Meet Mylk Labs: Gluten-Free Oatmeal With a Sustainable Twist

Grace Cheng may be the only person in the world with the jobs “high-end fashion model” and “oatmeal company founder” listed back-to-back on her resume. It sounds like a wild transition — until you hear her tell the story. According to Grace, the spark for her gluten-free oatmeal brand Mylk Labs appeared thanks to a red-eye flight, a plastic bag, and an airport Starbucks.

In honor of National Oatmeal Month, The FruitGuys selected Mylk Labs as our featured snack partner for January 2024. Grace’s oatmeal will appear in our Thoughtful Snack boxes in January, so we sat down with her to learn more about her company’s story. 

Grace’s Airport Inspiration

In 2014, Grace was modeling for brands like Bottega Veneta and Estée Lauder while also juggling business school classes at the University of Southern California. Nutritionally-dense oatmeal was her go-to breakfast. But she couldn’t find a low-sugar, high-texture option she loved. So, she stashed emergency oats in her carry-on for long days of traveling and shooting. 

“I started packing little baggies with a little coconut sugar, some freeze-dried fruit, oats, and then, to balance it out, nuts and seeds,” she said. “These were all things I had at home, and I also added almond flour hoping that with water it would taste like almond milk.” 

When one of her flights landed, Grace headed to the nearest airport Starbucks.

“I’d ask for hot water and an empty cup, and would make my oatmeal myself!” she said. 

Grace wanted to start her own company one day — she was in business school, after all — but it took years for her to realize those ziplock bags of oatmeal could be her ticket to entrepreneurship. Then, in 2017, she had an “aha moment.”

Goodbye Modeling, Hello Entrepreneurship

Grace was exhausted from pushing through business school and burned out from 12-hour days behind the camera. She knew she needed a change, and a year after graduation, inspiration struck over one of those baggies of airport oatmeal. 

She thought, “Alright, this is what I want to do.”

A few days later, Grace was back home creating her first product. 

“I stood in the kitchen with a bunch of oats and ingredients I bought from the store and started putting them together,” she recalled. “I had a little food scale and a bunch of little ramekins — it was a complete mess!” 

Grace wanted to make a vegan, gluten-free oatmeal that was roughly 200 calories, with at least 5 grams of fiber and no more than 5 grams of added sugar. Nutrition was her No. 1 priority, followed by taste and texture.

“Using that mindset, I worked backward to find a good ratio of all of the ingredients,” she said. 

The process took trial and error, but Grace had a solid foundation in the kitchen from years of baking her own breakfast bars, granola, and cookies as a hobby.

“For me, [creating the first oatmeal flavors for Mylk Labs] was not rocket science. It was a combination of my passion for healthy eating and whatever knowledge I learned from being in the kitchen for years, coming up with recipes, and playing around with all different types of ingredients,” she said. 

The Ingredients of Gluten-Free Oatmeal Success

Six years later, Mylk Labs is a thriving woman- and AAPI-owned oatmeal company based in Los Angeles. Grace has a “small but mighty” team including Renee and Nate in sales, and Jim in the warehouse. They offer five flavors of on-the-go oatmeal: blueberry maple, apple cinnamon, strawberry vanilla, banana bread, and almond pink salt. Every flavor is gluten-free, vegan, kosher, non-GMO, and sweetened with organic coconut sugar. The fruit-focused flavors are packed with real fruit, and the strawberry vanilla and apple cinnamon options are nut-free. 

As she grew her brand, Grace developed a passion for using sustainable, eco-friendly ingredients like upcycled almond meal, glyphosate-free oats, and coconut sugar. 

“The roasted almond meal we source is a byproduct of roasted diced almonds,” she explained. “Almond crumbles fall through the line and they’re seen as just a byproduct that ends up as trash at the end. But we buy that and use it in our products! It’s delicious and super nutritious — just pure, dry roasted almonds. I find it adds a nice flavor, protein, and texture to our nutty flavors.”

About one-third of our food supply ends up in landfills according to the USDA, wasting valuable land, water, labor, and energy resources and generating CO2 and methane emissions. Reducing food waste is an important part of addressing climate change, so by rescuing that almond meal from the trash, Mylk Labs is contributing to a better future. 

Fun fact: The name “Mylk Labs” is in part an homage to that almond meal. The word “Mylk” points to the oats’ creamy almond meal-based texture, while “Labs” refers to Grace’s “nutrition-first approach” to formulating her products. 

One day, Grace hopes to save even more “imperfect” food and use it in Mylk Labs’ gluten-free oatmeal. 

“It’s all about the little things we can do,” she said. “If I can source upcycled and ‘ugly’ fruits to use in my products I’d love to do that. It’s something I want to look into in the future [when my brand is bigger].” 

Mylk Labs also uses oats that are certified Glyphosate Residue Free by The Detox Project, so you don’t have to worry about eating traces of dangerous weed killer in your breakfast. According to independent testing by the Center for Environmental Health, many “common brands” of oatmeal and other cereals test positive for glyphosate. 

Grace even chose organic coconut sugar over refined white sugar for its comparative health benefits. Coconut sugar contains amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, and has a lower glycemic index than white sugar, meaning it won’t trigger as large of a spike in blood sugar. 

A ‘Wow, I Did That!’ Moment

In 2023, Grace hit a major life milestone: She quit modeling for good. Now, she’s fully focused on Mylk Labs. 

“Modeling is very much about how you look; your body is a product. I always wanted to do something more. I felt I could achieve more — not money-wise, but with my knowledge, ability, and really putting in the work,” she said. “ …Ultimately, building Mylk Labs from the ground up and getting little wins like getting a mom-and-pop coffee shop to bring in our product, or watch Whole Foods buy it, is infinitely more rewarding and fulfilling [than modeling]. When I hear that people love the product and it makes their lives easier, I’m like, ‘Wow, I did that!’”

Celebrate Oatmeal Month With Mylk Labs

January is National Oatmeal Month, and with Grace’s inspiring story in mind, we selected Mylk Labs as our featured snack partner for January 2024. You can try their delicious gluten-free oatmeal flavors in our Thoughtful Snack boxes all month long. 

If you’re already a snack box subscriber, keep an eye out for Grace’s products in your boxes each week in January. 

You can also purchase Mylk Labs’ oatmeal by the case to support a woman- and AAPI-owned brand in your office. If you’re reading before Jan. 1, 2024, preorder your case now and treat your team to a wholesome, energy-boosting breakfast when it arrives in January. If you’re reading during National Oatmeal Month, order today to power your team’s productivity.