When I started Happy Family, I was not yet a mom, but I spent the three years leading up to our first product launch learning everything I could about how babies, toddlers and young children eat.  I learned a lot.  I think (almost) everyone knows that children have a natural sweet tooth; but did you know that babies have so many more taste buds in their mouth than adults that every food flavor tastes exponentially stronger to them?  It’s no wonder babies prefer sweet to savory.  I mean, think about it: if you had the choice between a super sweet strawberry or an extra bitter kale leaf, which would you choose?  This is why introducing new flavors at an early age to acclimate budding taste buds can lead to a lifetime of healthy eating habits.

But what happens if you either (1) are dealing with a picky eater no matter how early you started them on savory flavors, or (2) are a little late to the game in terms of introducing these flavors early? 

These are questions that guided our innovations in the baby, toddler, and kids space.  And as I learned as a mom, I would (and still do) try everything to get Zane all of the nutrients he needs for his developing mind and body.  I’ve found that the trick—from babies to kids—is to “creatively blend” whatever it is you aren’t able to convince your little one to eat on his own with something he prefers.  For most parents, this means masking the flavors of vegetables with a “more desirable” flavor, like fruits.  This is one of the many reasons why we at Happy Family have fruit and veggie combinations that are naturally sweet from the organic fruit we use, but that also have the vitamins and minerals of the vegetables we mix in as well.  If your little one is this type of picky eater, our Happy Tot Plus Kale, Apple, Mango, or our Happy Tot Spinach, Mango, Pear are two of my favorites.

I also like sneaking extra nutrition into meals that the whole family can eat.  So, I add Salba, the super chia, to a lot of the meals that I cook (or, let’s be real, that my husband cooks) for extra vitamin C, fiber, omega-3’s, antioxidants, and iron.  This tasteless super seed is gluten free and is sold as either full seeds or ground up like a powder, so it’s easy to add to pretty much everything without anyone knowing.  Happy Family adds Salba to a number of its products, including our Happy Tots, some of our Toddler Meal Bowls, and our brand new Toddler Bars. 

The other thing we do in my house is straight up bribery.  But we think of it more like a business transaction that hones Zane’s negotiating skills.  He gets a grape or a blueberry for every bite of salmon or something he doesn’t adore that he eats.  If it’s something he really doesn’t love, we have to up the stakes to maybe three berries and a pear slice.  You get the picture.  We do what we have to!

Whether you’re trying to hide your vitamins and minerals in home-cooked meals, or you need an on-the-go snack you can feel good about, picky eaters can drive a hard bargain.  What do you working mothers out there do to get your little ones to eat the good stuff?