At a Glance

If you ever did one quick google or amazon search for “kids vitamins” it’s really hard to know which multivitamin is best for your kids. There are literally hundreds to choose from and it can be very tricky, time consuming and overwhelming.

When shopping for a kids multivitamin, you can choose to go budget-friendly on places like amazon, walmart, or even in stores. Or, you have the option to go with a more premium product, which these brands usually just sell on their official website.

What are the differences? And, how do you know which one to go with?

Do you go with a premium product? Or, are you supposed to save money and sacrifice quality? How do we, as parents, know what to look for? Does your kid even need a multivitamin?

To answer these questions, I’m going to share how I, as a dad and savvy shopping consumer, shopped for our kids vitamins.

In addition, I asked one doctor and two dietitians what their thoughts were and which products they would recommend. Fortunately, they provided some really helpful answers for me and for all the parents out there that are looking for a healthy multivitamin for their kiddos.

Here’s who I interviewed:

• Dr. Pedram Kordrostami, M.D.
• Jordan Anthony, MS RDN
• Matt Rogers, Registered Dietitian at Tropical Oasis

But First, Does Your Child Need a Multivitamin?

As parents, we don’t really know if our kid needs a vitamin, or not, but we almost want that reassurance that they're getting the proper nutrition - so we end up shopping around for one. I mean, everyone else is, right?

Well I asked Dr. Pedram Kordrostami, founder of Omre, about this, and this is what he had to say:

“Most healthy children who eat a balanced diet don't actually need multivitamins. However, I understand parents' desire for nutritional insurance, especially with picky eaters.”

Every kid’s needs are going to be different, depending on many factors. Dr. Kordostami went on to explain, “Individual children may have specific needs based on diet, health conditions, or genetic factors that require different supplementation approaches. It’s critically important to always consult your child's healthcare provider before starting any supplement regimen.”

If your child isn’t getting the proper nutrition from diet alone, bring it up the next time you visit your pediatrician and ask if a vitamin is something your child should be taking. You can then get the information you need on what your child is lacking in diet.

The goal is to know your child’s specific needs, otherwise you’re risking wasting a lot of time in the vitamin aisle, or shopping online. Dr. Kordrostami put it beautifully, “The vitamin aisle can be extremely overwhelming, but focusing on quality over marketing and understanding your child's specific needs will help you make the best choice for your family.”

What’s The Difference Between Premium Kids Vitamins and Cheaper Ones?

The main difference between a premium multivitamin for kids and a cheaper option can be boiled down to a few things, according to Jordan Anthony, Registered Dietitian and Head of Nutrition at Ahara.

“Packaging and experience count for a lot here. Premium brands like Hiya can upcharge because of those glass bottles and fun stickers, as well as the variety of options like probiotics they offer. They also tend to foreground their purity. Sure, plenty of vitamins have zero sugar, but Hiya leads with that. The same thing holds for being allergen free, etc.”

Premium vitamins for kids will thoroughly test each batch of their products for heavy metals, allergens, purity, potency, etc., costing the brand more money to make them. This in turn provides value to the parents as peace of mind. They also create fun ways for the kids to get involved, so that they remember to take them, which can be one of the biggest obstacles parents face.

Cheaper kids multivitamin brands use standard third-party testing for purity and potency, and they might not be made in the USA.

Like me, Miss Jordan understands parents with tighter budgets, but going with a cheaper kids vitamin may end up costing you more time trying to find the right one. “With all this being said, it definitely can make sense to buy a cheaper vitamin if you can find one that meets your needs, but that may require you to spend some time in the vitamin aisle reading ingredient labels.”

What Parents Should Look For, According to Experts

To help parents know exactly what to look for in a kids multivitamin, I asked the experts.

Dr. Pedram Kordrostami’s advice:

• Third-party testing certification (USP, NSF, or ConsumerLab)
•  Age-appropriate dosing
•  No more than 100% DV of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K)
•  Natural folate (methyl folate) rather than synthetic folic acid
•  Essential minerals like zinc, iron (for certain ages), and calcium
•  Form that your child will actually take (gummy, chewable, etc.)

Jordan Anthony, Registered Dietitian, agrees on the last point that Dr. Kordrostami stated. She told me this:

“When it comes to choosing a multivitamin for your child, taste is important. If they won't take their multivitamins, they won't get the benefits. Beyond that, look for multivitamins with a good variety of included vitamins and minerals, even if they don't offer 100% daily value of everything. You should also only buy multivitamins that have been tested by a reliable third party like the NSF.”

Of course, you could take the simple approach like Matt Rogers, a Registered Dietitian at Tropical Oasis. Here’s his expert, yet realistic advice:

“Honestly, look for a multivitamin that you won’t have to convince or argue with your child to take every time. Content of the multivitamin is of course also super important, but what a lot of parents end up struggling with is simply convincing their child to take the vitamin in the first place. There are various forms to choose from – from capsules, to chewable tablets, to gummies, to liquid multivitamins. Kids often simply prefer one over the others.”

As a parent, I can relate to this. It’s real, and sometimes you just need to do some trial and error until you find out what your kid will take.

What Should Parents Avoid?

After turning to the experts once again, I learned a few things to be aware of and avoid when shopping for a kids multivitamin.

There are the obvious points, like an ultra high amount of sugar per serving, artificial flavors / sweeteners, colors, etc. But there were some great points from Dr. Pedram Kordrostami. Here’s his list of red flags to avoid:

• Artificial colors/dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, etc.)
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Excessive sugar (over 3g per serving)
• Megadoses exceeding 100% DV
• Proprietary blends with unknown amounts
• Unnecessary fillers and preservatives

To inject my thoughts as a father, the one thing I would add on the list to avoid is the lack of strong third-party testing procedures. Brands that care about their product go the extra mile to ensure each batch they make is tested before putting them on the shelves for our kids. If you see standard third-party testing, they’re just checking the box.

How I Shopped Kids Multivitamins For My Children

Tami and I shopped for a healthy kids multivitamin back in 2020. Our kids were 4 and 2 at the time and they were very picky eaters.

I remember having a conversation with our pediatrician about it, telling her how they barely eat anything and asking what I can do to get them to eat more.

The pediatrician told me it’s not uncommon for kids at those age groups to eat just enough food and not finish their meals all the time. The problem for us as parents was that we were tossing food in the garbage and the kids would be asking for snacks 30 minutes later.

I brought up the idea of a kids multivitamin because I was doing a lot of research on different products at the time. The idea of them not getting the right nutrition was bothering me.

Our pediatrician said to make sure it’s a kids vitamin that has low-sugar content, and gave us some suggestions, such as Hiya, Smarty Pants, and others.

I was already familiar with these products and had my eye on Hiya Vitamins because it was a zero-sugar option. More on that later.

My shopping strategy consisted of thorough research on a handful of products from newer brands that were changing the kids vitamin industry. These brands were coming up with kids vitamins that were really low in sugar, had strong third-party testing procedures and were designed specifically for kids.

Over the years, we ended up buying Hiya, First Day, Smarty Pants, 1st Phorm M-Factor Kiddos, Mary Ruth’s and OLLY. To me, the evidence was clear that these were the leading brands that were really making a difference, and many experts agree.

Let’s take a look at what the best options are and what the experts I interviewed recommend.

What Are The Best Multivitamins For Kids?

Hiya Kids Multivitamin (Best Sugar Free Vitamins for Kids)

1st Phorm M-Factor Kiddos (Best Tasting Gummy Vitamins For Kids)

First Day Kids Vitamins (Best Healthy Gummy Vitamins For Kids)

Manna Liposomal Multivitamin For Kids (Best Liquid Option)

Garden of Life Kids Multi Gummies (Best Organic Vitamins For Kids)

Conclusion

Finding a multivitamin for your kid takes a lot of time, effort and money. My goal for this article was to help you save time and effort reading labels and shopping around, while providing expert insights to know what to look for and what to avoid.

Our recommendations come from top dietitians and doctors in their field, as well as my personal experience as a father of two kids that have been taking vitamins since they were 2 years old.

Take the advice and run with it. Talk to your pediatrician to get approval and just know that you could be testing a few kid-specific vitamins before finding the perfect one.

My Shopping Tips For Children's Multivitamins

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