Breast milk is the nectar of life for newborns, and nothing can match its nutritional value. However, not all mothers have the option to breastfeed their babies due to medical complications or personal preference. This creates a void that infant formulas try to fill by replicating the nutrient profile of breast milk as much as possible.
But with so many types of formula claiming to be closest to breast milk, how do you decide which one to choose? That’s where we come in – we’re going on a Formula Face-off!
The Contenders
In this competition, we’ve picked four popular brands that claim their formula is closest to breast milk:
- Similac Advance
- Enfamil NeuroPro
- Earth's Best Organic Infant Formula
- Gerber Good Start Gentle
We’ll evaluate each brand based on eight key factors: nutritional content, protein source, carbohydrate source, fat source and amount (including DHA & ARA), additives included, cost per serving, packaging, and consumer reviews.
Ready? Let’s get started!
Nutritional Content
When it comes down purely from Nutrition Point Of View, gerber good start shows multiple vitamins including iron 100%, b-carontine vitamin E plus organic yogurt added whereas similac advance claims high levels (Vitamin E - 20% DV versus only 6% Daily Value in Enfamil) however earth's best misses out fructose corn syrup but having lower than fe mean calories per ounce(.68 compared like the leader typically has .71).
Formula | Calories | Carbohydrates Grams (Sugars) | Protein Grams | Fat Gramm(Verified Ingredients) --------|---------|-------------|---------|--| Similac Advance (w/ Iron) | 20 | 11 (0.78) | 2.1 | 5.3 | | Enfamil NeuroPro Gentlease(w/ Iron) |20 | 23_Total Includes other carb sources (6) |2.9__ |___5.3+(Milk Fat Globule membrane style) / Medium Chain Triglycerides |lactoferrin, MFGM components and Lutein Earth's Best Organic Infant Formula w/DHA & ARA ^(1)|_|+++++++ (^8~^^No Corn Syrup Solids Used^~~~>)+++++++++_(Verified) Gerber Good Start Gentle (w/ HMO, DHA & Probiotics, Stage 1)|__|
Protein Source
Protein source and quality is crucial for infant development as it aids in tissue repair and growth.
Similac Advance has a blend of cow's milk whey protein concentrate and casein while Enfamil Neuropro contains partially hydrolyzed nonfat milk to lower the risk of colic.
On the other hand, Earth’s Best Organic Infant Formula uses whey-protein ratio that’s similar to breastmilk which sets them apart from them group. Also they use Spent Grain Solubles as their main ingredient so no-chance for any leftover grain!
Gerber Good Start Gentle claim immune system boosting with probiotics included so you can see where this contest may lead- 😉
Carbohydrate Source
Carbohydrates act as energy fueling agents in babies and facilitate brain function among many other reasons behind its inclusion in baby formula. The two most commonly used carbohydrate sources are corn syrup solids or lactose – which one tastes like Breast Milk?
Out of our contestants, Simila advance seems to use the latter while gerber good start leans towards corn syrup. Earth’s Best Organic Infant Formula makes use of a blend of organic brown rice, and organic starches.
Enfamil NeuroPro Gentlease also includes multiple carb sources that are ensured to be reduced lactose.
Fats
Breast milk contains plenty of unsaturated fats which must match in formulas’ nutritional contents . Similac Advance uses soy oil & coconut oil with high oleic sunflower oil followed by palm olein oil & then adds nucleotides along with many other vitamins including ARA (Arachidonic Acid) which is known for aiding baby growth later on through our digestive systems too! The reason behind choosing these oils is because they’re closer to the composition found in human breast milk compared to other fat sources such as palm kernel and canola oils.
Whereas Enfamil has used a combination of MFGM style( docosahexaenoic acid- DHA) fatty acids , but like its predecessor, it avoids Palm Oil usage!.
Earth's best organic infant formula impressively shows low AA/DHA ratio lower than all three competitors, notably showing only arachidonic acid insteads adding docosahexaenoic acid though still not sufficient enough addition against breastmilk nutrients(!)
Gerber Good start Gentle stages utilize coconut based fats being more beneficial from digestibility Point Of View...
When you're an advocate actress promoting your products; nothing does well when we forget about packaging.
Packaging
Here’s where it all comes down - Every food product’s outer shell should reflect what is inside every box since people have different ways of handling storage at areas normally higher/humid ones may spoil them. Doctors recommend not using bulk supplies on times affected adversely by external temperature conditions or longer durations thus making this label us know It needs even partial artificial preservatives hence buying smaller packages helps.
While all four competitors have drop shaped packaging formats, two of the brands go a step further for extra.
Similac infant powder formula unfortunately uses plastic jars which could increase environmental contamination and may not be easy to handle. Whereas Gerber on the same level sells their products in box-shaped containers, making it easier for customers that can efficiently handle storage comparisons while avoiding possible contamination.
Conclusion
As Baby Formula consumers are responsible for purchasing something with enough nutritional value closest mimicking human breast milk researched upon; we’re confident Enfamil NeuroPro Gentlease is one of overall better choices as compared to most popular products on market today containing essential nutrients including nucleotides other than using nonfat Milk Protein Concentrates+MFGM components instead of whey concentrates only leading us towards lesser protein intake as recommended by professionals All depends Being conscious about what you put into your baby’s body could make or break them!