Being a new mom is tough. For some moms, breastfeeding is the only route to feed their babies. For other moms, breastfeeding may not be an option at all. There are moms who also do combination feeding, because this is their only option.
Regardless which mom category you fall into, feeding your baby the absolute best that you can should be the number one priority. For those moms who have to take the formula route, there are many organic formula options to choose from – (for example) – especially if you look beyond the shelves in America. Plus, the European organic formula options are cleaner and more regulated to ensure your baby gets the healthiest formula.
Why European Organic Formula?
As many parents know, there are organic formula options on the shelves in America. So why would anyone want to switch to organic European formula? Here are four reasons:
- There are very few producers of organic baby formula in the US. With these limited options, the competition that pushes companies to develop better products is also limited. Plus, large companies like Similac already have such a strong place in the baby formula market and competing with them is costly. In the EU, there are many organic baby formula makers like HiPP, Holle, Kendamil, Loulouka, etc. and they are always competing to bring the best organic baby formula to the market.
- The EU regulates the production of baby formula. In fact, they have laid out their standards from the European Commission, so parents can easily see they take infant health seriously. These are simply not “guidelines” that can be followed, they are strictly enforced regulations to ensure proper nutrition is a priority. If there is any place we want government oversight, the production of the foods we feed our babies should be at the forefront.
- Controversial and harmful ingredients are avoided in organic European formula. Ingredients like glucose syrup solids, fructose, dextrose, and sucrose are all avoided. Instead, the natural lactose sweetens the organic baby formula. Plus, most of the organic baby formula completely avoids soy – as research has found there are many harmful effects of soy consumption in babies.
- European formulas are sold in stages, based on growth milestones. In America, you receive one formula stage for the entire first year of a baby’s life. But babies need different nutrients as they grow. For example, “Babies from birth to age 6 months should get 0.27 milligrams of iron a day. Babies ages 7 months to 12 months should get much more — 11 milligrams a day,” according to Stanford Children’s Health. The iron content in American formula is set at 1.8mg of iron, for the entire first year. EU formulas vary this based on the age and brand – for example, HiPP Dutch Stage 1 has 0.5mg of iron, making it much closer to the standards Stanford Children’s Health identified. It’s no wonder why many of the younger babies have constipation issues in America!
Which Organic Formula Should I choose?
There are a few different options we would suggest for organic European formula. Here are our top three picks:
Kendamil
- Only organic whole milk formula on the market
- Large 800-gram tin container for more stable shelf-life
- No soy or maltodextrin in any of the stages
- Vegetarian friendly – as no fish oil used for DHA
- Natural prebiotics from milk
- No palm oil, coconut oil used instead
- Omega-3 and 6 LCPs (DHA & ARA) for brain development (without hexane extraction)
HiPP Dutch
- No soy or maltodextrin in any of the stages
- Large 800-gram tin container for more stable shelf-life
- This combiotic version contains both prebiotics and probiotics
- Organic skimmed milk as main carbohydrate
- Omega-3 and 6 LCPs (DHA and ARA) for brain development
Holle Goat
- Main carbohydrate is from organic goat milk – for sensitive babies
- No Palm oil
- No soy in any stages
- Algae oil is used for DHA, making this vegetarian friendly
- Biodynamic, Demeter, certified – organic to the highest degree
- The best alternative for babies with cow’s milk sensitivity, without the added sugars and synthetic ingredients
Final Thoughts
We hope we have introduced your family to the organic European baby formula market and given you more options for feeding your baby. Now that you know what to put inside of that baby bottle, don’t forget to check out our best bottle sterilizer list as well!