Providing proper nutrition is one of the most important responsibilities parents must consider to maintain their children’s health. The food industry also plays a crucial role in this, especially with the rise of plant-based diets and increasing allergies. It is essential that today’s offerings for infants, toddlers and older children can meet a diverse range of nutritional needs. The Plant Base explores some of the latest product innovations in this category.

Companies developing products for children have a duty to ensure they meet high standards of quality and nutrition.

Diets high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) can negatively affect the wellbeing of growing children. Health nutrition charity First Steps Nutrition Trust has linked the consumption of ‘ultra-processed’ foods (which are often HFSS) to several adverse outcomes, including malnutrition, poor gut health, disrupted taste preferences that lead to poor dietary habits later in life, and overconsumption resulting in body fat gain.

For those raising a child on a plant-based or dairy-free diet, whether due to allergies or environmental and animal welfare concerns, planning and supplementation where necessary can ensure children are receiving all the necessary nutrients for healthy growth and development.

A balanced diet will include plenty of whole and minimally processed foods, including fruit and vegetables – and parents should pay attention to nutritional profiles when purchasing processed and convenience foods for children, choosing healthy options with high levels of essential nutrients like protein, fibre and vitamins and minerals.

The fibre gap

Fibre, a key nutrient found in a variety of plant-based foods, plays a crucial role in supporting

a healthy digestive system. However, research suggests that globally, fibre consumption worldwide is lower than the recommended levels. In the UK, for example, the results of the government’s National Diet and Nutrition Survey, published in 2018, revealed that only 2% of girls and 6% of boys aged 11-18 years meet daily fibre recommendations, and only 9-10% of children aged 4-10 years achieve the recommended fibre intake.

A new British plant-based beverage brand for children, Potina, has recently launched with

ambitions to help address this gap. Founder, Adam Womersley, said that he was concerned by what he was feeding his own two young children, recognising a lack of healthy and fibre-rich choices on the market. The brand’s mission is to help families make simple, positive choices for their children’s health while embracing sustainability – Womersley is a supporter of the international Plant-Based Treaty, which calls on national governments to put food systems at the heart of fighting the climate crisis and promote a shift away from animal agriculture.

“By providing fibre-enriched, additive-free and sustainable dairy alternatives, we help improve child nutrition and reduce our ecological footprint,” Womersley said.

The brand’s banana oat drinks, available in banana cocoa and original banana flavours, launched in Tesco stores across the UK in November 2024. The beverages were crafted to provide a nutritious plant-based alternative to other ‘artificially-laden’ drinks that are high in fat and sugar.

Each 200ml serving contains 4g of fibre, aiming to contribute toward meeting the UK’s daily fibre recommendation of 20g for children aged 4-10. The drinks contain no added sugars, sweeteners, oils, emulsifiers or stabilisers.

The brand focuses on simplicity and quality, with a balance of natural fibre from banana and oats designed to address the average fibre deficiency while meeting clean label requirements.

“The sugars in the Potina banana oat drink are entirely naturally occurring and come from the oats and banana – 6.6g per 100ml,” Womersley pointed out. “Next year, we plan to conduct Glycemic Index testing on Potina in collaboration with the Oxford Brookes Centre for Nutrition and Health.”

Also dedicated to helping children meet their recommended fibre intake, as well as their daily portions of fruit and vegetables, is UK-based oat drinks and smoothies brand Three Robins.

The company was founded by mother Karen Robinson, who expressed frustration at the lack of healthy options in the children’s snacking aisles in supermarkets.

“With two dairy-intolerant kids at home, I wanted to ensure that my boys and others like them would have decent snack options, as so many of the yogurt-based pouches, snacks and smoothies are not dairy-free,” Robinson told The Plant Base.

Three Robins introduced a range of oat-based smoothies with ‘hidden veg’ in June last year, aiming to support kids who struggle to get enough vegetables into their diet. The berry flavour is made up of 45% vegetables, and the tropical flavour 25%.

“So many kids’ smoothies are packed with apple juice that provides sweetness, but loads of natural sugars too and not much nutritional value,” highlighted Robinson. “We have avoided this by our innovative use of an oat milk base.”

Designed to provide a nutritious, lunchbox-friendly treat for children aged 3-12, the smoothies contain vegetables such as parsnip, carrot, courgette and beetroot, and are also fortified with vitamins and minerals including B12, B2 and D, folic acid and iodine.

“These vitamins are all important for children’s immunity, brain and nervous system, and bone growth,” Robinson continued. “We commit to having no added sugar across our whole range and always fortify all our products with the vitamins and minerals that kids need – we want parents to be confident that they can trust our products and be as happy giving them as snacks as kids are to eat them.”

Prior to the launch, which was the result of three years of R&D, Three Robins undertook market research to understand what parents wanted from kids’ snacks and what attributes they value in these products.

“No added sugar, hidden veg and source of fibre consistently came out high on the list of what parents were looking for,” Robinson added.

Shaking up children’s nutrition

Kate Farms, headquartered in the US, was founded in 2012 by parents Richard and Michelle Laver. The couple established the plant-based and organic medical nutrition business after struggling to find suitable nutrition options for their daughter, Kate. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy, Kate was placed on a liquid meal replacement formula at the age of three due to the condition making it difficult for her to eat.

The Lavers aimed to address the ‘systemic problem of poor medical nutrition,’ and their company now provides a wide range of products for children with gastrointestinal issues, food allergies, weight gain and maintenance issues, and other health conditions such as diabetes or for those undergoing dialysis.

In 2023, Kate Farms launched a line of plant-based paediatric blended meals specifically formulated for tube feeding, containing 9g of easily digested pea protein and 27 vitamins and minerals. The pouches are designed to be compatible with common tube feeding devices and flow easily through tubes with minimal thinning or dilution.

Most recently, in March 2024, the company added a line of Kids Nutrition shakes for

children aged 1-13 to its portfolio. The shakes are formulated with key vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, D and E, as well as zinc. They are made with organic phytonutrient extracts and concentrates sourced from nutrient-dense foods like broccoli, kale, berries and turmeric. Additionally, the shakes are free from artificial ingredients and the top nine common allergens.

Tressie Brichta, VP of brand marketing at Kate Farms, said: “A key challenge in the plant-based children’s nutrition category is ensuring a product meets the nutrition expectations of parents and exceeds the taste expectations of kids. Parents often feel anxious about their child’s nutrition but remain determined to find solutions that align with their values. Healthcare professionals seek clinically proven, high-quality, complete nutrition.”

Kate Farms’ product development team worked with healthcare professionals and nutrition scientists, and received feedback from parents to create its Kids Nutrition range. “The market for plant-based children’s nutrition is poised for significant growth as parents and healthcare professionals increasingly value high-quality, allergen-free and environmentally conscious products,” Brichta added.

“The future will likely see greater collaboration between parents and healthcare professionals, and Kate Farms is prepared to support this shift with its trusted, love-inspired offerings.”

In addition to smaller start-ups, big household brands are also embracing the shift toward more nutritious plant-based options specifically formulated for children. Last year, dairy giant

Danone North America expanded its Silk plant-based beverage portfolio to include a children’s range, called Silk Kids.

Kallie Goodwin, senior vice president of plant-based beverages at Danone North America, told The Plant Base: “We know that while nearly three in four parents who purchase plant-based beverages are interested in options specifically for their kids, there are limited options on shelves, especially that offer kid-specific nutrition.”

She pointed out that the inclusion of iodine was a key consideration for Silk Kids, with the essential nutrient most often consumed through dairy and seafood.

“It can be hard for kids following a plant-based diet to get enough iodine, so with the guidance of paediatricians, we included this in our formula to support growing kids consuming plant-based beverages.”

Featuring an oat and pea blend, the beverage’s protein content is comparable to that of cow’s milk – 8g per serving – to support growing children’s muscle health. It is described by Goodwin as the brand’s “most nutrient-rich product to date”.

“We were able to deliver on unique needs for kids including sufficient protein content, lower sugar than regular dairy, omega-3 DHA and choline for brain health, and prebiotics for bellies,” Goodwin continued.

“The kids segment within the plant-based category has grown eightfold in the last three years, a trend we expect to continue as interest in plant-based and environmentally friendly foods continues to rise.”

The winning formula

Infant formula is one area of plant-based nutrition that has historically lacked options, as producers face challenges around ensuring their offerings meet the strict nutritional and regulatory requirements specific to this category.

Start-ups such as Coco2 are striving to change this. The Australian company has developed a coconut-based infant formula product, inspired by the nutritional composition of breast milk and the need for a plant-based alternative that can meet the dietary needs of infants with allergies or sensitivities.

Nicholas Bouchaia, general manager at Coco2, explained: “Extensive research identified coconut as a suitable candidate due to its medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are easily digestible and provide quick energy, closely resembling key nutrients found in breast milk”.

“Feedback from families highlighted a gap in the market for a plant-based formula that is gentle on sensitive tummies, driving Coco2’s innovation.”

Bouchaia said the market for plant-based infant nutrition has been “relatively stagnant,” due to the regulatory challenges and complexity of creating formulas that are palatable for infants, as well as being nutritionally complete.

“Many companies hesitate to invest in innovation due to the high costs of research and development, taste-testing and compliance with safety standards like Food Standards

Australia New Zealand (FSANZ),” he commented.

“Additionally, consumer education is a significant challenge – introducing novel ingredients like coconut requires overcoming scepticism and ensuring parents trust the nutritional benefits.”

The Coco2 formula, developed with input from researchers, food scientists, nutritionists and parents, harnesses the natural similarities of coconut to breast milk, particularly its healthy fats, MCTs and lauric acid.

“Lauric acid is a key component of breast milk known for its antimicrobial and immune-boosting properties, which support infant health,” Bouchaia said. “The formula also incorporates plant-based proteins – pea and rice – to provide essential amino acids for growth, along with a comprehensive blend of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D and iron, tailored for infant nutrition. Extensive R&D ensured the formula’s digestibility, palatability and nutritional profile closely aligned with the standards of breast milk.”

Bouchaia believes the market will experience significant growth in the coming years as parents become more aware of the benefits of plant-based diets and increasingly seek clean label products with transparent sourcing.

“Innovations in ingredient technology, such as improved plant-based proteins and probiotics, will likely play a central role in expanding the market,” he concluded. “As consumer education improves, trust in plant-based options like Coco2 will increase, paving the way for greater diversity in infant and toddler nutrition.”