Sisterhood, Superfoods & Success: How Rawcology Is Redefining Healthy Snacking (Win!)

In a world where busy moms are always on the go, finding nutritious, delicious snacks can feel like a challenge. Enter Rawcology, the brainchild of sisters Tara Tomulka, Megan, and Laura—three moms on a mission to make healthy eating effortless. What started in Toronto in 2017 has grown into a thriving brand with three innovative product lines, available in over 1,500 retailers worldwide.

In this exclusive Q&A, the Rawcology founders share their journey from passion project to powerhouse brand, their secrets to balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship, and what’s next for 2025 and beyond. —Noa Nichol

Rawcology began as a family venture—what inspired the three of you to join forces and start the company?

Tara: I founded the business after leaving my job in corporate communications and was looking for more purposeful work. I always grew up with food as a centerpiece of our house and went back to nutrition school to become a Holistic Nutritionist. I realized that there was this huge gap in the market for truly nutritious food, and especially those that were allergen free – nuts, gluten and dairy most importantly. My sister Laura was helping me while my niece was at day care and sister-in-law, Megan, while she was on mat leave with her first child. They were both on their own health journeys and joined me and we’ve taken Rawcology from a small local brand to being in over 1200 doors internationally!

How did your own health and wellness journeys influence the development of Rawcology’s products?

Laura: I had previously been struggling with painful arthritis in my hands and after seeing many doctors leaned into understanding more about inflammation. I started on a full no gluten diet and my arthritis went away. It’s always been important for us to offer products that are anti-inflammatory, gluten and dairy free, and that have powerful superfoods to truly nourish our customers.

Megan: I went through a wellness journey, like many, when pregnant and understanding more about what products you are supposed to avoid – which opened the question ‘wait, why is anyone eating these ingredients then??’ . When you know better you do better. I felt a call to be a part of something creating change in a broken food system and had also just watched my father go through an over decade long battle with early onset Alzheimer’s, now being labelled as “Diabetes 3”,  I knew that nutrition and what we eat was an important area I wanted to make an impact in for myself, my family, and hopefully the lives of many more.

What challenges did you face while launching and growing Rawcology, and how did your family dynamic play a role in overcoming them?

Tara: How much space do you have? Ha we could probably write a novel about the many challenges of this industry but the most important thing we come back to is the value of grit, perseverance and keeping a positive mindset.

Megan: We are incredibly lucky to be three partners in this business together. There’s a level of trust and comradery with family that is hard to find. The entrepreneurial road is a rollercoaster of highs and lows and especially when creating better for you products, feels like we’re ants pushing a boulder up a mountain!

Laura: It’s true, no one has your back like your sister. We come back to that sentiment as a basis for Rawcology’s purpose, like that trusted sister who would never steer you wrong and wants you to get it together and eat better food!

With three distinct product lines, how do you ensure that each line aligns with Rawcology’s mission of providing healthy, on-the-go snacks?

Tara: We work with the principle ‘integrity of ingredients’ that is at the core of what and why we have built this business. We don’t use any seed oils, artificial dyes or flavours, and no processed sugar. That is maintained across all product lines and always will be.

What sets Rawcology apart from other health food brands in the market, and how do you maintain that differentiation?

Megan:  We have two very unique manufacturing processes that include sprouting and dehydrating which immediately means the nutrition quality of our granola and snacks are higher than many of the highly baked versions. We never skimp on cheap ingredients and all our products include superfoods to enhance functionality. Food shouldn’t just “not be bad for you”, it should be actually good for you, truly nutritious to help you feel your best and tackle everything that life is going to give you with more vitality and energy. It’s also a key point in the very trendy topic of longevity. What we eat, we become, so eat well!

How has Rawcology evolved since its inception, and what are your goals for the brand in 2025 and beyond?

Tara: I’m so proud of how far we’ve come from a line of coconut chips in local food stores, to eight SKUS of grain free granola and three skus of probiotic snack bites across North America in Sprouts Farmers Market, Metro, Whole Foods, Sobeys, Loblaws, Summerhill Market, Bulk Barn, Healthy Planet and more!

Laura: We have some really exciting new retail launches coming this year, a new product line…. Coming soon!

Megan: This is going to be a big year for Team Rawc, and we’re here for it!

What role does sustainability play in your production and packaging processes, and how important is this to your brand ethos?

Megan: We operate to have a zero-waste manufacturing plant – crumbs or production bi-product that cannot be sent to retail is sold on our website, Rawcology.com, in bulk at a discount or donated to food banks. The ingredients are all organic and so rich in nutrients we ensure no crumbs left behind.

Tara: We are also going to be adding plastic neutral to our packaging and continue to work with our suppliers to get as many aspects as possible of our packaging to be recyclable. The industry hasn’t built this out yet – but they are working on it and we’re looking forward to having fully recyclable packaging in the coming years as the technology develops.

Laura: We also ensure our supply chain is as local as it can be choosing ingredients like Wild Blueberry Powder from a family farm in Nova Scotia to our certified gluten free oats from Saskatchewan.

What advice do you have for busy moms looking to integrate healthy snacks into their family routines?

Megan: First, be kind to yourself. There is so much pressure on our generation of moms and parents with social media telling you all the things you “should be doing”. Have grace with yourself. Make it easy to feel good about what you’re feeding your kids by choosing more nourishing products from the outset at the grocery store. Having these handy makes it so much easier to avoid turning to cookies and chips. I also love having lots of fresh cut veggies handy so when the kids are starving pre dinner they can load up on that!

What has been the most rewarding feedback you’ve received from customers, and how does that impact your vision for future products?

Tara: We have the most amazing community, and are truly so grateful to have received feedback from many about how we have helped them feel better, or have started a wellness routine because our granola got their day started right.

Megan: We had a very loyal customer from northern Ontario that was pre diabetic and our Blueberry granola was his favourite. He was ordering so much from our website he asked us to create a Bulk bag, now it’s one of our best sellers. We have the best community.

What’s next for Rawcology—are there any upcoming product launches or new initiatives you’re particularly excited about?

Laura: We have so many exciting things coming! Big launch hitting in March, follow us on Instagram @rawcology and sign up for our newsletters for all the details and promos at rawcology.com.

Win! A $200 Rawcology Valentine’s Day Bundle!

One lucky Canadian winner will receive a yummy a $200 Rawcology Valentine’s Day Bundle, including: 2 x Valentine’s Bundle, 2 Granola Snack Bites Variety and 2 Grain Free Variety Pack, Snack Packs x 6 Blueberry! To enter, head over to Vita Daily on Instagram, follow @rawcology and @vitadailymedia and make sure to fulfil all the entry rules in the caption of the corresponding contest post. Contest opens February 14, 2025 and closes February 21, 2025. Complete contest rules and regulations here. Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadailymedia. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.