These new Once Upon a Farm products have been debuted at the Natural Products Expo West 2026 convention as a series of child nutrition products that respond to consumer preferences and industry changes.
The new products start off with the Meat, Meat & Bone Broth and Legume Blends pouches, which are refrigerated, cold-pressure-protected pouches with four-grams of protein or more. The pouches come in Chicken, Turkey and Beef flavor options, and respond to the resurgence of meat-sourced snack and nutrition products.
The brand also introduced the Smoothies with Protein & Probiotics as a nod to demand for more protein and probiotics for older children, which come in Orange Mango Twist and Strawberry Splash flavors.
The latest Once Upon a Farm products range is rounded out with the Power Wheels oat bars that are made with whole grains and fruit with four-grams of protein per serving in Blueberry Crumble and Strawberry Shortcake flavors.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Meat-infused Child Snacks
- A resurgence of meat-sourced snack formulations for children creates space for novel pediatric protein offerings that blend animal proteins with child-appropriate flavors and textures.
- Cold-pressure Refrigerated Pouches
- The use of cold-pressure processing in refrigerated pouch formats highlights opportunities for minimally processed, fresh-feeling convenience foods that extend shelf life without thermal degradation.
- Protein and Probiotic Fortification
- Higher-protein and probiotic-enhanced snacks for older children point to combined functional formulations that address growth, gut health, and on-the-go consumption needs.
Sectors Adopting This
- Infant and Child Nutrition
- Product portfolios in pediatric nutrition could be reimagined to include savory, protein-forward alternatives alongside traditional sweet flavors to meet evolving caregiver preferences.
- Food Processing and Packaging
- Advances in cold-pressure and aseptic pouch technologies present avenues for processors and packagers to create fresh-tasting refrigerated products with extended shelf stability.
- Retail Refrigerated Grocery
- Grocery retailers focusing on refrigerated grab-and-go sections may see new merchandising formats and category adjacencies as meat-based and functional children’s snacks gain traction.
