Mom Made Foods
Heather Stouffer, left, of Mom Made Foods.
Heather Stouffer, who lives and works in Alexandria, launched Mom Made Foods from a card table at the Del Ray Farmers Market in 2006. The company is now helping parents nationwide and is on the cusp of launching a new option for lunch boxes.
We talked to Stouffer about what she ate growing up, how being a working mom influences her business and the role her entire family plays in Mom Made Foods.
Where did the inspiration for your company come from? As a new working mom who cares a lot about the foods I feed my family, I found myself regularly in a pinch for quick, healthy foods my kids would love. I felt guilty if I was compromising on nutrition just because I was running late or didn’t have enough time to cook from scratch. I surveyed thousands of par-ents, and I found I was far from alone in my struggles.
When did you start your business and how has it grown? I launched Mom Made at the Del Ray Farmers Market on Memorial Day weekend in 2006 from behind a card table. We’re now in thousands of stores throughout the country, as well as avail-able online and on Amazon. Prior to launching Mom Made, I was in the tech industry. Before we had kids, my husband and I lived and worked in Europe. I headed up the European sales team for a commercial internet service provider. It was a fantastic experience and taught me to manage dozens of major projects simultaneously. We moved back to D.C. to start a family, and I worked for a tech consulting company before leaving to launch Mom Made.
Where are the meals made? Our office is in Alexandria. We have three manufacturers we work with who are ex-perts at making each of our product lines. For example, we make our entrees at a certified-organic facility in New Jersey that makes pasta from scratch. We’re commit-ted to keeping all suppliers in the USA and as close to our office as possible.
How does being a mom yourself come into the decisions you make about your product and your business? Is your family involved? My husband, Craig, is technically our co-founder although he’s never been involved in the business. I call him our Chief of Moral Support, which is a critical role! My kids (10 and 14) are our Chief Product Tasters. They are my inspiration. They have very different preferences when it comes to foods, so I get well-rounded feedback and ideas between the two of them.
As a family, we are Mom Made's typical consumer — dual working parents, health-minded, not willing to cut corners, and budget-minded. I am constantly ob-serving my own needs as well as the mar-ket to come up with new product ideas.
What were your favorite foods growing up as a child? I grew up in Kansas City, on the Kansas side. My favorite foods as a child were BBQ ribs, spaghetti and meatballs, and artichokes dipped in homemade Hollandaise Sauce. In fact, I preferred Hollandaise on most vegetables, and at 9 years old, it became the first recipe I learned to make. My parents had gotten divorced and my mom had gone back to work full time, meaning less time for meal prep. If I wanted Hollandaise, she said, I needed to make it myself.
What are some of the biggest misconceptions about popular foods kids eat today? Many parents begin to struggle with meal-times for their kids starting around age 2, when a child learns the word “no.” Fruits and veggies don’t taste as good as they did now that the toddler is exposed to more foods, and rather than keep offering lots of fresh produce, many parents give up. They try sneaking veggies into food, forcing, bribing, etc. — all of which doesn’t work in the long run.
Parents should continue to offer fruits and veggies at every meal. It takes time and patience, and it is worth the payoff to raise a healthy eater. Research shows a child may need 20+ exposures to a food before they’ll begin to like it. With my son, it took 400+ times (years!) of him seeing salad on the table before he wanted to try it. Now, he loves salad and makes the best homemade salad dressings!
Do you work from home? What's a typical day like for you? I work from our office. A typical day starts at 6:15 a.m. I do a 30-minute workout at home or run, make the kids’ lunch-es and breakfast, then walk my daughter (and often her friends, too) to school. I return to shower and fuel myself with a new cup of tea then head to the office by 8:30 a.m.
As we have many consultants, suppliers, retail customers and key business partners, I spend a lot of a typical day on phone calls. I also am constantly working in spreadsheets on inventory analysis, financial projections, pricing, etc. Consumer goods business is impacted by pennies, so every number counts. I try to leave the office by 5:50 p.m. to pick up my son from cross country practice, and then head home.
My amazing husband typically has dinner nearly finished when we get home. We sit down as a family most nights for dinner, and then kids head off to their evening activities and homework. All of us check in our screens by 9 p.m.
What tips would you give to other mom entrepreneurs out there? If you’re not failing, you’re not doing anything. Not every-thing will be a slam dunk win. Pick up the phone more than emailing, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. I’m always reassured and amazed at how willing people are to help me regardless of the ask.
What is the role of your Mom Made Moms ambassadors? Can anyone apply? Yes, all parents can apply! Mom Made Moms are active, community-involved moms who care about healthy foods. They are our grassroots help in expansion to a new set of stores, product tasting and overall spreading the word about Mom Made. In return, they get free product and ad-vance notice about special promotions. (More information is at mommadefoods.com/be-an-ambassador.)
What goals do you have for your business in coming years? My goal has always been to grow Mom Made into a well-respected household brand. We’re in the final stages of launching a new line of healthy frozen sandwiches that we’ve been developing for two years, Mom Made Lunchwich.
They’re delicious and so easy! It’s not difficult to make a sandwich for your child but it does take time. These are the solution for the rushed morning where you’d rather save 5 minutes and be able to peacefully and lovingly send your child to school instead of yelling at them to tie their shoes. In the near future, we hope school cafeterias all over the country are full of kids opening their lunch bags to enjoy a Lunchwich.
In Alexandria, Mom Made Foods are available at Whole Foods Market, select Safeway locations and Mom’s Organic Market. You can also order online. More information is at mommadefoods.com.
