Big nutrients for little taste buds: What parents should look for in children's vitamins

Have you ever taken a close look at the ingredients in children's vitamins? You may want to check out the label, because most supplements for children include ingredients you might not want to give your kids.

This came to the attention of two dads, Darren Litt and Adam Gillman, who discovered that most vitamin supplements for kids contained too much sugar, weird dyes and unnecessary additives — ingredients they didn't want to give their kids every day. That made them realize that it was important for parents to have better options for kids' wellness products.

"As new dads, we were shocked when we learned more about children's vitamins," said Darren Litt, co-founder of Hiya. "Many children's vitamins are basically candy in disguise — often filled with a teaspoon of added sugar, artificial ingredients and other gummy additives that can contribute to cavities. We created Hiya because we wanted to support a world where healthy kids come first. Quality children's wellness products should be more widely available for parents."

Driven by a passion to create the best products for their own kids, Darren and Adam brought together a broad team of pediatricians, nutritionists, food scientists, health experts and parents to create a range of health and wellness supplements for kids — starting with the inaugural product, the Kids Daily Multivitamin. This multivitamin was the core Hiya product for almost two years, before they released the Kids Daily Probiotic, and then went on to release additional super products like Kids Bedtime Essentials and Kids Greens + Superfoods. Hiya just announced their newest product, Kids Daily Immune. Each product is formulated 100% for kids — this means looking at dosage, bioavailability, growth and development needs, taste profile and more.

"Being a parent can be hard enough," added Litt. "Choosing vitamins shouldn't have to be so difficult."

Innovation starts with the Hiya family

Hiya continually speaks with families to understand their evolving needs and preferences. They ask foundational questions such as: What are our parents asking for? What's the latest in nutritional science that we can use to solve a problem or fill a gap? How will this new product improve their lives? This direct connection to Hiya families is the lifeblood of the brand. From there, Hiya brings in a wide variety of health experts to formulate their vitamins and supplements.

Hiya uses a combination of honest and essential ingredients that are best for kids — fueling growth, immune health and wellness from the inside out. Their products are Non-GMO and vegan, and free of sugar, gluten, dairy, soy, common allergens and unnecessary additives.

The bottom line? All products are parent- and kid-approved too.

The stamp of approval through third-party testing

As parents themselves, Hiya's co-founders understand the importance of children's health and safety. In a market where supplement quality can vastly vary, the brand is steadfast in their commitment to meeting and exceeding the strictest industry standards.

To ensure this, Hiya undergoes rigorous third-party testing on both their vitamins as well as their refillable bottles. They work with labs that are FDA-compliant and GMP-certified, leveraging scientifically backed testing methods.

Unlike many brands that test very occasionally, Hiya tests each batch of vitamins for purity, potency and safety, testing for high levels of heavy metals and microbials. The most widely accepted approach for testing for heavy metals, such as lead, is a technique known as "ICP-MS." Hiya follows rigorous standards to ensure that all levels are well below the strictest standards nationwide, set by California's Prop 65.

They take it a step further and test their bottles, too. Testing protocol is based on CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) approved methods, such as "ICP-OES."

Hiya takes testing very seriously, since kids are the priority.

Have fun with healthy habits

Hiya strives to help parents build that connection between healthy habits and fun with their children. Hiya's products come with a refillable bottle and stickers to make the experience memorable. More than just a delivery, unboxing Hiya can be an exciting event that sparks family conversations about health and nutrition.

Select the ideal supplements

It is recommended to consider which supplements your child needs to be their best, and select accordingly. As with any medications or vitamins, please consult your child's pediatrician before beginning a new supplement.

Hiya offers a variety of options to help parents who want to support their kids' health:

• Kids Daily Immune is a daily chewable designed to support kids' growing immune systems so they can maintain their natural defenses. The chewable includes immune-supporting ingredients individually selected to keep kids healthy no matter the season or environment.
  
  
• Kids Daily Multivitamin offers a daily chewable with 15+ essential vitamins and minerals and no added sugar, artificial dyes, or gummy additives.
  
  
• Kids Daily Greens + Superfoods is a greens powder formulated to be safe and effective for kids. It's made with 55+ whole-food sourced ingredients to support growth, digestion and brain health.
  
  
• Kids Daily Probiotic provides 10 billion live cultures to support childhood immune health, gut health and nutrient absorption in a supercharged chewable probiotic.
  
  
• Kids Bedtime Essentials is a non-habit-forming nightly chewable to help kids relax before bed and wake up rejuvenated and refreshed, with no melatonin or added sugar.
  
  
• Kids Daily Iron+ offers a unique form of iron that's gentle on kids' stomachs and is thoroughly absorbed to help with the #1 mineral deficiency among kids in a daily chewable.

Parents on a mission

Hiya is on a mission to reimagine children's health through optimized nutrition, and so far one million parents (and counting!) have trusted Hiya to provide their children with supplements to help support their well-being without unnecessary additives. That adds up to more than 10 million Hiya mornings every month.

How much sugar has that cut out of kids' daily intake? Considering that some gummy vitamins can include about 5 grams of sugar … well, you do the math! It's a lot.

Ready to learn more about Hiya supplements to support your family's health? Visit HiyaHealth.com.