Wouldn’t it be nice, she wondered, if they could learn all about healthy eating habits in a fun and exciting way, that would encourage them to make positive nutritional choices for themselves?
Rachel, fortunately, knows a thing or two about learning in enjoyable ways. She’s the founder and CEO of The Nurts, a company dedicated to creating tools for children and adults to promote personal growth, new perspectives and learning through experiences.
Her husband, Adrian Tan was therefore inspired to create “Happy Diners,” a whimsical card game that makes learning about balanced meals and good nutrition effortless and fun.
Their previous card games include The Nurts (which explores healthy parenting), Heart to Heart (which encourages building connections) and The Money Genius (which explores financial knowledge).
“There are a lot of unhealthy food choices out there nowadays. And many people, sadly, only really become conscious about their nutritional choices after it’s too late. Which is partly what led us to design this. We thought, how can we make learning about healthy eating fun?” Rachel told FMT Lifestyle.
“We feel games are a wonderful way to pass on important knowledge in an enjoyable way. It also encourages bonding between parents and their children, or between friends.”
“Happy Diners” can be played by two to eight players, and is aimed at players ages four-99. A round usually takes about 15 minutes.
There are different ways of playing: the “Simple Rules” are for younger players, while adults might probably enjoy the more complex “Standard Rules.”
The cards, designed and illustrated by Isabelle Lai, are vibrant and colourful to appeal to children, and feature adorable depictions of food.
The aim of “Happy Diners” is to create healthy meals for a group of diners (represented by Diner Cards), each with their own culinary preferences.
Luna, for example, likes grains and dislikes bread, while Noah is fond of red meat but not leafy greens. Special Dietary Considerations can also come into play: a Diner may have a seafood allergy, for example, or be vegan.
Players draw a wide variety of Food cards, which are divided into Carbohydrates, Fruits and Vegetables, and Protein. Information on food types, preparation styles and nutritional traits are published on each card. Each Food is also given a star value, from none to three, depending on how healthy it is.
The goal of “Happy Diners” is to create a balanced meal. This must consist of one Carbohydrate, two Fruits and Vegetables, and one Protein for each diner, depending on their likes, dislikes and dietary habits.
Players win over a Diner (and gain a Diner Card) for creating the balanced meal with the highest star value: first one to win five Diner Cards wins!
Rachel said certified nutritionists were consulted when making the game to ensure the accuracy of its nutritional content.
She and her team also made sure all the foods represented were familiar to Malaysians, to ensure the game was more relevant to local diets and lifestyles.
She said she hopes the game can be enjoyed by children and adults alike, and hopefully be utilised by nutritionists and dieticians as an educational tool.
“Of course, the aim is not to be preachy, or to demand that players adopt certain lifestyles. What we aim to do is raise awareness, give people information about the foods they consume. It’s up to them then to make their own choices based on what they know now,” she said.
The game, launched in August, has received positive response so far. She said kids mostly enjoyed the cards for their cuteness and colours, while adults tended to get more competitive in gameplay.
The Nurts is also working with a retail partner to curate a hands-on healthy eating experience workshop for children, which would incorporate the “Happy Diners” game.
“The game is definitely in line with the mission of The Nurts, which is creating experiences to help people become better versions of themselves. It’s a great pick for people who want to have fun, while enjoying a long and healthier life,” Rachel concluded.
Purchase ‘Happy Diners’ here. For more information, visit The Nurts’ website.