These organic gummy vitamins for kids (and adults!) are vegetarian, allergen free, gluten free, and delicious.
The first wealth is health.
―Ralph Waldo Emerson
I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.
How’s your diet?
Mine is pretty good, I think. I try to eat my fair share of fruits and veggies; I’m especially conscientious because I’ve cut out the majority of dairy due to intolerance. Dark greens like broccoli, spinach and kale have a decent amount of calcium, but the daily recommendation is 1000mg and you do have to rabbit up a fairly sizable serving of veggies to hit that on a daily basis. Sometimes I do so easily. Sometimes the day is a whirlwind and when all is said and done, I might not have had a green all day.
I imagine it’s the same for all of us, and particularly our kids. We do our best, but some days are better than others. Vitamins and other supplements are a good way to feel confident that we are filling those day-to-day nutritional gaps, to keep our energy levels high and our bodies healthy.
Hero Nutritionals: Makers of the Original Gummy Vitamin
Through the Moms Meet blogger program, I was sent two different kinds of gummy vitamins from Hero Nutritionals to try: Yummi Bear Organics Complete Multi-Vitamin and Slice of Life Organics Energy + B12. These are the supplements I already take (a gummy multi and a gummy B12). Up to this point, I hadn’t pledged allegiance to any one brand; often I pick them up from Costco but I’ll try other brands if they’re on sale.
I think I may have found *the* brand.
The most important factor, for us, is the flavor. It’s no use buying vitamins the kids and hubs aren’t going to take, right? These taste awesome. The B12s are without question the best tasting ones I’ve ever tried. The Yummi Bear multis are like low-key candy; the kids take them without having to be reminded. Delicious.
Although I’m not currently a vegetarian, I have been in the past and Cass seems to be leaning that way lately, and I remember it being a pain finding vegetarian gummy vitamins. So the next thing that jumped out at me is that these vitamins are made from fruit pectin, not gelatin, which is great.
Let’s go through the rest of the reasons why Yummi Bear Organics multis and Slice of Life Organics Energy + B12 are smart supplement choices.
Yummi Bear Organics Complete Multi-Vitamin
- Yummi Bears were the first gummy vitamins! They were released in 1997, so happy 20th anniversary to them.
- They are the only organic and GMO-free gummy vitamin for children, with nothing artificial added; instead they use natural strawberry, orange, and pineapple flavors.
- Contains 16 essential nutrients for healthy growth and development. (What makes a nutrient essential? They’re necessary for body functions, but the body can’t produce them on its own. Therefore it’s essential that you get them through your diet, and supplementation if necessary.)
- Fruit pectin based (no gelatin!)
- Allergen free: that means no gluten, yeast, wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, salt, tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish or fish.
Slice of Life Organics Energy + B12
- USDA Certified Organic and manufactured in an Organic Certified Facility.
- Also fruit pectin based, and free of GMOs, gluten, and dairy.
- In addition to a major dose of B12 that uses methylcobalamin (a form of B12 that’s easier to absorb and use), these have 100% of your Daily Value of B6 and folic acid.
- All natural cran-raspberry and black cherry flavors, organic colors.
- Also allergen free, with no GMOs, gluten, or dairy.
Why take B12?
As I said, I don’t eat much dairy anymore, and I’ve been cutting back on meat pretty hard as well. These are your major sources of B12, along with fish and clams (which I consider meat anyway but I know not everyone does). Add that to letting go of caffeine, and I get brain fog sometimes. Taking B12 definitely makes a difference with that.
In addition, my husband has ulcerative colitis, and often people with digestive issues like his (Crohns, celiac disease included) have trouble absorbing B12 from food. I can’t say he takes B12s for that reason; it’s more that when he sees me eating gummies he wants some too. But hey, it works, right?
Taking a B12 supplement that includes folic acid and B6 can help to give your heart and circulatory health a boost, along with improving energy metabolism. Unlike some supplements, B12 is considered to be safe to take— just stick with the noted dose, in this case two “slices” per day.
Not all vitamins and minerals are considered to be non-toxic in high doses, though, and some can interfere with the efficacy of medication you might be taking. Generally speaking, it’s highly recommended to see your doctor for well-visits regularly and mention any symptoms that are prompting you to consider a new supplement. They’ll likely send you for a blood test to uncover any deficiencies and help you determine what supplements to take at what doses.
Where to get ’em
The really nice thing here is that Hero Nutritionals are pretty readily available. You can find them at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Ralphs, Kroger, Smart & Final, GNC, Vitamin Shoppe and Jimbo’s, as well as online at Amazon and at costco.com. Check out the full list of locations here.
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