See what testers thought of Strong Roots’ new frozen food range for children, Little Roots

[JustineBMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the Mumsnet users who have been trying Strong Roots’ new children’s range, Little Roots, with their children.

Here’s what Strong Roots has to say: “Turn vegetable nay-sayers into vegetable yay-sayers with Little Roots. Made from the freshest vegetables, with no added nasties. Little Roots helps you give your family all the goodness they need to fuel their daily adventures.

With 3 veggies in every bite: they’re low in saturated fat, low in sugar, and all-importantly a great source of fibre. Best of all, they’ll be the tastiest little veg-bombs in your freezer and ready in just 14 minutes in the oven. Hungry tummies made happy fast.

We believe in great, plant-based food that makes life easier. Our passion for great food is rooted in working with the best producers from all over the world, and we care about the ingredients inside you and our recipes.

We’re very proud of our roots and every day they inspire us to bring the best tasting, best quality, and most responsible products to the world and you.”

More details on the individual products within the range can be found below:

Pea & Lemon Minis
Gloriously green inside, these pea-packed minis have a zingy lemon kick and a crunchy carrot and beetroot crumb for an added hit of colour.

Crunchy Corn & Carrot Chunks
An irresistible pairing of corn and carrot with a corn semolina crumb. We can guarantee you’ll be stealing them off your kids plates.

Sweet Potato & Butternut Nuggets
Butternut squash, parsnip, and sweet potato come together in all their naturally sweet glory to make these comforting nuggets, with a corn semolina crumb and just the slightest hint of cinnamon.

White Root Vegetable Bites (to be tested at a later date)
A combination of cauliflower, parsnip, and celeriac with a crunchy carrot crumb that’s so yummy you won’t believe how healthy they are.

Testers, please give your feedback by answering the questions below, as well as completing the short survey we’ve emailed you.

1. What were your overall thoughts on the Little Roots products you tried? What did you like about them?
2. Which qualities do or characteristics do you usually look for in food for your children? Do you think Little Roots fulfilled this for you?
3. Do you experience any challenges with getting your children to eat enough vegetables? Do you think Little Roots helped with this?
4. What kind of frozen food do you usually feed your children? How do Little Roots compare? Would you consider them a more adventurous option?

All who complete both pieces of feedback will be entered into a prize draw where one tester will win a £300 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

1. What were your overall thoughts on the Little Roots products you tried? What did you like about them? I love the idea of them and that they a healthier product. However, they weren’t well received in our house. The dc and I tried all 3 flavours but we didn’t like any of them. The dc complained that the fillings were too mushy like baby food, which I agree with and thought that all 3 flavours lacked flavour in general.
2. Which qualities do or characteristics do you usually look for in food for your children? Healthier choice with reduced salt, fat and sugar. Contain natural ingredients and sugars.

Do you think Little Roots fulfilled this for you? They met the health choice requirements but not the taste factor.

1. Do you experience any challenges with getting your children to eat enough vegetables? Luckily not but always looking at ways to make vegetables in meals in different ways.

Do you think Little Roots helped with this? Yes, if you like the product. But consider a box expensive compared to buying the vegetables.

1. What kind of frozen food do you usually feed your children? Vegetables, fruit, fish portions and sometimes more processed such as: chicken nuggets, fish fingers & ice creams

How do Little Roots compare? A disadvantage to is as the dc wouldn’t eat them but do eat frozen vegetables. Would you consider them a more adventurous option? No, I would say they are more suited to 11-18months due to the mushy baby food like texture.

Thank you for the opportunity but unfortunately not for us

1. What were your overall thoughts on the Little Roots products you tried? What did you like about them?

I liked how convenient they were and we all loved the flavour of all three different nuggets (I loved the pea and lemon, 2 of the DC preferred the corn ones and another the butternut squash version). I also like the fact that they are vegan as that suits my lifestyle.

1. Which qualities do or characteristics do you usually look for in food for your children? Do you think Little Roots fulfilled this for you?

As I don’t eat meat, the children only eat meat rarely, so I am very aware of the need to make sure that we all get a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables and pulses. I am also happy when I find convenience foods that are quick and healthy as we are often busy with the children’s activities and I don’t always have time to cook but feel guilty if I serve a “beige” meal!

1. Do you experience any challenges with getting your children to eat enough vegetables? Do you think Little Roots helped with this?

Luckily, they all eat a range of veg, but it was great to find another way of serving vegetables (and not having to peel and chop was a huge bonus)!

1. What kind of frozen food do you usually feed your children? How do Little Roots compare? Would you consider them a more adventurous option?

They do eat chicken nuggets on occasion and also like oven chips and waffles. I definitely like these much better and will certainly be buying them again (especially the pea and lemon ones ).

1. What were your overall thoughts on the Little Roots products you tried? What did you like about them?
I wasn't wildly keen on the box packaging. Seems a bit adult-orientated I think. My first thought on opening the package was that the box was far too big for the amount of food in it. I can understand not wanting to make the package smaller because at £3 (!) a box, if it was smaller you would think you were getting many (you are not). But the box being too big meant there was lots of room for the bites to move around inside and knock off their crumb coating. I had to open it and fold it down just to get it in the freezer.
Taste-wise, my son didn't like them at all, not even with ketchup on them. I tried all three as well - the sweet potato and the corn were both pleasant enough but not massively flavourful. The pea one was my outright favourite.
Price wise, I don't know that even if my son was keen on them I would justify the price of £3 for 12 or so little bites.

2. Which qualities do or characteristics do you usually look for in food for your children? Do you think Little Roots fulfilled this for you?
My kids are both very fussy eaters. I don't have a lot of criteria beyond 'if my kids will both eat it, I will buy it'. My son didn't like the Little Roots stuff so no, they haven't fulfilled that.

3. Do you experience any challenges with getting your children to eat enough vegetables? Do you think Little Roots helped with this?
My kids don't eat much in the way of veg and I was hopeful that these might be a good solution. I am disappointed that they weren't liked.

4. What kind of frozen food do you usually feed your children? How do Little Roots compare? Would you consider them a more adventurous option?
I put most stuff in the freezer, from bread to meat, to milk. But I am guessing you mean like chicken nuggets, waffles etc? I am not sure what this means, how do they compare. The only comparison I can make is - they wouldn't eat the the Little Roots frozen stuff, but they will eat nuggets and waffles, etc.

1. What were your overall thoughts on the Little Roots products you tried? What did you like about them?

As an parent I really liked the healthy side of these. They look like nuggets so thought I might be able to get extra veggies in them but my two didn’t really like them. They love both peas and sweet corn but didn’t like them in this form.

1. Which qualities do or characteristics do you usually look for in food for your children? Do you think Little Roots fulfilled this for you?

Yes. I always look for the healthier options for my children.

1. Do you experience any challenges with getting your children to eat enough vegetables? Do you think Little Roots helped with this?

My two are usually really good at eating vegetables but I thought this could be a good way to get extra into them.

1. What kind of frozen food do you usually feed your children? How do Little Roots compare? Would you consider them a more adventurous option?

They eat frozen fish and chicken as well as some frozen vegetables. I thought that Little Roots would appeal to them as they look very child friendly and more ‘exciting’ than other options such as veggie burgers or bites. I wouldn’t describe them as an adventurous option either. They are kind of the same as all other things aimed at children.

1. What were your overall thoughts on the Little Roots products you tried? What did you like about them? We managed to try all three varieties of the Little Roots range, my girls loved the crunchyness of the outside and the sweetness of the insides (the crunchy corn and the butternut squash) Overall thought they were handy to have as a healthy snack or to add to a child’s dinner/lunch but for the amount you get in the box and the size they were slightly pricey.

1. Which qualities do or characteristics do you usually look for in food for your children? Do you think Little Roots fulfilled this for you?

I look for easy and quick but healthy option particularly in things I can cook when I’m doing something completely different/spicy for me and husband. On paper these are perfect for the occasion.

1. Do you experience any challenges with getting your children to eat enough vegetables? Do you think Little Roots helped with this?

My nephew doesn’t like eating vegetables at all, he tried and surprisingly ate and loved two out of the three available options.

1. What kind of frozen food do you usually feed your children? How do Little Roots compare? Would you consider them a more adventurous option? Yes definitely more adventurous but clearly a lot more expensive. I normally feed my children fish fingers and occasionally chicken nuggets

1. What were your overall thoughts on the Little Roots products you tried? What did you like about them?

I really liked the idea of putting lots of veg into a snack form, the product and packaging looked natural and healthier than the usual frozen foods. They cooked quickly and did not dry out like most frozen snack food. Trying to make lots of veg more appealing to fussy eaters is a good idea.

1. Which qualities do or characteristics do you usually look for in food for your children? Do you think Little Roots fulfilled this for you?

It depends, I will try on the whole to do home made food that I can batch cook freeze and then add veg to. But there are also days when I need quick meals - it is hard to get non carb related quick meals so the idea of trying to put veg into these meals in this form is a great idea.

1. Do you experience any challenges with getting your children to eat enough vegetables? Do you think Little Roots helped with this?

Mine will eat certain vegetables and refuse others. I would like them to eat more. Whilst I really liked the Little Roots, both of mine were not keen, they didn't like the fact you had whole bits of sweet corn. The one they said they would eat again at a push was the sweet potato, the others they just refused. I would eat all of them, but the sweet potato was the one with the most flavor.

1. What kind of frozen food do you usually feed your children? How do Little Roots compare? Would you consider them a more adventurous option?

Quick dinners tend to be potato waffles and scrabbled egg or fish fingers. I can always get my kids to eat these. Little roots are more adventurous, but they were not a winner with the kids. I will try some of the other products in the range to see if they will try different more adventurous vegetables this way.

1. What were your overall thoughts on the Little Roots products you tried? What did you like about them?

I wasn’t sure if my DC would even attempt to eat them, but they did, and they loved them. I added them to my meal too, and I have to say I loved them as well!

1. Which qualities do or characteristics do you usually look for in food for your children? Do you think Little Roots fulfilled this for you?

I usually go for food that doesn’t look like vegetables, as my oldest is a veg refuser. These definitely fit the bill!

1. Do you experience any challenges with getting your children to eat enough vegetables? Do you think Little Roots helped with this?

My oldest DC usually has to be bribed to eat vegetables, but she happily ate these.

1. What kind of frozen food do you usually feed your children? How do Little Roots compare? Would you consider them a more adventurous option? Frozen food is usually things like chicken nuggets, so these were way more adventurous. I was surprised at how much both my DC loved them!

What were your overall thoughts on the Little Roots products you tried? What did you like about them?
Great.tasty for all of us involved!

1. Which qualities do or characteristics do you usually look for in food for your children? Do you think Little Roots fulfilled this for you?quick.tasty.not boring.balanced nutrition.gopd choice.pick at food or substantial in equal choice
2. Do you experience any challenges with getting your children to eat enough vegetables? Do you think Little Roots helped with this?yes and no depends on the day.i think it was another option which was great.u have to stear the kids in the right way with food though otherwise they won't cope or learn what's actually ok.
3. What kind of frozen food do you usually feed your children? How do Little Roots compare? Would you consider them a more adventurous option?Ice cream.fruits.nuggets.chips.peas.froźen veggies.

1. Quick and easy to cook, a good way to get fussy kids to include veg in their diet.
2. A great different way to incorporate vegetables into their meals, overall simple and effective.
3. My Little ones are fussy eaters and Little Roots enabled me to introduce veg into their diets in a positive way.

1. My frozen foods are for convenience, and maybe not the most healthy options, I pick what I know my kids will eat. Thus, Little Roots would be a positive step in the right direction in regards to adding to my freezer.

1. What were your overall thoughts on the Little Roots products you tried? What did you like about them?

I thought they were a good idea especially for kids that dont like veg, I liked the fact there were a few veg mixed together so not just one bland taste, I tried them myself and thought they were tasty but im not one to add lots of seasoning to my veg so love the plain taste.

1. Which qualities do or characteristics do you usually look for in food for your children? Do you think Little Roots fulfilled this for you?

Food that is quick to prepare & know my children will eat/like it.

1. Do you experience any challenges with getting your children to eat enough vegetables? Do you think Little Roots helped with this?

My 3 have there own fav veg and I try to get them to try different varieties, These helped with that as they usually wont eat butternut squash but liked the nugs mixed with corn as well. They tried all 4 different varieties but the pea and lemon ones were pretty tasteless to be honest.

1. What kind of frozen food do you usually feed your children? How do Little Roots compare? Would you consider them a more adventurous option?

We have the occasional pizza and chicken nuggets some frozen veg like sweetcorn & peas. The kids liked that the veg came in nuggets bit of a novelty I think but they did eat them. The mix of veg is a bit more adventurous than others on the market and I would by some of the varieties again as they went down well here.