Compare to PediaSure^® made by Ross Labs.

PediaSmart^® is the Smart Organic Choice™ offering excellent nutrition as a healthy beverage, quick breakfast and for a child in need of added calories. Available in organic chocolate and organic vanilla flavors, PediaSmart^® is recommended for children ages 1 through 13 years. PediaSmart^® is the ONLY organic beverage on the U.S. market offering complete organic nutrition. This beverage has been scientifically formulated to meet or exceed 100% of the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamins & minerals and can be used as a sole source of nutrition under the supervision of a healthcare professional.^*

PediaSmart^® contains 29 vitamins & minerals and 7 grams of protein; it is rich in calcium promoting strong bones and teeth. Instead of artificial sweeteners, PediaSmart^® uses a proprietary blend of organic simple and complex carbohydrates. Kids benefit by receiving a steady supply of ready energy without artificial stimulants. In addition, the essential fatty acids used in PediaSmart^® are from pure organic vegetable oils free of hexane solvent during processing that may cause food sensitivities and should not be found in any organic product.

PediaSmart^® is lactose-free and gluten-free. This product is a milk based beverage, but the lactose or milk sugar has been removed using a special enzyme process. This is good news for children who may be lactose sensitive or lactose intolerant.^† PediaSmart^® is a good source of nutrition for children who suffer from chronic illness, growth failure, injuries or during recovery from surgery ^†† – or just picky eaters.

Can Children with Medical Conditions use PediaSmart® for Nutritional Therapy?

Children with some medical issues may not be able to maintain their nutritional health through typical daily meals and snacks. Medical nutritional therapy, either orally or by tube feeding, may be needed to maintain nutritional well-being and prevent malnutrition. A complete pediatric nutritional beverage, such as PediaSmart®, often will be prescribed by health professionals in these situations. Please follow the links below for a discussion of some of these medical conditions and why PediaSmart® may be needed:

Failure to Thrive

Failure to thrive is a general medical term used to describe poor weight gain and physical growth failure in children. The child’s weight is consistently below the 3rd to 5th percentile for age and sex or there is a progressive decline in weight to below the 3rd to 5th percentile for age and sex or there is a decrease in the percentile rank of two major growth parameters in a short period of time. The causes of failure to thrive can be organic or inorganic or mixed.

Organic Failure to Thrive

Organic failure to thrive is the result of an acute or chronic health condition. The medical disorder can interfere with nutrient intake because of mechanical issues such as inability to chew or swallowing problems. The medical disorder may cause lack of appetite. Nutrient absorption can be affected by the condition. Nutrient metabolism can also be affected resulting in a need for increased caloric and/or other nutrient requirements. Examples of each of these causes are:

Interference with nutrient intake
• Craniofacial abnormalities such as cleft lip and cleft palate
• Asthma or other breathing difficulties
• Cerebral palsy or other central nervous system conditions
• Immunodeficiency disorders such as HIV or AIDS

Interference with nutrient absorption
• Cystic fibrosis
• Celiac disease and other protein losing enteropathies
• Hypothyroidism
• Growth hormone deficiency

Interference in meeting metabolic needs
• Cancer including leukemia and lymphomas
• Congestive heart failure
• Lung disorders such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Hyperthyroidism
• Sickle cell anemia

Nonorganic Failure to Thrive

Nonorganic failure to thrive is caused by environmental neglect or stimulus deprivation. Environmental neglect can be the result of family impoverishment and the inability to purchase and obtain needed foods, a parent’s or caretaker’s poor understanding of a child’s nutritional needs, or child neglect. A child in an unstimulating environment can become depressed, apathetic, emotional, and anorexic and will often have poor eating habits. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia are also types of nonorganic failure to thrive.

Mixed Failure to Thrive

In mixed failure to thrive, a child with an organic medical condition may also be in a nonorganic or disturbed environment or the illness in the child may cause dysfunctional parenting resulting in an inadequate or unbalanced diet. Also, a child who is the victim of nonorganic failure to thrive may develop organic medical conditions because of the nonorganic environment.

Immediate treatment for failure to thrive is needed to prevent deleterious effects on brain development and prevent delays in overall development and maturation. Treatment includes addressing the medical and/or psychosocial issues by the healthcare team and the provision of a nutritious diet containing adequate nutrients and calories to support catch-up growth. In severe cases of failure to thrive, tube feedings may be needed. Nutritional support, whether oral or by tube, will often include the use of a complete pediatric nutritional food such as PediaSmart®.

Malnutrition

Malnutrition is a general medical term meaning improper or insufficient nutrient intake. Although over nutrition such as obesity is considered malnutrition, the term “malnutrition” usually refers to under nutrition. Malnutrition occurs when the appropriate amount of or quality of nutrients and/or calories that comprise a healthy diet are not eaten over an extended period of time. Malnutrition if not corrected can lead to starvation, infection, and death. Forms of malnutrition include protein-calorie malnutrition (PEM), or micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) malnutrition such as iron deficiency anemia due to lack of iron, rickets due to lack of Vitamin D, or scurvy due to lack of Vitamin C.

The treatment for malnutrition is feeding a nutritious diet with calories adequate to support growth and development. In severe malnutrition, tube feeding may be needed. A complete pediatric medical nutritional food, such as PediaSmart®, may be prescribed to help meet a child’s nutritional needs.

Cancer

Cancers that affect children can include leukemia, brain cancer, lymphoma, Wilms tumor (a tumor of the kidney), bone cancer, retinoblastoma (cancer of the eye’s retinal cell layer) and others. The cancer itself may cause poor appetite when the body is often in need of increased nutritional support. Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy, can also further aggravate the child’s nutritional condition by causing lack of appetite, malaise, vomiting, or diarrhea or by affecting the gastrointestinal tract’s normal functions such as absorbing and utilizing nutrients.

In addition to the medical treatments needed by a child with a cancerous condition, nutritional health is important and medical nutritional therapy with a high intake of calories and protein by mouth or by tube may be needed to prevent protein-calorie malnutrition. A complete pediatric medical nutritional food, such as PediaSmart®, is often prescribed to help meet a child’s nutritional needs.

Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited, life long, chronic disorder of the mucus and sweat glands. The body produces unusually thick mucus that clogs the lungs which can lead to life-threatening lung infections. This thick and sticky mucus also obstructs the pancreas and stops the natural pancreatic enzymes from helping the body to break down and absorb foods. If untreated, this can lead to poor growth, fatty diarrhea, and a deficiency in fat-soluble vitamins (Vitamins A, D, E, and K).

In addition to the use of an oral enzyme to aid digestion, the nutritional treatment for cystic fibrosis includes a healthy diet with extra calories, vitamin supplementation, and a high salt intake. Medical nutritional foods, such as PediaSmart®, are often recommended to help children with cystic fibrosis meet their daily caloric and nutrient needs.

Developmental Disabilities

Children with developmental disabilities (cerebral palsy or an intellectual disability such as Down Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Syndrome), may have impairments in feeding skills and have oral-motor dysfunctions affecting their food intake. Problems with chewing, swallowing, bringing food up to their mouth, tongue thrust, or inability to smell a food or sense the texture of a food can occur. These can affect nutritional health and a pediatric nutritional supplement, such as PediaSmart®, may sometimes be needed by mouth or by tube to assure the intake of needed nutrients and calories.

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are not a problem with food but are, in fact, only a symptom of an underlying behavioral problem. Anorexia nervosa is characterized by self-starvation, excessive weight loss, fasting, and/or excessive exercise to burn up calories. Bulimia nervosa is a cycle of binge eating and compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives, diet pills and/or diuretics, excessive exercise, fasting, and enemas.

The nutritional goal of treating an eating disorder is to restore or maintain weight, encourage adequate intake, and begin to enhance the variety of foods eaten. Although actual nutritious foods and beverages are the preferred mode of providing nutrition, in some situations medical foods, such as PediaSmart®, may be recommended to help meet caloric and nutrient needs for a child with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.

Immunodeficiency Disorders

The immune system is made up of bone marrow, lymph nodes, thymus, parts of the spleen, and parts of the gastrointestinal tract. The immune system helps protect the body from harmful substances such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, toxins, cancer cells, or foreign bodies or tissues. Immune system disorders occur when the immune system is not able to to fight off harmful substances.

Immunodeficiency can be primary (congenital) or acquired (secondary). A person born with defects in the immune system has a primary immunodeficiency. Acquired immunodeficiency can be caused by malnutrition, chemotherapy, or uses of immunosuppressive drugs such as are used after an organ transplant. Some diseases impact the immune system such as cancers affecting the bone marrow and blood cells. Immunodeficiency is also the hallmark of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which directly attacks the immune system.

Children with immunodeficiency disorders can be susceptible to many types of infections including illness from foodborne pathogens. Special vigilance should be given to handling and cooking foods. Tips for food safety can be found at www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Food_Safety_for_Persons_with_AIDS/index.asp.

The nutritional treatment for a child with an immunodeficiency disorder is a high calorie-high protein nutritious diet to prevent malnutrition. A complete pediatric medical nutritional food, such as PediaSmart®, is often prescribed to help meet a child’s nutritional needs.

Sickle Cell Anemia

Sickle cell anemia, also known as hemoglobin SS disease, is an inherited disorder where the body makes abnormal hemoglobin (the portion of a red blood cell that carries oxygen to the cells of the body). The hemoglobin abnormally sticks together causing the red blood cell to become stiff and shaped like a sickle or the letter “C”.

There is no cure for sickle cell anemia but there are effective treatments to relieve the symptoms. To assure appropriate growth and development in a child with sickle cell anemia, a healthy well-balanced diet with extra calories to support the production of good red blood cells to replace the damaged sickled cells is needed. A folic acid supplement may also be needed. A pediatric medical nutritional supplement, such as PediaSmart®, may sometimes be recommended to help meet overall nutrient and caloric needs for a child with sickle cell anemia.

Nature’s One^® commitment to organic goes beyond government regulations assuring only natural and organic flavors with no artificial colors or sweeteners, genetically modified ingredients, pesticides, added growth hormones or hexane processed oils.

Nature’s One^® ingredient standards extend beyond "organic," insuring the highest quality nutritional beverage available. Learn about the ingredients used in PediaSmart^®:

Carbohydrate:

PediaSmart^® does not contain table sugar (refined white sugar). The sources of carbohydrate in PediaSmart^® are organic rice oligodextrin and organic evaporated cane juice. This proprietary carbohydrate blend in PediaSmart^® provides a steady supply of energy without any artificial stimulants. The organic rice oligodextrin is a bland tasting carbohydrate, is one-fifth as sweet as sucrose, and provides minimal sweetness to PediaSmart^®. Organic rice oligodextrin is made from organic whole rice using a natural hydrolysis process without the use of acids, alkalis or sulfites. The organic evaporated cane juice has a higher sweetness level than organic rice oligodextrin, but offers the benefit of being organic and not highly processed like table sugar or corn syrup. This combination of organic rice oligodextrin and organic evaporated cane juice gives PediaSmart^® its pleasant, but not too sweet, flavor enjoyed by children.

Organic rice is grown by certified organic rice growers without synthetic fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, and growth regulators. The organic growth process relies on crop rotations, legumes, green manures, mineral bearing rocks and biological pest control to maintain healthy soils, provide the rice plants with nutrients, and minimize insects, weeds and other pests. The organic rice oligodextrin is sourced from California where the rice fields serve as an important wetland habitat for resident birds and waterfowl and also as a wintering ground and food source for migrating ducks and geese from Canada and Alaska.

Organic evaporated cane juice, a simple sugar, is a minimally processed organic sweetener with a light tan natural color and a neutral pleasant flavor which can be used as a substitute for refined white sugar. Organic evaporated cane juice is not bleached or decolorized like refined white table sugar. Organic evaporated cane juice comes from organic sugar cane grown under strict organic guidelines. The land must be free of herbicides, pesticides and chemicals. It is non-GMO. When the mature organic sugar cane is ready for harvest, it is "green cut" rather than burned to prevent pollution. Furthermore, "green cut" harvesting results in the tops and leaves of the plant being left in the field to return nutrients to the soil. A natural ground cover for weed control also results. This type of farming has a positive impact on the environment.

PediaSmart^® contains 31 grams of carbohydrate per 8 fluid ounce serving.

Essential Fatty Acids:

The proprietary fat blend in PediaSmart^® consists of organic high oleic sunflower oil, organic soybean oil, and organic coconut oil. These oils provide an appropriate level of alpha-linolenic and linoleic fatty acids that the human body can convert to DHA and ARA; fatty acids known to support brain and eye retina development.

All of these organic oils used in PediaSmart^® are expeller-expressed. This is a natural process that basically presses the oil from the high oleic sunflower, soybean or coconut.

Conventionally processed oils use hexane solvents to extract the oils (a petroleum by-product of gasoline refining). This harsh process then requires the oil to be flashed with fire to burn off the hexane solvents. Hexane residues can remain in the finished oils. We believe that hexane has no place in a child’s diet – even if only a residue. Also, USDA organic rules prohibit the use of solvent-extracted vegetable oils. So PediaSmart^® would not be labeled organic if we selected conventionally processed vegetable oils.

The amounts of linoleic fatty acid and linolenic fatty acid in PediaSmart^® are appropriate to support a child’s growth and development:

PediaSmart^® contains 9 grams of fat per 8 ounce serving.
PediaSmart^® contains 1900 milligrams of linoleic fatty acid and 140 milligrams of alpha-linolenic fatty acid per 8 ounce serving.

DHA & ARA Fatty Acids:

PediaSmart^® contains the precursor essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and linolenic acid, which the body uses to make the non-essential fatty acids, DHA and ARA. Because the body cannot make the essential fatty acids, they must be supplied by ingesting foods containing them. The amounts of linoleic fatty acid and linolenic fatty acid in PediaSmart^® are appropriate to support a child’s growth and development.

For a parent or healthcare professional who wishes to have an "insurance policy" regarding DHA and ARA levels in a young child, Nature’s One^® does offer Baby’s Only Essentials^® DHA and ARA Fatty Acid Supplement. Each packet of Baby’s Only Essentials^® DHA and ARA Fatty Acid Supplement contains 15 milligrams of DHA and 30 milligrams of ARA, an appropriate balance between these omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Baby’s Only Essentials^® is the only naturally derived source of DHA & ARA available for infants and toddlers. It is derived from egg phospholipid (egg yolk) using a gentle aqueous (water) process. Egg phospholipid also contains Choline, which is an important nutrient needed for the production of neurotransmitters and development of the memory center in the brain. Baby’s Only Essentials^® DHA and ARA Fatty Acid Supplement is a well understood and safe source of DHA & ARA.

PediaSmart^® contains 1900 milligrams of linoleic fatty acid and 140 milligrams of linolenic fatty acid per 8 ounce serving.

Milk Protein:

The protein source in PediaSmart^® is organic milk protein concentrate. Organic milk protein concentrate is produced from organic skim milk through a process involving filtration, evaporation and drying. No harsh chemicals are used during processing. Organic milk protein concentrate is also pasteurized to assure that the product contains no pathogenic organisms. The organic skim milk used is from organic dairy herds that do not receive any antibiotics or growth hormone stimulants. Another feature of organic milk protein concentrate is it retains a nice amount of calcium from the organic skim milk thus helping to meet a child’s calcium needs for growing bones.

PediaSmart^® contains 7 grams of protein per 8 fluid ounce serving.

Calcium & Phosphorus:

For every gram of phosphorus ingested in the diet, at least one gram of calcium should also be ingested. If the required calcium is not available, the body will obtain calcium from the calcium stored in bones. The purpose of calculating calcium to phosphorus ratio is to make sure that for every gram of phosphorus being consumed, at least an equal amount of calcium (a 1:1 ratio or better) is also consumed to prevent the body from using bone calcium. The recommended levels are somewhere between 1 to 2 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus.

PediaSmart^® contains 230 milligrams of Calcium and 200 milligrams of Phosphorus per 8 ounces. The calcium and phosphorus in PediaSmart^® are properly balanced at a ratio of 1.2:1.

*Not intended for infants less than 12-months of age.
† Do not use for children with the genetic disorder galactosemia.
†† May be used in a feeding tube under the supervision of a healthcare professional.