The first time Uzair Mohammad carried one of the first LunchEAZE prototypes into work, he planned to put it to the test, take notes on its performance, and figure out how to improve it. He didn’t realize that, soon, it would completely alter his eating habits for the better.
The LunchEAZE, a cordless, self-heating lunch box that lets users control the heating time and temperature from their phone, has quickly become a way for people like LunchEAZE founder Uzair Mohammad to live healthier lives. With its remote heating capabilities, users can schedule a time for their lunch break and the LunchEAZE begins heating on its own. At the designated time, a hot meal is ready.
The LunchEAZE team came up with the idea for the product after hearing stories from one of the team member’s wives, who is an ICU nurse. She said her busy schedule made it difficult to find enough time to stop and eat while working. Because there is only one microwave in the department and she is prohibited from bringing a plug-in hot plate to the hospital, she felt limited in her options.
Uzair said the team was experimenting with heating technology for a different project when they heard about her struggles. They immediately shifted gears and started creating a self-heating lunch box. For their first “prototype,” they rubber-banded their heating technology onto tupperware and attempted to use it to heat water.
Inventing an inexpensive, convenient, and healthy alternative for lunch was a challenge they could all rally around.
“I think food is something that we’ve all had challenges with at some point or another, because we’re all just so busy, and being busy gets in the way of being healthy,” Uzair said.
Uzair and his team were driven by their goal to create a product that would give people, including nurses and others, more control over their eating habits. They wanted to provide more lunch options, regardless of where people were or what they were doing.
[H2] The Challenge of a Healthy Lunch Break in America
The majority of Americans (56%) take 30 minutes or less for their lunch break at work. During that time, they might run out to pick up takeout or fast food, snack on a cold lunch, or get in line for the office microwave to heat up their meal. Options are limited, and each takes time.
Microwaves, if available, can be a great option. But food that is microwaved tends to lose valuable moisture, flavor, and nutrients. And the workplace microwave can be depressingly unclean.
For some professionals, such as mailmen, police officers, firefighters, nurses, teachers, and truck drivers, it is even more difficult to find time for a lunch break. One study found that 35% of nurses rarely or never take a meal break. It’s common for nurses to not have an opportunity to sit down for a meal, especially because nurses are often not relieved of patient care responsibilities during their breaks.
In these professions, finding a convenient, nutritious, and inexpensive meal option can seem impossible. If they do find a solution that works, workers often end up eating the same types of meals every day and quickly grow sick of it.
“When you’re on the move, there’s just no good option for food that really puts you in control of what you’re eating,” Uzair said. “You can’t eat what you want when you’re on the go or at work, you have to eat what’s available.”
This was the problem Uzair and his team were trying to solve.
[H2] Making Healthy Eating Convenient
The team worked on various prototypes for the LunchEAZE. With each iteration, there were three key benchmarks the team members knew the product had to pass before they would be satisfied. They were:
- The food had to be “truly piping hot, not just warm.”
- The heating had to take place automatically in order to maintain its convenience.
- The lunch box had to be food-safe and BPA-free.
With all of those functionalities, Uzair believed that their product would help people improve their health and lifestyle. After one and a half years of development, the team launched a kickstarter for LunchEAZE.
Uzair continued to bring his LunchEAZE to work during and after the product development phase. He said his meals gradually became healthier. He found that he had more control of his portions and what was going into his meal.
“Since I didn’t need to go out to get food, and LunchEAZE starts automatically, I could focus on work and get a lot more done because I didn’t need to worry about lunch,” he said. “I didn’t even need to leave my desk. I was just feeling good, eating well, being productive, and saving a ton of money on food.”
The entire development team quickly found a use for the LunchEAZE, whether it was packing a hot meal to enjoy after a day outdoors fishing or mountain biking, or sneaking in a healthy meal between the gym and the office.
Now that LunchEAZE has hit the market, Uzair has enjoyed hearing from those who say the LunchEAZE has helped them take control of their eating habits, too. LunchEAZE users can have any kind of meal — perhaps yesterday’s leftovers, or dishes meal-prepped over the weekend. They find it easier to make healthy food at home and bring it to work than to search for healthy options while eating out.
Today, a strong base of people rely on their LunchEAZE to stay healthy. The product has been well received by those who need to be healthy to do their jobs but are also on the move. First responders, for example, tend to spend a lot of time in the drive-thru line. LunchEAZE lets them have the healthy, wholesome food they need to keep them fueled.
With a LunchEAZE, workers of all types are able to enjoy a hot lunch without being distracted from their work. They can portion their proteins, vegetables, and carbohydrates. Because the system is completely sealed, maximum moisture and flavor is retained.
LunchEAZE is especially helpful for those on gluten-free, vegan, keto, or other diets because of allergies or health-related reasons.
Some parents are also taking advantage of the LunchEAZE. They pack healthy school lunches for their children, rather than relying on snacks or cafeteria food for their child. Parents of children with allergies are especially grateful for their LunchEAZE. Now, they know exactly what their children are eating.
Uzair said he is happy to see that the LunchEAZE is helping so many people build healthy eating habits and enjoy their lunch breaks a little more. He hopes that the product can continue to help people — from ICU nurses to bus drivers to outdoor enthusiasts — live healthy and happy lives.
Make healthy eating easier by purchasing the LunchEAZE today. Visit https://luncheaze.com/ to shop different colors and styles.
