Expanding Taste Palates at an Early Age

Kids can be fickle eaters. Parents who have personally experienced this are often at the helm of food companies that specifically cater to introducing unique flavor profiles into youngster’s diets. The children’s food category is inundated with bland purees, snacks and meals, but establishing bolder flavors earlier on can mean that they will be more likely to become adventurous eaters.

The target audience for these products are generally millennial parents, catering to convenience and a desire for higher quality ingredients. The Little Foodie, an LA-based baby food delivery company, offers levels of foods that gradually introduce children to bold flavor combinations from infancy to toddlerhood. As a subscription service, it promises a stress free experience for the parent unsure of how to raise an adventurous eater. With vibrant and friendly packaging, it appeals to parents and their little ones alike.

Culture takes a leading role in the Latin Baby, which uses Latin herbs and spices to liven up vegetable purees. The company also brings West Indies Pumpkin (Calabaza) into many recipes. The product line is intended for babies 7 months and older, easily opening itself as a snacking possibility for all ages.

Squeeze pouches are hot in the kid’s food category for their ultra-convenient and eco-friendly packaging, and yet there seems to be little innovation in the development of flavors. Piccolo takes a leap away from the traditional with their Mediterranean inspired line of blended fruits and vegetables. Similar to other “junior foodie” geared companies, they offer varying stages of foods for different ages. With pureed meals like three-grain vegetable risotto, kids can to transition to solid versions with time.

Even if a child hasn’t been introduced to a wider variety of foods from a very early age, the Australian Coco and Lucas Kitchen offers a line of quality frozen meals to satiate the “junior foodie” in every kid. These are going far beyond the typical chicken nuggets and hot dog go-tos that many parents turn to when short on time. The beautiful packaging features whimsical illustrations, along with mouth watering product photography to appeal to just about anyone.This approach is more straightforward than the common tactic of “sneaking” vegetables into foods so that kids don’t notice. While this is a more artisan lead movement, we’re anticipating how this demand will spill over into the more conventional brands in the category. But without a strong brand story told from the perspective of a real parent, there lies the question of whether they be able to achieve the same shelf appeal.