The nutrition of your baby is one of the most important factors in allowing them to develop properly and give them the best possible start to life. While many doctors suggest breastfeeding your baby, there are many situations where mothers and babies experience difficulties regarding milk production or the latching process, and selecting the best baby formula is an absolute necessity.
Thankfully there are some great formula options for nourishing your infant, but choosing the best baby formula for your infant can be a difficult choice with the overwhelming number of options on the market today. Doing a small amount of research on the topic can help you make an informed decision regarding which product is the best baby formula for your situation.
In this article, we’ll be exploring the top 10 best baby formula options to help you find a formula that will fit your needs and your budget while offering the best nutrition for your little one.
Product FAQs
1
What Is Baby Formula?
Baby formula is a food product that is specifically designed to help nourish infants. Scientists have taken special care to create formulas that address the unique nutritional needs of infants to ensure the formula offers the most bioavailable nutrients and addresses any vitamin or mineral deficiencies before they occur. Baby formula technology has come a long way over the years, and current formulas offer more variety and choice than ever before for infants with sensitivities to certain ingredients.
2
How Do I Select The Best Baby Formula?
The vast majority of baby formula products are designed to offer the right balance of macronutrients and micronutrients for your growing infant, but the ingredients that each formula uses could be different from each other. This means that paying special attention to food sensitivities like lactose intolerance or other negative effects from certain formulas is especially important. Some babies can use a wide variety of formulas and thrive on all of them, while other infants with multiple food sensitivities or digestive issues require thoughtful selection to ensure that the formula doesn’t bloat the baby or create allergic reactions.
3
How Can I Tell Which Ingredients My Infant Is Sensitive / Allergic To?
Unfortunately, there is no surefire way to know what ingredient the infant will be sensitive to before giving them a particular formula. This is where a watchful eye and an attentive approach will help you greatly in determining the best baby formula for your child. You might choose to use one formula for a few days while observing their reaction to the formula. If you notice any change in your infant’s digestive process, consider switching formulas.
It could be advised to only use one formula at a time to make sure if there are any adverse reactions, you can know immediately which product is the cause of the reaction. Many formulas are designed to be hypoallergenic so risk of serious issues is low, but it’s not uncommon for the baby to experience gas or bloating when the ingredients in their formula are not digesting well.
4
Where Can You Buy The Best Baby Formula?
A great advantage of using baby formula is that you can purchase many brands at your local grocery market across the country. The high availability of these products means a meal is never too far away for your baby. If you can plan ahead, though, buying your baby formula at an online retailer such as Amazon can be a great way to access brands not stocked by your local stores. You may also save a considerable amount of money on some products.
How We Reviewed
We reviewed the baby formulas in this article with the following criteria in mind; Pros & Cons of the formula, the palatability of the drink, the availability of the product in stores and online, and the health benefits associated with the product’s ingredients. We’ve done our best to balance these factors and recommend only the top ten best baby formula options available to parents.
What We Reviewed
- Enfamil Infant Formula
- Gerber Good Start Gentle Powder Infant Formula
- DSS Similac Expert Care NeoSure Ready to Feed
- Similac Pro-Sensitive
- Earth’s Best Organic
- Kirkland Signature
- Gerber Good Start Soy
- Baby’s Only Organic Dairy with DHA & ARA Formula
- Enfamil Reguline Milk-Based Powder
- Vermont Organics TM Milk Based Organic Formula
Enfamil Infant Formula
No products found.
Pros
- One of the top brands on the market
- Includes DHA and choline
- Non-GMO ingredient list
- Good value when looking at ounce to dollar ratio
Cons
- Can foam and hold on to air bubbles if shaken vigorously
- Large amount in package makes trying the product more expensive
Gerber Good Start Gentle Powder Infant Formula
No products found.
Pros
- Gentle on sensitive stomachs
- Includes DHA plus prebiotic and probiotic ingredients
- Non-GMO ingredients
Cons
- Clumps easily and can be harder to mix
- Expensive when compared to other options
DSS Similac Expert Care NeoSure Ready to Feed
No products found.
Pros
- Convenient ready to free bottle
- Includes vitamin E, lutein, and DHA
- Can get stored at room temperature until opened
Cons
- More expensive than powdered options
- Nipples get sold separately and needed for each bottle
- Needs to get refrigerated once opened
Similac Pro-Sensitive
No products found.
Pros
- Gentle for babies with digestive issues
- Safe for lactose-sensitive babies
- Helps eliminate gas and bloating
Cons
- Can get foamy if shaken
- Contains corn syrup as the first ingredient
Earth’s Best Organic
No products found.
Pros
- High-quality ingredients
- Uses organic glucose rather than sucrose like many other products
- All organic ingredient list
Cons
- Not a good choice for lactose-sensitive babies
- Can get foamy which leads to more spit ups
Kirkland Signature
No products found.
Pros
- No corn syrup in the formula
- Non-GMO with prebiotic included
Cons
- Not as widely available in all chain stores
- Not a good option for lactose-sensitive babies
Gerber Good Start Soy
No products found.
Pros
- Good alternative for milk-sensitive babies
- Fortified with DHA essential fatty acids
- Non-GMO ingredients
Cons
- Can be hard to dissolve well
- Some babies are sensitive to soy products
Baby’s Only Organic Dairy with DHA & ARA Formula
No products found.
Pros
- No corn in the ingredient list
- Organic ingredients
- Good for babies over 1 year old
Cons
- May not be a good option for babies sensitive to egg yolks
- Not the best option for under 12 months
Enfamil Reguline Milk-Based Powder
No products found.
Pros
- Easy to digest proteins for sensitive stomachs
- Helps relieve painful to pass hard stools
- A generous dose of DHA for brain development
Cons
- Contains corn syrup
- Some babies didn’t enjoy the taste of the formula
Vermont Organics TM Milk Based Organic Formula
No products found.
Pros
- All organic ingredient list
- Free of antibiotics, growth hormones or pesticides
Cons
- Not a good option for lactose sensitive babies
- Container can easily come open allowing product to spill
No products found.
The Verdict
Using one of the best baby formula options we have reviewed in this list can be a great way for parents to ensure they are properly nourishing their little one. The risk of nutritional deficiencies need not concern you once you have chosen a great formula for your child. Many of the best baby formulas work well for most babies, but depending on your budget and the unique needs of your child, we could see you choosing a few options over other products in this list.
If you’re not burdened by a limited budget and you want a formula that uses all organic ingredients, the Vermont Organics Milk Based Organic Formula would be a great option. It may not work for those babies with lactose sensitivities, but if that’s not your child, consider this product. The ingredient list is high-quality and free of harmful pesticides.
If you’re looking for an option that would work well for lactose-sensitive babies, Gerber Good Start Soy would a worth trying out. Many babies experience gas or bloating with milk sugars or even milk proteins, so switching to soy could help their digestion profoundly.
We hope the research compiled in this list can help you determine which option is the best baby formula for your child’s needs.
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