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Beyond the crisps

Oh So Healthy! ® fights hunger with happiness

By Melody Samaniego Published Oct 12, 2022 9:00 am Updated Feb 02, 2023 6:05 am

How can we not love food when it is our respite? Sometimes simple snacking brings us a profound sense of joy and contentment. Take, for instance, a bag of chips. It’s an irresistible pleasure, but we can never compromise on our health. So, we turn to low-calorie, gluten-free, cholesterol-free, and vegan-friendly options.

Oh So Healthy! crisps are made from all-natural fruits and vegetables that are pureed, blended, and air baked, never fried. Uniquely crisp, unlike other dried fruits, each product is prepared using only natural, high-quality ingredients. Both tasty and healthy, OSH crisps are filled with nutrients that the body needs.

Founder Almay Gaw See chronicles the history of the product, “Initially OSH wanted to offer affordable products that are genuinely natural and healthy. Products that trickle down to the masses and the marginalized sector are usually full of fillers and preservatives because those are easier and cheaper to produce."

"We thought it would be amazing if we could create a product that the masses can afford and you’re not worried that you’re feeding the children stomach fillers without nutritional value. It was a challenge for us to come up with a hero product." 

The product is manufactured by Innovative Packaging Industry Corporation (IPIC) which has been operating in the Philippines for almost 20 years now as one of the top toll manufacturers for multinational companies in the country.

Oh So Healthy! sources its products from local producers.

After extensive research and development, Gaw-See and her 12-man team combined certain local fruits and came up with the initial three variants (all halal, Kosher, and HACCP certified)—Mango Sweet Potato Banana, Coconut Purple Yam Banana, and Guava Purple Yam Banana. 

In October, 2017, the products came out on the market, providing consumers with a sound escape, a healthy alternative to junk. 

However, the pandemic halted the momentum built between 2017 and 2019 when the company was aggressive in joining international food expos and poised for international expansion. Yet the daunting challenge only served to test and strengthen their online selling capabilities. 

At the height of the pandemic in 2021, three new products—Choco Mango Dipped Crisps, Sour Cream Corn, and Squash+Cheese veggie crisps—came out. This year, OSH celebrates its 5th anniversary, launching a new product line, OSH Pops Popped Corn Chips, which come in three flavors: White Cheddar, Sour Cream, and Smokey BBQ.

The rise in obesity and increased risk of other diseases and health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease prompted consumers to be more conscious about what they eat and drink. OSH provides “better-for-you” snacks.

OSH products likewise make people happy. The crisps bring consumers joy and make them recall certain flavors and memories. Online reviews mention some flavors bringing back memories of a happy childhood or life in the province. The Guava Purple Yam crisps trigger recollections of the scent of guava trees drenched by a sudden summer downpour. Jackfruit Pineapple Banana crisps are reminiscent of the crunchy turon that Lola, Mom, or Tita used to serve for merienda.

Balikbayans usually buy OSH as pasalubong for relatives, usually in the US and Europe. One regular customer purchased 150 boxes of Choco Mango Dipped Crisps that were used as giveaways to guests at her parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. She said her family loved Choco Mango so much and wanted to share it with relatives and friends, plus the green box matched the motif of the celebration so it was the perfect anniversary giveaway.

OSH Choco Mango is a Katha Award winner.

Choco Mango so much and wanted to share it with relatives and friends, plus the green box matched the motif of the celebration so it was the perfect anniversary giveaway.

The acronym OSH may as well stand for Oh-So-Happy, representing how Filipinos remain smiling even amid calamities and adversities.

Yes, it is loving local for OSH and growing globally as it espouses environmental responsibility and sustainability.

OHS is available on www.imohsohealthy.com, and on Lazada and Shopee. They're distributed in major supermarkets and online stores in Singapore. They're also in the US and Japan, and soon in the Middle East, Korea, and Taiwan.