Welcome to 2019! Fooblie rounds up our favorite food trends for kids of 2019. From water to nutrition, we think it’s going to be a pretty great year for your kids!
1. Flavored Water for Kids
Meet the new juice box, but it is flat water with a fruit essence. We predict the Le Croix craze will expand to flat water. The brands we’ve seen do not add sugar, and that is what you want to aim for. One thing Dr. Maria advises her patients is to avoid juice, it is just empty calories.
Don’t want to buy it at the store? Try making it at home. Start with a pitcher of water and add sliced fruit. Throw it out and start over every other day.
Our favorite combos:
- 1 orange + 1 lemon (sliced and keep the peel on)
- ½ a cucumber (sliced and keep the peel on)
- 4 strawberries + ½ lemon (cut up the strawberries and remove the green top)
2. Cauliflower Everywhere
Don’t think your kids like cauliflower? Well think about trying it again. This year you will see it as pizza crust, as chips, as rice. Gone are the days of overcooked boiled veggies. (Where should we send our thank you note on this one?)
Watch out for hidden food allergens here and be sure to read the label and call the company if you have any concerns.
3. Gut Health
We are just starting to understand the magic of gut. As we continue to learn about the benefits of a healthy gut, expect more and more products in this space. While you may be familiar with fiber and probiotics, get ready for prebiotics and fermented foods to be trendy… even though they are sorta the same thing…
A quick primer:
Probiotics = good bacteria that lives in your gut. Foods that are probiotics are yogurt and buttermilk. If you’re house is dairy free, try sauerkraut, kimchi, and other fermented foods like pickles. If the product has been pasteurized (heated to a high temperature to kill all the bacteria) then the probiotics are gone. Check the label to see if they are added back in.
A semi-quick one on kombucha: You’re right, it is also a probiotic. These drinks are regulated by the Food & Drug Administration because they are nutritional supplements. Please take note! This means they do not need to follow the labeling laws you would expect to see regarding the top 8 food allergens. No study has been conducted that meets our criteria of excellence that proves claimed health benefits of Kombucha. Feeding this to your kid is a personal preference, but please be mindful if your child has a food allergy or should not have honey (something that is a common sweetener).
Prebiotics = the food that the good bacteria eats. This is usually fiber! Foods considered prebiotics are: legumes, peas, beans, oats, bananas, berries, asparagus, onions, garlic, and leeks.
Bottom line: Want more? Check out our dirt guide. Don’t spend big bucks on packaged foods marketing pro & prebiotics. You can get the same benefits in the produce aisle.
4. So many (more) choices for milk
In our childhood, milk came from cows and that was it. Move over mammalian milk, because a new wave of plant based milks are here to stay. Almond, Cashew, Soy, Oat… Oat? Expect to see oat milk come out strong this year! Dr. Maria has some ideas to help parents understand cow’s milk. Worth checking out if you haven’t yet. Watch out for added sugars of plant based milks. If it’s an option try the unsweetened version, it’s still pretty sweet!
5. Food & Nutrition = Easier
2019 is the year of Fooblie! We are going to make food easier for you and your family. Use Fooblie as it suits your needs.
- Just read the FEED. Our feed is content that matches your family’s needs. Join us!
- Get a COACH. Our coaches are awesome! Read more about them here.
- Check out our FREE RESOURCES! We have age-based feeding guides perfect for pregnancy through childhood.
6. Food Trends for Kids? We Like Where This is Going.
Bottom line: you now have a helping hand to make feeding your kids healthy, happier and stress-free. Want more? Check out our 2020 predictions and the brands we saw at Expo East.
