Besides giving your child access to distilled water, giving alternative sources of nutrition when breast milk isn’t available is essential. Now, it can be pretty surprising how fast your baby grows, realizing that your once tiny baby is ready for “real” food.
Fortunately, there are several food options available for babies that you can purchase at any store- without the need for preparation. So, to help you out with it, here are 10 best baby food brands that you can consider and why.
10 Best Baby Food Brands
Beech-Nut
As one of the oldest baby food brands on the list, Beech-Nut is a widely available baby food brand that offers organic and natural varieties. All their products go through strenuous tests to ensure that they’re free of toxic heavy metals and pesticides.
Beech-Nut products vary from infant cereal to pureed food. All their baby foods are also free of artificial ingredients, including flavors and colors.
Beech-Nut is also a pioneer in LEED-certified baby food production companies. It means that they use recyclable glass jars as a way to reduce their carbon footprint.
Once Upon a Farm
Another one on the list is Once Upon a Farm. It’s a unique company that offers baby foods without any added sugar. But what’s great about it is that Once Upon a Farm offers smart blends to its clients, which have additional omega-3 fats. This nutrient is an essential part of a baby’s diet that helps boost their immunity and brain function and is considered one of the healthy fats.
Another factor that makes this organic baby food brand stand out is its use of cold-pressed technology. Once Upon a Farm utilizes high pressure to eliminate harmful bacteria instead of heat. Simultaneously, the process keeps the food’s nutrients locked in, keeping its natural taste and texture in tack. Because of it, you must ensure that your baby foods remain in the fridge or frozen until they’re ready to eat.
Happy Baby Organics
Like other baby food brands on the list, Happy Baby Organics offers a wide variety of baby food options, from kale to spinach and chia seeds. You can start with their single-ingredient jars. Doing so can help you control food allergies and keep your baby safe. Then, as your child grows, you can switch to their fruit and vegetable blends.
Their organic baby food products are made with high-quality ingredients without artificial flavors. Happy Baby Organics also doesn’t contain added sugars.
Baby Gourmet
When it comes to Canadian baby food brands, nothing beats Baby Gourmet. Their purees come in interesting flavor combinations, like ripe mango and avocado with oats. They even have vanilla banana berry risotto and coconut for those who want to give their baby only the best baby food brands.
One of Baby Gourmet’s organic food options is its “Tasty Textures” line which is made of meat purees such as apple, chicken, and sweet potatoes. They also use non-GMO organic produce without any fillers or artificial preservatives.
Baby Gourmet is also one of the best baby food brands that received the Clean Label Project Purity Award, which means that they go to every length to ensure that their baby foods are free of heavy metals and other impurities.
Cerebelly
Another one on the list is Cerebelly. Founded by a practicing neurosurgeon, Teresa Purzner, M.D., their baby food pouches are entirely based on your age. That’s because they use science to determine the type of baby food that’ll benefit them at their current developmental stage.
Parents and caregivers can take a quiz to gauge their baby’s current language and development cues. The system will also ask about the baby’s social, motor, and visual skills. The results will also show the essential nutrients your child needs so that you can customize the baby food pouches to suit them.
Earth’s Best Organic
Earth’s Best Organic is a delicious baby food brand that manufactures pure blends without using any genetically engineered ingredients. They also ensure they only use organic produce free of pesticides, heavy metals, and harmful chemicals.
Most of their products are also contained in glass jars and baby food pouches. They also have organic baby food snack bars and frozen food entrees for kids. Earth’s Best Organic also offers gluten-free toddler foods and kosher products for kids with dietary restrictions.
Little Spoon
If you feel like your baby’s more than ready to try out certain foods with unique blends, Little Spoon has got you covered. This baby foods brand offers a comprehensive blend of unique products made with purees, seeds, and grains that your baby can enjoy.
For instance, one of their blends contains butternut squash, apple, and quinoa. They also have a combination of avocado oil, basil, kale, and pear.
Little Spoon also uses non-GMO ingredients and organic products. They also don’t have added sugar in any of their organic pouches.
Serenity Kids
Babies might not like the texture or taste of bland pureed meats. Fortunately, Serenity Kids is trying to change that idea. The founders of Serenity Kids, Joe, and Serenity Carr, aim to produce baby foods that can provide more than meat purees to their customers.
The baby food brand primarily uses iron-rich foods as its first option to ensure that kids get the correct dose of iron for their diet. Serenity Kids only use organic baby food pouches that don’t contain any added hormones, antibiotics, fillers, or other common allergens that might trigger adverse reactions in your kid.
Also, baby food uses herbs instead of sugar and salt to add flavors to their organic baby foods. For instance, instead of salt to add flavor to their wild-caught salmon option, they paired it with organic butternut squash and beet as an alternative option to let give their product a distinct taste.
Tiny Organics
For those who are looking for an organic baby food brand that supports baby-led weaning practices, then Tiny Organics is the best choice. baby-led weaning primarily encourages babies to learn how to feed independently using their hands or utensils. Tiny Organics offers baby kid-sized bowls with soft, organic baby food ingredients that babies can grab and eat on their own.
Tiny Organics also offers various flavors with different textures to give your baby’s palette a unique journey. A few of their popular options include banana foster and coconut curry. The organic baby food company is also free of the top nine allergens. It was formulated by their in-house pediatric experts and neonatal nutritionists, making it one of the best baby food brands.
Gerber
Gerber is perhaps one of the most widely available and easily recognizable baby food brands in every baby food aisle. It’s known for its nutritious infant meals. Gerber baby food is divided by developmental milestones, from newborn and assisted sitter to toddler and preschooler. It also comes in glass jars, plastic containers, and pouches.
Gerber Organic is also considered a non-GMO and USDA organic [1]. It’s also free of any added sugar, making it a healthier alternative for breast milk. Gerber Organic is also an excellent food choice for parents who are looking for cheaper baby foods for their babies.
When is the Perfect Time to Start Giving Baby Food?
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization say that the perfect time to give your babies some solid food at 6 months of life. Babies who have already started with formula milk are ready to eat solids once they start showing these signs:
- Proper head control
- Can use their hands to pick up food and place it in their mouth
- Sits well
- Is interested in mealtimes and eager to participate
- Can hold food inside their mouth and knows how to chew
However, there are cases when babies can start eating solid food as early as 4 to 5 months with the advice of your pediatrician. You may start with soft or pureed baby foods.
Tips When Picking Your Baby’s First Baby Food
Picking the best baby food can be challenging. With all the products available in every aisle, it’s no wonder many parents and caregivers are overwhelmed with all the choices available. So, here are a few tips to help you choose the best baby food for your growing kiddo.
Start with Single-ingredient Baby Foods
If you’re planning to give your child commercially available baby food, then it’s best to start with the one which only has one ingredient. Depending on their texture and ingredients, you’ll often see them labeled with stages 1, 2, or 3m.
For instance, organic baby food brands under stage 1 have the smoothest texture and only have one ingredient, such as sweet potato. This type of baby food is ideal for babies ages 4 to 6 months.
Choosing one-ingredient solid foods is a practical way to monitor your child for any food allergies or adverse reactions. Experts suggest monitoring your child for 3 to 5 days for each food [2].
However, you must remember that there isn’t any perfect solid food. However, there are particular solid foods that are ideal for almost every kid. Besides making your baby food, you can also consider other commercially available solid foods such as gluten-free baby cereal, rice cereal, or corn syrup.
Choose the Right Texture
Remember that there are solid foods that are considered potentially choking hazards. So, giving your child fresh food with the right texture based on their development is crucial.
One tip you can consider when introducing solid foods is to prepare foods that your baby can quickly dissolve with their saliva and doesn’t involve chewing. You can also consider feeding your baby small portions of store-bought baby food and encouraging your baby to eat slowly. Also, monitor your child while eating to prevent any chances of choking.
Choose How to Prepare Your Baby’s Food
To make the transition from a liquid to a solid food diet smoother, consider mixing their foods together. You can mix rice cereal with breast milk or infant formula to make the texture smoother. Doing so makes it easier for your baby to swallow them.
You can also consider mashing or turning organic fruits into a puree until they’re smooth. It’s highly advisable to cook hard fruits and vegetables such as sweet potato pieces and tree nuts until they’re soft enough to mash using a fork.
Meanwhile, remember to remove all the fat, bones, and skin from organic foods such as poultry, fish, and meat before you start to cook them. It’s also essential to remove the hard pits and seeds from fruits before cutting them.
Best Baby Foods During the First Year
Baby Formula or Breast Milk
As you transition your baby to organic foods, it’s still essential to supplement your baby’s diet with either infant formula or breast milk to ensure enough nutrition. You can do this by mixing the formula with fresh baby food.
Grain Organic Baby Food Options
Grains such as baby cereals are an excellent choice when introducing other foods to your baby. Grains are rich in iron essential to your baby’s growth and development.
Fruits
Fruits are organic ingredients that you can mix with other ingredients. You can either give it plainly, pureed, or ripe, depending on what your baby prefers. You can also mix it with infant formula or breast milk. It’s best to choose certified USDA organic products to ensure that the fruits are from pesticides and heavy metals.
Vegetables
Like the previous organic ingredients on the list, you can also mix vegetables with either infant formula or breast milk to give them a unique taste. However, remember not to add salt, as this may adversely affect your child’s kidneys.
Protein
The list wouldn’t be complete without proteins as part of your child’s diet. Proteins include tofu, pork, chicken, beef, or beans which you can mix with infant formula or breast milk once cooked.
When Can You Start Giving Your Baby Finger Foods?
Once your baby can sit upright and carry objects to their mouth using their hands or other tools, you can consider giving them the best baby finger foods available. However, you need to ensure that it’s soft and cut into small pieces so it’ll be easy to swallow.
Kindly monitor your child’s every meal and see that they’re eating baby food that should amount to a portion of small, jarred baby food that’s been strained. Also, it’s best to limit their intake of processed foods intended for adults or older kids to limit their salt and preservative intake.
Meanwhile, if you want to give your child fresh baby food, then it’s best to use either a blender or food processor to mash the food. If these aren’t available, you can still make the best fresh baby food using a fork.
Also, ensure that you cook all fresh foods to prevent contamination. You may refrigerate unused ingredients or organic baby food brands to prevent spoilage.
What Happens After Starting to Feed your Child Solids?
Once you start feeding your baby with the best baby food, you’ll soon notice their stools starting to become solid. You’ll also notice a difference in color depending on what they eat. The odor will also be much more pungent because of the sugars and fats they consume.
Even if you feed your baby with an organic brand, you’ll see that your baby’s stool may contain undigested pieces of food, especially hulls of corn or skins of tomatoes. Remember that this is normal since your baby’s digestive system is still developing.
However, if the stool is either loose or watery, then it means that your baby’s digestive tract has some irritation. When this happens, it’s best to reduce the solids momentarily and reintroduce the solids slowly. You can also speak with your child’s doctor to learn more.
Does Your Baby Need Water?
Healthy babies don’t need additional water consumption. That’s because the fluid they get from breast milk or formula is enough to keep them hydrated.
However, it’s vital to provide them with little distilled water every time you give your baby the best baby food. Consider using an open sippy cup or strawed cup to make it easier for them to drink. Also, limit distilled water to no more than 8 ounces daily.
Conclusion
Feeding your kiddo with baby food is a huge step toward their development. So, always consider letting your baby practice eating —sitting up, using a spoon, resting between bites, and stopping when full. Your child will develop healthy eating habits from these early encounters.
Also, consider starting family dinners early. When possible, eat as a family. Family dinners help youngsters with their development. Remember to give them the best baby food brand possible to ensure they get the proper nutrition every time. If you have any questions about feeding your infant baby food, don’t hesitate to contact your pediatrician to learn more.
We hope this article has provided you with enough information to get you started. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below!
