Kidfresh: The Better-For-You Kid’s Brand with Hidden Veggies

Kidfresh, a New York-based brand of frozen children’s food featuring hidden veggies, recently added two new products to its robust lineup of frozen meals. The new Cheeseburger Mac & Cheese and Cheese Pizza Wagon Wheels feature high-quality ingredients and hidden carrots and beets. Both entrees contain 13 grams of protein, are good sources of calcium and are free from preservatives and artificial ingredients.

“We know kids love Cheeseburgers and Cheese Pizza and knew they would make great additions to our line of pasta entrees,” said Lindsay Kaden, VP of marketing and innovation at Kidfresh, in a press release. “Wagon Wheel Mac & Cheese is a family favorite and we’re thrilled to be expanding the platform with new flavors.”

The new entrees will join Kidfresh’s lineup of kid-friendly frozen foods, including Homestyle and Ranch-Seasoned Chicken Strips, Pasta With Cauliflower, Chicken Meatballs and Blueberry Waffles, among others. All Kidfresh products are made without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and are frozen immediately after being cooked to preserve the nutrients and flavors. It also uses BPA-free packaging, phthalate-free bowls and 100 percent recycled paperboard.

Related: Gerber Launches Its First Line of Plant-Based Baby Food

Founded in 2016 by Gilles Deloux and Matt Cohen, the pair sought out to create delicious and nutritious versions of classic children’s foods. As parents, Deloux and Cohen understood how difficult it could be to get kids to eat, let alone eat healthy. Kidfresh’s goal is to make wholesome meals that kids will enjoy and that are convenient for parents.

“As parents who believe children deserve the best foods, we’ve created a version of kid classics that are as mouth-watering as they are good for us all,” Cohen said in a press release. “We are incredibly fortunate to build our brand with investment partners who wholeheartedly believe in our mission.”

Kidfresh products are available in over 10,000 grocery stores nationwide and target children aged six to eight. While kids are the company’s target audience, Kidfresh has attracted the interest of several investors since its founding. It has raised a total of $10.3 million in funding over six rounds led by AF Ventures and Monogram Capital Partners, among other investors. 

However, Kidfresh is not the only frozen children’s brand with hidden veggies. Farmwise Foods has a collection of frozen Veggie Fries, with flavors like Broccoli, Carrot and Cauliflower, Chickpea & Red Pepper. Dr. Praeger’s, which also makes foods for adults featuring hidden veggies, has a line for children called Littles that includes chicken nuggets, oatmeal and various hidden vegetable products. 

Kidfresh and its competitors are hoping to disrupt the crowded but lucrative global kids food and beverage market, which was valued at $101.853 billion in 2019 and projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.78 percent to reach $141.229 billion by 2026.

While kids’ food and beverage brands target their products towards children, they must first gain the approval of the purchaser: the parents. Parental approval can often be achieved through healthy brand positioning and socially responsible efforts. That’s why Kidfresh is striving to formulate food that not only appeals to kids, but also provides nutritional benefits to appease the changing attitude of parents.