Veghead is Adelaide’s newest female-founded food brand on a mission to help families eat more vegetables.
Founded by Cathrine Hosking, Veghead was born from personal experience. As a self-described “recovering veggie-hater”, Cathrine grew up convinced she hated vegetables due to stressful dinners and constant food battles.
“I genuinely believed I hated vegetables,” shared Cathrine. “What I didn’t realise until much later was that I didn’t hate vegetables, I just hated the way they were being prepared.”
As Cathrine moved overseas and became immersed in global cuisines where vegetables are chopped, blended, simmered and folded into meals rather than served plainly on the side, her relationship with them shifted. Her health improved, and vegetables became something she enjoyed, not just because her tastes changed, but because the format did.
After returning to Australia in late 2024 and spending time with friends and family, Cathrine noticed a familiar pattern. “Every barbecue was the same story,” she said. “Kids refusing vegetables, parents stressed and frustrated, food becoming a battleground.”
Cathrine says national data backs it up, too. Almost all Australian children fall short of vegetable intake recommendations, with vegetable consumption declining faster than any other major food group. But rather than rethinking how vegetables are offered, she believes the conversation has drifted toward supplements.
“We’ve normalised supplementing our way out of the problem. Vitamin gummies and powders are now widely accepted, while integrating vegetables into meals is often looked down on, as if it’s somehow dishonest or ‘not teaching kids properly’.”
Determined to find a practical alternative, Cathrine left her corporate career, completed nutrition science coursework led by Stanford University, and partnered with two practising dietitians to build Veghead.
The brand’s first product, Banana & Chocolate Mini Muffins, follows that philosophy. Made with fresh vegetables as the first ingredient, the muffins are dietitian-approved, preservative-free, and contain 50 per cent less sugar than comparable products. Designed for lunchboxes and everyday snacking, they aim to boost vegetable intake in a way that feels effortless rather than enforced.
“Kids don’t need another rule around food. They need positive experiences with vegetables, in forms they already enjoy,” she said. “With my own little boy on the way, this is deeply personal. I want vegetables to feel normal, joyful and pressure-free – not something kids grow up fighting.”
Veghead’s Banana & Chocolate Mini Muffins are available online and in stores at Tony & Marks and selected Foodland locations, including Pasadena and Frewville, with further products set to launch later this year.
For more information, click here.
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