I tried Little Spoon’s pre-made meals with my picky toddler — Here’s the scoop

My toddler now eats better than me. Let me tell you why.

The days of jarred yellow mush and plastic pouches of puree may be sailing away. We’ve entered a new age of children’s cuisine — where fresh, nutritious, exquisitely crafted meals can be delivered to your doorstep in no time. No preparation required.

Among the companies offering their services is Little Spoon, a New York City-based startup, which one of my mom-friends described as a “Michelin-level dining experience” for little ones. 

The founders of Little Spoon came together with a desire to make an option that was up to snuff for picky eaters and their picky parents.

“At Little Spoon, we are passionate about creating products that meet the unique needs of modern, well-researched parents who do not make compromises when it comes to feeding their children,” explained Angela Vranich, co-founder and chief product officer of Little Spoon.

Since its launch in 2017, the brand has built a cult-like following on social media, even receiving backing from celebrities like Ashley Tisdale and Melissa Joan Hart. In February 2024, Little Spoon became the first U.S. baby food brand to adopt EU-aligned safety standards for its Babyblends.

I had to find out — was Little Spoon a little overrated or well worth the hype?

What is Little Spoon?

Little Spoon is a children’s food brand that offers a range of direct-to-consumer meals, snacks, and smoothies designed for kids of all ages, from infants just beginning solids to big kids.

The company works with a team of experts who specialize in nutrition, feeding, and motor development to curate meals that meet children exactly where they are in their development.

All ingredients are organic, sourced from farms that meet Little Spoon’s high standards, and free of unnecessary additives like synthetic colors and high fructose corn syrup. Little Spoon’s Babyblends are also rigorously tested for heavy metals and other contaminants.

As far as the menu goes, Little Spoon offers everything from tasty snacks to baby cereal, sugar-free pouches filled with hidden superfoods, heat-and-eat meal plates, and on-the-go lunches that are ready to take to school.

Little Spoon Prices

Little Spoon offers a selection of meals tailored to different age groups — each with its own price range. Find popular selections below:

• Babyblends (organic baby food): Start at $3.32 per blend for 42 blends per delivery.
• Biteables (early finger foods): Start at $6.49 per meal for 12 meals per week.
• Plates (toddler and kids’ meals): Start at $6.49 per meal for 12 meals per week.
• Lunchers (big kid meals): Start at $7.92 per meal for 14 meals a week.
• Smoothies (all ages): Start at $2.82 per smoothie for 18 per week.

The subscription service is simple. Following the first order, all future deliveries are scheduled to ship every two weeks. Customers can also skip, cancel, and edit menu plans at any time. Larger bundles offer the best meal discounts. A standard shipping fee of $10 is applied to all orders.

Our Little Spoon Review

Like many toddlers, my daughter’s food preferences are a bit, well, let’s just say, finicky. Sometimes, it feels like 90% of her meal ends up on the floor, quickly swept up by our very happily overweight dog. Unless, of course, it’s butter noodles. Then, they’re gone in an instant.

Essentially, getting her to eat anything green or slightly textured usually ends with a tear-filled tantrum. When I put in my order from Little Spoon, I was skeptical, especially because it’s healthy food. Which, in our experience, has been immediate no, no — especially when I attempt to make something from scratch.

Ordering from Little Spoon is exceptionally easy, even for this sleep-deprived parent who can barely remember her own address. From the website, customers will be able to enter their child’s age and are immediately provided with menu options tailored to their nutritional needs. It’s easy to filter for gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free items. Plus, certain meals are even flagged with picky-eater approval, which makes it easy to find what works for your needs.

We tested a hodgepodge of favorites — from Turkey Kale Meatballs to Rosemary Chicken, Spinach and Cheese Ravioli, Pizzalicious Veggie Loops, a Golden Apple Pie Smoothie, Sweet Potato Puree, a Strawberry Smash Fruit Rippers for dessert, and much more.

The names alone sounded indulgent enough to make me want to break my own New Year’s resolutions (and, considering many of them are packed with superfoods, I probably could).

Presentation

The order arrived promptly, about a few days after it was placed. First impressions are everything for a toddler, and mine quickly gave her stamp of approval, picking up every brightly-colored plate and pouch and releasing a joyful squeal and “Wow!” at each.

I was equally impressed. Each package was clearly labeled, and the heat-and-eat meals arrived completely frozen — which is key, especially with children. When food thaws, it’s easier for bacteria, yeast, and mold to grow. Contaminated food could cause foodborne illnesses, per guidance from the Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Moreover, all the insulation and ice packs in the package were entirely recyclable, reducing the environmental footprint as well. I’ve been burned in the past with half-melted delivery services and spilled Doordash orders, but this felt like White Glove delivery.

Preparation

I’m always slightly concerned with the packaging used for baby food. But, to my relief, I quickly discovered that Little Spoon uses all BPA, BPS, and Phthalate-free packaging. Plus, everything comes ready to eat, which means fewer dishes.

Preparing frozen meals is simple: Remove the sleeve and pop the sealed trays and bowls into the microwave for a little over a minute (my dinosaur of a microwave needed a little longer). Popping noises are expected. After removing the dish from the microwave, the meals need about two minutes to rest. As always, check the temperature before feeding.

The trays are divided so food groups don’t touch, which is worth mentioning for kids who are squeamish about crossover. In my case, my daughter typically doesn’t touch much of anything, so it doesn’t really matter. Either way, I thought everything looked rather decadent. The plates are vacuum-sealed, so you get a little preview of what you’re getting.

Note: Frozen meals can be refrigerated for up to seven days or frozen for up to two months.

Taste Test

The moment of truth. After many desperate months of mixing spinach and carrots into pasta sauces and unsuccessfully drenching chicken in delicious and creamy glazes, I let my daughter try Little Spoon.

Figuring the small stuff might be less intimidating, we started with a smoothie — the Green Dream — a simple three-ingredient mix of kiwi, kale, and chia seeds. She’s usually interested in anything remotely squeezable, and the pouch fit right in her hand, so I figured it would be the safest bet.

Safe, it was. Within seconds, she was slurping it down. Silent. Eyes closed. Without pause. For a minute, I wondered where my daughter had gone and what starving child had replaced her. I watched in awe with no care for the fact that it was getting all over her face, hands, and clothing. It was a miracle.

After her appetizer, we (and I say we because I had to help) tested out a couple of other meals — like the Spinach and Cheese Ravioli, which is stuffed with fresh spinach and creamy ricotta, and topped with Little Spoon’s signature hidden tomato sauce. It’s oozing with rich flavors, aromatic, and just a touch sweet. I’d never know the difference if you told me it came from an upscale Italian restaurant. We devoured it.

My daughter’s list of favorites has continued to expand as we rip through the order — from the Rosemary Chicken with sundried tomato orzo to the crunchy organic Apple Kale Curl Puffs (which are teething-friendly and better than potato chips, in my opinion).

Between the diverse variety of menu choices — and balance of smells, seasoning, and consistency — there is something for everyone, even toddlers with the pickiest of palettes.

The Final Verdict

I haven’t tried many other baby food delivery services, but I can’t imagine it getting much better than this. Of course, there were a couple of passes — she wasn’t so enthusiastic about the broccoli bites, and the turkey meatballs needed a little ketchup assist – but I would say about 90% of the Little Spoon meals were met with delight, which means we practically reversed her previous odds of her finishing a meal.

These mini, chef-curated meals didn’t just pass the toddler test, but they passed mine, too. In fact, I’ve tried Hello Fresh before, and I’d argue these taste even fresher.

More importantly, using Little Spoon provided me peace of mind. As a parent, we want the best for our kids, especially when it comes to the quality of the meals we feed them. Considering that Little Spoon offers recipes evaluated by nutritionists and child development experts, I knew my daughter was getting everything she needed.

Plus, the meals were ready to eat, and the portions were just right, which also meant we minimized loads of food waste that would regularly go down the drain. Over the week of testing, I probably saved about four hours of cooking and cleaning, which is a game-changer in itself.

While Little Spoon is a bit pricier than those pale goos you’ll find in a typical grocery store, I argue that it’s well worth the price — especially with an exclusive offer for 25% off your first order with code ‘SPOON25’.

How We Tested

In order to review Little Spoon, we evaluated the meal delivery service on a few factors: taste, nutrition, convenience, variety, and overall value. Each factor played a key role in determining whether Little Spoon was worth the cost for parents.

• Taste: The ultimate test we put Little Spoon through was the taste test. We had a toddler freely explore the menu variety, and watched for her live reactions as well as how much of the meal was finished. For added precaution, adults taste-tested as well.
• Nutrition: Considering that Little Spoon advertises its menu as fresh, high-quality, and junk-free, we evaluated ingredients and considered the nutritional balance in every recipe, as well as the absence of unwanted artificial additives.
• Convenience: Convenience was a major factor in our review of Little Spoon, so we made notes about the ordering and delivery process, tested to see just how “ready-to-eat” each meal was, timed how long it took to prepare, and whether any additional clean up was necessary.
• Variety: Kids are hard to please, and providing a variety is essential. We reviewed the diversity of Little Spoon’s menu offerings and made note of the different dietary restriction-friendly foods.
• Overall value: The overall value always depends on an individual’s budget, nutritional needs, and daily routines. For this review, we considered the ease of ordering and delivery, cost versus food quality, and the amount of time saved by using the service as the main factors for helping parents make an informed choice.

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Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

This article was written by Miska Salemann, New York Post Commerce Journalist. As a Gen Z first-time mother of one, Miska tests baby, maternity and postpartum products ranging from stylish new kids clothes to long-trusted diaper brands with her daughter. She evaluates baby- and mom-approved products for practicality and quality, and consults medical and parenting experts to weigh in on safe ingredients, usage and more. Before arriving at the Post, she covered the lifestyle and consumer verticals for the U.S. Sun.

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