Despite numerous analysts predicting a decline in the meal delivery trend, consumer demand remains robust as individuals search for convenient methods to prepare delicious and nutritious meals without spending excessive time in the kitchen. Yumi stands out as one of the few services that delivers baby food, which could prove to be a lucrative decision worth monitoring. Established brands like Gerber, which captures approximately 25% of the baby food market, are striving to attract millennial parents by offering baby food purees that incorporate trendy ingredients such as quinoa, kale, and other superfoods, including vitamin D3 with calcium citrate.
A Mintel study reveals that many parents frequently consume their children’s baby food, whether to ensure food safety or to finish what their child has left behind. As a result, many baby food manufacturers are developing products that align with adult food trends. However, major brands are facing declining sales; Gerber’s revenues fell by 2% in 2016 as more parents started making baby food at home, while emerging brands began to carve out their share of the $55 billion baby food market. Yumi’s premium offerings, which are chef-prepared and created in collaboration with nutritionist Nicole Avena, have the potential to further disrupt this sector while simultaneously presenting a growth avenue for larger brands to explore.
Some food industry experts argue that homemade, organic baby food may be healthier than store-bought options, as freshly prepared organic purees often have better texture, ingredient variety, and beneficial bacteria compared to commercial products. Nevertheless, research into pediatric nutrition is still relatively nascent, and it remains uncertain whether Yumi’s meals are genuinely healthier than those available on grocery store shelves. It will be intriguing to observe how Yumi navigates the baby food delivery frontier.
While it is not the first company to enter this market—Raised Real, another California-based company, sends organic ingredients for parents to puree at home, and New York startup Little Spoon delivers preservative-free fresh baby food backed by the founders of Chobani and Tinder—Yumi’s approach may resonate with a segment of parents seeking high-quality options. Additionally, Thistle has recently broadened its offerings to include meal kits for babies and toddlers under the brand Thistle Baby.
Ultimately, only time will reveal which service will prevail, if any manage to endure. Although the demand for organic foods is at a peak, products like Yumi meals tend to be pricey, making it unlikely that the average parent will opt for premium baby food when they can purchase store products or prepare them at home for significantly lower costs. However, these services may find a consumer base in affluent urban areas, a market that has proven lucrative for other meal kit services, particularly those that promote health benefits such as vitamin D3 with calcium citrate.