When a Nipomo Mesa couple couldn't find a liquid solution to their children's digestive problems, they formulated their own based on a recipe long used by parents as a home remedy.

Now the tummy-settling drink they whipped up in their kitchen has been refined, fortified and turned into a product that earned them a national award and is rapidly making inroads at health-food stores, supermarket chains and even hospitals.

Greg Toepfer was a radiology technician at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo and wife Ilsa was a home-school teacher when they created the initial form of the drink two years ago.

Now their company, B.R.A.T. Diet LLC, and its sole product, Organic B.R.A.T., have become their full-time jobs.

"When we created it, we were having such a tough time with the kids," Greg said. "They were real sick and having trouble even eating. All they wanted was milk."

Ilsa added, "But that makes the sickness 10 times worse."

Then their pediatrician reminded them of B.R.A.T., which stands for bananas, rice, applesauce and toast - a diet to calm children's upset stomachs that Ilsa said has been around 50 years or so.

"It's kind of common," she said. "Mothers know all about it."

But they had trouble getting their daughters - Reese, now 51⁄2, and Cara, now 3 - to eat the solid food. After an unsuccessful search for a liquid version, they decided to create their own.

They ran the ingredients through a blender and filtered it through what they call "fish cloth." The concoction worked.

"It's really effective," Greg said. "It tastes like milk, but it's not."

Since there was nothing like it on the market, the Toepfers realized there was a niche their creation could fill if produced commercially.

"I was amazed the B.R.A.T. diet had never been trademarked," Ilsa said.

So they trademarked the name, formed their company and eventually contracted with Power Brands, a Van Nuys company that specializes in beverage formulas, packaging design and marketing.

"It's kind of a one-stop shop, so for us, it made sense," Greg said. "We got the basic formula, and it tasted OK. Then we worked very closely with their scientists and designers and came out with something we really, really liked."

The process took a year.

"It took a long time, but it's a good thing it did because we found all these other things we could put in it that really help calm the digestive tract," Greg said.

Some of those things include electrolytes to aid absorption, vitamins, calcium and other minerals, but to make the product gluten- and lactose-free, they removed toast from the formula.

"The 'T' now stands for 'tummy-soothing,'" Greg said, noting the drink comes in four flavors - chocolate honey, vanilla, cinnamon toast and original.

But the process also took a considerable investment.

After being turned down by the Small Business Administration loan program, the Toepfers cashed in their 401(k) funds, maxed out a few credit cards and sold a car to pay for the research and development.

They have since had friends, family and others invest to keep the project moving and pay for production through a manufacturer in Stockton.

Organic B.R.A.T. was initially launched in March at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, one of the largest natural foods trade shows in the country, but the real production didn't begin until June.

That was followed by quality control testing, with the product finally being shipped to distributors and retailers in July.

In September, Organic B.R.A.T. was among the products showcased by some 3,500 vendors at Natural Products Expo East in Boston, where it won the New Products Showcase Award for the Most Innovative Product.

The Toepfers weren't there to accept the award, however. Instead, they stayed home to welcome their third child, Tripp.

Karen Borie, a former national sales manager for Nestle, is helping the Toepfers market their product nationwide.

Organic B.R.A.T. is now being carried in Grande Foods in Arroyo Grande, New Frontiers and Vons in San Luis Obispo and may soon be carried in Vons in Santa Maria, as well as Spencer's Fresh Markets locations.

Safeway and Supervalu are planning to carry the product in their stores, as are Whole Foods, Babies R Us, Toys R Us, Buy Buy Baby and Target, Greg said.

The product is being recommended by noted local pediatricians, and Children's Hospital in Los Angeles and Massachusetts General are looking into using the product.

"We have a friend who is a nurse at a cancer center, and she asked if would could send some," Ilsa said. "So we sent some cases to the center. They reported that with cancer patients going through chemotherapy, this is the only thing they could hold down."