In partnership with Happy Family. Editor’s Note: We only select and work with partners that meet our quality standards, so you can rest assured we only endorse products we believe in. All opinions are our own.
For a few months now, my husband has been making smoothies with my almost 3-year-old. Every morning, he sweetly asks, “Dad, please make milkshake?” Since my husband isn’t always able to oblige, I started hunting around for alternatives to satisfy my toddler’s smoothie cravings. In general, I wasn’t crazy about the options out there. Many weren’t made with milk as the first ingredient and had added sugar. That was true until I found Happy Tot’s new Grow and Shine nutritional shakes for toddlers (ages 2-3 years). But would it withstand the toddler test? I tried it to find out…
We like
+ Reasonably-priced for organic, high-quality nutritional shake
+ Two delicious flavors that your toddler will love
+ Made with organic whole milk as first ingredient!
+ 50mg DHA to help support brain health; Vitamins C, D, and iron help support the immune system (so needed for this age!)
+ Easy to take on the go
We don't like
- Spout may be difficult for younger children to drink out of
Featured Product
Grow and Shine 101
As I mentioned before, the hunt for a “smoothie” or “nutritional shake” alternative to my husband’s creations wasn’t as straight-forward as you might think. In today’s age of better options for our children, I still found the selection of nutritional shakes for kids we’re mostly not up to standards.. Most of them included some variety of sugar, water, and definitely not with milk as the first ingredient. When I checked the ingredient list of the Happy Tot nutritional shake, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it had organic milk from pasture-raised cows* as its first ingredient, 0g added sugar**, and no added seed oils***. Beyond this, I loved the fact that it had 7g of protein, 20 vitamins and minerals for growing tots, DHA to help support brain health, and vitamins C, D and iron to support immune system development.
*per national organic program regulations
**For ages 2+. Not a low calorie food. See Nutrition Panel for calorie, sugar, and saturated fat content.
***As a source of fat.
While I loved the inside of the product, it was my toddler who gravitated to the outside of the package. Let’s be real: when serving things to potentially picky eaters, the appearance matters! The fun colors, easy-to-hold packaging, and cute little characters on it, made this a grocery store hit for both of us. But would he like the taste of it as much as the outside?
This isn't just any shake—it's packed with 20 essential nutrients like iron, vitamin D, and calcium to keep kids energized until their next meal. Each serving delivers 7 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and 50mg of omega-3 fatty acids to support healthy brain growth and development. Made with whole milk from pasture-raised cows and formulated with zero added sugar, these nutrition shakes can be enjoyed on their own or alongside a meal. And for those highly opinionated kids (like mine!), they can take their pick of two delicious flavors: vanilla or strawberry-banana.
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The Toddler Test
When it came time for my son to give it a try, I’ll be the first to admit I used it as a reward. “Do you want a special shake?” I asked. “YES!” he replied eagerly. When I brought it out, he pretty much guzzled the Strawberry Banana flavor in a minute or two. He absolutely loves milk, so combining the flavors of fruit and milk was without a doubt a hit for him. He preferred the Strawberry Banana over the Vanilla flavor because he loves fruit, but I can see some kids liking the simplicity of the vanilla. Plus, he didn’t complain when I gave him the Vanilla! Another favorite thing: these are easy to take on-the-go, as they’re shelf-stable and can be resealed. Pop ‘em in your diaper bag for an easy, nutritional shake anywhere.
My least favorite thing about the shakes is that the packaging can be a little difficult for younger kids to consume. My son is almost 3 and doesn’t always do super well with non-straw cups. We’re working on it, but there are always spills right now if a straw isn’t involved. I got a little over-confident and let him have at the shake sans-straw and let’s just say that I had a bit of a mess on my hands to clean up. This can easily be poured in a sippy cup for easy toddler drinking. The consistency isn’t too thick either, so cleaning up the cup isn’t bad.
Will I Buy Them Again?
Having fed my son Happy Baby Organics formula for a large portion of his life, I was excited to try this new product from the brand. While I didn’t find the packaging of the Grow and Shine shakes to be 100% toddler-proof, the sippy cup workaround and overall nutritional value trumped that by a landslide. Gone are the days of dad having to make a smoothie from scratch every day or compromise on our wants with the kids’ nutritional shakes on shelves – we’re all growing and shining with these shakes. At just $9.99 for a 4 pack, buying these again is a no-brainer for our family.
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