After moving to Buffalo, NY, Puerto Rican native and nutrition coach Mayra Luz Colón started looking for healthy alternatives for the foods she grew up with. What she discovered was that the $2 trillion global wellness industry had a Latina-shaped hole.
“I felt underrepresented in the health and nutrition world,” she recalled. “As a Latina navigating autoimmune challenges, I realized most recipes out there didn’t fit my needs.”
This realization led her to create the Nutrition Dork blog, then a cookbook of healthy Latina recipes. It was while developing recipes for her cookbook that Colón realized the spice blends that seasoned many of her favorite meals were fueling poor health.
“Most brands in stores contain artificial ingredients and preservatives,” she said. “While they may improve the look of the blend or shelf life, they certainly don’t add to our health.”
She started making her own spice blends free from MSG, gluten and artificial dyes, and made from natural ingredients like Himalayan salt, pepper and oregano. In 2021, she launched Healthy Rican, her brand of healthy spice blends and started selling them in the Amazon store a year later. Within the first month, she saw her sales double. Today, she earns nearly $20,000 in monthly Amazon sales.
Colón says that Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), which she uses to pick, pack and ship her spice blends to customers across the United States and Puerto Rico, has been instrumental in allowing her small business to grow at a level she believes she wouldn’t be able to achieve on her own.
“Fulfillment by Amazon has been a game changer,” she said. “It’s allowed us to offer fast, reliable shipping without managing our own logistics.”
As her business has grown, Colón has adopted Amazon Warehouse Distribution (AWD), a low-cost bulk storage solution that helps sellers distribute inventory to Amazon and non-Amazon sales channels. With AWD, Colón been able to scale Healthy Rican across multiple sales channels
“Amazon Warehouse Distribution helps us manage inventory more efficiently and ensure we don’t run out of stock, which helps us manage our costs,” she said.
She also uses Amazon Ads, which she says have helped her increase visibility and connect with customers searching for cleaner, culturally rooted flavors.
As Healthy Rican continues to grow, Colón remains focused on the mission that started in her kitchen: helping her community enjoy the flavors they love without sacrificing their health. What began as a personal search for better ingredients has become a movement rooted in culture, wellness, and connection.
“Healthy living shouldn’t mean giving up the foods we grew up with,” she said. “I want our community to feel proud of their heritage while taking care of themselves. That’s why everything we make is con sazón and made with love.”