At 21 years old, Krista Anderson was diagnosed with cancer – for the second time. The first tumor had been found when she was 19, requiring the removal of one of her kidneys. After refusing postoperative chemotherapy, her health improved steadily for two years – until it didn’t. She watched from what seemed like someone else’s eyes as the doctor pronounced her with Stage 4 cancer… and three months left to live.
Doing her best to eat healthy foods that would give her body the best chance of survival, Krista eventually underwent chemotherapy for over a year before finally having her second major surgery, losing 2/3 of a lung. It was the darkest season of her life, but she knew there was more to her experiences than just the suffering of a young woman.
Inspired by her illness and journey to health, Krista knew her life could serve a greater purpose. One major issue she had recognized while trying to survive between hospital visits was the impossibility of finding food that was healthy, affordable, and fast. Instead of life-giving foods, the vast majority of what was available to her (and that she could afford) were carb-heavy, chemical-rich, and sugar-laden foods that she knew weren’t going to help her on her journey to a healthy life.
Four years after her final cancer surgery, Krista was given the vision for ESSTAR. It was time to make sure that healthy food was made available on every corner of America.
Sacrificing almost every possession she had to bring this dream into reality, she developed Krista’s Healthy On-the-Go stations, designed for convenience stores to use as end of aisle displays and checkout stations.
Countless hours went into crafting a product line that would cover a huge variety of dietary needs while also supporting reputable companies and maintaining low cost points. Most of the items in a Krista’s Healthy On The Go display contain less than 10 ingredients, and all of them are ingredients you can pronounce and use in your own kitchen.
Why convenience stores? “Access is key,” according to Krista. “Everyone should have access to healthier foods – no matter their income or location.”
According to the National Institute of Health, proximity to convenience stores is actually associated with higher levels of obesity. (1) With the growth of the organic food industry happening in incredible leaps – over $10 billion in just the last five years – it’s clear that consumers want something different. (2) In fact, while c-stores lead the industry in small-portion snacks, the healthy items in this category are outpacing the traditional leaders. That’s not much of a stretch, considering that millennials and baby boomers drive the snacking industry and are some of the loudest proponents of a better way of eating. (3)
Since launching with 6 stores, ESSTAR has expanded to 80 locations and adds more locations faster than anyone believed was possible.
In 2016, ESSTAR began working with Partnership For a Healthier America, a non-profit founded by former first lady Michelle Obama as part of a plan to end obesity in America. The missions of these two organizations align so seamlessly that it was clearly the next step in the story of ESSTAR.
Today, Krista works tirelessly to expand ESSTAR’s convenience store retailers, offering customers the chance to make a healthier choice from pump to checkout. And Krista’s Healthy On The Go stations are just the first step in her mission to bring health and healing to America’s people.
As Krista puts it, “Recovering from stage 4 cancer was blessing enough – but now I look back and can see God’s hand in the midst of my deepest turmoil. His plan is much greater than my own individual healing; it’s about the health of a nation.”
1 Comment
Leave your reply.