healmeal Story: How "Hey Felix, can you cook for me too?" became a company

Healmeal was never intended as a commercial enterprise.

It's simply meals that we all eat for ourselves every day – because we realize how good they are for us.

The entire meal, perfect for brainpower and health, is ready within 20 minutes: 1 minute out of the freezer, 9 minutes to heat, 10 minutes to eat. This way, we stay energized, can pursue our passions – and simply stay healthy. 

The Beginning: A notorious slob optimizes himself

Felix was simply fed up. Every other day, marching to the supermarket, rationalizing all the items in his head, dragging them home, making the kitchen dirty. And that every other day. "A hassle and a waste of time for nothing," as he himself says.

His solution? Do it right once. Scale out, shopping list created, cook 14 days in advance, zap and freeze. After a while, he had optimized it so that he only needed 2 hours of cooking time for each week (or every other week).

The funny thing: He always had plenty of time. He could have dirtied the kitchen every day. But – and this is where it gets honest – he just didn't want to clean up. At the same time, healthy eating was important to him. His realization:

"This is the easiest adjustment you can make. The 'lowest hanging fruit': open your mouth, put healthy stuff in. Other things are harder – for example, exercising every day." 

The guy with the 5-hour morning routine

Felix never had a big cooking background and was never really passionate about being a chef. But he loves to optimize things and make them as simple as possible. He watched many cooking shows, baked his own sourdough bread, fermented things – sauerkraut and more.

At times, he had a 5-6 hour morning routine and a 3-hour evening routine. (Yes, really. We don't know exactly what he did there either.) In one phase, he ran for 2 hours daily. It was important to him not to have to deal with food as well – and that his body received perfect nutrients after running.

His somewhat provocative but honest philosophy:

 "I don't understand people who dirty their kitchen every other day. Just cook once a month! Or order Healmeal – then I'd be rich."

(Okay Felix, we get it.) 

"Hey Felix, can't you cook for me too?"

For years, friends watched Felix cook for himself and optimize every tiny detail to perfection. Many wanted to emulate him – understandably, who wouldn't want to eat healthy and save time?

But the reality was different:

• The endlessly long shopping list (where do you find turmeric again?)

• The perfect meal combination for the week (which spices go

  together?)

• All the effort (and then ordering pizza again anyway...)

The motivation after day 3 (where did it go?)

 

 

It was simply too complex. So Felix was eventually asked – at first a little shyly, then with increasing urgency: "Hey Felix, can't you cook for me as a private chef?" The first friend got a yes. Then the second. The third. Suddenly, the second and third friends were completely jealous: "He has a private chef?! I want one too!" 

Felix's pragmatic response:

"For money, I'll do anything – even work." 

Fun Fact: healmeal was originally supposed to be called "Hey Felix" because literally everyone wrote exactly that: "Hey Felix, can you cook for me too?"

Organic Growth through Word-of-Mouth

The environment reacted quite naturally: "Wow, these meals are so healthy!" – and wanted them too. And precisely the people we understand:

• Professional athletes and sports enthusiasts who know how important nutrition is
• Longevity-conscious individuals who invest in their health
• Executives who have to make decisions all day
• Creatives who need their mental power
• Tech professionals who have no time for compromises

What connects them all: They need emotional stability and health. They need healthy food that allows their brain, microbiome, and body to function perfectly – without glucose spikes, without stress, without constantly having to think about it.

Why we no longer eat out at restaurants 

Do you know that feeling? You want to eat healthy, order in or go out – and somehow there's always some junk mixed in. Regular restaurants don't optimize for health, but for taste and price. Mostly, that means: inferior carbohydrates, cheap noodles, inexpensive compromises.

Our vision was simple: Just reach into the freezer in the morning – and be perfectly prepared for the day. No more mental burden. No compromises. Simply the same high-quality meals we eat ourselves.

Honestly: Healmeal isn't for everyone

And that's perfectly okay. Healmeal is for health-conscious people who are willing to invest in their nutrition and don't feel like cooking every day or worrying about it.

Our meals are scientifically sound and f*cking healthy – for most people. But there are legitimate exceptions:

• Pregnant women have specific iron requirements
• People with metabolic diseases need individual solutions
• and if you've eaten little fiber your whole life, your digestive tract will need to adapt. 

Our target audience is clearly defined – and we don't have to please everyone. We probably won't reach the classic ham-and-processed-cheese-lover from the discount store. And that's fine. We focus on the people who understand the value.

No compromises at Healmeal – because we eat it ourselves

It's simple: We eat these meals ourselves. Every day. As biohacking-longevity-conscious-meals. Why should we cut corners with what we give our customers?

Healmeal means:

• No compromises on ingredients (fair trade Rapunzel legumes)

• No compromises on packaging (10x more expensive, but compostable)

• No compromises on sustainability (NABU partnership)

No compromises on quality (handmade with love)

The price reflects that – but is still fair for what you get. We sell on quality, not on price.

The IKEA Box Story

In the beginning, Felix actually delivered the food in stainless steel IKEA boxes – some of which cost more than the food itself. Many boxes never came back because they were just so beautiful... and Felix wondered why he wasn't making any money. 😬

We want to maintain exactly this standard: No compromises on quality, whether it's the food or the packaging. It's about the bigger picture – not about a quick buck.

What Healmeal truly is

Healmeal was born because people said: "These meals are so healthy, I want that too!" It grew organically – out of a real need, not a business idea.

It's the solution for everyone who wants to stay energized, pursue their passions, and not constantly think about food.

20 minutes from freezer to consumption.

Perfect for your brain, your brainpower, your health. No stress, no compromises, no mental burden.

It can be that simple.

And if Felix gets rich because more people only want to cook once a month – all the better.