Honorable Mention

As human beings we are always in constant search to improve our quality of life by using products and services that offer us solutions to our busy lifestyles; however, it is in this “evolution” that we are entangled in ways that can harm our health and the environment.

According to the Mexican Ministry of Health and the WHO, Mexico is the number 1 country in childhood obesity and number 2 in adult obesity, of which 90% suffer from type 2 diabetes, being the first cause of death in our country. In other words, 1 in 8 children under 5 years of age suffer from moderate to severe obesity and malnutrition due to lack of a balanced and nutritious diet. This problem leads them to be more likely to die from various diseases or to present severe growth delays, according to a study carried out by the National Institute of Public Health and UNICEF.

The consumption of snacks and foods of low or 0 quality has been increasing exponentially over the years to simplify our busy daily routines leading to a high number of child obesity and diabetes, and in parallel, a secondary problem: a high volume of single-use packaging that contaminates our ecosystems.

Munchera is a project that seeks to raise awareness among parents with children from 4 through 12, a formative stage. These families live social, environmental and healthy lifestyles and are always open to better solutions. Here is where our value proposition fits in: healthy and environmentally friendly snacking. Children in formation must be guided to make correct decisions with a favorable push for their growth and thus we can generate awareness in the new generations for a cleaner and healthier planet.

Munchera is a personalized subscription service that analyzes children’s habits with a 7 question assessment formulated by specialists in child nutrition, in order to recommend suitable snacks for each child’s eating habits and allergies. The snacks come in packages of 12 and 24, and are made of all-natural fruits, vegetables or nuts with no added preservatives, sugar or salt. The packages are sent in returnable wooden containers, avoiding single use plastics and teaching children about circular economy from an early age and also teaching them about home composting and reusing existing materials.

We must teach children that the best flavors are found in nature and it is not necessary to eat processed unhealthy foods. We want to bring in the digital aspect by creating fun augmented reality filters and games to encourage children’s interest in how food and packaging is grown and processed to generate social, alimentary and environmental awareness in future generations.

We are aware that combating childhood obesity is a titanic challenge, however, we want to do our bit to improve health from early formation stages through good nutrition education while also bringing awareness and better habits to generate a positive change in our Mexican society with the consumption of smart snacks for healthy children and a real impact in creating a sustainable planet.