On May 8, Raw Generation launched Little Sippers, a line of raw juices made with 40 fruits and veggies designed with kids in mind.
Recently, Raw Generation co-founder and creative director Jessica Rosen and chief nutrition officer Lisa Testa sat down for a Q&A with The Food Institute.
What inspired you to develop Little Sippers?
Rosen: The idea was sparked by my experience as a parent. Nutrition took on a new meaning when my kids started eating solids. Both of my babies ate a wide variety of foods and drank Raw Generation juices (even the green ones!) until they learned how to say “NO!”
Once that happened, it became virtually impossible to get them to eat vegetables. The one thing that they would still “eat” was Raw Generation juices of all colors. It was Lisa’s idea to create flavors in the colors of the rainbow, which was on point, as my kids learned the colors of the rainbow at a young age.
Testa: I was inspired by my nieces’ love of rainbows and my nephew’s natural instinct to ask what color things were. Kids love color!
Did you prioritize any specific vitamins or minerals during formulation?
Testa: I didn’t prioritize certain vitamins or minerals but rather focused on making sure all vital body systems would be supported with the nutrition in each recipe. I chose to use the colors of the rainbow to appeal to children, but at the same time this method worked to target different health benefits.
Each specific color of fruits and vegetables contains similar nutrients, so grouping them together gave me the exact outcome I was looking for:
- Reds: Vitamins A & E for a healthy heart, skin, and eyes
- Oranges: Vitamin C for strong immunity
- Yellows: B vitamins for healthy hormones and mood
- Greens: Calcium for strong bones and teeth
- Blues: Trace minerals for growth and development
- Purples: B12 and folic acid for healthy brain function
- Pinks: Antioxidants to protect against disease
How does the cold-pressing method used in Little Sippers preserve nutrients?
Testa: While cold-pressing juice is vitally important for getting maximum nutrition out of produce, it’s actually the flash-freezing process that preserves these nutrients, enzymes, and flavor. Traditional processing methods use either high heat or high pressure to pasteurize their products. After pasteurization, these juices are no more than glorified sugar water, being void of nearly all nutrition. Flash-freezing allows us to preserve our juices AND the nutrition at the same time.
What was the most challenging aspect of formulation?
Testa: The most challenging aspect was getting in full nutrition while keeping the flavors and colors appealing for children. It is no easy task to make broccoli, escarole, and Swiss chard taste or look good to a child (or even most adults!) – but that’s exactly what we did here. At times I felt like a mad scientist in the kitchen!
My goal was to make every bottle as nutritionally dense as possible while never losing the visual or taste appeal that attracts children to keep coming back for more.
After developing my first seven flavors, I held a trial study with over 30 children, ages 2 to 16. Their invaluable feedback was amazingly similar and led me to reformulate three of the recipes. After a retest, all seven flavors were met with rave reviews across the board. It was then I knew we had winners for even the pickiest eaters.
The Food Institute Podcast
It’s tariff time, and companies the world over are working to better understand how their operations will be impacted. Jodi Ader from RSM US LLP joined The Food Institute Podcast to discuss which products and inputs are currently subject to tariffs, and how to best mitigate supply chain risks.
