With that in mind, Lent would go on to develop Fran's Healthy Helpings, a line that has enjoyed quite a response from consumers and, most importantly, from its target audience—children. Lent, president and CEO of the company, says, “Kids will only eat what they like, so we have taken the philosophy of not trying to recreate the wheel and looked at McDonald's and our competitors. We are never going to taste like McDonald's because we are healthier. Our foods are baked, not fried, and we use white meat. I think we taste better than McDonald's, but we are not going to fight an uphill battle. So, we have given that profile to product development and said try to make this taste as much like what kids already like as possible.”
Each of Fran's offerings adheres to the FDA's definition of a healthy food and is free of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and synthetic preservatives. Development at Fran's Healthy Helpings has often been in partnership with ConAgra, who also co-packs the healthy meals for children. Currently, Fran's line includes six kid-oriented meals, all with an element of fun to them, though always with healthiness at the forefront.