Organic non gmo baby food

The Best Organic Baby Foods of 2022

Feeding

written by JACLYN VORAN

April 14, 2022

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It’s time to start your baby on solid foods—congrats! You and your baby have reached a big milestone.

If you’re anything like us, you may feel overwhelmed at where to start. It seems that everyone has an opinion on what’s best for babies when it comes to, well, just about everything—and starting solid foods is no exception.

Whether you’re taking the puree approach, diving straight into baby-led weaning, or some combination of the two, the most important thing is starting your baby off with a healthy and balanced diet. This means a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products (that don’t include milk since the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastmilk or formula until 12 months before offering them whole milk).

With so many baby food options out there today, it’s easy to get confused and to wonder what’s best or if there’s really any difference.

Is Organic Baby Food Actually Better?

Nutritionally, no. When it comes to chemicals and pesticides, yes.

Research does not suggest that organic food provides major nutritional benefits over non-organic food, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). However, organic baby foods may have lower levels of certain pesticides and other chemicals, the AAP says.

The one thing all experts agree on is that offering your baby a wide variety of healthy options, whether they’re organic or not, is what matters most.

When Should I Start Giving My Baby Solids?

Most experts recommend waiting until your baby is 6 months old to start solids.

The AAP advises that you make sure your baby is physically ready for solids—they should be able to hold their head up and sit in a high chair or infant seat with good head control.

Another sign of readiness? They open their mouth when food comes their way or when they watch you eating. They may even reach for your food.

What Kind of Food Should I Give My Baby First?

To prevent choking, it’s best to start babies on soft or pureed food. Initially, you may want to limit foods to a single ingredient at a time for a few days to watch for any reactions before introducing a new one. After a couple months, your baby’s diet should include lots of different types of food, including breastmilk and/or formula, fruits, vegetables, meat, cereal, eggs, and fish.

Our Favorite Organic Baby Food Brands

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As a busy parent, time isn’t always on your side. Making baby food from scratch can be stressful and time consuming, especially when it comes to appeasing picky eaters. Luckily, there are several pre-made organic baby food options that take the guesswork out of feeding your child.

Since the National Organic Program of the USDA has developed strict rules and regulations that govern USDA certified organic foods, those carrying the USDA organic seal cannot contain GMOs or any artificial preservatives, colors or flavors. And certain studies show that organic fruits and vegetables have significantly more antioxidant polyphenols than conventionally grown produce. Encouraging an abundance and variety of fruits and vegetables at all ages is key, but organically grown produce can provide some additional benefits without the GMOs or preservatives.

And speaking of ages, our nutrition experts point out that baby food stages aren’t standardized but there are general guidelines that many brands utilize. Keep in mind that every baby develops differently, and some babies are ready for stage 2 before they are 7 months old, while others may not be ready until they are closer to 10 months old. Talk to your pediatrician to help guide you throughout the process, and remember that it’s important for babies to advance through the stages on their own time.

As a general rule of thumb, Stage 1 foods generally consist of a single ingredient purees and are ideal for babies ages 4-6 months. Stage 2 foods are best for babies ages 6-9 months and start to incorporate more than one ingredient. Stage 3 foods are for babies 9-12 months, and they feature a lot of different textures and new flavors. Stage 4 foods are for babies at least one year of age and typically indicate that table food can be introduced.

A note on heavy metals in baby food: If you’ve heard about concerns regarding heavy metals in baby food, it’s important to know that they are naturally occurring and enter the food supply from natural sources like soil, water and air. It is nearly impossible to completely avoid these metals, but parents can minimize the risk by feeding their baby a variety of foods. Opt for grain-based cereals and snacks instead of rice-based options and be sure to limit fruit juices. Our experts say you can and should keep giving carrots and sweet potatoes because they contain important nutrients, but given that they grow in the ground, they may naturally contain higher levels of heavy metals so be sure to serve them along with other fruits and vegetables.

To make sure you're giving your child the very best, we put several brands to the test through a panel of kids, moms and editors to see which organic baby food products are the best for your baby. We’ve also included information on what measures each brand is taking regarding minimizing heavy metals in their products. Here are the best organic baby foods of 2022:

Once Upon a Farm

Organic Fruit & Veggie Blend Baby Sampler

Once Upon A Farm

SHOP AT AMAZON

Cerebelly

Organic Baby Puree Pouches

Cerebelly

SHOP AT AMAZON

Holle USA

Organic Fruit Puree

Holle USA

SHOP AT AMAZON

Happy Family Organics

Pouches & Jars

SHOP AT AMAZON

Plum

Organics Pouches

SHOP AT AMAZON

Serenity Kids

Organic Savory Veggies and Ethically Sourced Meats Variety Pack

Serenity Kids

Now 20% off

$27 AT AMAZON

ALDI

Little Journey Pouches

SHOP AT ALDI

Amara

Organic Baby Food Pouches

Amara

SHOP AT AMAZON

Gerber

Organic Pouches & Freshful Start

SHOP AT AMAZON

Little Spoon

This subscription-based baby food service brings a unique twist to the traditional baby food we see on the market. Our nutrition pros appreciate that the organic baby blends feature nutritious ingredient combinations including chia seeds, buckwheat, pumpkin seed and hemp seeds. Plus, they offer a line of small packs called boosters that act as nutritional supplements to mix into your baby’s food that our mommy testers loved. You can select from four different types of boosters that are carefully sourced with vitamins, minerals, probiotics and organic produce.

Their line of Babyblends purees are now Clean Label Project verified, which tests for over 400 industrial environmental contaminants including heavy metals and more.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Yumi

Blends

Yumi

SHOP AT HELLOYUMI.COM

Tiny Organics

These organic baby and toddler meals are conveniently delivered to your door and are packed with super nutrients. Our nutrition pros and testers both love that Tiny products are free from the big 8 allergens. Curated by a team of chef and neonatal nutritionists, the meals are made fresh and shipped frozen. Their new Tiny Beginnings product line has six different plant-based baby meal options to choose from and is created for 4-8-month-olds.

When sourcing ingredients, Tiny's team shared with GH that they require the farmers to provide heavy metal tests on the lots from the year prior and when they harvest the new lot. The team also does internal lab tests on specific ingredients to make sure it is within the brand's specifications. All ingredients are all sustainably sourced within the US from local farms to reduce carbon footprint and are USDA-certified organic.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

How we tested

Registered dietitians in the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab evaluated dozens of baby food products, specifically analyzing ingredient lists and nutrition labels. Our nutrition experts prioritized USDA Certified Organic options made with wholesome ingredients and free of artificial preservatives, colors or flavors. We also investigated efforts that the brands are making to minimize heavy metal exposure in their products. In addition to expert analysis, we recruited a panel of parents and little ones to provide real-life feedback on quality, variety, portion sizes, convenience, packaging and more. We’re confident that our top picks are the best organic baby food options to provide exceptional nourishment and quality.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

As deputy director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab for the past two years, Stefani Sassos, MS, RDN, CSO, CDN, NASM-CPT handles all nutrition content, product testing and evaluation. She stays up to date on the latest research to provide evidence-based reporting on all things diet and nutrition, and she also runs large-scale tests and analysis for products ranging from protein bars to supplements. She has a master's degree in clinical nutrition from New York University and has been a registered dietitian for six years, working in the clinical setting prior to Good Housekeeping and obtaining advanced credentials and board certifications in the nutrition field. As a new mom to a 6-month-old baby girl, Stefani is personally invested in thoroughly vetting and testing baby food products for her family and yours.

Stefani Sassos, M.S., R.D.N., C.S.O., C.D.N., NASM-CPT Nutrition Lab Deputy Director Stefani (she/her) is a registered dietitian, a NASM-certified personal trainer and the deputy director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab, where she handles all nutrition- and fitness-related content, testing and evaluation.

How to choose baby food without GMOs

— Anastasia Ivanovna, what are GMOs in baby food and why are they needed?

— In genetically modified organisms (abbreviated as GMOs), genetic information is changed in a special way - certain genes are included or excluded. As a result of genetic engineering, living objects are obtained that do not exist in nature. Mostly we are talking about plants and animals. The World Health Organization defines GMOs as all organisms in which the DNA has been altered.

The goals of genetic engineering were originally good - growing new varieties of cereals and vegetables that will be stored for a long time or look good, contain more vitamins.

Since June 2016, there has been a ban on the production and cultivation of genetically modified foods in Russia, and the import of GMOs from other countries has also been banned.

— Why are GMOs scary and are mixtures, purees and cereals with GMOs dangerous for children?

- Gene modification is confused with a gene mutation, which everyone is afraid of as changes in the cells of the body at the genetic level. Therefore, all infant formulas, cereals, mashed potatoes with GMOs are considered dangerous and they try to limit or exclude their use. No one will risk the health of children.

Parents also fear that GMOs will cause allergies or gastrointestinal problems. Essentially, any food can be an allergen, and whether an allergy would correlate with GMOs is not always clear. Digestive problems in babies are more related to the diet and day.

Myth 1. Genetically modified foods are everywhere.

— Genetic engineering is a rather expensive process, which is more often used for medical purposes, molecular genetics. If there were GMO products on sale, they would be labeled. In addition, Rospotrebnadzor regularly examines product samples, and you can be calm about baby food.

Myth 2. If you eat a lot of genetically modified food, you will become a mutant.

— Not all GM foods affect our body. If you believe this myth, then any potato or cucumber can give a mutation.

Myth 3. GMOs are poison, and non-GMOs are healthy.

Also delusion. On the one hand, genetic modification is confused with mutation, on the other hand, the intrigues of advertisers and marketing tricks are tangible.

Myth 4. GMO causes infertility, cancer, allergies.

- An allergic reaction can be to any product. However, food is not considered a factor that may or may not affect the development of cancerous tumors. The WHO website lists more than 160 causes of cancer, and none of them are related to food. There are no GMOs either.

- Soybeans, rapeseed, corn, wheat are some of the most popular modified plants, and are often used in baby food. What "modified" ingredients should be avoided?

- It is undesirable to abuse cereals that contain a lot of starch. It is not only harmful to the undeveloped enzymatic system of the child, but also gives an insulin response. Starch is also often used as a thickening preservative in baby purees.

Soy is rarely found in baby formulas, and you can be sure about products for babies from 0 to 3 years old. A conscientious producer will add regular soybeans instead of genetically modified soybeans. The same with corn.

Despite the fact that we have secured ourselves by a ban on the import of products with GMOs, when ordering online from abroad, there is a risk of purchasing baby food with GMOs that is not certified in Russia.

MAMAKO ^® Goat Milk Non-GMO Baby Food also does not contain starch, rapeseed or palm oil. Links to a wide range of products:

Non-GMO infant formula
non-GMO baby cereals
non-GMO baby cream soups
non-GMO baby puree with cottage cheese and fruit

MAMAKO ^® ORGANIC cereals are a combination of organic cereals and fruits and 32% ORGANIC farm goat milk.

— What to look for when choosing baby food: what should not be in infant formula, and what labels can alert?

- All components of baby food should be natural and understandable to mom, and a product with unknown ingredients should be immediately returned to the shelf . Moisture-retaining ingredients, vegetable fats, and many other food ingredients can be dangerous.

Among the E-additives there are few natural ingredients, for example, E260 - citric acid, E300 - ascorbic acid, E290 - carbon dioxide. It is necessary to be afraid of synthetic additives among preservatives and thickeners, because they affect digestion, the occurrence of allergies. For children, the most dangerous food additive E270 is lactic acid, which must be avoided.
Flavors that are identical to natural, they only talk about imitation of natural ingredients, but in fact they are artificial ingredients.
Carcinogenic additives, additives that can harm the stomach, lead to skin diseases, cause intestinal disorders, and pressure changes are prohibited in the Russian Federation.

- Is organic baby food different from "bio" products?

- A product made from pure agricultural raw materials is called organic. To do this, plants are grown without fertilizers and growth stimulants, and free-range, stress-free keeping and growing without hormones and antibiotics are provided for animals. At the same time, the ecological situation cannot guarantee an organic approach to cultivation, and the concept of "environmentally friendly production" is often confused with "natural product".

Prefixes bio - in bio-potatoes, bio-kefir - will have different meanings. In fermented milk products, such marking means the presence of not only beneficial fungi, but also live bacteria. This is another category of product with additives. Some of them are needed to give the product certain properties so that it looks good, stored for a long time - and they are not very useful; others are beneficial - for example, products of the 0-3 year category are fortified.

— Is it possible to completely avoid GMOs by switching a child to homemade natural baby food?

- No matter how sad it may sound, no one is immune from anything. When a mother cooks at home, she cannot be one hundred percent sure of the quality of the products. Both gastroenterologists and allergists tend to this. Even garden-grown potatoes can be overfed with fertilizer. The same goes for complementary foods - you can spend time cooking, but not get sure that the child eats really high-quality food, including without the intervention of genetic engineering.

The topic of GMOs is controversial, especially in baby food, because genetic modification of crops is often confused with gene mutation. Some argue that such products should not be eaten, while others, on the contrary, say that they do not affect health. Therefore, the issue of genetically modified food should be approached carefully and given to the child industrial baby food marked “GMO-free”.

* Breast milk is the best food for babies. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a child's life and continued breastfeeding after complementary foods are introduced until the age of 2 years. Before introducing new products into the baby's diet, you should consult with a specialist. The material is for informational purposes and cannot replace the advice of a healthcare professional. For feeding children from birth. The product is certified.

Baby food without transgenics. How to choose non-GMO baby food

Your baby's health directly depends on what he eats. The range of baby food in our stores is great. But how to make the right choice and buy exactly what will be useful for the child, and not harm him?

It would seem very simple. Choose food more expensive, and the manufacturer is more famous. The method is common, but not always effective. Indeed, in Russia, even the most respected manufacturers do not comply with the rules for mandatory labeling of products containing genetically modified ingredients (GMOs). And transgenes are used almost everywhere - in dry milk mixtures and cereals, in canned food for children, in cookies. It is impossible to distinguish such products from natural ones without a special examination. Meanwhile, they are dangerous for the health of babies.

Children's organism, especially up to 4 years old, reacts sharply to foreign proteins, to which it is not adapted. Transgenes increase the risk of allergies, food poisoning tenfold, cause resistance to antibiotics, and affect the development of tumors and chronic diseases.

After years of research, the Pediatrics Clinic at Cornell University was able to show that feeding GM soy products to children increases the risk of thyroid disease by at least three times.

But how can you keep your child from trying experimental products?

The only way is to choose "conscious" manufacturers. Greenpeace conducted a survey of baby food manufacturers and collected data on which companies use GMOs and which have abandoned them. In addition, the products of many manufacturers were tested by Greenpeace experts and the centers of hygiene and epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor. The data obtained formed the basis of a special Greenpeace guide for parents.

It contains lists of producers using and not using transgenes.

Laws are currently being prepared in Russia that will allow the use of transgenics in baby food. In this case, our children will become participants in a dangerous experiment.

We cannot risk the health of our children! Greenpeace believes that transgenics in baby food should be banned!

If you are concerned about the health of the smallest, take part in the Greenpeace campaign - send an appeal to the Minister of Health M. Yu. Zurabov with a demand to ban the use of GMI in baby food.

Details at www.greenpeace.ru

Article provided by Greenpeace

Review

The information on the site is for reference only and is not a recommendation for self-diagnosis and treatment. For medical questions, be sure to consult your doctor.

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