From Everyday Staples to Everyday Nutrition: How Prosa Foods Is Building Kerala’s High-Protein Food Movement
Synopsis
Prosa Foods is helping reshape Kerala’s everyday food culture by bringing high-protein nutrition into familiar staples. Explore how the brand is tapping into India’s growing demand for healthier choices.
What if eating more protein didn’t require Indians to change the way they eat?
That is the idea behind Prosa Foods, a Kerala-based food startup founded in 2025 by first-time entrepreneur Martin Paul. Instead of building another fitness-focused nutrition brand around powders and supplements, Prosa is reimagining familiar Indian staples as convenient, protein-rich everyday foods.
Its initial portfolio includes high-protein dosa and idli batter and high-protein half-cooked chapatis — products designed to combine better nutrition with the convenience and familiarity of foods already consumed by Indian households.
“People shouldn’t have to completely change what they eat to eat better,” says Martin.
That philosophy has shaped Prosa’s approach from the beginning. The company started with product development, recipe experimentation and market validation, choosing to test its products in real-world retail environments rather than launching with a large portfolio. Consumer feedback has since played an important role in refining the products and business.
For Martin, the opportunity extends beyond creating healthier versions of individual foods. India’s growing awareness of nutrition has created a rapidly expanding protein market, but much of it remains centred on supplements, sports nutrition and specialised health products. Prosa aims to take protein into a much larger consumption occasion — the everyday family meal.
Building the business has required Martin to work across product development, manufacturing, branding, retail, marketing and customer acquisition, including partnerships with contract manufacturers.
The company is now expanding its retail footprint across Kerala, with Kochi and surrounding markets playing an important role in its early growth. Alongside retail, Prosa has established a D2C channel with hyperlocal delivery across Kochi through its website, allowing consumers to order directly while giving the company valuable insights into consumption patterns and preferences.
The next phase involves expanding beyond Kerala into tier-one cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune, while developing a scalable model combining retail reach with direct consumer relationships.
Prosa received a significant boost in June 2026, when it secured investment from a UK-based angel investor. While the investment amount and equity details remain undisclosed, the funding is expected to support retail expansion, production capacity, product development, marketing and team building.
For Martin, the investment is also validation that a nationally relevant food brand can be built from Kerala around an everyday nutritional need.
“Protein should not be a product category reserved for athletes and fitness enthusiasts. It should become part of everyday food.”
Ultimately, Prosa Foods wants to build India’s leading high-protein everyday food brand — making better nutrition almost invisible by integrating it seamlessly into foods people already know, cook and love.
The ambition is simple: make protein not an aspiration, supplement or specialised choice, but an ordinary part of everyday Indian life.
About Prosa Foods: Prosa Foods is a Kerala-based food startup developing high-protein versions of everyday Indian staples, currently including dosa and idli batter and half-cooked chapatis.
Website: https://www.prosafoods.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prosafoods