When my son was three months old, I went to my regular doctor and got myself a physical. I was concerned about my weight (not baby weight…I’ve always been fat), and when I told her I eat whole grain bread, she said something that stayed with me: “don’t even bother with that…pretty much everything made with wheat in this country is bad for you anyway.”
When it came time to give my son solids, I realized that I never really pay attention to what is in my food or how it got there. If it said “organic,” I trusted it, but I wanted to do better for my son. Y’all, what I found, is not shocking, but it is scary.
The US House Committee on Oversight and Reform released a report on heavy metals in baby foods. The brands tested are basically all those you see on the shelves, Gerber, Happy Baby Organics, Plum Organics, Beech-Nut, and more. Check out this article from Harvard Health Publishing about the report.
Ultimately, what we find out is that nearly every baby food brand on the shelves tested DANGEROUSLY high for metals in their food, every the organic, more pricey brands. Honestly, at this point, I just started googling “baby food without dangerous heavy metals,” and this is what I found…
Cold-Pressed is Best
First and foremost, cold pressed baby food is always going to be more nutrient dense. The process used in the brands found in the report required hot pressing foods, which both introduces metals and strips the foods of nutrients.
Right off the bat, I found several companies that use the cold press process. Yumi, Little Spoon, and Once Upon a Farm, stood out to me the most. You will find reviews about these companies all over the internet, and they are all overwhelmingly good. Differences mainly come down to price and availability, but the good news is that there is no bad choice among these three.
Little Spoon, Yumi, and Once Upon a Farm
After discovering the magic of cold-pressed baby food, I had to decide which one to try. To be honest, I signed up for Yumi first. The jars are unique and caught my eye. They also had a great selection. The next day, I changed my mind and switched to Little Spoon (because I’m indecisive) before switching to Once Upon a Farm.
Little Spoon is fantastic. They have an amazing selection of food with incredible combinations like “Kale Avocado Green Apple Chia” and “Spinach Mango Banana Hemp.” My baby loved EVERYTHING.
Like Yumi, their food is on a delivery system. They deliver every two weeks, and everything has a two-week expiration. You can choose 1, 2, or 3 jars per day for your subscription. At two jars per day, I paid $98/bi-weekly. That’s about $3.50/jar. It’s a little pricey, but great quality.
In the spirit of honesty, mama’s still on that quarantine budget, and I had to switch to something a little more affordable. Ultimately, I gave Once Upon a Farm a try, and it was a great choice.
From Little Spoon To Once Upon a Farm
If you are looking for an easy, affordable ($2.49/pouch), healthy baby food option that’s readily available for your little one, Once Upon a Farm is a guilt-free choice. They offer the same type of delivery subscription as the others, but you can also purchase OUF at Target. This was a major selling point for me. More than that, the food speaks for itself.
The ingredients list is the kind of short and simple that we love. Everything is organic, and the combinations are delicious. My husband always takes a few bites when he feeds the baby, and I’ve been known to give it a little taste test. They even have dairy-free smoothies for a treat (all organic and healthy ingredients, of course).
I thought I wouldn’t like the pouch over the jar, but it doesn’t really matter with cold-pressed food. It has to be heated up, so you’re going to dump it in a pot for about 10 seconds either way.
The Final Verdict
Ultimately, there is no bad choice in the cold-pressed world. Other brands like Cerebelly and Tiny Organics are also great. If, like me, you are an anxious mother, worried about what you feed your child in these crucial developmental years, finding a food brand you can trust is so important for your family. I rest easy knowing that my baby is getting the nutrition he needs.
It’s also worth mentioning that my son has no gut issues. No gas. No upset stomach. Regular bowel movement. Just a happy, healthy guy. The Frida Baby Gas Passer and the Gripe Water go untouched.
Shout out to these amazing companies (most are woman-owned) for filling this incredibly important gap in the industry!
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