As a parent, we know that you only want to give your child the best of everything that you can.
It’s why you did so much research on cribs, why you read countless parenting books while expecting, and of course, why you want to ensure that you’re giving baby the most nutritious — and the safest — formula possible.
You know that organic baby formula, especially those from Europe, are packed with probiotics to aid digestion, free from GMOs, and have a much lower sugar content than many American-made formulas.
Still, before you make a decision about which organic formula is right for your baby, you’d like to learn a bit more about what you should look for first.
Consider this your quick and easy guide to choosing the healthiest baby formula for your little one.
1. Consider Goat’s Milk
One of the best things about organic baby formula, especially if it’s made in Europe, is that it often made from goat’s milk.
If your child has an allergy to cow’s milk, or if it always seems to give them digestive issues, consider making the switch to goat milk.
Goat milk is packed with fatty acids that make it easy for babies to digest, and it contains much higher levels of calcium than cow’s milk.
Plus, the much-needed nutrients in goat’s milk absorb into your baby’s system faster than the nutrients from cow’s milk.
2. Investigate Farming Practices
Make sure that you do the proper research on the farming practices of the formula companies you’re considering buying products from.
Organic formulas have much stricter regulations about how the animals that provide the milk can be farmed — and what they’re fed. Often, these formulas are required to have no detectable level of pesticides and other chemicals before they can hit the shelves.
Additionally, organic formula, especially if it’s from Europe, comes from animals on a biodynamic farm.
This means they eat only grass, and that farmers use sustainable farming methods and stay away from synthetic fertilizers, GMOs, and pesticides.
3. Choose the Right Stage
As your baby continues to grow, their nutritional needs will shift along with their development.
Usually, you’d have to feed your baby the same kind of formula from birth to one year of age. But if you go with organic baby formula, you’ll actually be able to choose formula options specifically designed to match and benefit your baby’s current stage of growth.
Some organic brands may offer two different stages, while others can offer as many as four.
For example, stage one formulas often contain high amounts of prebiotics and probiotics, which are designed to help your baby develop a healthy immune system.
Stage four formulas can be given to your child once they turn two years old. It contains higher levels of Vitamin D and iron to boost cognitive development and growth.
4. Know the Ingredients to Avoid
Your little one deserves the safest baby formula possible — and you’ve likely already done some research regarding questionable ingredients in baby formula today.
We’ve already discussed how important it is to avoid formulas that contain excessive sugar, but you should also be on the lookout for things like sucrose and lactose.
These artificial sweeteners may cause dental problems, could cause your baby to develop a metabolic disorder, and, more than anything else, makes them crave sugar. Especially since obesity rates in the United States and elsewhere continue to climb, this early addiction to sugar could quickly set the stage for a life of weight gain and resulting health problems.
While common ingredients in many American formulas, European formula brands are banned from including sugar additives into infant formula.
But sugar is far from the only thing you need to avoid when shopping for organic baby formula. Also stay away from formula containing synthetic preservatives and nutrients, palm oil, carrageenan, and maltodextrin. Again, most of these dangerous ingredients are banned from EU-made formulas, but it’s always good to check — especially if you’re buying formula made in the United States.
5. Look into the Nutrients the Formula Contains
When you’re trying to decide on the best organic infant formula, take a hard look at the nutrients that it offers your baby.
European companies like HiPP provide organic formula that is filled with Vitamin E, antioxidants, and Lutein to help ensure healthy brain development in babies.
Also, be on the lookout for organic formulas that contain valuable nutrients like fatty acids, L-Carnitine, and amino acids such as tyrosine and phenylalanine. Organic formulas will also contain valuable probiotics, which can help to reduce diarrhea and make sure that your baby is getting enough healthy bacteria.
These nutrients usually aren’t required in formulas made in the United States, but can easily be found in organic European formulas.
Only Buy Organic Baby Formula from a Reliable Source
Above all, ensure that you buy organic baby formula only from a trusted, reliable source.
You may not be able to get the formula you need for your baby in the United States, and will, therefore, need to buy it online.
At Formulaland, we’re committed to bringing you the highest quality of organic and European baby formula and other baby care products. We offer fast shipping, reasonable prices, and a wide variety of trusted brands, from HiPP and Holle to Lebenswert and Bambinchen.
You can even read customer reviews about many of these products from other parents who have tried them out.
Shop for whatever your baby needs with us, and breathe easy knowing that they’ll be getting only the best.