Reaching this demographic, however, poses many challenges. What was considered kids' fare 10 years ago may no longer make the cut. Macaroni and cheese is no longer classified as a "kid food," unless the noodles are shaped like cartoon characters or the formula is enhanced with "kid nutrition." Simply put, to qualify as kids' food and beverages, products must appeal specifically to kids and not contain enough appeal to register with adults, suggests the research.

"Marketers have the unique challenge of balancing fun food formats, 'wow' packaging, and continuously changing variety, with parent-friendly fare that's high in nutrition, convenient, and easy to prepare," notes the publisher of Packaged Facts Don Montuori. "Creating a connection and building a brand relationship is far more difficult with today's multicultural, media and technology saturated kids than it was even a decade ago."

A comprehensive demographic and product analysis, Kids' Food and Beverages provides a look at projected growth in each of 11 categories, including cereal, lunch kits, frozen desserts, snack foods, and dairy, among others. The report examines new product trends, offers competitive profiles of industry leaders along with successful marketing strategies and strategic insights, and looks at consumer trends and behaviors of both kids and parents.