Gourmet vending machines are becoming a thing in Dubai, all in the quest to promote a healthier diet.
Gourmet Stop - a company that supplies meals without face-to-face interaction - is now catering to people who are craving a hot or cold nutritious and affordable meal on the go, PopSugar reported.
This idea first started in the Netherlands, and we can thank Stephanie Khouri for bringing it to the UAE, where she hopes to see the vending machines in hospitals, gas stations and shopping malls even.
Khouri is simply trying to keep up with how fast-paced Dubai is, and since she doesn't believe that fast food has to be unhealthy, her aim is to "make sure that my fellow hard-working residents can have good food [...] without compromising."
But, what is good food? Are we talking healthy wraps and salads? Or is complicated Middle Eastern cuisine (aka the best food to grace the face of this Earth) included?
Because, if so... we would like to see more of these vending machines around the region, with a lot of these foods:
1. Tabbouleh on the go
Being a hard-working employee means that sometimes you don't have time to go eat tabbouleh at home ... so just go get one from the vending machine.
It wont rival that of your mothers (nothing ever will), but it'll still give you a much needed parsley fix.
2. Mansaf
There better be a mansaf plate big enough for at least 3 people! And it should include wet wipes, because spoons would be insulting.
Might as well include a pamphlet instructing us which fingers to use while eating mansaf. We don't want "foreigners" missing out, do we?
3. Wrap up my wara2 3anab
Delicious as they are, vine leaves are painfully time consuming to make.
Imagine having those right out of a vending machine. Add some laban on those babies and you're good to go!
We take our laban very seriously, you know.
4. Carbo-loading kushari
Where would we be without this extremely heavy, carb-loaded, food-coma-inducing dish?
On second thought maybe this wouldn't be the best option in a vending machine...
5. Baby + 3azeemi = Meghli
Consider this: You've just had a baby, you have guests coming over and you haven't had time to prepare traditional meghli!
Just pop on over to your nearest gourmet stop and order a bunch, et voila! Social status FTW.
6. Mujaddara is the all powerful health option
Since we're talking about healthy foods here, we can't go on without mujaddara!
Just imagine feeling the flu coming on, and you need a surge of healthiness.
Mujaddara, on the go, is exactly what you need.
In all seriousness though, the idea of a gourmet vending machine is pretty cool, especially considering how limited the choice between healthy and fast is.
We hope that after becoming a success in Dubai, they roll them out over the rest of the region!