Cristina (she requested her surname not be published) launched The Good Market at the beginning of 2019, to help other people make simple changes to their diet and improve their health.

Her passion for what she calls “real foods” developed after an unhealthy period of her life when she was living in Hong Kong.

“I was at a low point, I didn’t feel well physically or mentally,” she told Delano. “Some of my family members have a background in nutrition and medicine, and thanks to them, I read a lot about nutrition.”

Cristina adjusted her diet, switching processed foods for vegetables, wholegrains and fruits, for example. She said that within months, her energy levels shot up. “I’m amazed at how our diet can positively impact our lives. But I’m still amazed at how much this relationship is under-estimated in society. I think people just believe that healthy eating is too expensive or too time-consuming. It’s really not,” she said.

After a stint living in Brussels, 18 months ago Cristina moved to Luxembourg with her partner, who is a Luxembourg entrepreneur. She recalls the frustrations of shopping in Luxembourg where she would spend hours poring over product labels in supermarkets.

“I was very frustrated with spending time in supermarkets and really tired of having to go to 3-4 different places to finish all my grocery shopping. I wanted to combine everything in one place,” she said.

That’s when she came up with the idea of The Good Market. She established the business as a simplified sarl, a relatively new status which requires just €1 in capital to get going. Her criteria for products was and remains that they must not contain refined sugars or oils, chemicals or additives and should come from as close to source as possible.

At the time of publishing, the website listed over 280 non-perishable food products and home packaging solutions, all of which have been tested by the founder. “They are my favourite brands. I’m the guinea pig!” Cristina said, adding that the list of produce was constantly growing.

Customers can opt to have their shopping delivered to their home or collect it from a pick-up point, the first of which is at Happ, a restaurant in Limpertsberg. In the short time the site has been running, Cristina says things are taking off. Among the most-popular items, she says, have been the granola breakfast cereals and nut butters.

The Good Market is not only about selling groceries--Cristina hopes to raise awareness about the health advantages of selecting simple “real” foods. In addition to her blog, which features healthy recipes, in the coming months she plans to organise healthy eating workshops with Happ (from mid-March onwards), and pop-up stores. To find out more, visit The Good Market on their website, Facebook, or Instagram.