Mealtimes can be dreadful occasions for nearly 1 in 2 parents with fussy little eaters¹ who are notorious for rejecting fruits and vegetables. In fact, according to a recent 2020 study amongst pre-school and primary school students, more than 80% consumed less than 2 servings of fruit and 2 servings of vegetables per day as recommended by the Health Promotion Board².
In a bid to tackle this perennial issue, new homegrown CPG brand HaruPlate today unveils a range of dietitian-approved Asian sauces and condiments that gets little ones eating fruits and vegetables happily through an optimal blend tailored to their taste preferences.
Kids’ aversion to bitter, sour tastes
Children have significantly more papillae than adults³ – tiny ‘bumps’ in the tongue that house clusters of taste buds. As such, certain tastes like the sour punch of fruits or bitterness of vegetables may taste more intense for children. In experiments conducted by scientific experts, children have shown to increase their liking for bitter and sour foods when they first encounter them in combination with something sweet⁴.
Unlocking the goodness of fruits and vegetables to feed the senses
Image source: iStock
Guided by these insights, HaruPlate has crafted magical blends from whole fruits and vegetables that optimally minimize the bitter and sour notes generally disliked by kids using a combination of the ripest ingredients of naturally sweet profiles, herbs and spices.
Select fruits and vegetables are first roasted to bring out the essence of their flavours and then blended with other ingredients into a uniform mixture. Thereafter, it is simmered for up to 5 hours and reduced into delightful sauces and jams. Thanks to the well-balanced ingredient mix and cooking process, HaruPlate’s nutritious blends are naturally infused with flavour without any added artificial preservatives, salt and refined sugars.
“The fruits and vegetables used to create HaruPlate’s range of sauces and condiments comprise of phytochemicals that are naturally present in plants. These nutrients that give fruits and vegetables their distinct colours are associated with an array of benefits such as vision and bone development, healthy gut health, improved immunity, better cognitive functions and more,” said Jaclyn Reutens, Clinical Dietitian and Founder of APTIMA Nutrition & Sports Consultants. “Additionally, scientific research⁵ has found that cooking can increase the bioavailability of phytochemicals in red, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables, as well as the absorption rate of minerals. These elements make HaruPlate’s sauces and condiments truly healthy for the little ones.”
Grounded in a philosophy to ‘Feed the Senses’, HaruPlate’s deliciously healthy recipes not only cater to kids’ taste preferences, they also appeal to their sense of touch, sight and smell. Its sauces and condiments retain little chunks of ingredients to help growing kids explore new textures beyond purees, and in visually appealing colours to entice little ones who feast with their eyes. All HaruPlate blends smell wonderful on their own to excite little taste buds.
“We are thrilled to introduce our dietitian-approved Asian flavours just for kids to bring pure goodness and delight to mealtimes. We went through countless recipes to land on the perfect blends that capture the desired flavours, textures, colours and aromas without compromising on nutritional value – one that has fruit and vegetable hating kids asking for more, according to our mum customers. This marks an achievement for us as we aspire to plant a love for fruits and vegetables amongst kids and inspire them to embrace healthy food adventures,” said Irvin Tan, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of HaruPlate.
Designed for children from 9 months to 6 years of age, all HaruPlate products are manufactured in Halal-certified facilities that adhere to the rigorous standards set out by Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Mealtime makeover with HaruPlate
Turn dreadful mealtimes into delightful occasions by giving children’s meals a makeover with HaruPlate’s lip-smacking sauces and condiments. The flagship range is a trio of well-loved flavours from Singapore and the region that will get kids gobbling down fruits and vegetables without a dreaded ‘yuck’.
Tomato Sambal
The perfect balance of umami, sour, and sweet without the spiciness, this kid-friendly version of a grown-up sambal is made with a variety of fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, fresh herbs, and a hint of bonito flakes and ikan bilis. Low in sodium and fat-free, it can be stir-fried, baked, marinated or roasted with any ingredient such as fish, meat and vegetables. Put a dollop over eggs cooked in any style or use as a condiment to complement children’s meals.
Roasted Tomato & Shiitake Sauce
Packed with an abundance of tomatoes and shiitake mushrooms, this sauce also contains carrot, cauliflower, leek, celery and fresh herbs to balance the bitter and sour notes, bringing depth and sweetness to the sauce. Best cooked with pastas and stews, this slightly earthy and sweet flavour is low in sodium and fat.
Spiced Pumpkin & Corn Sauce
Paying homage to the Japanese curry, this low-sodium-and-fat rendition is a friendly introduction to the world of spices and curries for kids. A blend of sweet flavours underlying earthy spices, it contains pumpkin, carrot, corn, celery, onion, bay leaves, cumin and turmeric. It is recommended for curries, stews and noodles.
Image source: HaruPlate
Jamming fruits in a jar
HaruPlate also offers a trio of yummy jams made from the ripest whole fruits, spices and herbs. A complex balance of flavours that excites little taste buds, these all-fruity treats contain no fruit purees or juice concentrates, sweetened with just a dash of organic raw honey as needed. Hence, these jams boast a lower sugar content compared to many regular supermarket jams and spreads⁶ .
Chunky Apple Jam
Packed with New Zealand apples, fresh lemon juice, organic chia seeds and raw honey, this jam has a hint of cinnamon, providing a fragrant spiciness reminiscent of Christmas flavours adored by kids.
Blueberry Pear Jam
An explosion of sweet, sour and spicy flavours, this is crafted with fresh Asian pears, wild blueberries from Europe, fresh lemon juice, organic raw honey and spices.
Tangy Mango Jam
Made from mangoes from around Asia, organic chia seeds, fresh calamansi juice and fresh herbs, this tangy and sweet jam comes with a minty fragrance that packs a zingy punch.
Simply use on toast or add a dollop over yoghurt or homemade granola to help kids kick-start the day on a sweet and healthy note.
Image source: HaruPlate
Availability and pricing
HaruPlate sauces and condiments are available at haruplate.com, RedMart, Shopee, Lazada and select NTUC FairPrice Finest stores.
Its flagship range is retailing at $8.80.
Tomato Sambal (100g)
Roasted Tomato & Shiitake Sauce (200g)
Spiced Pumpkin & Corn Sauce (200g)
The retail price for Haruplate jams are as follows:
Chunky Apple Jam (100 g) – $6.80
Blueberry Pear Jam (100g) – $9.80
Tangy Mango Jam (100g) – $8.80
About HaruPlate
HaruPlate is a Singapore CPG food brand led by a purpose to plant a lifelong love for healthy food today to grow happier and mightier communities tomorrow. Conceived to fill the gaps in children’s food offerings, HaruPlate offers a range of kid-pleasing, dietitian-approved Asian food products inspired by the Founders’ Singapore roots and food culture. At the heart of HaruPlate’s concept lies its philosophy to ‘Feed the Senses’, inspiring little palates to embrace healthy food adventures through 4 key elements: deliciously healthy Asian flavours packed with whole fruits and vegetables, chunky, solid textures, delectable smells and visually appealing colours. Proudly developed and produced in Singapore, HaruPlate’s products contain just the good stuff – real fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamins, minerals, fibres and antioxidants, never any added nasties like refined sugars, salt and artificial preservatives. Easy to use by mums, tasty and healthy for kids, HaruPlate simply brings pure goodness and fuss-free delight to mealtimes. For the latest news and information about HaruPlate, please visit www.haruplate.com.
¹ Perception of picky eating among children in Singapore and its impact on caregivers: a questionnaire survey. Asia Pac Fam Med. 2012; 11(1)
² Attitudes & beliefs that influence healthy eating behaviours among mothers of young children in Singapore: A cross-sectional study. Appetite. 2020;148:104555.
³ A quantitative study of fungiform papillae and taste pore density in adults and children. Brain Res Dev Brain Res. 2002;138(2):135-146.
⁴ Decreasing dislike for sour and bitter in children and adults. February 2008 Appetite 50(1):139-45
⁵ Lycopene from heat-induced cis-isomer-rich tomato sauce is more bioavailable than from all-trans-rich tomato sauce in human subjects. British Journal of Nutrition, 98(1), 140-146. doi:10.1017/S0007114507685201
⁶ In comparison to regular supermarket spreads and jams that contain 49% sugar content. HaruPlate’s Chunky Apple Jam and Blueberry Pear Jam sugar content is 18%; Tangy Mango sugar content is 12.5%.
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