for a set number of portions, often not enough for leftovers. Moreover, meal kit companies may deliver the ingredients for one meal a day (usually supper), but do not provide options for other meals, such as breakfast and lunch. Not only do customers purchase higher-priced items, they are still required to go to the grocery store to buy the rest of the required food items for other meals and snacks. This may encourage some customers to revert to fast-food for other meals of the day, which makes this solution incomplete. As grocery stores are now offering at-home delivery, it may be easier for customers to order groceries online instead of ordering meal kits. All of these factors make companies struggle “to attract new customers and maintain existing ones under the subscription model” (Ladd, 2018).

Another mistake made by meal kit companies is that they have not considered “one critical human social need: spontaneity. Often people don’t know what they want to eat or don’t feel like eating what they thought they would on a given day of the week.” (Walton, 2018). Often, people decide what they want to eat at the last minute, depending on what they are craving for, or how they are feeling. When the consumers purchase their meal kits, they may like their selection at first, but may end up regretting their decision. For example, if a user tries to be healthy and purchases “salmon lettuce cups with North African chermoula […] when browsing online, but once the box arrives, and it is some random Wednesday after a hard day at work, a person’s impulse for tacos may no longer align with said lettuce cups. In that situation, meal-kit users either eat the food because they feel guilty about wasting money or, worse, regretfully let the food go to waste and instead make a run for the nearest Taco Bell on their way home from work to satisfy the cravings” (Walton, 2018). The lack of flexibility offered by meal kits do not leave room for spontaneity or creativity in a meal. Not considering this aspect, makes meal kits a faulty solution. Overall, fast-food is fast and cheap, but the meal kit solution is rather slow and costly. The fact that “only 9% of consumers have purchased a meal kit” enforces that point (Ladd, 2018).

The second unsuccessful attempt to solve the problem of no healthy fast-food alternative is fast-food restaurants adding healthier options to their menus. Throughout the years, many known restaurants, such as McDonald and Burger King, have tried implementing various healthier options on their menu.

For example, McDonald’s advertised and sold the McDonald’s McLean Deluxe from 1991 to 1996. Their selling point was that it was a 91% fat-free burger. “To make up for the absence of fat, the burger was infused with water and carrageenan (seaweed extract). (Schlossberg, 2015)” Customers usually go to fast-food as they know what to expect. “The cheeseburger you get at a McDonald’s in Orlando is exactly the same as the one you get at a McDonald’s in San Francisco, Montreal, or Little Rock” (Specter, 2015). The McLean Burger, with its fat content significantly lower than those of other burgers, was a much healthier option. Yet, those who tried this healthier burger quickly realized that “less grease may be good for the arteries, but not for flavor, and it can leave the stomach feeling less filled” (Gibson, 1993). The taste was off and not consistent. “For McDonald’s, a name synonymous with predictable food, that’s a nightmare” (Gibson, 1993).

Another issue regarding this attempt was the price. It was more expansive than other burgers. The taste was off and there was no predictability. This resulted in people reverting to cheaper and more familiar choices on the menu. Following McDonald’s failure, other fast-food restaurants have been reluctant to roll out healthier options. This is still the case today. These options do not have a chance of competing against fatty options. If McDonald were to transition towards an overall healthier menu, it would lose its loyal customers. At the core, these restaurants make profit from their greasy and caloric options. Fast-food restaurants have two options: to make their food cheap or healthy. “Doing both on a large scale is not possible. […] Fatty, salty meals remain far cheaper to produce, distribute, and buy than healthier alternatives.” (Specter, 2015).

Overall, as healthier options come at a higher cost, as well as less filling, customers are not drawn to these healthier alternatives. These restaurants are currently not marketing and pricing their healthy products for success. They would need to bridge the gaps between their current options and healthier ones to have a successful solution.  

Customer Segment #1:
The first customer segment groups females in the age group of 30 to 50 years-old who have two children and are married. Living in or close to the city, this group has access to the internet. Additionally, they maintain a steady generous income, as both they and their partners work full-time. They need an easy on-the-go alternative to fast-food. They can be reached through Facebook or by internet. They want a solution to be as healthy and safe for their family and therefore do not place much value on the prices of the products. They need a solution to fit the specific nutritious needs of their children and their own. As well, the current existing solutions such as meal-kits do not cater to their needs as they require generous portions. As they are often experiencing cravings, they want a healthy way to satisfy their cravings without eating candy or other sugary food. Moreover, they enjoy choosing their products and therefore need a variety of choices.

The value proposition in this segment would be a bundle of three varieties of healthy children’s snacks and five different desserts complimented with various supplements and nutritive snacks for the adults. Furthermore, they would have the choice of five ready-made meals that offer leftovers for their lunches. This bundle will be delivered the day of the order being placed.

This value proposition accomplishes the user’s functional job by offering a way for this customer segment, including their children, to meet specific nutritional needs without having to eat sugar-filled treats. As well, by offering a variety of products packed as a bundle, we offer them a convenient solution to have ready-made meals as well as a front-door delivery system. The customers will save time by avoiding the lengthy cooking time at the end of each day. This process satisfies the customer’s functional job by completing the process for them, while relieving any negative feelings associated to the stress of their emotional jobs while cooking in a rush. The service is easy to use and reliable which increases the likelihood of the customers adopting the proposed solution.

Customer Segment #2:
The second customer segment is for students from the age of 18 to 25 living close to their university campuses. Being full-time students, they do not have much time on their hands, nor do they have lots of savings. Having no job during the school year, they often cannot afford expensive ingredients or products that older adults normally could. Having little time to cook proper meals, they have reverted to fast-food chains to get cheap meals, which in return makes them feel nervous and tired every afternoon due to sugar crashes. They fear that eating healthy will put them at a financial risk. Additionally, this segment can mostly be reached through social media platforms. They normally buy products when they are advertised by major influencers or popular on short clip video platforms such as Tik Tok.

The value proposition for this specific customer segment is a value 1 person 7-day bundle. Often living alone or with roommates, this segment needs smaller portions or quantities of products. Based on the results of the artificial intelligence survey taken, a kit of three sets of two different breakfast bars will be offered. As well, fresh-pressed juices will be included in this bundle which perfectly complements the personalized breakfast bars. Furthermore, three different types of easy healthy meal boxes packed in fully recyclable and compostable material will be included in the bundle. Finally, a single portion of a ready-made meal will be included for each night of the week.

The customer segment will satisfy their emotional needs by gaining a healthy yet easy solution without emptying their wallets. They will save time as they are not required to cook. The bundle offers fresh products delivered to the lobby of their buildings, which makes their lives easier. As well, every product in this bundle is designed to be taken on-the-go or for a quick meal in-between night classes. This will offer this customer segment the same convenience as fast-food would. Overall, the low cost, good quality and convenience of the solution will make the customer very likely to adopt the solution.

To see examples of my storyboards, please click here.

Fast-food chains have a vast and loyal clientele that could be profited from; however, to do so, any alternative solution will need to be fast, easy, cheap, and tasty. This can be achieved through an e-commerce-based company, that offers healthy ready-made meals and snacks, nutritive cold-pressed juices, super vitamin/mineral shots, etc., as well as same-day delivery for customers in large cities and within 48 hours elsewhere. Upon registering, customers will have to complete a quick artificial intelligence survey regarding their lifestyle, health concerns, taste, etc. Products offered will then be customized to their specific needs, at very competitive pricing.

As more than 1 in 3 Americans eat fast-food at least once a day, which is known to be a very unhealthy habit with many negative health consequences, we need to create a solution that will allow these people to get the required vitamins, minerals and other nutrients they are lacking in their current diet, in an fast and affordable way. To date, there are no fast, yet healthy and affordable food options that would be appealing to this targeted population.

The proposed solution offers a variety of products from cold pressed juices to ready-made meals. It also offers a food delivery service that will provide the customer with the ease and affordability of fast food restaurants. Same-day delivery within large cities, and within 48 hours elsewhere, will be offered through the use of efficient delivery services, such as Uber. By offering efficient delivery, customers will no longer have to wait in line in a drive thru or in the restaurant itself. Thus, the solution offered is more convenient than having to stop at MacDonald’s, for example, to place an order.

Overall, this solution will significantly increase a customer’s intake of vitamins, minerals and other healthy nutrients, hence, improving the customer’s overall health, yet keeping some of the key attributes of fast food chains by being fast and affordable.

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