What are the Best Multivitamins for Kids? First Day vs. Hiya vs. Smartypants

First Day’s Kids Daily Essential gummy multivitamin is made using organic fruits and veggies and contains NO artificial ingredients or additives.

Their supplements include all of the following:

• Vitamin A (14% DV)
• Vitamin C (22% DV)
• Vitamin D3 (50% DV)
• Vitamin K (21% DV)
• Vitamin B1 (25% DV)
• Vitamin B2 (26% DV)
• Vitamin B6 (22% DV)
• Vitamin B12 (75% DV)
• Folate (20% DV)

I do want to mention that when I first looked into First Day as a supplement for my own kids, I was wondering why they had so little of certain nutrients and minerals in a single serving. I first presented this question to my kids’ pediatrician, and she explained that many of these vitamins our kids already get through their diet alone. So, it was likely that the brand was trying to avoid over-supplementation.

I did my own research on First Day and vitamins for children and what the pediatrician said does indeed seem to be the case. First Day is using safe limits for their multivitamins to avoid toxicity in our children.

First Day contains 2g of sugar per serving. 

First Day is looking pretty good in the allergens area as they are free of all the common allergens and are also gluten-free. Their vitamins contain:

❌ NO Tree Nuts

❌ NO Fish

❌ NO Milk

❌ NO Eggs

❌ NO Shellfish

❌ NO Peanuts

❌ NO Wheat

❌ NO Soy

Yes, First Day multivitamins are vegan-friendly

First Day works with scientific advisors whom they name and discuss directly on their website – Dr. Ed Giovannucci, MD, MPH, ScD from Harvard University and Dr. Lei Chen, MD, MHS from Yale University. Their vitamins are formulated around the vitamins we most commonly lack and they rely on pediatric studies for their children’s multivitamins. They also utilize information gathered from the latest clinical studies and take advantage of the latest science to ensure they are using the most absorbable ingredients best suited for the human body.

First Day uses a refillable bottle and recyclable refill pouches for subscriptions. So yes, it is definitely eco-friendly!

Organic Fruit and Veggie Blend: Apple, Kale, Broccoli, Spinach, Carrot, Parsley, Beet, Green Cabbage, Blueberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Tomato

Other Ingredients: Tapioca Syrup, Cane Sugar, Water, Pectin, Citric Acid, Natural Colors, Natural Flavors, Organic Fruit, and Vegetable Blend, Sunflower Oil, Carnauba Wax

Another important point to mention about First Day’s multivitamins is that although they are gummy vitamins, they DO NOT contain gelatin or excessive amounts of sugar typically found in gummy vitamins. They actually use natural organic sugar so that our kids’ bodies can easily process this sugar.

One-Time Purchase- $36 for a 30-day supply

Subscribe & Save- $30 for a 30-day supply

There is an additional discount for multiple children ‼️

Hiya’s Kids Daily Multivitamin is NOT a gummy vitamin (Sorry, kiddos). These are chewable vitamins that are made with organic fruits and vegetables and contains all of the following:

*Please note the %DV I have listed here is for children over the age of 4

• Vitamin A (40% DV)
• Vitamin B1 -Thiamin (42% DV)
• Vitamin B2- Riboflavin (46% DV)
• Vitamin B12 (83% DV)
• Vitamin C (44% DV)
• Vitamin D (125% DV)
• Vitamin E (23% DV)
• Folate (50% DV)
• Biotin (83% DV)
• Calcium (<2% DV)
• Iodine (33% DV)
• Zinc (27% DV)
• Selenium (27% DV)
• Manganese (65% DV)

It is important to note that the amount of Vitamin A, Vitamins D, and Zinc in the Hiya vitamins seem to be a little high for a kid’s supplement. According to the National Institute of Health, “Most people in the United States get enough vitamin A from the foods they eat, and vitamin A deficiency is rare.” Vitamin A is found naturally in many foods and is even added to many foods including fortified breakfast cereals, many vegetables and fruits, and dairy products.

I also recommend checking out this fact sheet on Zinc to get a better understanding of how much Zinc your child needs as well as which foods have Zinc. The National Institute of Health claims that most people in the U.S actually get enough Zinc from the foods they eat. This fact sheet will also discuss the risks of getting too much Zinc. Too much Zinc can lead to: nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, headaches, etc.

So as always, do your research and consult with a physician regarding your child’s nutritional needs before making a decision on any dietary supplements. I did want to include these notes here for you just as a heads up and to assist with your decision-making. But do not automatically assume this is a cause for concern! The best way to decide what your child requires from a daily vitamin is by addressing this matter with their pediatrician.

Hiya also sweetens their vitamins with monk fruit and mannitol instead of sugar. I had no idea what mannitol was so I looked it up and I see they use it as a medication for various ailments but many people also use it as a sugar substitute.

Hiya contains 0g of sugar per serving. 

Hiya didn’t have their excluded allergens listed on their website or on the packaging. But I do see that they are dairy-free and gluten-free.

Yes, Hiya vitamins are vegan-friendly.

Hiya’s website does state that their vitamins are formulated by pediatricians but that’s about as far as that information goes.

Hiya vitamins come with super cute refillable glass/child-proof containers and recyclable refill pouches. Also, eco-friendly! I also love that the kids can decorate and personalize these bottles. (Younger kids will definitely appreciate this).

Organic Fruit and Veggie Blend: Apple, Beet, Broccoli, Carrot, Green Cabbage, Kale, Parsley, Spinach, Blueberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Tomato

Other Ingredients: Monk Fruit extract, mannitol, plant fiber blend, coconut oil powder, vegetable fatty acids, plant-based extracts, organic rice extra blend, and organic rice hull concentrate

$30 for a 30-day supply

There is an additional discount for multiple children ‼️

Smartypants’ Kids Formula vitamin is another gummy vitamin that is free of artificial flavors, synthetic colors, and preservatives. It also contains the following:

• Vitamin A (20% DV)
• Vitamin B1- Thiamin (8% DV)
• Vitamin B2- Riboflavin (12% DV)
• Vitamin B6 (59% DV)
• Vitamin B12 (100% DV)
• Vitamin C (50% DV)
• Vitamin D (100% DV)
• Vitamin E (44% DV)
• Vitamin K (10% DV)
• Folate (63% DV)
• Biotin (53% DV)
• Iodine (60% DV)
• Zinc (15% DV)
• Fish Oil- 340 mg
• Omega 3 Fatty Acids -100mg
• EPA and DHA- 100mg

Same as what I mentioned with the Hiya vitamins, Smartypants has high levels of Vitamin A, D, and Zinc for children. You can refer back to my previous note on this subject for more info.

It is important to note that, Smartypants vitamins typically do contain gelatin as explained on their website. Make sure you read those bottles if you adhere to a vegan diet or do not eat animal products for any reason. 

Smartypants contains 5g of sugar per serving.

Smartypants claims to be free of 8 major allergens. Their vitamins contain:

❌ NO Tree Nuts

❌ NO Egg

❌ NO Shellfish

❌ NO Peanuts

❌ NO Fish Allergens (not sure how this works with the fish ingredients in the vitamins, but this is what they say)

❌ NO Milk

❌ NO Wheat

Any of the Smartypants vitamins that contain gelatin are not vegan-friendly.

Smartypants states on their website, “Each formula is rigorously reviewed by our Scientific Advisory Board…” I did not see any additional details as far as who is on this board, however. But they are formulating their vitamins based on science at least to some extent.

Smartypants states on their website “all of our supplements use bottles made from 80 – 100% post-consumer resin (PCR). Just by taking your vitamins (and remembering to recycle your bottles), you’re helping us transform landfill waste into something that supports good health for you, your family, and our planet.” So they’re also taking steps to be more eco-friendly.

Other Ingredients: Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Tapioca Syrup, Gelatin, Pectin, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Colors Added (Organic Black Carrot Juice Concentrate, Organic Turmeric

About $20 for a 30-day supply

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