What's inside POW!DER
Every ingredient has a job to do. Here's what's in each daily serving, why we picked it, and what didn't make the cut. Together, they're what makes POW!DER the backup for breakfast we wanted to build.
For most children, breakfast is the meal with the least protein in it.
And protein can be the difference between a child who settles into the school day and one who's distracted by hunger before break time.
Pea protein brings almost all the essential amino acids, it's gentle on digestion, and it's plant-based.
We use it at a level that delivers 8g of protein per serving — enough to make whatever breakfast happened feel more substantial.
Children's bodies are doing a lot at once — growing, learning, moving, repairing, fighting things off.
No single vitamin or mineral covers all of that. That's why POW!DER includes 21 — 13 vitamins and 8 minerals — each playing a different role.
Some support how the body uses energy. Some support bones as they grow. Some support the immune system.
Each one earns its place, and together they cover the nutritional fundamentals — properly.
Fibre is one of those words everyone knows is important — but what does it actually do?
It's the part of plant food the body doesn't digest in the usual way. Instead, it travels through to the large intestine, where it supports digestion and feeds the bacteria that live there.
Most children don't get enough of it, and breakfast is usually where it's thinnest on the ground.
POW!DER includes fruit, vegetable and plant ingredients — beetroot, broccoli, spinach, turmeric, ginger, bilberry, pomegranate, and lutein from marigold.
Each one brings a different colour and a different set of plant compounds. Reds, greens, purples, yellows, oranges — each with its own polyphenol profile. It's a wider range of plants than most breakfasts include, sitting alongside what children already eat.
Pea protein
Inulin from chicory root
DL-Choline bitartrate
Lutein
Vitamin A
Calcium
Magnesium
Vitamin C
Iron
Zinc
Vitamin E
Manganese
Selenium
Vitamin D3
Vitamin K2
Iodide
Chromium
B Complex Vitamins
Beetroot
Pomegranate Extract
Broccoli
Spinach
Ginger
Turmeric
Cocoa
Stevia
For most children, breakfast is the meal with the least protein in it. And protein can be the difference between a child who settles into the school day and one who's distracted by hunger before break time.
Pea protein brings almost all the essential amino acids, it's gentle on digestion, and it's plant-based.
We use it at a level that delivers 8g of protein per serving — enough to make whatever breakfast happened feel more substantial.
Most people haven't heard of inulin — but it's been quietly doing its thing in chicory root, onions and bananas for a long time.
It's a plant fibre that passes through to the large intestine, where it feeds the friendly bacteria already there. A gentle, steady kind of support for digestion.
Most people haven't heard of choline — which is a shame, because it's one of the nutrients growing bodies genuinely need.
It supports the nervous system and plays a role in how brain cells communicate and stay in good shape.
It's found naturally in eggs, beef and broccoli, but it's one of those nutrients that doesn't always make it onto the plate consistently. Especially not before 9am.
Lutein is a natural carotenoid — the pigment family responsible for the oranges and yellows in nature — and it comes from marigold flowers, of all places.
It's known as a "macular pigment" because it concentrates in the retina, where it plays a role in supporting healthy vision. One of those ingredients you'd never think to look for, doing something that matters every single day.
Children collect germs like they collect opinions — constantly, and from everywhere. Vitamin A supports how the immune system responds to that daily reality.
It also plays a role in cell specialisation — which is really just how growing bodies get organised, with cells figuring out whether they're going to be lungs, kidneys, or liver.
That's a lot for one ingredient to be getting on with.
Bones grow whether you notice or not — and then suddenly trousers are too short, and shoes don't fit. Again.
Calcium supports that constant, behind-the-scenes work — bones, teeth, muscle function, and nerve communication.
It's one of those nutrients children need a steady supply of, especially during the years when growing seems to happen overnight.
The calcium in POW!DER comes from Lithothamnion — a marine red algae harvested from the seabed. It's a whole-food source, naturally rich in calcium and trace minerals.
We chose it because it's gentle on digestion and well-suited to everyday use.
Magnesium is involved in over 300 processes in the body — which for something most people barely think about, is quite the workload.
It supports muscle function, nerve communication, and how the body produces energy from food.
It also contributes to reducing tiredness and fatigue, which any parent who's watched a child hit a wall by 3pm will appreciate.
We use a bisglycinate form — chosen because it's gentle on digestion and well-suited to being taken every day. The kind of detail that matters when something becomes part of a routine.
Vitamin C is probably the one most parents have heard of — and for good reason. It supports how the immune system functions day to day, and helps protect cells from oxidative stress.
It also plays a role in collagen production, which is how the body maintains bones, skin and connective tissue — useful when your child's idea of fun involves climbing things they probably shouldn't.
And it helps the body absorb iron, which on its own isn't always easy to take in. For a familiar name, it covers a lot of ground.
There's tired, and then there's tired for no obvious reason — slept all night, still dragging by lunchtime. Iron is one of the first places to look.
It's involved in producing haemoglobin, which carries oxygen around the body, and it contributes to normal cognitive function — the kind of thing that matters when a child's day is full of concentrating, processing, and keeping up.
It's also one of the nutrients children are most commonly low in, and one of the hardest to get right through food alone.
Iron supplements have a reputation for being harsh on stomachs — which is why we use a bisglycinate form.
It's chelated, meaning the iron is bound to an amino acid, making it gentler on digestion and better suited to something taken every day. That matters when the whole point is building a routine.
Here's something most people don't know — the body doesn't store zinc. There's no reserve to draw on when intake drops, which means children need a regular supply through what they eat.
And zinc is involved in a lot: immune function, cognitive function, normal growth, and the work of nearly 100 enzymes across the body. It's found in beef, milk and cashews, but getting enough consistently — especially with children's appetites — isn't always straightforward.
Like our other key minerals, we use a bisglycinate form. Gentle on digestion, suited to daily use, and designed to work alongside everything else in the formulation.
Every day, cells deal with free radicals — unstable molecules that can cause damage over time.
Think of it like rust on a bike left out in the rain. It doesn't happen all at once, but it adds up. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, which means it helps protect cells from that kind of gradual wear and tear.
Children's bodies are building new cells constantly — growing, repairing, replacing — so keeping that process running smoothly matters more than most people realise.
We use D-alpha tocopherol acetate — a stable, naturally derived form that's well-suited to daily use.
If bones are the scaffolding, connective tissue is everything holding it together — the joints, the cartilage, the bits that let children bend, stretch, and throw themselves around a playground without falling apart.
Manganese supports both. It plays a role in maintaining normal bones, forming connective tissue, and helping protect cells from oxidative stress.
It's needed in small amounts, but those small amounts need to be well-absorbed — which is why the bisglycinate form matters here.
Think of cells like a house full of children — things get knocked about.
Oxidative stress is the daily wear and tear that comes from just being alive, growing, and doing everything children do.
Selenium helps look after the place. It supports normal immune function and helps protect cells from that constant low-level chaos.
Needed in tiny amounts, but a bit like the drawer in the kitchen that holds the batteries, the tape, and the spare keys — you'd really notice if it wasn't there.
We use L-selenomethionine — an organic form where the selenium is naturally bound to an amino acid.
It's one of the most well-absorbed forms available, and when the amounts are this small, how well the body can use them matters even more.
Vitamin D is the one nutrient almost every parent has heard they should worry about — especially in the UK, where sunshine is more of an occasional visitor than a reliable source.
And there's a reason it comes up so often. It helps the body absorb calcium, supports normal bone growth and development in children, contributes to muscle function, and plays a role in how the immune system works.
Think of it as the colleague that makes everyone else in the team better at their job — calcium, in particular, doesn't get very far without it.
Our Vitamin D3 comes from lichen — a plant-based source that means it's suitable for vegan diets. We use cholecalciferol, which is the D3 form, the same form the body produces naturally from sunlight.
For the days when the sun doesn't show up — which, let's be honest, is most of them.
Calcium gets all the attention when it comes to bones. But getting calcium into the body is only half the job — it also needs to end up in the right place.
That's where Vitamin K2 comes in. It helps direct calcium towards bones and teeth, rather than letting it wander off somewhere less useful.
Think of it as the difference between delivering a parcel to the right address and just leaving it somewhere in the neighbourhood.
We use the MK-7 form — well-absorbed, long-lasting in the body, and a good fit alongside the calcium and Vitamin D3 already in the formulation.
The three of them work as a team, which is how they were always meant to be used.
Iodine is one of those nutrients that works behind every scene. It's needed for the thyroid to function normally — and the thyroid influences how children grow, how their nervous system works, and how they think and learn. It's found in fish, dairy and seaweed, but it's easily missed in children's diets, particularly when appetites are unpredictable or dairy intake is low.
We use potassium iodide — stable, well-absorbed, and suited to everyday use.
Children eat a lot of different things in a day — breakfast, snacks, lunch, more snacks, whatever they can negotiate after school.
Chromium plays a role in how the body processes all of it. It supports normal macronutrient metabolism — which is really just how carbohydrates, proteins and fats get broken down and used. It also contributes to maintaining normal blood glucose levels, helping keep things on an even keel rather than a rollercoaster.
We use chromium picolinate — a well-absorbed form that's suited to daily use.
There are eight B vitamins in POW!DER. That sounds like a lot — and it is. But the reason there are so many is that the body uses them across almost everything it does: turning food into energy, supporting the nervous system, reducing tiredness, forming red blood cells, and helping with cell division.
For children who are growing, learning, and moving all day long, that's a lot of ground to cover.
We use active forms where they're available — meaning the body can put them to work without having to convert them first.
That's a deliberate choice, and one most parents would never see on a label. But it's the kind of detail that matters when something is taken every day.
Thiamine helps the body convert food into energy and contributes to normal heart function. It's found in whole grains, sunflower seeds and meat — but not always in the quantities growing children need consistently.
Riboflavin helps protect cells from oxidative stress and supports iron metabolism — how the body makes use of the iron it takes in. It also contributes to reducing tiredness and fatigue, and supports how the nervous system functions.
We use riboflavin-5-phosphate, which is the active form — ready to be used as it is.
Niacin plays a role in how the body releases energy from food and supports normal nervous system function.
It also contributes to reducing tiredness and fatigue — the kind of everyday support that matters across a long school day.
Pantothenic acid contributes to normal mental performance and supports how the body metabolises food into energy.
It's one of the less talked-about B vitamins, but it's involved in more than most people realise — a bit like the member of the team who never gets the credit but always turns up.
B6 supports over 100 enzyme reactions in the body — which for one vitamin is a serious workload.
It contributes to normal energy metabolism, immune function, and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. We use pyridoxal-5-phosphate, the active form, because it means the body doesn't have to do the extra work of converting it first.
Biotin helps the body break down carbohydrates, fats and proteins so they can be converted into usable energy.
It also supports normal nervous system function and contributes to normal psychological function. Found naturally in liver, nuts and sunflower seeds — but not always in the amounts children get through food alone.
Folate supports cell division — which during the years when children are growing and developing, is happening constantly.
It also contributes to normal immune function and helps reduce tiredness and fatigue.
We use calcium L-methylfolate, the active form, which the body can use directly without conversion.
B12 contributes to normal red blood cell formation — the cells that carry oxygen around the body.
It supports normal psychological function and plays a role in how the nervous system works. It's found almost exclusively in animal foods, which is why it's particularly important for children following plant-based diets.
We use methylcobalamin, the active form, for the same reason as our other B vitamins — it's ready to be used without the body having to convert it first.
Beetroot brings the red to our rainbow blend. Its colour comes from betacyanin — a natural pigment that also happens to be an antioxidant.
Different coloured plants contain different compounds, and reds are particularly rich in polyphenols. Most children don't eat a wide range of coloured plants on any given day.
Pomegranates have been valued across cultures for thousands of years — long before anyone understood why.
The deep red colour comes from anthocyanins, but pomegranate also carries its own unique polyphenols, including punicalagins, that you won't find in many other plants. That's the point of including it — not repetition, but a wider range of plant compounds alongside what children already eat.
Different plants bring different things. Pomegranate brings something distinctly its own.
Few vegetables divide a dinner table quite like broccoli.
But whether children see mini trees or their worst enemy, broccoli is one of the most nutrient-dense greens there is.
It brings chlorophyll and a range of phytochemicals including phenolic acids and carotenoids — the kinds of plant compounds that make nutritionists talk about eating your greens with such enthusiasm. Including it adds genuine depth to the range of plant compounds children take in alongside what they already eat.
Popeye had the right idea, even if the science has moved on a bit since then.
Spinach is one of the most broadly nutritious greens available — rich in chlorophyll and lutein, the compounds that sit behind that deep green colour.
It's the kind of ingredient that earns its reputation without needing a cartoon to sell it. Alongside broccoli, it brings the green to POW!DER — and a wider range of plant compounds into children's days.
Ginger is one of those ingredients most people already know — it's been used in kitchens and traditional remedies across cultures for thousands of years.
What makes it interesting nutritionally is what's inside: gingerols, the plant compounds that give ginger its distinctive warmth.
That little kick you get from a ginger biscuit?
That's the gingerols saying hello. As a family of polyphenols, they sit alongside the anthocyanins, curcuminoids and carotenoids in POW!DER — each bringing something different.
Turmeric brings the golden yellow — and with it, curcumin, the compound responsible for that distinctive colour. Curcumin belongs to a class of over 8,000 compounds called polyphenols, which gives you some idea of just how varied the world of plant compounds really is.
Cocoa is the reason children think they're getting a chocolate drink.
And honestly, that's one of the most important jobs any ingredient in POW!DER does — because if they won't take it, nothing else on this page matters. We use a high-grade cocoa powder — because getting the taste right wasn't something we were willing to compromise on.
But cocoa isn't just here for the taste. It's one of the richest natural sources of flavanols, a family of polyphenols that have been among the most widely researched plant compounds in nutrition science.
Flavanols are part of what makes dark chocolate interesting to nutritionists — not just to children.
So while they're enjoying what they think is just chocolate, the cocoa is adding genuine plant compound diversity alongside everything else.
Here's the thing about making something taste good without adding sugar — it's really hard. Sugar is the easy route. It makes everything sweeter, faster, and simpler to formulate. Most children's supplements use it.
We chose not to. Stevia is a plant-based sweetener, extracted from the leaves of the stevia plant. We use a small amount — just enough to bring sweetness without the sugar, which matters when something is designed to be taken every day.
Getting the balance right took time — too much and it tastes bitter, too little and children won't finish it. We landed somewhere that works. No added sugar, no compromise on taste, and one less thing for parents to think about.
""Most British kids eat an 'ok' diet. When it comes to children's nutrition, 'ok' leaves a lot uncovered."
Laura Johnson, CNHC Registered Nutritional Therapist
Developed alongside nutritional therapists. Every ingredient, every form, every amount — chosen with expert guidance, for children aged 4–16.
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Dr Samantha Mills
Child Nutritionist
