NEW PRODUCT AIMS TO TEACH KIDS THE VALUE OF HEALTHY EATING

Richard McPeak's son was having lunch with his kindergarten schoolmates five years ago when his father noticed something remarkable. Conner's lunch was different from those of the other kids.

"He was having fruit and a California roll," McPeak said. "I looked around at the group of 30 children and every one of them was eating some kind of processed food - baloney with nitrates, candy. They looked at his lunch and said 'You're eating avocado?'"

McPeak made up his mind to figure out how to make healthy items just as appealing as fried chicken nuggets or processed meats. "There's got to be a way to make the good stuff taste as good as the bad stuff," he resolved.

Berry Garden Gummies contain no artificial coloring.

He had the background to make it happen. In the nineties, after a family tragedy, he moved to Port St. Lucie to be near his mother, who had just started a vitamin store. "I buried myself in knowledge to find one moment of peace during those dark days," he said. He then found work for companies in the industry that were "synonymous with quality" and began to study the findings of some very prominent researchers about the benefits of spices, botanicals and whole fruits and vegetables.

"I spent years researching clinical studies from the USDA to The National Library of Medicine, while intensely studying the teachings of herbalists and researchers around the world. I am currently pursuing a degree as a Master Herbalist followed by an ND (Naturopathic Doctor)," McPeak said.

The fruit of his labors is a new product, Berry Garden Gummies. McPeak's research into the properties and possibilities of fruits, vegetables, botanicals and other healthy diet choices resulted in a fruit-flavored gummy made with the "good stuff." It contains a spectrum of fruit and vegetable powders, flax seed, ginger and more, and is coated with extra virgin olive oil.

"I wanted whole fruits and vegetables to be used, not juice extracts, and no trans-fat - no partially hydrogenated oils, plus it had to contain whole flax and whole ginger" he said.

McPeak called on manufacturers from Florida to Germany, and finally found a company that would follow his stringent specifications - Naples, Florida-based Vitarich Labs. The company uses growers throughout Florida and Georgia for their fresh product, which they slow dry or freeze dry into powder form. "Megan Mader at Vitarich Labs has been great to us," McPeak said. "She has shown endless patience and is a true professional."

"So that's what goes into the gummies," he said. "If you hold one up to the light you can actually see the powdered ginger. And because the ingredients are either slow dried with low heat to preserve all their properties or freeze dried, they retain much of the antioxidant qualities of the original product," McPeak said, adding that they, in no way, are a substitute for the real thing.

IT'S ALL ABOUT EDUCATION

McPeak's goal is not only to market a fun and nutritious product, he wants to use Berry Garden Gummies as an educational tool. "Our number one goal is to promote a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and to make it fun for children," he said. "We're a small company, and if we can do it, we can prove that larger companies can too."

McPeak's company, Nature's Dynamics, also plans to have a kid-friendly website, where fans of the gummies can go for more information on the "good stuff" they contain. The site will be called "LEARN," which stands for literacy, exercise, agriculture, recycling and nutrition.

Richard McPeak, creator of Berry Garden Gummies, says his children are his inspiration. He is shown here with sons Troy (left) and Conner.

"We'll have information on the foods that make up the ingredients of the gummies, and even cool recipes kids will actually like that contain those ingredients" he said, remembering a family favorite. "Conner eats fruits and vegetables every day. He especially likes broccoli and cucumbers with ginger dressing on top. I think it's important to use fun little recipes instead of plopping down a glob of spinach - although he likes that too!"

The company also plans to include seed packets with every jar of gummies, so that children can learn about growing fruits and vegetables. McPeak credits Matthew Stephenson-Smith at BHN Reserch/Gargiulo, Inc. for providing tomato seeds.

Kids will be able to send in their stories and pictures about growing the seeds for posting on the LEARN site. "Radio Disney will be sponsoring prize packs that include anything from a tee shirt to a cruise," McPeak said. The gummies are featured on Radio Disney and at Radio Disney events.

Even children who are sick, disabled or disadvantage will be able to enjoy the gummies through charitable contributions McPeak is arranging. "We're working with Children's Miracle Network and the local charity Mustard Seed," he said. They will be donating product to the two organizations for distribution among their clientele.

A WHOLE NEW GUMMY ANIMAL

McPeak says he's used to fielding questions about whether the gummies are vitamins, like other children's supplements found on supermarket shelves. They are not, he says, adding that when looking at labels, shoppers should note that milligrams refer to weight, not to how much of a nutrient can be absorbed into the body. "And some of those products actually say on the label that you should keep them out of reach of children. That's because of the risk of iron overdose. You don't have that with the Berry Garden Gummies. But they do have vitamins - vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K and more."

Besides the product, the website, and other outreach efforts, Nature's Dynamics' future plans include running a farm in Southwest Florida. McPeak wants to host a weekend camp for fatherless boys there as another avenue to educate and empower young people.

"It's all about personal ownership, understanding the health benefits of nutritious food like fruits and vegetables, and learning to apply them to your own life," he said.

The product has just recently been introduced and may be ordered through McPeak's company website, www.naturesdynamics.com. He hopes to have Berry Garden Gummies in stores and fast food outlets soon.