From protein shakes to plant-based alternate options, the Malaysian market has seen an inflow of merchandise catering to totally different dietary preferences and existence.
Nevertheless, many of those meal replacements focus totally on weight reduction, usually sacrificing important vitamins within the course of, stated the founders of Tastebudds, Collin Chang and Joslyn Yip.
“The sole focus of too many meal replacements in the market is on weight loss, which means their calorific values can be as low as under 100 calories and completely free of carbohydrates. This leaves customers hungry and more likely to cheat on their diet,” Collin stated.
That’s why the workforce at Tastebudds needed to interrupt away from that narrative, fuelled by their very own motivations.
From attorneys to entrepreneurs
Collin and Joslyn had been each former attorneys with demanding jobs that led them to neglect their well being and vitamin.
As Collin defined, the thought for Tastebudds was born out of necessity. “The main determining factor would have been during our time working as busy lawyers where we would regularly skip lunch and eat dinner at odd times, which led to a host of health issues,” he shared.
Each founders had all the time led energetic, healthy existence, however their work commitments compelled them to sacrifice their well-being for his or her careers.
Their conversations with colleagues revealed that this problem was widespread amongst folks in demanding professions.
After failing to discover a appropriate resolution—healthy meals had been both too inconvenient or costly—they determined to create their very own.
Thus, Tastebudds was launched with the purpose of providing handy, inexpensive, and healthy meal replacements to those that merely don’t have the time to prioritise vitamin of their day by day routines.
Designed for satisfaction, not hunger
In contrast to most meal replacements in the marketplace, Tastebudds’ liquid meals are designed to be filling and satisfying, the founders stated. Their merchandise include edible bits to make the physique really feel prefer it’s consuming an precise meal, serving to customers really feel fuller for longer.
“We wanted to make sure that our liquid meals have both the complete nutrients of a high-protein, low-carb meal while also having sufficient calories to keep you satiated,” the founders defined.
This strategy units Tastebudds aside. Their liquid meals include as much as 27 grams of protein, equal to a full serving of protein shake. The meals additionally embody probiotics and fibre to advertise intestine well being, addressing one other widespread problem confronted by many who skip meals commonly.
Tastebudds’ dedication to inclusivity goes past simply vitamin. Their merchandise are vegan-friendly and produced in halal-certified services, making them accessible to a various vary of consumers.
“We’re actually not vegans ourselves, but we wanted our liquid meals to be accessible to people from all walks of life and dietary preferences,” Collin famous.
A private journey and sustainable development
Tastebudds’ journey began with honey sachets earlier than evolving into the excellent product vary it gives in the present day, which incorporates liquid meals and teas.
These merchandise can be found on ecommerce platforms comparable to Shopee and Lazada. You too can buy their merchandise via their web site.
Regardless of the preliminary complexity of growing their meal replacements, the founders remained dedicated to creating healthy dwelling accessible with out breaking the financial institution.
One notable change of their enterprise was the swap from bottles to recyclable pouches for his or her liquid meals, a transfer pushed by each buyer suggestions and environmental issues.
“We switched over to pouches to allow our customers to fold the pouch and fit it practically anywhere. We also made sure to find recyclable plastics,” Collin defined.
Challenges and future aspirations
Working in a aggressive ecommerce house poses its challenges, particularly in a market the place many Malaysians nonetheless desire to see and really feel merchandise earlier than making a purchase order.
Regardless of these hurdles, Tastebudds has embraced digital advertising, social media engagement, and promotions to remain related. The founders proceed to innovate, always engaged on new merchandise to fulfill the evolving wants of their clients.
Proper now, TasteBudds is concentrated on increasing its presence throughout Malaysia. The brand is transferring into extra retail areas to make it simpler for folks to bodily expertise their merchandise.
“We’re looking at places like gyms, pharmacies, grocers, lifestyle service providers, and many more to carry our products because we believe we are serving a similar target market,” they shared. For them, it’s all about making it handy for folks to seize one thing healthy, wherever they’re.
They’re additionally wanting past Malaysia, having already launched in Singapore earlier this yr. They’re planning to broaden to different Southeast Asian international locations within the close to future.
“The issues we face with our busy lifestyles aren’t unique to just Malaysia. Any country with a major metropolitan population faces these issues,” they famous.
And regardless of the market, their mission stays the identical: to supply healthy, accessible choices for folks from all walks of life. They consider that anybody can profit from incorporating TasteBudds into their way of life, and it’s this imaginative and prescient that’s driving them ahead.
You’ll be able to be taught extra about Tastebudds right here.
Learn different articles we’ve written about Malaysian startups right here.
Featured Picture Credit score: Tastebudds
