A chef who struggles to eat his vegetables might seem like an unlikely person to start a wellness company. But for Chef Gerick Manalo, Founder and CEO of EarthLab & Co., that personal contradiction became the starting point for a business built around a familiar challenge: why is eating healthier so difficult, even when we know what is good for us?
Despite years of experience preparing food for others, Manalo found it difficult to maintain the healthy eating habits he understood professionally.
“As a chef, I could tell you exactly what a balanced plate should look like, how to prepare vegetables, and even make them taste good for other people,” Manalo says. “But when it came to my own plate, I was the one avoiding them.”
That gap between knowing and doing would become central to how he approached EarthLab.
When Knowledge Doesn’t Become a Habit
When his schedule grew busier, vegetables were often among the first things Manalo skipped. He tried blending greens and vegetables at home to make up for what was missing from his meals. The experiment did not last. “It tasted terrible,” he says, laughing. “I was drinking it because I knew I needed it, but eventually, I gave up.”
The failed experiment showed him that nutritional intentions alone were not enough. Taste and convenience mattered if he wanted a routine he could sustain.
“I’ve learned that knowing what’s healthy is easy. Making it a habit is the hard part,” he says. “The challenge is doing those things consistently, especially when life gets busy.”
Making Better Nutrition Fit Real Life
Manalo’s culinary experience led him to approach the problem through taste. A food or drink can offer nutritional value, he reasoned, but people are less likely to return to something they do not enjoy.
“I think the biggest misconception is that eating well means forcing yourself to eat things you don’t enjoy,” he says. “For me, it’s really about finding a way to make better nutrition work for you.”
That thinking shaped EarthLab’s intended audience: people who understand the value of eating well but struggle to make it part of their routine.
“What I felt was missing was something made for real people, not just people who are already obsessed with wellness,” Manalo says. “Make it simple. Make it enjoyable. Make it fit real life.”
He is careful not to position convenience as a substitute for balanced meals. “We’re not here to replace a healthy diet,” he says. “We’re here to make getting more greens easier in real life.”
From a Kitchen Experiment to a Wellness Business
Turning the idea into a product took more than two years. Manalo worked through repeated rounds of formulation, ingredient sourcing, tasting, packaging, and production decisions before introducing EarthLab’s first offering, 21 Greens + Antioxidants Power Blend.
Manalo approached formulation as he would a dish, balancing ingredients, texture, and flavor. But the repeated testing also forced him to consider a different standard of success: whether someone would willingly prepare and drink the blend again the next day.
“For me, taste was non-negotiable,” he says. “If I’m going to ask people to make this part of their daily routine, it has to taste good enough that they actually want to come back to it.”
The resulting 21 Greens + Antioxidants Power Blend combines greens, fruits, antioxidant-rich ingredients, and probiotics. Its development reflected the problem Manalo had encountered firsthand: a product’s ingredients mattered, but so did the experience of consuming it regularly.
Product development also brought the uncertainties of running a business: supplier choices, production costs, failed attempts, and decisions made before he knew how customers would respond.
“There were moments when we questioned whether we should keep going, but I believed in the problem we were solving,” he says. “After more than two years of testing, failing, adjusting, and refining, we finally created something I was genuinely proud to put the EarthLab name on.”
A Founder’s Case for Consistency
The experience reinforced Manalo’s preference for realistic, sustainable habits over sweeping changes to daily routines.
“You don’t have to completely change your life to start taking better care of yourself,” he says.
His own relationship with vegetables has not changed overnight, either. Building EarthLab made him more attentive to his habits, without turning him into someone who suddenly enjoys every vegetable.
“Vegetables and I are in a much better relationship now,” he says. “We’re not best friends yet, but we’re definitely talking.”
He applies the same problem-first thinking to EarthLab’s future. Although he wants the company to grow beyond its first product, he believes any new offering should address a specific consumer need. “Every product should have a purpose and solve a real problem,” he says.
His move into entrepreneurship has also given new meaning to the skills he learned in professional kitchens: discipline, teamwork, and the ability to adapt when plans fail. While his responsibilities have expanded beyond food preparation, Manalo still sees himself first as a chef. “I’m still Chef Gerick,” he says. “I just have a much bigger kitchen now.”
About EarthLab & Co.
EarthLab & Co. is a Filipino wellness brand founded by Chef Gerick Manalo to make everyday nutrition more practical and approachable. Its first product, 21 Greens + Antioxidants Power Blend, combines greens, fruits, antioxidant-rich ingredients, and probiotics in an easy-to-drink formulation designed to support daily nutrition and wellness.
Karina is not your ordinary supermom. She juggles her time bonding with her three amazing kids while being in the loop on the latest happenings in the tech and lifestyle scene. Follow me on Instagram (@digitalfilipina) regularly visit www.digitalfilipina.com for daily dose of updates not just for moms but for everyone!
