When Eliza Larson struggled with milk supply while breastfeeding her second son, she never imagined her kitchen experiments would lead to a company helping thousands of new mothers across the country. Today, her Ballard-based company Oat Mama has achieved a major milestone: its lactation granola bars are now available in 1,700 Target stores nationwide.
Larson founded Oat Mama in 2015 after discovering that certain ingredients could support milk production—knowledge she wished she'd had as a first-time mother. With a background in recipe development and food photography, she set out to create something that would taste good while actually working.
After approximately 60 recipe iterations, Larson and her original business partner perfected a lactation granola bar. She was her own test subject, nursing at the time, which allowed her to evaluate both taste and effectiveness firsthand.
The journey from home kitchen to Target shelves wasn't easy. In the early days, Larson and nine bakers hand-made close to 20,000 bars monthly in a warehouse space, leading to carpal tunnel syndrome. An initial attempt at manufacturing partnership proved disastrous when the product didn't match the original recipe—an expensive lesson in quality control.
But Larson persevered. She found a manufacturer who could replicate her original formula, and in 2025, she saw her products on Target shelves—a goal she had placed on her vision board back in 2019.
Oat Mama has expanded beyond granola bars to include protein powders, greens, supplements, and products supporting every trimester of pregnancy. The company's mission is clear: nurturing new mothers with products that actually work.
Larson moved to Seattle with her family in 2020 after falling in love with Ballard during a road trip. 'We got an Airbnb in this really adorable Tudor home with a cherry tree out front,' she recalls. 'Everything was so lush. It was magical.'
Her 2026 plans include expanding into perimenopause products, but she remains committed to her core mission. 'Every product that comes out is something I always wanted,' she says.