Nurture Life Is Shaping Early Palates with PHA
At Nurture Life, we believe that healthy futures start early—and we want to help make sure a healthy future is possible for every child in America. But we can’t do it alone. Today, I’m very excited to announce our official collaboration with Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA).
Our Commitment: Veggie-First Meals for the Youngest Eaters
PHA was founded in 2010 alongside former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative with a mission to leverage the power of the private sector to transform the food landscape in pursuit of health equity. I recently had the opportunity to participate in a PHA panel discussion, focused on the importance of early palate training to create a lifelong desire for nutrient-rich foods among children, which has been one of Nurture Life’s commitments from the very beginning.
As an official launch partner and founding member of PHA’s Shaping Early Palates initiative, Nurture Life is focusing on the youngest eaters (ages 0–5)—from their very first tastes of table foods to the meal habits they build as they grow into active kids. From the expertise of Nurture Life’s registered dietitians, the latest nutritional research and our own personal experience as parents, we know that a child’s earliest impressions of food lay the foundation for lifelong taste preferences and, in turn, a lifetime of healthy food choices.
To give our littlest ones the right nutrition and help them develop a more diverse palate during this critical phase of development, Nurture Life has signed on to key nutrition, education and giving milestones:
- Increasing veggies, plant-based proteins and whole grains across all our Baby, Toddler and Kid Meals and further reducing sodium, added sugars and saturated fat. As a nutrition-focused food brand since our inception, the majority of our meals already meet the high standards of our commitment to PHA, and we have pledged to have all of our Baby, Toddler and Kid meals do so by 2023.
- Continuing to educate families on the role early palate development and training plays in setting children up for a lifetime of better eating and health. If you’re interested in learning more about how to develop your child’s taste buds (and overcome picky eating in the process), I’d recommend starting here:
- Giving back to our local community with an annual donation of at least 1,000 meals to family shelters and food banks across Chicagoland! In this year alone, we have already surpassed this goal and donated about 2,000 meals (with more still to come!). Access to healthy foods is so important during times of crisis, and we’re committed to supporting families as they get through difficult times.
What Does Our PHA Partnership Mean for You?
We chose to join PHA’s efforts because they share our deeply held commitment to nutrient-dense, veggie-first meals starting at the earliest age. We’re thrilled to be part of the Shaping Early Palates initiative in particular because that’s exactly what we’ve done from the very beginning.
Our Stage 3 Baby Meals are intentionally different from what you’ll find on grocery store shelves—with a strong focus on veggies and proteins rather than the all-too-common fruit-forward purees. Key principles like “veggies first” and “intentional use of sugar and sodium” have always guided Nurture Life’s meal development, so in a very real sense, this partnership with PHA won’t change anything for you as our customers!
At the same time, it’s an important step for Nurture Life because it cements our role in shaping the landscape of healthier foods for families across the country, and it’s one more reflection of how seriously we take nutrition. Through this partnership, we’re going bold on our vision of a healthy world for every child—and we’re challenging our fellow food companies to do better by your kids.
We know that it takes a village to raise a child, and the more expertise, resources and helping hands we can connect, the larger your village grows. As parents, we’re all raising the next generation together! We look forward to collaborating with PHA to do our part in giving your entire family the nutritious foods you deserve.
If you have any questions about our partnership with PHA or our nutritious, ready-to-serve meals for every age, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Just send a message to support@nurturelife.com.