Premier Foods is set to make family meal times as simple as one, two, three with its new Homepride Kids range (rrp £1.29 per pouch).

Containing no added sugar, no artificial colours and no preservatives, the range will include 80g ‘hidden veg’ per serving within its pasta sauces and a selection of world-inspired sauces specifically designed for children aged between four and seven years old.

Yilmaz Erceyes, brand director for cooking sauces at Premier Foods, said: “The Homepride Kids range presents retailers with a big sales opportunity; there are 2.8m families in the UK with children aged between four and seven (ONS, September 2016) and there is a gap in the market for products which specifically target this age group. By creating mild but adventurous flavours the range will train younger taste buds to explore different meals so that they can enjoy same dishes with their parents sooner rather than later.”

The new pasta sauces include classic favourites: Bolognese, Cheesy Tomato and Tomato & Mediterranean vegetable – each with 80g of ‘hidden veg’ per serving to help contribute towards the recommended five portions of fruit or vegetables children should enjoy each day. The cooking sauces are inspired by Britain’s favourite ethnic dishes and include: Caribbean Sauce with Mango, Indian Korma Curry, Chinese Sweet & Sour and Thai Creamy Sauce. Each pouch contains two servings and has no added sugar, salt or preservatives.

Erceyes said: “Italian is children’s favourite cuisine that uses cooking sauce (Kantar, March 2016), but with Indian food also a popular choice, it demonstrates that they want to be adventurous and try new flavours. Following strong consumer testing we are confident this new range will help bring families together, create less frustration for parents who are continuously on the lookout for healthier options for their children and most of all keep children happy with tasty meal options.”

The Homepride Kids sauces are quick to prepare and can be heated on the hob or in the microwave.