From flying planes to starting healthy snack brand.

“This was what I was meant to do”, these words have echoed in my subconsciousness for generations and each day they define a sense of clarity. For me, it wasn’t just about redefining how people thought about healthy snacking but was to shed light on misconceptions people have about food. 

This is the story of Payal Khanna, the inspiration behind a brand - FoodForia that’s touched the hearts of thousands of Indian customers. She shares with us her journey from navigating the skies as a pilot to navigating curious taste buds as a chef and an entrepreneur of a health food brand . 

As an entrepreneur, FoodForia is a quintessential chapter of my life. I have always been passionate about wholesome living and have an unwavering belief in the power of natural and plant-based foods. My mission is to make nutritious and delicious options accessible to all, inspiring healthier choices and transforming the market in the process. However, getting here took a lot of work. 

Sometimes, you ‘Wing’ it

As a curious child, I always explored different activities, ensuring I had fun. My competitive spirit led me to participate in a weight lifting competition. 

After college, I got a commercial license pilot from the New zealand and finally, started my career with a commercial airline in 2008. With the adrenaline of soaring the skies, and the adventurous lifestyle as a part-time bartender at different pubs in Wellington, life was buzzing indeed. 

When I felt that nothing could go wrong, I had to fly back in 2010 as my father wasn’t keeping well. While in India, I couldn’t find a good opportunity to join Indian Aviation Services due to a limited number of requirements the aviation sector. I thought it was worth the effort to wait for too long. 

So, I experimented with different things. Yes, I’m a tad impulsive at times and have more zing than what you’d get by downing 10 Red Bulls. I couldn’t sit idle at home. I started working as a content writer, then switched to being a movie jockey. I even saw myself as an avid sports analyst making strategic team choices on Dream11. Needless to say, I wasn’t lucky enough to win the bumper prize. 
Needless to say, these shoulders have gained the strength to carry whatever life throws at them. 

Life Doesn’t Prepare You for Everything

There are moments in life that you can never be enough prepared for and the loss of a loved one is one such event. I lost my father to diabetes in 2018. I was crestfallen. My pillar of inspiration was no more with me. 

My father lost the will to live because he wasn’t ‘eating equal’. His diet, the snacks and most of what he ate didn’t inspire any life or joy. When we’d dine out, my father food choices were restricted while we indulged in tasty delicacies. Food is supposed to make you feel happy, but when you are forced to eat just to survive, it can mentally devastate a person. 

‘Eating Equal’

Food is sacrosanct. I believe healthy snacking isn’t just good for the gut, but it also helps in shooting your dopamine a bit. 

Plus, food should not only taste good, but should also look outstanding. While I was focused on making food healthy, there was part of my mind that was invested in making it presentable as well. That’s when the idea for FoodForia just struck me. Food and Euphoria! Magical.

FoodForia resonated with a lot of the people. My ex-landlord, a farmer, educated me about organic farming and gave me a crash course in healthy eating. My mother, a member of the All India Women’s Association, helped me connect with old age home women who had mastered traditional ways of cooking and explored traditional ingredients to make modern foods more palatable. I decided to collaborate with them. 

FoodForia birthed its first product

I created recipes ideas, while the women at old-age homes transformed millets into delicious products. This is where FoodForia's first product birthed. I strongly believe in the pin power of handmade with love, as machines don’t have emotions. 

We don’t use any wholewheat, refined flour or sugar in our products . We ensure that we use locally-sourced grains from different parts of the country, transforming them into delicious products. 

“I just love your quinoa and black rice”, I was delighted when a young customer told me an  event. Eventually, my customer base grew and I was able to rope in luxury hotel chains which even today is a core part of my major customer network. I realised that selling my products at luxury hotels was going to require a little creative thinking on my part so I started working on the packaging to make my products look more premium. A little colour here, a touch of finesse and voila! 

Desperate Times Call for Creative Measures

As pandemic hit my business. The entire world was locked behind closed doors. Hotels were shut. People turned to Swiggy and Zomato for their daily meals. I had to think out of box to keep FoodForia on the map. 

A box of mangoes came to rescue. The idea of selling mangoes came to my mind. Though challenging, I sourced fresh mangoes from the south India with the relentless support of multiple transport companies and the farmers community. The mangoes were loved by my clients and the experiment was a success. 

My Learnings and the Way Ahead

Being an entrepreneur is challenging. You’re dealing with different people on a daily basis. Some are difficult to work with, while some make the day worth enjoying.  Being on the field, making daily trips from Ghaziabad to Vasant Kunj, supervising a team and dealing with multiple vendors. That’s the daily hustle of my life at FoodForia and I keep learning every day.

I make a conscious effort to give time to my personal life as well. My husband, who is a Pilot with Indigo has been my pillar & support and also the official taster for all my products. To see my chocolate-loving partner hooked to healthy foodIt’s is a testament to how tasty FoodForia snacks are. 

So far being a B2B brand, now I want FoodForia to become a household brand at the same time keeping its exclusivity alive. I firmly believe that healthy eating shouldn’t be restricted only to the elite but rather should be democratised. I remember the security guard at my society used to buy quinoa from us and that motivated me to keep my brand accessible to everyone. 

Where I am today is the cumulative result of the efforts of people who have played an important role in shaping my life and my business. I have surrounded myself with inspiring personalities and it reflects in the way I am. While I am someone who can multitask and like to take on challenges alone, I always believe that it’s teamwork that makes a dream work.

Payal Khanna believes that food can be a big force of change to make people’s lives better and she continues to do it through Foodforia. She lives in Delhi with her foodie husband.