5 Best Baby Food Pouches by Brand
At around the 6 month mark, it’s time for your little one to start eating pureed baby food. This is both exciting and stressful.. as is everything in raising a child! Everyone will tell you to start off with rice cereal and those little canned baby foods that can sit on a shelf for years. What most people aren’t aware of are the risks involved with feeding baby the colorful puree from that cute little jar.
We want to offer the best baby food on the market to our little ones, but there are hidden health risks many parents aren’t aware of. In this post, we’ll review the health risks and then list the safest options (in my opinion, at least)!
Health Risks
The most concerning fact that I discovered in my hours of crawling the internet is heavy metals (and not the headbanging kind). These metals are lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic1. So, I’ve heard of lead and how terrible that can be when it gets into the water, but how are cadmium, mercury and arsenic also getting into baby food and what does it cause?
Metals found in soil are largely derived from the earth’s crust. OK, sounds natural, no red flags – right?
Wrong. Due to the increase in pollution, insecticides, fertilizers, etc., these metals are being introduced into soil we grow our food in now more than ever. These fruits, grains and veggies then absorb the metals which are then blended into marketed baby food. ADDITIONALLY, these metals are also found in the vitamins some companies use to fortify baby foods2.
Effects on Baby
Babies are tiny little humans and their systems simply cannot handle the amount of metals in foods that we can as adults. Introducing these metals to their diet can have drastic effects on their immune, cardiovascular and brain health, sometime causing cancer. These metals have also been proven to have negative impacts on IQ and behavior3.
Now you might be asking yourself, “don’t companies quality test their foods?”
Yes, but companies have been known to set their testing parameters to unsafe levels. This is something that has been brought to the attention of the FDA to impose more strict standards.
What You Can Do
Now that we’ve covered what these metals can do and how they can harm baby, let’s talk about avoiding the problem and keeping your little one safe and healthy! When I first heard about the situation, I thought making my own food from store bought fruits and veggies would be a great idea. That is not always true.
Remember, the metals are in the SOIL that the food is grown in. Yes, sometimes its added to baby food through added vitamins as mentioned earlier, but unless that soil is tested, you can’t be sure the produce grown in it is suitable. This is where it may be beneficial to either grow your own food if you’ve got a green thumb and a soil testing kit or purchase from a trusted brand that does their own soil testing.
Next, avoid the produce we know will test high for metals. The main culprit of these foods is rice, but be weary of sweet potatoes too as they tend to absorb more metals than other produce4. I remember always getting the recommendation to use rice cereal in my babies’ bottle to help him sleep through the night and I’m so glad it had no effect on his sleep habits which caused me to not give it. I was unaware of this information at the time and am so thankful I’m aware now!
Another step I have been taking is avoiding fruit juice. Several brands of apple and grape juices in specific have tested positive for arsenic and lead4 so be careful. I cannot tell you how many times I get asked “when are you going to start giving him juice?” My response is always “why does he need juice?”. He doesn’t. Babies do not need juice. It is essentially sugar water and serves little to no nutritional value other than the artificially added vitamins that baby should be getting from whole foods instead.
Lastly, look for baby food brands that received the Clean Label Purity Award. This means that the food has been tested for hundreds of environmental toxins and has been deemed safe. Check out my favorite brands below.
Best Baby Food Brands
Square Baby – an excellent brand to look into. They pride themselves on their balanced portions and high quality ingredients that are perfect for a developing baby. All food is fully tested to the highest quality standard. Learn more about their Clean Label Project “Purity Award” here. I also appreciate how transparent Square Baby is by providing honest information to the public – something you don’t see from many brands. Check out their article for more information on what they’re doing to minimize toxic metals in baby food here!
Serenity Kids – this brand is known for their meat based baby food, but they also have fruits and veggies. They meet the highest standards in baby food and will always be a safe bet! This brand is also found in most stores in the baby food aisle.
Once Upon a Farm – found in most stores in the refrigerated sections for a reasonable price. Has everything from basic fruit and veggie baby food blends to specialty blends such as immunity blends, smart blends, and ancient grains.
Cerebelly – this brand really focuses on brain health and rigorous testing which is great since baby brain development is so crucial. The owner is a neurosurgeon, so I assume she knows what she’s doing!
Little Spoon – this company also does an excellent job testing for heavy metals. They have a tiered approach where they categorize their baby foods in stages (more ingredients as baby gets older).
Introducing solids can be a wonderful journey of discovery and development. By reading labels and choosing reputable brands, you can provide the best nutrition available for your little one in a way that’s safe! I hope following these tips can help give your baby a healthier start in life. Happy feeding!
References:
2. Baby Foods Are Tainted With Dangerous Levels of Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, and Mercury
3. Exposure routes and health effects of heavy metals on children
4. Heavy Metals in Baby Food: What You Need to Know
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I have thoroughly researched these companies, tried them myself, and hope you will love them as much as I do!