You’re trying to instill an organic lifestyle into your child. Naturally, the best way to do that would be to breast feed, but sometimes that’s just not an option. Your next best choice? Feed her the best organic formula. We’ve reviewed the top choices and hope you’ll find our reviews of organic baby formula helpful and informative!
Best Organic Baby Formula
Earth’s Best Organic Formula with Iron is almost identical to mother’s milk, including carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids like DHA and ARA, due to its thoughtful ratio of whey and casein. It is Kosher and USDA Organic certified, and there are no artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, steroids, GEI, antibiotics, growth hormones or harmful pesticides or herbicides.
In fact, it contains two times the DHA, a fatty acid that helps support the baby’s eye and brain development, found in the leading organic formula. The formula is easy to digest and provide all of the essential, FDA-required nutrients for baby’s first 12 months of feeding.
The best part about this formula is that it is organic, so you know that you are putting good things into your child’s body. It is also affordable, a slightly uncommon occurrence for organic products. It is easy to digest—it doesn’t lead to gas or spitting up, and even breast-fed babies will love it and not notice the difference!
What we like: Contains lactose and glucose!
Top 5 Organic Baby Formula Comparison
Below is a comparison of the top 5 baby formulas, based on features.
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Organic Baby Formula Reviews
Vermont Organics Milk-Based
The cows that provide the milk for this formula are raised according to strict organic standards, meaning that they are raised on organic feed, free of antibiotics or hormones, and have plenty of free time outdoors. This means that the formula contains sources of organic fats and carbohydrates, including essential nutrients that are found in mother’s milk like choline, DHA and ARA, which studies show help mental and visual development. It also containts iron in it to help baby’s making of hemoglobin and myoglobin.
What we like: Zip top package is easy to open and comes with mess-free scoop.
Similac Advance
This is a quality infant formula that offers complete organic nutrition and features OptiGRO which is an exclusive mix of breast milk ingredients like DHA, luterin and Vitamin E. It also contains organic cow’s milk. Your baby won’t be able to tell the difference between breast milk and this formula because Similac, with over 85 years of experience catering to new moms and babies, has created a formula that is sweet like mother’s milk, yet won’t give your baby cavities because it doesn’t contain sweet ingredients like corn syrup.
What we like: Clear ingredients, organic through and through.
Baby’s Only Organic Dairy Formula
If your baby has a gluten or corn allergy, this is the perfect treat for him or her. Made from all organic ingredients, from brown rice syrup to coconut oil to nonfat milk, you can rest assured knowing that this product uses absolutely no genetically modified ingredients. Naturally, it also contains high levels of essential fatty acids that are then converted to DHA and ARA for eye and brain development.
What we like: Tastes like mother’s milk and doesn’t leave baby gassy and constipated.
Earth’s Best Organic Sensitivity
This formula contains less lactose than others in order to relieve potential stomach discomfort in fussy babies. In fact, it is the first FDA approved sensitive formula, and as it is organic, contains no potentially harmful antibiotics, growth hormones or pesticides. The whey to casein ratio is 60:40, making it very close to breast milk and easy to digest. It is fortified with iron to help baby’s development of oxygen-carrying and oxygen-storing pigments in red blood cells.
What we like: Baby spit-ups will be no more with this product!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is it better to breast feed or give my baby formula? Breastfeeding is the most natural and best choice for your infant. However, some moms find difficulties in, for example, producing enough milk for their little one. In this case, formula is a healthy substitute, and the best way to go would be organic.
- What is DHA/ARA and why does my baby need it? DHA, Docosahexaeonic acid is an omega-3 fatty acid that is primarily involved in the structure of the brain, cerebral cortex, skin, retina, etc. ARA, Arachindonic acid, is a 20-carbon fatty acid that is an essential component to cell membranes. The two acids come naturally from breast milk, and can be found in formulas as well, and have proven to enhance visual acuity and cognitive performance.
- What makes up a baby formula? All formulas must contain three important components- a protein, a fat, and a carbohydrate to aid the former two in digestion. The carbohydrate must be a type of sugar to comply with FDA regulations, but the amount or type of sugar isn’t regulated.
- What are the best sugar bases for my formula? Breast milk is naturally sweet, so it follows that baby will want her formula to be sweet, also. Be careful with what the sweetener is, however. Plant-based sucrose and corn syrup solids, while can be technically called organic, may cause the baby to become addicted at an early age to sweeteners and could lead to childhood obesity. The best sweetener, and one that is closest to breast milk, is lactose, a cow’s milk based sweetener.
- What makes it organic? To have a truly organic baby formula, everything down to the way the cows were raised, if it’s a milk-based formula, to how the soybeans were grown, if it’s a soy-based formula, has to comply with federal regulations for organic farming. This means that there could be no use of artificial pesticides or chemicals used in growing the soy and no antibiotics or hormones used on the cows.
How to Select an Organic Baby Formula
- The Base: There are many bases to an organic baby formula, but the most common two are soy and milk. Soy contains no true health advantages over milk, but parents may choose a soy base if their child is having trouble digesting lactose or if their child is showing allergy symptoms. Cow’s milk based formula is most popular because it contains the right amount of protein, carbohydrate and fat needed by your nursing infant.
- Age of Baby: While mother’s milk changes as if by magic to match a growing child’s changing dietary needs, formula does not. If your baby is premature, she’ll need a special formula for the first 12 months. For normal newborns, try a formula with vitamin D to help their bones grow, and as a toddler, try a specific toddler formula that will offer more nutrients than regular milk.
- Form: There are three forms—powder, premixed and concentrated. Powder formula lasts longer, but also takes longer to prepare, and it’s less sanitary. Premixed, while sanitary and convenient, is more expensive. Concentrated is a good mix between the two and usually comes in jugs.
Baby’s Reactions: When you start a formula, it’s a good idea to keep an eye out on baby’s mood. Is she fussy or gassy? Does she get excited to eat? Does he spit out the nipple or is he gaining weight? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may consider switching the brand or the base.