In charge of Lela Delícia Saudável, Rafaela Franchi produces 3,000 meals per month, prepared according to nutrition guidelines.

Who would have thought that a fit lunch box would be so popular among co-workers? Lawyer Rafaela Franchi had no idea that the lunch she took every day would turn into what Lela Delícia Saudável is today (@leladeliciasaudavel), a brand specializing in frozen foods based on a diet personalized by the nutritionist.

“I always liked having a healthy lifestyle, dieting and as I also liked cooking, I looked for recipes on the internet and created my own dishes to keep my diet creative and tasty. My colleagues praised it a lot and one of them gave me the idea of ​​putting together lunches”, she says.

The idea was more than successful. Rafaela stopped practicing law and started working on the lunchbox, which began operations around 8 years ago. “At the beginning I barely knew what I was doing, it was just extra income. I worked as a freelancer at events, hosting weddings and graduations. I’ve been a test inspector, I did actions inside the mall, I also worked at a stand at Camarote Salvador. Until more recommendations came, other acquaintances that led me to create a brand, a label and an Instagram profile”.

Today Lela produces up to 3 thousand meals per month. Average revenue now reaches R$720,000 per year, which guarantees Rafaela a salary 500% higher than what she earned before. The brand’s expectation is to reach seven figures in 2025. The menu includes several meal options, snacks, soups, portions and desserts, all on an online platform to buy at any time, schedule delivery and receive the order at your home .

“I knew I could do more, create more, reach more people, because I already had several clients and earned more than my fixed salary, but what if it went wrong? I was changing a profession with a diploma to try my hand at the stove at home selling food. It was a personal dilemma really. Until I was fired and looked with new eyes at what seemed bad as the best thing that could have happened. I started dedicating myself 100% to my company. It was very challenging”, he recalls.

The combos are the best sellers. Customers who choose from 15 items receive a 15% discount. “This way you can organize your month’s diet and stay focused. Salmon dishes, minced meat and lactose-free stroganoff are the favorites and are very popular here. In fact, we are soon launching new dishes with a reinterpretation of the most requested. A lot of people sell lunch boxes and I never wanted to be one of them. I have always sought good service, good presentation of dishes, conveying a good message, having adequate and safe packaging, a beautiful and attractive brand.”

When creating a specific menu for each person according to the nutritionist’s guidance, everything is done adapting preferences, respecting restrictions, down to the smallest detail. “One of my first clients asked me to make his meals with the weight recommended by the nutritionist. Then other people also came in the same context looking for their meals according to the nutri prescription and at that moment I realized an opportunity to differentiate myself. Today we have partnerships with the best nutritionists and doctors in Salvador.”

In addition to personalized meals, the digital menu has a variety of products available for those who are not following a specific diet, but who want a healthy and balanced diet, as Lela’s creator adds: “Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle mass, have a healthier life or because you have a pathology, we are dedicated to solving the problem of those who have a busy life and don’t have time to cook. What we want is for everyone to follow their diet with pleasure, without suffering and eating delicious food with everything they need to be at their best.”

At the beginning, Rafaela didn’t have the perfect business plan, but she wanted to change her life. “And I think that’s really how a lot of businesses start. We understand how challenging it is to maintain a diet and I myself have been through this several times of going to the nutritionist, leaving the office with the diet in hand and not knowing what to do with it. It’s frustrating and I believe that a lot of people go through this situation. So, in many cases, we see the realization of the lifelong dream of someone who had never managed to lose weight. Our client’s achievement becomes ours too”, he adds.

. Get started Get your ideas off paper and keep going. Even if I have doubts and am scared by the size of the responsibility, the process is like that. Continue.

. Doubts do not cease, they are renewed You will never be 100% prepared, because every day you learn something new as you undertake.

. It’s not just about selling hot Think of something that can differentiate your product from what already exists and that, at the same time, solves a consumer need.

Rafaela Franchi is lawyer and creator of the Lela Delícia Saudável brand.