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In an effort to increase fruit and veggie intake, I’m constantly encouraging my kids to “eat the rainbow.” It’s a really fun idea and works for a day or two, until they realize what I’m up to and revert back to their picky ways. Has this happened to you too?
Most parents struggle with getting their kids to eat nutrient-dense food and, naturally, turn to multivitamins to fill the gap. This is a great idea in theory, until you start reading nutrition labels and discover that most kids' vitamins are made with added sugar, artificial ingredients, and other yucky additives.
That’s why I was so excited to discover Hiya, founded by two dads taking a holistic approach to children’s wellness. Their Kids Daily Multivitamin ($15 for the first order) quickly became a favorite in our house, and both my girls have since started taking the Daily Greens ($27 for the first order) and Daily Probiotic ($15 for the first order) too.
We like
- No added sugar or artificial ingredients
- No gummy additives
- Only need to take one every day
- Made with non-GMO ingredients and free of common allergens
- Science-backed and third-party tested
We don't like
- Size of the chewable (it’s a bit big for smaller kids)
- Have to remember to take it!
Ditch the added sugar already!
If it feels like I’m already harping on the no sugar thing, I am. According to research, 98% of kids eat too much sugar – we’re in the midst of a sugar crisis in America, and from a young age, the amount of added sugar in our food trains our kids' brains to be addicted to sugar. Besides artificial food dyes, this is my biggest battle with modern foods and children’s nutrition.
Now don’t get me wrong, we’ll eat a cupcake on a special occasion (or sometimes, just a Friday) and we bake cookies together all the time. But what I don’t like is when brands add sugar to everyday foods for no reason. This includes vitamins. Many brands are adding up to 5g of sugar – that’s the amount of sugar in an Oreo cookie – to vitamins. And the irony is, kids are taking these vitamins in order to be healthy! Something isn’t working.
Adding sugar to vitamins is an absolute no-go for me. Instead of sugar, Hiya sweetens with monk fruit extract, a super-fruit that is actually 100x sweeter than sugar, and a touch of mannitol, a sweetener most commonly found in strawberries and pumpkins. My kids would never know the difference, and I get peace of mind knowing that what they’re consuming is actually good for their little bodies.
Forget the gummies, too
Forgive me for being a little negative here, but the honest truth is, these days you almost have to pay more attention to what’s not in your food and supplements than what is. Crazy, I know. A quick Google Search for “kids multivitamin” produces nine shopping results. Six of them are gummy vitamins. What’s wrong with gummy vitamins, you might ask? Well, aside from often having added sugar (which you already know is… not good), gummies can get stuck in kids teeth, contributing to cavities. They’re also harder to pack ingredients into and most brands will require kids to eat multiple gummies a day. Not to mention you’re teaching some not-so-great habits by connecting health with candy. At that point, just take the parenting win and give your kids a pack of fruit snacks!
Unlike many other options on the market, Hiya’s chewables are really easy for kids to eat and don’t get stuck in teeth – a win-win for you and your pediatric dentist.
We like
We don't like
We like
We don't like
So what is in this vitamin?
Finally, we’re getting to the good stuff! And that’s exactly what’s in the Hiya Kids Daily Multivitamin – good stuff. The vitamin is made with 15+ essential vitamins and minerals and includes a blend of 12 organic fruits and vegetables all dynamically formulated by a team of pediatricians and nutritionists and parents to fill in the most common nutritional gaps seen in children. We’re talking Vitamin K for bone health, Vitamin C for immune support, Vitamin E for eyesight and heart health, Thiamin (B1) for concentration, sleep and mood, Folate (B9) for energy and cell growth, Calcium for bones and development, and the list goes on.
This multivitamin, made with high quality ingredients, can help fill in gaps in nutrition and provide busy parents with peace of mind. Yes, we should absolutely still feed our kids fruits, veggies, and all the other good things. Keep offering these things at every meal! But a multivitamin every day takes the pressure off, so you can enjoy mealtime and skip the battles.
Verified by the best of the best
One thing I really love about Hiya is the rigorous third-party testing they do to ensure quality and safety - which practically no other kids vitamin brand does. The vitamin world isn’t as regulated as I’d like it to be, so it’s really important to me that brands go above and beyond to do this. It might surprise you to hear that third-party testing is actually not an express requirement for vitamins and supplements.
Thankfully, Hiya works with third-party labs that test for microbials and heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium, and arsenic. They also manufacture their vitamins in best-in-class GMP-compliant facilities. They don’t just do random batch testing, they actually test every batch of products so you know what you’re buying is what you’re actually getting. Plus, the vitamins come in a sealed pouch that you open and pour into the reusable glass bottle designed for nutrient protection.
I also love the bottles - Hiya’s bottles are not only cute and fun, but they’re safe. They’re made with medical-grade borosilicate glass, which is known to be non-toxic and free of harmful chemicals like BPA or lead. These glass bottles help ensure vitamin freshness and stability. Their bottles are also rigorously tested by qualified third-party labs using scientifically-validated methods, to test for contaminants like lead and cadmium.
At the end of the day, we all just want what’s best for our kids. It feels like there’s always “more” we can do and the constant pressure of perfection can be suffocating at times. But for me, it’s all about the everyday choices that we can make for healthier, happier little ones. This is where Hiya fits into our family – the daily vitamin makes it easy for my kids to build healthy habits and lays the groundwork for making sure my girls’ developing bodies get what they need to grow.
And we love their other products too. Don’t miss out on the Daily Probiotic (great for gut health and regular poops!), the Daily Greens (literally tastes like chocolate milk; my kids would never know otherwise) and the newest addition to the lineup the Daily Immune (perfect heading into winter).
Shop Hiya – and get 50% off – here.
