The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

There is no doubt Bahamians have been becoming increasingly health-conscious in recent years – exploring various fitness options and adopting new eating habits, including alternatives to unhealthy snack foods.

In the case of Tiana Rolle, she grew up in a family whose business it was to sell healthy snacks to the local populace. And now, the Zumba fitness instructor is now following in her parents’ footsteps, but putting her own spin on things with a new business venture called Da Nut Bar.

For years, her parents operated a small store on Prince Charles Drive called Da Market Centre where they offered nuts and dried fruit along with an array of other products to their customers.

When her parents’ store was forced to close in 2016 due to road works, she sought employment elsewhere.

Tiana, who holds an accounting degree, was able to get a job with one of resorts on the island. However, the shutdown of most of the hospitality industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic changed her path yet again. She told Tribune Woman it made her determined to find another source of income. She decided to start her own business selling healthy snack foods.

“After receiving encouraging words from my parents and researching products, packaging and marketing, Da Nut Bar was born,” she said.

Her home-based company focuses on providing a variety of raw, roasted, salted and unsalted nuts, as well as dried fruit like mango slices, cranberries and diced papaya. Additionally, she offers seeds for added fibre; seed like flax and chia seeds. For those with a bit of a sweet tooth, she sells butter toffee nuts, coconut crunch and chocolate covered almonds.

Tiana said the goal is to “tempt your taste buds" while providing the customer with healthier snack options like homemade granolas.

“Health and wellness is becoming more important to many Bahamians, therefore I'm happy that I can provide tasty and healthy snack products to each and everyone that orders from Da Nut Bar,” she said.

Adding nuts to your diet, she said gives a healthy source

protein, healthy fats (unsaturated fats), dietary fibre, potassium and antioxidants.

“Like all foods, you should consume in moderation, but our products are healthier than picking up a bag of chips that contain saturated fats and a ton of salt,” she said.

Tiana enjoys not only providing Bahamians with healthier snack options, but also being an independent woman.

“Being an entrepreneur I have more control of my time. I can wake up in the morning to work out, make breakfast and start my day without having to worry about rushing to a job. I have set delivery and pick up times that work best with my current daily lifestyle,” she said.

During the pandemic, Tiana had time to design her own website and find ways to make her products more accessible for her clients.

The power of social media, she said, has helped her to build her customer base.

“I stay encouraged by seeing the volume of repeat customers, the positive feedback from customers and by the love and support from my family and friends,” she said.

“During this time of social distancing we have adapted by of course following the COVID-19 protocols and slowly becoming cashless…My plans for 2021 are to continue to provide quality products and good service to all my customers. I also plan on opening a store very soon in the Carmichael area.”