Piloting a Healthy Street Food Venture in Kenya: Lessons Learned

Approximately 2.5 billion people, majority of them in developing countries, consume street foods on a daily basis. High malnourishment rates in these low-resource settings create a need for healthy street food. The successful introduction of healthy street food could ultimately improve communities’ overall health and wellness without constraining people's budgets and eating habits. Packaging locally available ingredients into aspirational foods like pizza improves consumers’ access to micronutrients without disrupting their consumption of indigenous foods. The Zima Pizza venture was piloted in the town of Nyeri, Kenya to pilot this implementation process. This venture introduced a westernized food option into a local restaurant, and the lessons learned from this venture can inform the introduction of healthier street foods. This article outlines the basis for designing healthier meals for a simple street food business, the challenges that arose in the implementation process, and the lessons learned from this social venture.