The inspiration for Zeek – a line of protein bars for children - was less of a Eureka moment than a dawning realization that for sporty kids, pre-game options were basically granola bars “that were not much better than candy,” or adult-oriented nutrition...
How can you get kids to eat their veggies and whole grains without a battle? According to researchers, clearly communicating a food's nutrition benefits to children through affirming statements will help kids make healthy food decisions on their...
The variety of snacks presented to kids leads to increased food consumption, more so than container or package size, a study out of the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute suggests.
Want to get feedback on your new child-focused food or beverage launch, brand, or business, from our expert panel in front of a live audience in Chicago on the opening night of our FOOD FOR KIDS summit in Chicago on November 18-20?
Sales of new keto-friendly cereal Magic Spoon have exceeded expectations, say founders Gabi Lewis and Greg Sewitz, who claim to have sold “far more than we projected even in our most aggressive projections,” in the first three months.
How is the plant-based trend impacting the kids’ food market? When and how are children’s flavor preferences developed (and can we really train kids to love broccoli)? And what’s the sweet spot for sugar levels in beverages that kids enjoy and parents...
The attention parents are giving to their child's nutrition and diet is becoming more nuanced, targeting specific areas such as eye health and supporting healthy brain development, according to global health and nutrition solutions company DSM.
The key to supplementing a young child's diet with the necessary nutrients to foster brain and behavioral development could lie in the MFGM (milk fat globule membrane), found naturally in every drop of breast milk, according to Dr Christina J Valentine,...
Lauren Jauregui, who started touring as a teenager with girl group Fifth Harmony, will headline the candy maker’s first-ever Makers of Good Teen Summit in New York City on June 20.
Miami-based startup Peekaboo is developing a range of vegan ice-cream variants to join its line of organic-certified, hidden veggie products targeting kids and adults looking for guilt-free indulgence.
Do picky eating habits when children are toddlers follow them into their teenage years? And should parents be concerned that their picky eaters aren't getting as many nutrients as their non-picky eater peers?
Kids and teens who consumed low- and zero-calorie beverages ended up consuming an additional 200 calories per day compared with those who drank water, according to a new study from researchers at George Washington University.
Direct-to-consumer baby and toddler food brand Raised Real has delivered more than half a million meals since launching in January 2018, and added Twilight actress Nikki Reed onto its advisory board as it expands its product range and explores new ways...
A lot of attention and research has been poured into the infant (0-24 months) gut health space, including the impact prebiotics have on the microbiome. However, less is known about the effect prebiotics have on children entering their preschool years,...
Do kids always prefer sweeter products than adults? And are children’s palates really more conservative, or have we ‘trained’ them to like a limited set of flavors (banana, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry) by playing it safe with new launches? And how...
Kids’ products can often be divided into two groups, claims Chobani chief marketing and commercial officer Peter McGuinness: fun products that parents don’t feel great about buying, and ‘worthy’ products designed to appeal to parents but which lack appeal...
New parents are busy, demanding, and sleep-deprived (cranky). But if you make products that solve problems for them, they’re also far more likely than most consumers to tell other people about your brand, which is the kind of free marketing most start-ups...
Improved nutritional standards of The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) have been effective in reducing obesity risk in four-year-olds, according to a new study.
Young kids (aged 3 to 5) were found to be highly susceptible to overeating when given larger portion sizes, challenging the "self-regulation" theory, in which children are claimed to have a natural ability to respond to internal cues of hunger...
Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is leveraging the impact convenience stores can have on changing Americans' eating habits for the better through its partnerships with c-store chains and distributors.
Kids' meals at fast food chains are typically limited to chicken nuggets, pizza, or grilled cheese. In 2016, Panera Bread challenged the industry standard by introducing a revamped version of its kids' menu with more healthy soups and salads,...
Food and beverage brands targeting kids often promote their low sugar content, or highlight calcium for bones and protein for growing bodies. But what about the nutrients kids need to support the development of arguably their most important asset: the...
'People want to reflect their values in everything they do'
While the ‘buy one give one’ business model underpinning This Saves Lives presents obvious (margin-crushing) challenges for start-ups, its ‘go big or go home’ approach to conscious consumerism has been instrumental to its success, says co-founder Ryan...
A Bay area-based start-up founded by two food industry veterans is injecting functionality as well as fun into the kids’ yogurt segment - one of the few bright spots in an otherwise sluggish category – with the launch of Brainiac Kids: whole milk yogurts,...
Kashi has expanded its 'Kashi by Kids' line -- which launched with three kids' cereals last summer -- with soft baked snack bites made with a base combination of coconut flour, chickpeas, acai, and sweet potato.
Frozen kids meal brand Kidfresh is expanding into the breakfast category with a line of products rolling out in early April to address what CEO Matt Cohen calls 'the most intense time of the day' for parents.
The future of baby food – according to some brands at least – is fresh. But which business models make the most sense for new players in this small, but rapidly growing, chilled segment of the market?
Fresh Bellies entered the competitive HPP baby food market in 2015 with its line of savory refrigerated vegetable purees and has expanded its line to crunchy toddler snacks in order to 'age with' its consumer.
New York-based direct to consumer organic babyfood brand Little Spoon has raised $7m in a funding round backed by venture funds Vaultier7 and Kairos, Chobani founding member Kyle O'Brien, Tinder founders Sean Rad and Justin Mateen, Interplay Ventures,...
Organic, 'no junk' sports drink, KRā needed to further differentiate itself within the $8.5bn sports drink category by launching new packaging that co-founder Sarah Hardgrove-Koleno says "absolutely shouts our brand differentiators: simple...
Nothing’s as healthy as fresh fruit, but novel ‘grape-like’ refrigerated fruit bites made from fruit and veggie purees held together with fibers make for a healthier alternative to fruit leathers and gummies for kids’ lunchboxes, claims Incredible Foods,...
While some of the luster has worn off the subscription-based meal kit market, Yumble's proposition – prepared meal delivery for kids - is inherently ‘stickier’ with busy parents, says Sonoma Brands, the lead investor in its Series A funding round.*...
Child-directed TV advertising of high-sugar breakfast cereals has been linked to higher intake of those sugary cereal brands among preschoolers, a study conducted by researchers at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center concluded.
Advanced school nutrition policies programs can strongly influence a child’s eating habits and body mass index (BMI), a study led by the Yale School of Public Health concluded.
Building a kids brand can get sticky, especially when the market is full of products that typically fall into two broad buckets: conventional products crowded with mascots, superheroes, and cartoon characters; or the stripped-down, simpler look of the...
Health advocacy groups have urged schools to reject a final rule from the Trump Administration that they claim reverses hard-won progress on sodium reduction and whole grain consumption, and “continue their commitment to serve healthier foods on our kids’...
Giant Food, a regional grocery chain in the Washington D.C. area, has invested $175m to remodel 24 of its existing stores and open a new store location over the next two years.
Within the adults snack bar category consumers can find everything from cold-pressed chilled bars made with whole fruits and vegetables to a myriad of clean label alternatives of protein bars. But when it came to snack bars for kids, the options were...
Children's dietary patterns are strongly established by age two once the child is introduced to solid foods, so how can parents make the most of that crucial and brief time period to make sure their children are introduced to the right foods?
'We’re not marketing Gimmies based on parental claims, we’re marketing it based on what kids want'
Chobani is hoping to unlock an incremental growth opportunity in the sluggish yogurt category with the launch of Gimmies, a dedicated brand supported by a new set of characters designed to appeal to kids aged five to nine, who it says are not well-served...
Marketers of children’s products have a difficult task of balancing the different wants and needs of parents and their kids, but for Nom Noms World Food this challenge doubled as an opportunity to set itself apart with globally-inspired recipes and innovative...
Contrary to the popular belief that infants are “perfectly cooked buns coming out the oven,” newborns are far from fully formed, and as a result continue to grow at an “unprecedented rate” for the first few years of life – making what and how they eat...
While they feel pressure to make home cooked meals for their kids, many working parents don’t have the time or energy to do this night after night, says Santiago Merea, cofounder and CEO at direct-to-consumer baby and kids’ ‘ready-to-make’ food brand...
While the kids’ beverages market is dominated by some industry heavyweights, from Capri Sun to Minute Maid, there is room in the category for a new wave of brands that resonate with Millennial Moms, says Ashi Jelinek, founder and CEO at KidsLuv, one of...
If you didn't make it to Chicago last week for the FoodNavigator-USA FOOD FOR KIDS summit, you missed a truly awesome ensemble of academics, industry experts, health advocates, and our first parents’ panel, covering everything from the infant gut...
The opening night of FoodNavigator-USA's inaugural FOOD FOR KIDS summit opened with a consumer panel, as parents shared what foods and beverages they give their kids, what they look for on food labels, and where they eat out with their children.
'In the US we have this view of what ‘kid food’ is, which is very different from what it is in other countries ...'
It’s time to stop blaming parents and accept that the food environment has to change if we are going to improve kids’ diets, says CSPI VP nutrition Dr Margo Wootan, who told delegates at the FoodNavigator-USA FOOD FOR KIDS summit that trying to ensure...