Tiny Organics extends baby-led weaning product line with vegetable-first finger foods: 'We want to cut through the noise'

"We have positioned ourselves from the very beginning as not just a baby food company, but as a childhood development company," said Fore, who launched the DTC fresh baby food company in January 2020 serving parents its vegetable-first cup meals designed for babies 8-months-old+ and toddlers. 

"For us, it's really been about how can we shape a generation of palates to be savory as opposed to sugary and cut through a lot of the noise," Fore told FoodNavigator-USA.

Fore explained that the philosophy and north star behind Tiny Organics is to shape the palates of young children very early on during the first few months by introducing a diet rich in nutrient-dense foods with an emphasis on vegetables.

The company's guiding principle, defined as baby-led weaning, gives kids as young as four-months-old (right around the time they are developing their pincer grasp) the autonomy to pick and choose their own foods. And when they're presented with healthy, vegetable-rich meals, the chance of success that they develop a preference for broccoli and zucchini is far greater, noted Fore.

"What we found in our research is that there’s this time in a person's life where they're much more keen to try new flavors than they ever will be, and that's from 4- to 7-months-old...  Anything past the 8-month mark, it becomes very difficult," said Fore referring to narrow window of time called the 'Flavor Window', in which babies' palates are developing at an accelerated rate.

With its new Tiny Beginnings line, which includes six SKUs featuring streamlined versions featuring three ingredients instead of eight found in its hero product line, Fore explained how the company can have a much deeper and greater impact on forming healthy eating patterns.

"We know that we can have the biggest impact if we’re approaching it from the point of developing preference during the very first taste as soon as you move on from the formula or breast milk. These are some of the very first decisions a human being is able to make for themselves," she added.

At $5.99 per cup, Tiny Beginnings products are composed of 80% vegetables cut into easy-to-grasp finger foods combined with herbs, spices, and healthy fats. 

Next phase of growth: 'We have blown through all of our projections'

Last Year, Tiny Organics closed a Series A funding round of $11m, which set the company onto an accelerated growth plan unlocking extensive new production innovation, enhanced marketing, expanding its team, and broader customer reach, according to Fore.

"We have blown through all of our projections since day one of founding the company so our traction has been tremendous." 

Now backed by actress entrepreneur and mother of two Brooklyn Decker, who is also involved in the development of the brand's products, Fore said Tiny Organics is stepping up its marketing efforts to guide parents through what can be a very vulnerable and confusing time of choosing foods for their children. 

"We chose to invest in Tiny Organics because it provides a huge solution to the often time-consuming and expensive task that is feeding our children quality meals, and because it’s a trusted brand,"  said Decker. 

"Especially now when there’s so much fear around how to give your kids the safest eating experience, and then to find out you’ve been somewhat misled and that there are metals in your food — a lot of moms panicked. What I love about Tiny Organics is that they were ahead of that. When developing the company and the recipes, the Tiny team was already considering the levels of metals and how their ingredients would be farmed and produced."

DTC focus with retail on the horizon

Tiny Organics now features a more personalized user experience on its website in which parents answer a few key questions to develop a customized feeding plan for their child. 

"That was another massive win for us to be able to serve our parents in this new way where it is a truly personalized experience in a way that only DTC can be. There’s so much we have yet to realize on the DTC side," said Fore.

"Retail is a massive future opportunity for us with our North Star being wanting to get on to WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program, which over half of babies in America are fed on," added Fore.