Health IT, Startups

Meal delivery business that wants to help you shop for ingredients goes live in Philly

Fitly is a digital health startup that wants to change how people think about food […]

Fitly is a digital health startup that wants to change how people think about food shopping. Its meal delivery service takes the view that ordering ingredients online, organized into “meal kits” is an effective way to curb needless calorie consumption. It has kicked off a soft launch in Center City Philadelphia today. The move follows a pilot program with Penn Medicine employees in suburban Philadelphia.

Anthony Ortiz, the CEO and co-founder of Fitly, told MedCity News the digital health company has also inked a strategic partnership deal with Brown Superstores. The company runs 10 ShopRite supermarkets around Philadelphia. He said it has also rolled out its service in Bucks County.

Fitly’s website offers images of meals users can select and then see the ingredients and nutritional information. Recipes listed on its website follow USDA guidelines. Meals are designed to include whole grains, fruits and vegetables. The minimum order is two meals per week, but users can order as many dinners as they like.

Its delivery service can bring orders to wherever it’s most convenient for customers such as office parking lots as they get ready to go home, picking up children from school or leaving fitness centers. After graduating from the DreamIt Health accelerator last year, Fitly has joined the Digital Health Accelerator, a program run by the University City Science Center and backed by Pennsylvania’s economic development arm. In addition to working directly with customers, the company also aspires to work with corporate wellness plans.

Fitly is part of a trend of companies, such as Blue Apron, Plated, and Hello Fresh, that are trying to change the way people shop for foods with the idea that they can influence them to think more about the food they are consuming, instead of mindlessly loading down their shopping carts with unhealthy snacks and microwave meals that are easy to prepare.

Ortiz has calculated that the soaring childhood obesity rates combined with the hectic life of working parents means there’s a big market opportunity for the service his business can offer.

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