Vitamins are a hot topic right now; we’re all trying to be as healthy as possible so we can live our best lives. And it's no exception when it comes to our children.
The health of our children has always been at the forefront of our minds, however, a renewed sense of importance has emerged over the last couple of years. And while we do our best to feed them healthy, balanced food, let’s face it, they aren’t always getting what they should each day from their meals alone.
So we turn to supplements to help fill in the gap, but how healthy are the vitamins we’re giving our children? You’d be shocked to know that most of the kid’s vitamins on the market are nothing more than glorified candy, potentially doing more harm than good.
Hiya and First Day are two brand new D2C nutrition brands that are changing the way we do kid’s vitamins. Less sugar and junk and more of the good stuff that they need. But which brand is better?
In this article, I’m breaking down and reviewing Hiya Vs. First Day Vitamins, giving you all the facts and info and revealing my personal pick for my kids!
Why Kids Need Vitamins
Vitamins are important for everyone, young and old, but they are particularly important for children because they are growing and developing. In a perfect world, our kids would get all the nutrients they need from the food they consume, but if your kids are like mine, they prefer hot dogs, mac and cheese, and grilled cheese sandwiches over the healthy meals I attempt to provide with them.
Vitamins can help us bridge the gap between what children aren’t getting from their food and what they need to grow healthy and strong. Vitamins are important for brain development, healthy, strong bones, immunity, metabolism, and more.
As parents who are trying our best, we want our kids to grow up healthy, happy, and strong. And if we can’t get our kids to eat the nutritious stuff all the time, we need to supplement them with daily multivitamins to make sure they get what they need.
Comparing hiya Health vs First Day Vitamins
Hiya and First Day Vitamins are two new kid’s supplement brands that are on similar missions: to change the way we give vitamins to our kids.
In both companies, the founders discovered that the kid’s vitamins on the market are filled with sugar, additives, and other junk that can be incredibly unhealthy for children. They knew that there had to be a better way to give our kids the nutrients they need, all while maintaining the taste the encourages kids to keep up with their supplement regime.
Both Hiya and First Day use a science-based approach to nutrition and provide products that are researched and backed by top doctors, nutritionists, and parents, too.
However, these companies are not the same. There are several important factors that differentiate the two brands and the table below will help explain the differences.
vs | hiya Health | First Day |
|---|---|---|
Total Sugar: | 0g (but contains monk fruit and mannitol) | 2g organic sugar |
Consumption Method: | Chewable | Gummy |
Science-Based Research: |
|
|
# of Essential Vitamins: | 15 | 8 |
Organic? |
|
|
Serving: | 1 per day | 2 per day |
Subscription? |
|
|
Reuseable, Eco-Friendly Packaging? |
|
|
Free Shipping? |
|
|
Price: | $30 per bottle (50% off first order) | $32 per bottle, or $27 with subscription |
Full review | ||
Website: |
Yes
NoHiya Overview
Hiya is a subscription-based chewable kid’s vitamin that’s made entirely out of organic, natural fruits and veggies. Hiya managed to create a multivitamin that has all the essential nutrients kids need while still tasting delicious.
Hiya’s product is sweetened naturally with monk fruit and contains 0 grams of added sugar, something that no other kid’s vitamin can claim. The company founders, two new dads who were appalled by the ingredients in their kid’s supplements, designed their vitamin as a chewable. Gummies are not good for teeth, even when they have vitamins in them. If you don’t believe me, ask your dentist, I’m sure they’ll have a whole spiel on why gummies are bad for your teeth.
Hiya’s products come in a sleek, reusable glass jar complete with fun stickers for decorating. - which kids absolutely love! When your first bottle is done, you’ll receive a refill in a recyclable foil pack that you’ll use to refill your original bottle. No more wasted plastic bottles!
The chewable vitamins are delivered right to your door each month and you can cancel, pause, or change your subscription at any time.
Shop hiya here (and get 50% off your first month with this link)
First Day Vitamins Overview
First Day offers kids’ multivitamins in a bright, fun container. This product comes in gummy-form, which kids love, but dentists might cringe over, but they only contain 2g of natural, organic sugar compared to the 8 or more grams other gummy vitamins contain. They contain natural, plant-based ingredients and colors and contain 8 essential nutrients.
One thing that really stands out regarding First Day is their use of only the most bioavailable and the safest sources of ingredients, with a focus on dosages that will fill the gaps in a typical child’s diet without over-supplementing. Most vitamins contain far more than the daily limit of certain vitamins, on top of what your child is consuming in their daily food intake, leading to over-supplementation risks.
First Day was founded by two friends who set out to dig into the modern research into nutrition, finding out what supplements really do for us and what kids really need in their diets.
First Day recently introduced their recyclable pouch for vitamin refills. They, too, encourage kids to decorate and keep their original vitamin bottle to be refilled, which is a fantastic way to keep plastic out of landfills and to teach our kids about recycling and promoting a healthy environment.
You can choose between a one-time purchase on these vitamins, or you can subscribe and save. Subscriptions can be paused, canceled, or modified at any time.
Key Difference Between Hiya and First Day
Based on the information we outlined above, it’s clear that both Hiya and First Day are great choices for kids’ multivitamins, however, you only need one, so let’s break down some key differences to help you get clear on which is best for your child.
Consumption Method: Gummy (First Day) vs Chewable Tablet (hiya)
Hiya uses a chewable tablet, which is better for children’s teeth than a gummy, however, many children will only consume vitamins in gummy-form, like what you get with First Day.
However, First Day's gummies are much healthier than traditional gummy vitamins! Many kids' gummies are gelatin-based, which means they're derived from animal products. Gelatin is known for sticking to teeth and causing cavities. First Day uses pectin, a much cleaner alternative to gelatin, that's derived from fruits such as apples and oranges. This creates the same thickening/gelling effect as gelatin, but it has a softer bite and it's not as sticky, so it's less likely to stick in kids' teeth.
Daily Dosing
First Day’s dosage is 2 gummies per day and Hiya’s is 1 tablet per day. Some parents find that the one per day tablet is easier and more convenient. On the other hand, most kids love gummies and will happily eat 2 per day.
Vitamin Content
Hiya’s formula includes large amounts of Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and Zinc, all of which pose the threat of over-supplementation in the short term due to the availability of these vitamins in our everyday nutrition. First Day, on the other hand, has a keen focus on making sure that their dosages are designed to fill your child’s nutritional gaps without risking over-supplementation.
Packaging
Both Hiya and First Day do a great job of using eco-friendly packaging and making the bottles fun for kiddos. Both brands send the initial order with a vitamin bottle and then fill subsequent orders with recyclable packaging that you can place right inside the original bottle. Hiya makes the experience for kids a little more fun by sending them stickers to customize their bottles.
Sugar Content
Hiya stands out for not having any sugar in their kids’ vitamins, however, they use monk fruit and mannitol as sweeteners, which aren’t studied in children for safety and long-term health impacts, so it’s unclear if there could be any potential negative effects with those ingredients. First Day uses natural, organic sugar in their gummies, but only 2g, which is, on average, 80% less than other leading brands.
The Verdict: Which Vitamins Do I Give My Children?
Based on my research, I went all-in with Hiya initially. I felt that their product was a healthier choice due to the lack of any added sugar and the fact that they have almost twice as many vitamins on their ingredient list. However, after digging in a little deeper, I now understand that there are pros and cons to both vitamins. The no added sugar in Hiya comes with the added risk of exposing my kids to monk fruit and mannitol, both of which have not been heavily studied in children. And the extra vitamins might not be as beneficial for my kids who already eat a well-balanced diet.
I do love that Hiya's product is chewable. The first question my kid’s dentist always asks me is if I give them gummies, and when using Hiya, I can confidently say no (aside from the occasional treat)! That said, I believe everything is OK in moderation, and I certainly don't think chewing a couple of gummy vitamins will cause any significant damage.
One thing that I love about both brands is the convenience of the subscription! I never have to worry about my kids running out of their favorite vitamins.
When put to the ultimate test i.e. my picky toddlers, they both choose the gummy vitamin (First Day) over the chewable (Hiya). No surprise there, though. When all is said and done, both brands are great and are certainly a better option than 99% of the kids vitamins lining your store shelves.
Enjoy 50% off on your first month at hiya health by clicking the link below!
First Day
hiya health
