A Hiya Review From 3 Dietitian Moms (2024 Update)

As a team of registered dietitians that is also a team of moms, we have strong opinions and preferences when it comes to any supplements that we take and the ones we give to our kids. We have vetted and tried the full line of Hiya vitamins with our kids for over a year and have been pleased with the nutrient quality. Our kids have also been pleased with the taste, which is essential if you want your kids to take vitamins.

We published our first Hiya vitamins review in October of 2023 and recently updated it again with another six months’ worth of our experiences. As parents, we know you have a lot of decisions to make, so we added some quick facts, a list of pros and cons, and our thoughts on Hiya’s newest offering: a kids daily iron supplement.

Jessie’s three kids, one of Jess’ girls, and Ana’s four boys take the multivitamin every day or very often. Jessie’s and Ana’s kids also take the Hiya probiotic pretty consistently. Two of Jessie’s kids take sleep support a few times a week, and one of Jess’ teens takes the Iron+ daily. Jessie also recommended the probiotic and iron supplements for her sister’s two kids, and they now take those daily.

Our Verdict

If you’re searching for mom-approved,
dietitian-approved, and kid-approved children’s vitamins, we recommend Hiya. We’ve been buying them for a year now, and our kids love to take them consistently. We’ve tested them out with our own kids and reviewed the ingredients and amounts in detail, and we believe in the dosage and quality of these products formulated just for kids.

Pros and Cons

OK, we know that you’re strapped for time, and you have a ton of decisions to make. We provide a lot of detail in this review post, but we also paired it down to this quick chart of pros and cons in case you just have time to skim through it.

Pros	Cons
Our kids ask to take them because they taste good. Plus, they love that they each get their own colorful bottle	The cost can feel high ($1/day), especially if you have multiple kids that take them
The formulation is solid — our team of RDs approves of the ingredients and amounts in the multivitamin, probiotic, iron supplement, and sleep support tablets (an awesome melatonin-free option for kids)	The multivitamin contains just a little calcium and no iron, so if those are nutrients of concern for your kid, you may need to add a separate calcium supplement or add the Hiya Iron supplement to your order
As RDs, we know that the supplement market is flooded with gummy vitamins, especially for kids, so we love that these are not gummies and that they have zero sugars and nothing artificial
We can’t stand that so many vitamins come packaged in plastic! Instead, you store Hiya vitamins in a refillable glass container, and refills arrive in small eco-friendly pouches. It’s a minimal-waste product!
The products ship right to our doors and can be put on subscription so we never run out

Quick Facts

Who are Hiya vitamins for? Toddlers to teenagers can take Hiya kids vitamins. Hiya Health recommends one chewable vitamin per day for children 2 years and older. 

Which flavors do they come in? Each pack contains 30 small chewable tablets that come in three natural colors (pale pink from beetroot, pale yellow from turmeric, and pale green from spirulina). Our kids don’t notice a big difference in taste among the three, and they like them all – it’s really only the color that varies. 

What health benefits do they offer? The kids daily multivitamin provides nutrients connected to a wide range of health benefits for kids, from bone and muscle health to immunity, eyesight, and brain health. 

Hiya also offers a probiotic supplement tailored to support gut health and immunity in kids. And they have a new Iron supplement to support kids growth, oxygen flow, muscles, and brain function.

They offer a bedtime essentials sleep supplement, too, that contains natural ingredients known to support relaxation and calm in kids (we love that it’s a melatonin-free formula). 

Is Hiya FDA-approved? The FDA doesn’t approve supplements, so Hiya is not FDA approved. They are third-party tested, however, in a lab that checks for heavy metals, allergens, and pathogens. 

Where are Hiya vitamins made? Hiya vitamins are manufactured in the USA in a cGMP-compliant facility.

Can kids open the bottles themselves? The bottles are child proof, and you need to press down and turn to open them, similar to other vitamin bottles. Toddlers and little kids cannot open the bottles without an adult.

Why We Continue Using Hiya For Our Children

Some of our kids are fairly picky eaters who enjoy only a small group of consistent foods, while others are more adventurous and willingly eat almost anything we put in front of them. And most of them fall somewhere in between! Some days, they have big hunger and happily eat what they’re served, and on others, they turn their noses up at almost everything and inspect each bite for any teensy green offenders.

Each of our kids has food and flavor preferences, and a few of them try to avoid certain food allergens. We know this probably sounds consistent with most families out there. 

Even though we are RDs, we don’t find any shame in using a quality supplement to help give our kids some extra support in the nutrient department. 

We gravitate towards a few things with the Hiya supplements, in particular: their clean ingredient list (no sugars!), the quality of the formulation, and the format as tablets instead of gummies. We’ve tried many brands of supplements with our kids, and our experience is that our kids actually want to take the Hiya vitamins, whereas it was always a struggle to work other ones into our routines. 

A few main things we appreciate about Hiya:  

• There are no added sugars or artificial ingredients, such as artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners, in any of the Hiya products.
• The multivitamin has an organic fruit-and-vegetable blend plus 15 essential nutrients that support our kids’ wellness.
• Hiya’s products are formulated by a company that ONLY makes kids vitamins. Parents, pediatricians, registered dietitian nutritionists, and scientists were all consulted in the creation of these vitamins.

What Our Kids Think

They taste good! Our kids have one thing in mind when it comes to taking vitamins: Does it taste good?  

We’ve been giving our kids, who fall in the age range of 2 to 16, the Hiya vitamins for a year now. And even though this hardly ever happens, all of our kids give them their approval for taste. In fact, they often want to take more than just one! Not only that, but we find that they are actually excited to take these vitamins and ask for them every day. 

It doesn’t hurt that each kid gets their own bright yellow bottle of their own personal vitamins (kids love something that is their very own). They also loved using the stickers, which come in every first order, to add their names and decorations to the multivitamin bottles.

Among the 10 kids on our team who have tried Hiya vitamins, 8 of them take them every day or very often. Of the two who don’t take them when offered, one of them doesn’t like chewable vitamins and the other is a teenager who takes a different multivitamin.  

Does Your Child Actually Need To Take A Multivitamin?

The short answer is no, not all kids need to take a multivitamin. A few of our kids readily eat a variety of foods from a variety of food groups a few times each day. If your kids are like that, then they most likely do not need to supplement their diet with a multivitamin. 

But many of the kids of our team members are not big veggie lovers, and some of them are pretty picky, eating just a few foods consistently and not really getting a ton of variety. If your kids are more like that, then a multivitamin could be extra insurance that they’re getting all the nutrients kids need. 

The types of kids that would benefit from taking a multivitamin include: 

• Picky eaters who eat only a few foods and not very many fruits and vegetables
• Kids who don’t eat regular meals
• Kids who eat a lot of highly processed foods, which are low in vitamins and minerals, or get most of their calories from fast foods and sugary foods 
• Children with chronic medical conditions that affect nutrient absorption, such as asthma or digestive problems,
• Kids with severe neurodivergent conditions, such as autism, ADHD, or dyslexia 
• Kids who eat special diets, such as dairy free, vegetarian, vegan, and/or gluten free

Additionally, kids who have big inconsistencies in their food intake could benefit from taking a multivitamin. While it is normal for kids to eat a lot at one meal and a little at the next, only you, as a parent, would have that wide-lens view at your child’s food intake over a week’s time. 

Offering your kid a multivitamin can provide peace of mind that your child is getting all the essential vitamins and minerals that they need while also doing no harm. The human body is really good at excreting any excess water-soluble vitamins and minerals through urine and storing any excess fat-soluble vitamins in the liver for later use. In other words, feeding kids too much of an essential micronutrient is typically not an issue.

What’s In Hiya Vitamins? 

There are four different options in the Hiya vitamins lineup and we’ve tested all of them with our kids, with a high success rate of:

• Our kids actually taking them and reminding us when they need to
• Appropriate ingredient support for nearly all of our kids’ health needs

Hiya Kids Multivitamin

The Hiya kids multivitamin contains 15 essential vitamins and minerals and include the main nutrients that children ages 2 to 18 need. Here’s what kids get in each little chewable tablet:

Vitamin A	360 mcg from beta-carotene and retinol palmitate	Fat-soluble vitamin for immunity, eye health, and cell growth
Vitamin C	40 mg from calcium ascorbate and acerola fruit	Fat-soluble vitamin for immune function, as well as healthy bones, muscles, and skin
Vitamin D	25 mcg from vegan cholecalciferol	Fat-soluble vitamin for a strong immune system and bone health; this is more than the recommended daily dosage since vitamin D deficiency is the most common deficiency among kids, and especially among picky eaters
Vitamin E	3.5 mg of the D-Alpha Tocopherol form	Fat-soluble vitamin for eye health, heart health, and immune function
Thiamin (Vitamin B1)	0.5 mg from thiamin mononitrate and organic quinoa sprouts	Connected to kids’ brain health and better sleep
Riboflavin	0.6 mg from organic quinoa sprouts	For eye health, energy and metabolism, and cell growth
Folate (Vitamin B9)	200 mcg from organic quinoa sprouts and 5-methyltetrahydrofolic (5-MTHF)	For energy production and cell growth; the source is a more natural source of this vitamin than traditional folic acid
Vitamin B12	2 mcg from methylcobalamin and organic quinoa sprouts	Known to support sleep and is especially beneficial for kids on mostly plant-based diets; many children’s vitamins mistakenly leave out B12
Biotin (Vitamin B7)	25 mcg from organic quinoa sprouts	Essential B vitamin known to support cell growth and healthy skin
Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5)	2.5 mg from organic quinoa sprouts	For regulating kids’ mood, sleep, and focus; this B vitamin is often not included in children’s vitamins
Calcium	20 mg from calcium carbonate	For kids’ bone health and growth; studies show many kids don’t get enough
Iodine	50 mcg from potassium iodide	Essential mineral for thyroid function; often not in children’s vitamins
Zinc	3 mg from zinc citrate	Beneficial for wound healing (of cuts and scrapes on kids’ skin) and avoiding infection
Selenium	15 mcg from selenomethionine	Essential mineral for sleep, mood support, and regulating inflammation; most kids vitamins leave this essential mineral out
Manganese	1.5 mg from manganese citrate	Mineral to support metabolism and regulating inflammation
Vitamin K	8 mcg from menaquinone-7	For blood and bone health
Fruit and vegetable blend	This is included so Hiya Vitamins taste sweet without having added sugars or artificial sweeteners.	It also helps give the chewables three natural kid-friendly colors (from beetroot, turmeric root, and spirulina) instead of from artificial coloring.
Sweetener blend	In addition to the flavor achieved from the added fruit and veggie blend, Hiya vitamins do contain a natural sweetener blend made from mannitol and monk fruit extract.	Monk fruit is a tropical melon that is 100 times sweeter than sugar, so only a teensy amount is used. Mannitol is a sugar alcohol, also used in a teensy amount, and it’s found naturally in strawberries and pumpkins.

Hiya Kids Probiotic

The kids probiotic contains 10 billion CFU of a prebiotic and probiotic blend, and our kids love it the most. The safe and effective blend of probiotics and prebiotics evolves based on seasonality and the latest science, but it’s typically a mix of plant-based fiber and Lactobacillus and Bacillus strains, such as: 

• Lactobacillus rhamnosus
• Lactobacillus paracasei
• Bacillus lactis
• Larch Tree Fiber

Other ingredients that contribute to the natural color and flavor of the probiotic are xylitol, beet root, lemon juice powder, organic rice hull and rice bran extract, organic sunflower oil, and monk fruit extract.

Kids Bedtime Essentials 

Hiya also has a bedtime essentials supplement to support calm, relaxation, and stress relief in kids. We love that this product does not contain melatonin, which can have unwanted side effects and be very habit-forming for kids. Instead, it’s a more natural mix of nutrients and ingredients that are safe and can support better sleep, including:

• Vitamin B6
• Choline
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• L-theanine
• GABA
• Chamomile flower extract

Our only complaint about this all-natural kids’ sleep supplement is that the yellow color of the tablet (from turmeric root) tends to stain their toothbrushes yellow. 

We find that our kids have loved incorporating these Hiya nighttime chewables into their bedtime routine. In fact, among washing faces, brushing teeth, and using the potty, taking their Hiya Bedtime chewable is their favorite part of bedtime!

Hiya Kids Daily Iron+

A recent addition to Hiya’s offerings is their new chewable iron tablet for kids. We’re so excited about it because, as registered dietitians, we know that iron is the most common nutrient deficiency among kids. Low iron has been linked to issues with childhood growth, fatigue, fussiness, and limited diets, such as restricted food groups or vegetarian eating. 

The main ingredients in the daily iron supplement are: 

• Iron — the building block for hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen all around the body. This is essential for kids’ muscles and tissues to get the oxygen they need to grow. A 1-tablet serving contains 7 mg of iron, which is 100% of the recommended amount for kids 2-3 years old, and 39% of the recommended amount for kids 4 and older. Older kids and menstruating tweens and teens may want to consider taking 2 tablets a day.
• Vitamin C — this antioxidant vitamin helps kids’ bodies absorb iron more efficiently while simultaneously boosting their immune systems.

We love that the Hiya iron contains the carbonyl iron format or iron, making it gentle on kids’ stomachs. Other ingredients in the iron tablets are a mannitol and monk fruit sweetener blend, plant cellulose, coconut oil powder, beet root (for color), vegetable magnesium stearate, and citric acid.

Like all of the Hiya vitamins, the Iron+ is gluten-free, non-GMO, 100% plant-based (vegan), and sugar-free.

Here’s What’s Missing

We think Hiya’s multivitamin is a very well-rounded vitamin that contains nearly all of the micronutrients (the vitamins and minerals) kids need to stay healthy and thrive. The following are some exceptions to consider if your child has been told by a pediatrician that they need more of a certain nutrient. In that case, you could consider giving your child the Hiya Multivitamin, plus one of these additional single nutrients.

1. Low in calcium content: It should be noted that if calcium is a nutrient of concern for your child (for example, if they never drink milk or rarely eat other dairy foods), the Hiya multivitamin contains a lower amount of calcium. It contains only 20 mg of calcium, which is just 3% of the Daily Value for children 2-3 years old and <2% of the Daily Value for kids 4 and older. If your child doesn’t drink milk or regularly eat other calcium-rich foods, you may need to consider another calcium vitamin.
2. The multivitamin doesn’t contain iron: Iron supplementation can be advantageous and even critically necessary for some children. In fact, iron is the #1 mineral deficiency in kids, and its common during puberty and in kids with plant-based or other restricted diets. The Hiya multivitamin doesn’t contain iron, but Hiya has a really good Kid’s Daily Iron option that iron-deficient kids can take in tandem with the multivitamin. 
3. Doesn’t contain omega-3s: The focus on omega-3 fatty acid intake for overall well-being has been mostly centered around benefits for adults. However, children need omega-3s, too, for healthy growth, development, and brain function. Foods naturally rich in omega-3s are fatty fish (such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines), flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and pasture-raised eggs. There is currently no recommended Daily Value (DV) for omega-3s, but there might be someday as more research displays the importance of this type of fat. Some evidence suggests that omega-3s may be beneficial for mitigating ADHD, avoiding allergies, and improving kids’ sleep and school performance.

Pricing + How The Subscription Model Works

Hiya kids multivitamins, iron tablets, and probiotics each cost $30/month or $1/day, if your kids take them daily. The Hiya sleep supplement costs just a bit more at $35/month or $1.17/day. Here’s how that compares to other leading brands:

Brand	Daily Dose	Refillable?	Price
Hiya Kids	1 chewable tablet	Yes	$0.50/dose for the 1st month, then $1/dose
Olly Kids	2 gummies	No	$0.45/dose
Smartypants Kids	4 gummies	No	$0.90/dose
First Day Kids	2 gummies	No	$1.20/dose

The vitamins get shipped right to your door. When you create an account at Hiyahealth.com, you can select if you would like to get a monthly shipment of the multivitamin, probiotic, iron supplement, sleep support, or all four. You also select how many kids are in your household (from 1 to 5) who would each need their own monthly refill.

The original shipment contains your starter kit, which includes the first month’s worth of vitamins (30 chewables) and a refillable glass container. You also get two pages of stickers so each child can personalize their vitamin container (we love this cute feature, and our kids do, too!). The auto shipment of 30 refill vitamins arrives in a small non-plastic pouch once per month. 

Shipping is always free, and the terms are great! You can pause or cancel any time. 

• 1st order: Refillable glass container with stickers and 1 month’s supply (30 chewable vitamins)
• Monthly subscription thereafter: 1 month’s refill pouch of kids multivitamins (30 chewable vitamins)

We Love Hiya’s Inspiring Founder Story

We think it’s so cool that Hiya was created in 2020 by two dads, Darren Litt and Adam Gillman. They were concerned with all the sugar in common children’s vitamins — in some cases, as much as an Oreo cookie!

As both dietitians and moms, we appreciate that they were thoughtful and thorough when creating these kid-specific products, spending three years consulting parents and top pediatricians, dietitian nutritionists, and scientists before Hiya came to life.

Comparing Hiya To The Competition

Multivitamin options that are tailored just for kids have come a long way since the Flinstone’s vitamins of our own youth. Still, so many of them contain ingredients that could be better or just don’t need to be there in the first place. Here’s an at-a-glance look at how Hiya’s kids vitamins differ from most popular children’s vitamins today.

Most Kids Vitamins	Hiya Vitamins
1-5 grams added sugars	0 g added sugars
Gummies and sugary powders	Chewables
Contain 10-15 essential nutrients	Contain 15 essential nutrients
Artificial dyes	Natural vegetable dyes
Multiple servings/day	1 daily vitamin
Fillers and preservatives added	12 organic fruit-and-vegetable blend
Flavoring added	Natural fruit flavors
Packaged in plastic	Packaged in reusable glass bottles
$0.45 to $1.20 per dose	$1.00 per dose

Is Hiya Worth It?

Short answer: Yes. Not only are they worth it, but we often recommend them to friends and family. The Hiya vitamins cost $30 per month, which comes out to $1 for each daily vitamin, and we think that’s a fair price to pay for a great product and quality nutrients, as well as peace of mind that your kids are filling any nutritional gaps to help them grow properly. 

While this price isn’t the cheapest kids’ vitamin out there, it’s not the most expensive, either. We find that the price is on par with any other high-quality children’s vitamin. Plus, when you factor in that you get a free refillable bottle, shipping is always free, and the product is shipped directly to your door, then the value you get only increases more. We love the convenience of having our Hiya vitamins on subscription, so we don’t run out and don’t need to worry about getting more (one less thing on our massive lists of to-dos!) 

All of our RDs agree that Hiya vitamins are a high-quality, well-rounded option for a kids’ multivitamin, probiotic, iron, and sleep supplement that we personally choose to support our own children’s health.

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