Interview: Donnie Maclean on Innovation, Resilience and Changing Children’s Health

At 35, Donnie Maclean was broke, back living with his mum, and questioning if his entrepreneurial dream was over. Today, his company Eat Balanced supplies more than eight million healthier meals a year to schools and family venues across the UK. He spoke to us about his journey, the setbacks that shaped him, and his mission to improve children’s health.

Q: Donnie, can you take us back to the beginning of Eat Balanced?

A: I launched the company in 2012 with the idea of creating the world’s first nutritionally balanced pizzas. I wanted to prove that healthy food didn’t have to taste like “health food.” Working with Professor Mike Lean, one of the UK’s top experts in human nutrition, we designed recipes that reduced sugar, saturated fat and salt, while boosting fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals. One significant innovation was using small amounts of a highly nutritious seaweed in the base to replace salt. The result looked and tasted like pizza — but delivered real health benefits because it had all of the nutrients you need for good health, at the correct levels. You could literally survive on these pizzas!

Q: What was the reaction at the time?

A: We were on the BBC News, made headlines across the world, won awards, and secured listings with Asda and Sainsbury’s. But, what I didn't know at the time was that the frozen pizza aisle is not where I should have launched an overtly healthier option. That aisle was dominated by price promotions. Most shoppers there are looking for cheap options, or the most "meat" they could get for their money, and our positioning just didn’t work. By my mid-30s, I’d spent all my savings trying to make it work, but had to sell my home to pay off debts. It was a brutal process and really knocked my confidence. I remember sitting in the car, stomach churning, staring at the red fuel light, wondering how I was going to get money to put petrol in the car.

Q: What helped you turn things around?

A: I took a part time job to get me through, but I didn't give up. The main "aha" moment was when I took on board the feedback I got from parents during supermarket sampling. They told me they were buying the pizzas for their kids, without mentioning they were healthier. Kids will always pick pizza if it’s on the menu. So the mission became simple: make the healthier choice the natural choice, without them ever noticing.

Q: How did you get into schools?

A: In 2015, we convinced councils to trial Eat Balanced pizzas. They passed strict nutritional standards and — most importantly — the kids loved them. That was the breakthrough. Today we supply thousands of schools, including Glasgow City Council, where more than half a million portions are served each year.

Q: Why is this mission so personal to you?

A: I've always been hugely passionate about making a difference through positive changes in the food industry. I was on the board of Scotland Food & Drink for seven years, and on the Scottish Government's Food Commission for 3 years. It was very clear from my time on both groups that there needs to be changes - right now. Nearly 30% of Scottish children are at risk of obesity. And we have a crazy situation where children can be both obese and malnourished - if they eat too much of the wrong thing. My innovation was to improve what they enjoy eating. We make a difference meal by meal, school by school. Every time a child eats one of our pizzas, they’re getting better nutrition without even knowing it. That matters. We call it "health by stealth"

Q: And what challenges remain?

A: Councils are under budget pressure, and some choose cheaper pizzas with lower-quality ingredients, such as a cheese which has been padded out with vegetable oil and whey. What breaks my heart is that my seven-year-old loves my pizzas, as did his friends at his birthday party. Yet his council insists on inferior options, despite us being very competitively priced. I’m determined to show that it’s possible to offer great taste and high-quality nutrition at a fair price — and I know we’ll get there.

Q: Looking back, what’s the biggest lesson?

A: Never give up. What felt like failure at the time, actually laid the foundations. Losing everything taught me resilience. You only fail when you quit. I knew I had a great concept, but I didn’t get it right the first time. I pivoted. The drive to rebuild Eat Balanced into something that genuinely impacts children’s health — that’s what keeps me going every single day.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Saltire Sentinel’s editorial stance.