As a new mom and self-proclaimed ingredient list reader, finding the right vitamin for my toddler felt like a daunting task the first time around.
Everything on the market felt overly sugary or made with questionable filler ingredients and artificial coloring. (If you haven’t delved into artificial food coloring and behavioral issues, this research-backed article is worth a read).
My second child has just turned two, and it’s time for her to take a multivitamin. Her brother has taken Hiya Multivitamins for almost a year and a half now, but were they the right choice for her, too?
My husband suggested we try Olly Kids Multivitamin because it’s less expensive, but I wasn’t completely sold. So, I decided to compare side-by-side to see if he was right.
Note: This article contains affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission should you choose to purchase through them.
Also, please consult your child’s healthcare provider with any specific dietary questions, as this post is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice.
For the sake of this review, we’ll cover everything I researched about children’s vitamins to make this decision for my daughter’s multivitamin.
Let’s break this down further.
Hiya
Cost-wise, Hiya vitamins come out to about $1/tablet (the serving size is one per day), but there are some ways to decrease the cost, including having multiple kids at home ($28/bottle per month) and ordering through my referral link for 50% off your first month. It’s worth noting that Hiya is a recurring monthly subscription.
Olly
For these gummy vitamins, the cost is $.32/gummy for kids between 2-4 (the serving size is one for this age range) and $.65 a gummy for older kids. You can also lower the cost per serving by ordering through an Amazon monthly subscription or buying a bigger container.
There’s no denying the math here. It’s matching. Olly is the clear winner regarding price, but at what cost? Keep reading to find out where – and what – Olly sacrifices.
Winner on cost: Olly
Honestly, the quality of ingredients is the most important to me when deciding what to feed my kids (okay, like 80% of the time). I fully recognize the privilege of being picky about how my kids eat, and I do not take this for granted.
Ingredient-wise, Hiya prides itself on 0g of sugar (it’s sweetened using natural ingredients like monk fruit and mannitol, no artificial sweeteners here), which is pretty uncommon for children’s multivitamins and is gluten-free, dairy-free, and made with non-GMO ingredients.
Additionally, it’s made with a blend of 12 different fruits and vegetables, including apples, blueberries, beets, broccoli, and more, which gives me a boost of confidence about meeting her nutritional needs when my daughter wants to eat nothing but mac and cheese.
We’re still working on a well-balanced diet. Ah!
Hiya states, “We ensure the quality and safety of our vitamins using a 3rd party lab that tests for trace amounts of heavy metals, allergens, and pathogens.” Sounds like a good option to me!
At first glance, I loved to see that Olly had added probiotics to their gummy (I’m all about gut health) and had no artificial flavors or colors added, but after looking closer, I noticed the first two ingredients were sugar and glucose syrup (anything ending in -ose is likely sugar, including glucose syrup).
Sure, the sugar content is about 2ish grams per gummy, but when the recommended daily amount of sugar (in total, including naturally occurring sugars, not just added) for a two-year-old is 24 grams, it seems silly that almost 10% of that is from a multivitamin. Strike one for me.
Another concerning ingredient I noticed on the list was “natural flavors.” While this might seem harmless, I learned in my holistic health coaching program that natural flavors can be a catch-all phrase to hide some pretty questionable ingredients, chemicals, and toxins.
Citric acid was also on the list which can either occur from citrus fruits or in a synthetic form derived from mold. Does it really have a place in toddler vitamins?
Winner on ingredients: Hiya
Considering my daughter lives on mac and cheese these days, the nutritional content of the multivitamin I ultimately chose is very important to me. Let’s dive in, shall we?
The multivitamin supplement from Hiya contains 15 essential vitamins and minerals, including Vitamins A, C, D, and E, plus Folate (the natural form of vitamin B9), Vitamin B12, and more. What I quickly noticed is how for kids 2-4 years old, Hiya meets or exceeds the daily recommended value in all but three nutrients.
Also offering a decent spectrum of vitamins and minerals, the Olly multivitamin has the addition of B6. On the downside, Olly doesn’t meet the recommended daily value in seven areas, including Vitamin A and Zinc, which is four more than Hiya – yikes!
My son had no problem chomping through Hiya’s hard, Sweetart-like tablet, but I wasn’t so sure about my daughter. Plus, she doesn’t have much experience with gummy things, either. So, I tried them for myself, too, just to be sure.
To me, these taste like a healthier Sweetart offered in a few different fruity flavors. My older kid asks for them daily, so I know they’re good.
They’re a tablet vs. a gummy, but they quickly dissolve in your mouth and are very easy to bite through and chew (which offers great peace of mind for me). It’s no surprise that kids love these chewable vitamins.
Honestly, these taste like less-sweet candy. I mean, they kind of are candy with added vitamins and minerals. My daughter had a hard time chewing them and getting through the gelatin-gummy texture, so it was a pass for us.
Speaking of gelatin, if your family follows a vegan diet, gelatin is typically made from animal products or byproducts.
Plus, according to the CDC, gummy candies are recognized as potential choking hazards for young children, so I’d just rather not take that risk for my little ones.
I will say I did notice that the Olly kids vitamins have a new look without the sugar-coating on top of the gummy vitamin. Glad to see that step in the right direction!
Winner on taste and texture: Hiya
If cost is your biggest determining factor when choosing your kid’s vitamin, then Olly is a decent choice and will surely get your little one some of the nutrients they need. I get it: kids are expensive, and costs need to be cut at some point.
Alternatively, if getting a vitamin with quality nutrients, fruit and veggie blends, and no sugar is your main focus, then Hiya is the best choice, hands-down. There’s no other children’s multivitamin like this on the market, in my opinion. I can rest assured that the blend of organic fruits and vegetables will help meet her nutrient needs and fill in any nutritional gaps in her diet.
Finally, I love the reusable glass bottle that you received on your initial order. It comes with a set of stickers, so your kid can decorate it and make it their own. Each additional order comes in a small pouch that you can use to quickly refill your glass jar.
Pro tip: If your kid ends up loving a certain color Hiya tablet, you can email customer service to request that all orders contain only that color going forward. My son only receives his “pink” vitamins now, and he loves it!
I hope you love Hiya as much as my kids do. Their kid’s vitamins really are a great choice, and I’m convinced that Hiya makes the best products and quality vitamins designed for optimal health and cognitive development (without all the added gummy junk).
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