The names Wattie’s® and Whānau Āwhina Plunket, two well recognised brands that are as familiar to New Zealanders as pavlova and the All-Blacks.
For most of us, the Whānau Āwhina Plunket nurse measured our first few years of growth and development, and Wattie’s® baby food was a regular feature on the menu.
It was therefore no surprise when over thirty years ago the two organisations formalised their relationship and launched the range of Wattie’s-Plunket baby foods. When Whānau Āwhina Plunket first associated its name with the Wattie’s® range of baby foods in 1990, the two organisations sought advice from some of the country’s most reputable nutrition experts.
Today, Wattie’s® continues to support Whānau Āwhina Plunket and New Zealand whānau. Wattie’s® are a Pick Me Help Plunket partner, and Wattie’s makes a financial contribution to support the charity with the sales of select Wattie’s® baby food.
Whānau Āwhina Plunket is a charity and Aotearoa’s largest support service for the health and wellbeing of tamariki under five and their whānau. As well as free health and developmental checks, the organisation provides support services to communities around New Zealand - including breastfeeding support, antenatal classes and more. These services are provided in addition to the government-funded Well Child Tamariki Ora service through fundraising, grants and partnerships. The financial support Whānau Āwhina Plunket receives from Wattie’s, contributes towards many of these additional services for whānau across New Zealand.
Wattie’s® baby foods are enjoyed by thousands of New Zealand infants every year and Wattie’s has a responsibility to ensure its products are of the best quality. Whānau Āwhina Plunket’s input into product development is an important part of this. Wattie's® baby food is designed to provide a variety of age appropriate ingredients, flavours and textures as a complement to homemade baby food.
As part of the partnership Wattie’s® and Whānau Āwhina Plunket have developed a range of resources that are in line with the Ministry of Health eating guidelines. These include baby feeding guides and videos covering topics from starting solids to fussy eating, to provide practical support to whānau on their baby feeding journey.
