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First Impressions: Finger Foods For Toddlers And Kids Snacks By Nurture Life

Kat Giuffrida
ByKat GiuffridaOct 15, 2021 | 16 comments

Nurture Life
0 overall rating
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First Impressions is a series that introduces and reviews new brands to My Subscription Addiction, drawing from readers’ requests for an insider’s first look. Interested in seeing more reviews from this brand, or have another box in mind that you’d like to see reviewed? Let us know in the comments.

Nurture Life offers families an easy way to get their picky eaters to consume nutritionally balanced meals that also happen to taste incredibly delicious. Nurture Life's subscription boxes are intended for use by children ages 10 months and older and the company offers 3 main types of meals: Kids Meals (older toddlers and children), Finger Foods (10mos-2 years), and Snacks (older toddlers and children). All of Nurture Life's meals come pre-portioned and only require 1-2 minutes of heating. However, they can also be eaten as is and many children prefer it that way.

Whether your child has just graduated from purees to solids or has been eating solid foods for quite some time and is looking to explore more options, Nurture Life offers something for every child.

My Subscription Addiction received this box at no cost in exchange for an honest review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

The Breakdown - What's Inside The Box

Customers of Nurture Life can select to add the following number of meals to their subscription box: 6, 9, 12, or 15. The 6 meal plan starts at $41.34 if you only select finger foods, however, a shipping fee of $8.00 is added on, making the final cost come out to $49.34.

In comparison, if you choose the 9 meal subscription box for the same types of food, the final cost ends up being $62.01 with no shipping fee. This drops the average price of finger food meals down to $6.89 from $8.22. With that in mind, if you're going to order a subscription box from Nurture Life you may as well go with the next size up to try out 3 more meals for a reduced average price and to find out which meals your child likes best.

Meal options vary, but here are some of the most popular dishes sold by Nurture Life: Chicken Bites, Mac & Cheese With Peas, Cheese & Veggie Box, and Roasted Chicken With Broccoli & Potato Medley.

I got the chance to try out several options from Nurture Life, which included a mixture of kids' meals, finger foods, and snacks. Here's a closer look at my experience with the meals I tried along with my honest review of each one!

Shepherd's Pie With Rainbow Veggie Medley, 1 Jar - Retail Value $6.89

WHAT I LIKED: This meal contained several organic ingredients, which included its potatoes, peas, corn, onion, ketchup, and several other seasonings. This classic dish was well-balanced and had the following macronutrient profile: 4g fat, 18g carbs, 10g protein. I thought the flavoring was excellent, and that the beef and vegetable medley blended very well together. I think most toddlers would enjoy eating this meal.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: If Nurture Life is going to include organic veggies and seasonings, then I think it should include organic meat as well, however the ground beef was not organic, and neither were the diary ingredients. I would not allow my child to eat beef or dairy products that are not grass-fed or organic due to the risk of contamination or the potential presence of hormones. This factor alone would prevent me from ordering this meal again, despite its great taste.

Egg Bites With Sausage & Sweet Potatoes, 1 Jar - Retail Value $6.89

WHAT I LIKED: I loved the sweet taste of this meal and the inclusion of organic sweet potatoes. This adorable mini-breakfast had the following macronutrient profile: 4g fat, 14g carbs, 13g protein. Definitely a meal that would be ideal for breakfast on the go that tastes like a treat.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: Again, this meal failed to use organic eggs or sausage, and its sweet potatoes were the only organic ingredient. I would not give my own child any form of meat or dairy that is not certified organic or humanely raised. I feel Nurture Life really ought to look into sourcing its meals from certified organic, grass-fed, wild-caught, and humanely raised origins. If I can't tell where my protein is sourced from, then there's no way I'll give it to my kids.

Roasted Chicken With Broccoli & Potato Medley, 1 Jar - Retail Value $6.89

WHAT I LIKED: I liked how simple this meal was, and appreciated the mixture of veggies, carbs, and protein. The chicken was easy to eat, and I could definitely see children 10 months and older being able to eat this meal with ease. However, toddlers 2-4 would most likely prefer this dish over babies 10-12 months old. It had the following macronutrient profile: 2.5g fat, 12g carbs, 13g protein.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: I know, I sound like a broken record at this point, but this meal also failed to include organic, pasture-raised chicken. It might be antibiotic and hormone-free, but I will only feed poultry products to my children that meet the highest quality standards. If you're more concerned with affordable meals that contain a little bit of everything to cover your child's nutritional bases, then this meal would work just fine. However, if you're like me, then this meal fails to meet your minimum standards of quality.

Beef Meatloaf With Broccoli & Squash, 1 Jar - Retail Value $6.89

WHAT I LIKED: The beef tasted quite good in this meal, and its seasonings also made it more palatable, which is helpful for children who are picky with eating certain types of meat.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: If you've read each of the meal descriptions above, then there's really no point for me to continue on about the protein sources not being organic, grass-fed, etc. So, aside from that critique, I'd say that this meal contained slightly lower protein than it should have and its total carb content was also a bit low. Its macronutrient profile was as follows: 3.5g fat, 11g carbs, 8g protein.

Also, I have a feeling that most young children wouldn't be huge fans of the butternut squash and broccoli combo due to its bland taste. Additionally, I would like to see Nurture Life use a different type of cooking oil other than organic canola oil, such as avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, etc. Canola oil has a worse nutrient profile, and often undergoes extensive processes for its production, which risks contamination and nutrient removal.

Chicken Meatballs With Mini Pasta, 1 Jar - Retail Value $6.89

WHAT I LIKED: I liked how simple this meal was and definitely thought that it would be a hit among toddlers and young children. The chicken and pasta combination tasted great and the sizes of both the noodles and chicken chunks were small enough for younger children to eat without problems.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: There were no vegetables included with this meal and most of its nutrient profile was derived from using enriched pasta. I'm not a fan at all of meals that get most of their nutrient value from the enrichment process, and many of these nutrients are not provided in their optimal forms, such as folic acid.

Mac & Cheese With Peas, 1 Jar - Retail Value $6.89

WHAT I LIKED: Ok, so this was quite delicious and certainly one of the best tasting meals Nurture Life offers for its Finger Food options. If you're focussing on getting your child to actually eat, then this meal is sure to win them over.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: This meal contained 44g of carbs - for an adult, that may be ok, for a young child this is a bit too much for one portion (in most cases, especially children under 2). I also didn't like the use of non-organic gum blends, such as guar gum and locust bean gum, as they have a higher associated risk of contamination from processing. Also, similar to the previous meal, this meal also derives much of its nutritional value from the enrichment process and not from foods in their natural state.

Chicken Meatballs With Spiral Pasta & Veggies, 1 Meal - Retail Value $7.99

WHAT I LIKED: I ate this meal for lunch and thought the taste and ingredient combination were quite awesome. The sauce was just enough to flavor the dish without being overbearing and the chicken meatballs had a slight Italian zest to them. This actually happens to be one of the most popular meals among picky eaters from Nurture Life and I can certainly understand why. It had the following macronutrient profile: 8g fat, 32g carbs, 16g protein.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: I need to know exactly where my meat and dairy are sourced from and would not feel comfortable feeding my children foods with unknown sources and standards for care.

Chicken Bites With Super Veggies, 1 Meal - Retail Value $7.99

WHAT I LIKED: This meal probably had the highest amount of protein of all meals offered by Nurture Life, providing 22g of protein per serving. Its chicken bites had just the right amount of breading and the sweet potato mash was incredibly savory.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: You already know what I didn't like about the chicken, but I also was not a fan of the use of guar and locust bean gum. Whenever a meal includes stabilizers or thickeners, I prefer them to be organic or for a meal to not contain them at all. Also, nearly 25% of this meal's carbs were sugar, which is not ideal for children with blood sugar issues and I think it would have been best for Nurture Life to avoid the inclusion of maple syrup and cane sugar and rely upon the natural flavor of sweet potatoes.

Chicken Dumplings With Edamame, 1 Meal - Retail Value $7.99

WHAT I LIKED: I liked how this meal was different than most of the traditional offerings and provided an easy way to expand the palates of children who have more experience with solid foods. I also loved that this meal contained 19g of protein.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: There were a ton of additives in this meal to obtain the asian-style flavor and its fiber content seemed to be derived from mostly additives and not the natural food on its own.

Teriyaki Salmon With Rainbow Rice, 1 Meal - Retail Value $9.49

WHAT I LIKED: I loved the overall flavor and ingredient combination. I also liked that this meal contained 21g of protein and maintained a low sugar content despite its sweeter flavor.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: As yummy as this meal was, I don't know many kids who would actually pick this out as a meal of their choice. Additionally, although the salmon is ASC-certified, meaning it's met the highest aquaculture standard, I want to point out that its red color is not due to the natural coloring usually found in wild-caught salmon. Rather, it's from additives and coloring in what the fish are fed at farms. Typically, salmon obtain astaxanthin naturally in the wild through consuming krill or shrimp. As such, I would never feed my kids any form of seafood that is not wild-caught.

Chocolate Chip Mighty Bites, 10 Bites - Retail Value $7.99

WHAT I LIKED: I appreciate Nurture Life's attempt at making a low sugar dessert/snack for children to enjoy, as many similar products have 2-3 times the amount that this meal had. Overall, I thought this was a solid swap for a typical sugar and trans-fat-filled dessert, but I think this meal would be more of a hit among adults compared to children.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: I think it would have been best for Nurture Life to portion this type of meal off into smaller packs, as the whole container includes 10 bites which have a total of 35g of sugar. This amount of sugar is way too high for a child to consume in one sitting and I know that most kids would eat all of these at once - I totally did, myself! I also think most kids would notice that it tastes blander than what they're used to, and they would prefer something like ice cream or a cookie instead.

My Verdict – Is Nurture Life Worth It?

Families on-the-go who are concerned about their children eating somewhat decent foods compared to the typical junk that's offered at fast-food restaurants would certainly benefit from using Nurture Life, as most of its meals are very well balanced and contain a decent nutritional profile at an incredibly affordable price. If you're not concerned with consuming only organic ingredients or meat and fish that are grass-fed or wild-caught, then Nurture Life would be a great option for your kids to try out.

However, if you prefer that your children only eat foods that meet the strictest quality standards possible and are sourced in the most ethical and sustainable way possible, then I would suggest trying out another kids' meal subscription box.

Keep track of your subscriptions by adding this box to your subscription list or wishlist!


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Nurture Life provides busy parents with delicious, nutritious, ready-to-eat meals for babies, toddlers and kids. For too long parents have had to rely on premade kids meals that lack the freshness, nutrition and variety their kids need. We created Nurture Life to give parents a stress-free soluti... read more.

Kat Giuffrida
Kat Giuffrida

Hi, I'm Kat - a former TYR Pro qualifier in women's swimming turned Masters swimmer and SAHM.

I absolutely love sharing about brands that maximize athletic performance and make life easier as a mom on the go. If I'm not baby-wrangling or typing up a storm, you can usually find me training in the pool, lifting weights, or chugging an extra large coffee.

I've contributed to over 200 articles on My Subscription Addiction including best-of lists, recurring reviews, and informational guides. I also work behind the scenes at SUCCESS.com as Associate Editor contributing to digital publications on personal and professional development.

Want to get in touch? Contact me at [email protected], or connect with me on social media.


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16 comments

Vivian L

Shocking how many commenters missed the mark here. Nurture Life’s website clearly states every ingredient they use is organic, which is clearly not the case here. Red flag. Organic food usually is not much more expensive that regular, just the conception. I actually very much appreciate this being touched on by Kat. I would not feed my kids something that is not organic either. There is a big difference whether you like it or not! And as far as Kat being the one to review the food….a big part of me tells me that if her kids were the one to review this, you all would STILL find something to be mad about!
Great review Kat.

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Erinn

I looked at the site too and it says things like “wholesome” and “nutritious” and mentions organic but I don’t think it indicates that being organic is it’s *thing*. If it were, they’d be blasting it all over the place. I think its *thing* is convenience.

Here’s what it says: “Select from a menu of delicious, nutritionally balanced meals made with real, clean ingredients like organic veggies & antibiotic-free proteins.” It says LIKE organic veggies and antibiotic-free meats. To me, that doesn’t sound like a promise of exclusively organic, etc, food, and “clean” can mean anything, really.

All this to say that it doesn’t seem very fair to hold a product to a standard that it never made a claim to. People interested in this are probably extremely busy parents who just want to know if actual toddlers, who are notoriously picky and fickle when it comes to food, will actually eat it and if it’s worth the money. (I’m a parent of a toddler and that’s what I’d like to know.) Seems to me that the price tag is very high for what it is but this review didn’t sway me one way or the other. I don’t want to be negative, and I think there is a lot of unwarranted negativity on MSA, but I think it’s fair to say that this review simply wasn’t very helpful This product is clearly not a good fit for this reviewer, who has certain high standards when it comes to food, so why not find someone it is a good fit for?

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Marie

Maybe I read their page on, but I’m not seeing the promise of organic meat…just antibiotic-free.

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Mackenzie

I just took another look at the website. Unless there’s a page I am not able to see, I disagree with the claim that they state every ingredient they use is organic. They claim to use “organic veggies & antibiotic-free proteins” and on the photos of the food they distinguish ingredients like “organic grapes” and “antibiotic free chicken.” They do say they use “real, organic ingredients,” but since every meal is supposed to have vegetables then every meal should have organic ingredients in it. I could see the argument that this is misleading and would lead one to potentially think that all ingredients were organic, but it definitely isn’t a clear statement by the brand. They also don’t make any mention of using meat only grown in humane environments, so while I can definitely understand someone preferring that I don’t think that should be something the brand is faulted for if they didn’t claim to offer it to begin with.

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Angela W

Hi Mackenzie, on the brand’s nutrition page under
“Our meal Philosophy” the 4th philosophy is “Real Organic Ingredients”
If I was a buyer, this would tell me that everything they are feeding my child is organic. This is a clear statement, stating that organic foods is their philosophy. Thankful for people that bring information like this to light, as I’m sure most buyers would trust them just from reading that.

Mackenzie

Hi Vivian,
I think that’s part of my confusion- it’s not clear just from the review that Nurture Life promises to use only organic ingredients. If that’s the case than it’s an absolutely valid criticism, but I wish that was more prominent in the intro to the review so we would have a better understanding of why that was a frequent complaint.

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Angela

Agree with you Vivian. Glad to see one note of positivity. These comment sections always shock me, I’d be interested to know if they even have children! She references her children several times in the post as – “my children”. Along with very useful knowledge, myself being a mother – I appreciated this post.

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Kristin

She doesn’t have kids or if she does doesn’t mention them in her bio. There are lots of reviewers on here with kids that could have reviewed this box.

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Tracy

As others have said, the reviewer seems a bizarre match for this box. I appreciate that people prioritize different things but mentioning once in the wrapup that these are not all organic meats, sustainability sourced, etc. would have sufficed.

And truly, who cares if an adult likes baby/child food? What a weird review.

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Carey

Wow. After reading this “review” I’m either guilted about not using all organic, farm raised etc… foods OR this the reviewer lives in an entirely different world than I do.

I can appreciate wanting the absolute best food for your kids, but the review isn’t telling me what I want to know about kids liking the food and that it’s not full of garbage. I want the food to be comparable to what i would serve, not some hard to hit “ideal”.
If I followed this mantra that the reviewer stated again and again, kids wouldnt ever get a happy meal! ( I TOTALLY am not saying feed your kids nothing but happy meals LOL) Food should be healthy, yummy and most of all the kids have to EAT it. I wonder if the reviewer has ever had to deal with a kid that refuses to eat anything other than pizza for a month or one that won’t eat anything but hot dogs. LOL Kids are fickle and the trick is getting somethig healty into them.
Just MY preachy thoughts.

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rayray

Amen! 🙌 ugh, I have a toddler and food is such a battle. I am so confused by the review- does the reviewer have children? It feels really out of touch from the average parent.

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Mackenzie

Hi Kat,
I’m a little confused why you’re reviewing a kids food subscription box you wouldn’t actually feed your kids. Does the Nurture Life website claim to offer certified organic/humanely raised proteins and then they didn’t deliver on that claim? I don’t feel like this review was designed to actually help the average parent decide if this is a good fit for them- I agree with Gabbi that only eating organic meat, dairy, and produce is a luxury most families cannot actually afford. I’m sure there was no bad intent on your part, so I am just a little baffled on how this review turned into you on a soapbox rather then an honest assessment of if they met their claim of delivering nutritionally balanced meals that taste good.

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Gabbi

Why is an adult reviewing food in a kids subscription meal box? It’s great that she can be so discerning over the sources of her meat, dairy, and basically everything (a luxury not everyone has), but her opinion isn’t the one I want when I’m looking to see if KIDS would like the food in a box.

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Marie

This also made me laugh. An adult that seems to not have any children (profile just mentions husband) reviewing a kid’s meal subscription. That’s great that you liked it, but you’re not the consumer this box has in mind.

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Kate

I completely agree. The comment on how she would not allow her kids to eat non organic meat and dairy comes off as condescending and a real turnoff when reading.

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Snow

I agree. There is no way a child can ONLY eat organic, pasture-raised meat and dairy products. What about friends’ houses? School lunches? Birthday parties? Grandma’s house…