As parents, we all want what’s best for our babies, especially when it comes to what they eat, right? We’re incredibly fortunate to have a ton of online resources compared to previous generations of moms and dads. But while we can be way more informed, we don’t have the time (or energy!) to become experts on everything.
Take grocery shopping for your little one. Sounds simple, but as a mom and a longtime nutritionist, I know that sifting through all the choices and ingredients at the store can be overwhelming. You’re wondering, Is this the right choice for my baby? How do I really know?
I find that understanding what to look for before you shop makes you more informed and more confident in the grocery aisle. And it makes doing homework on brands less time-consuming. What should you look for?
Transparency
Focus on brands that share the farm-to-shelf journey of their products. Increasingly, food companies are sharing more information about where they source ingredients, which gives parents a window into the supply chain that was rarely available until now. The specifics matter – they build trust. Especially for new parents.
“They face daunting challenges when transitioning to solid foods, including allergy potential, texture, safety, and misinformation,” says Dr. Whitney Casares, a pediatrician, Gerber pediatric consultant, author and founder of the popular blog, Modern Mommy Doc. “We want these first foods to be pure – real fruits and real vegetables.”
Brands that care about their customers and about quality have lots of protocols and safety checks in place to make sure they’re offering the best food possible. Gerber, for instance, has been tracing fruits and veggies for our purees to specific farms and fields – like the Karnemaat Farms in Fremont, Michigan – for more than 25 years. “We’re a lot more careful with what we do because we know our end product is going to a baby,” says Kent Karnemaat, a fourth-generation Gerber grower.
Third-party validation
Information from brands isn’t enough. You want someone who doesn’t work there to make sure that a company does what it says and its products contain what they say they do. You’ll usually see this indicated on store shelves as Non-GMO Project Verified or USDA organic. But different certifications test for different things. Reputable third-party validation from a nonprofit like Clean Label Project®, gives parents extra peace of mind.
Recently, Gerber became the largest U.S. baby food company to partner with Clean Label Project. Gerber has been awarded the most First 1,000 Day Promise certifications – the group’s most comprehensive certification – of any U.S. infant feeding brand.
The nonprofit conducts independent tests of consumer-packaged products to provide parents and caregivers the transparency you want and the peace of mind you deserve when feeding your baby. This third-party scrutiny goes beyond FDA and the USDA requirements, which determine what companies report on the nutritional label, in testing for chemicals, heavy metals, and pesticides.
Diversity of products
Finally, I always remind parents to look for a variety of foods for their little one. Having a go-to food that you trust and that baby loves is important (not to mention convenient) but baby can’t live on banana puree alone! “Eating the rainbow” is the healthy way to go.
“Parents should make sure they’re offering their baby a range of food groups,” says Dr. Casares, “such as vegetables, fruits, iron-rich foods, whole grains, and proteins, to ensure they get all the necessary nutrients.”
As a longtime nutritionist and principal scientist at Gerber, I couldn’t agree more. Having a diversified diet and exposure to a range of flavors, textures, and ingredients is essential to supporting your little one’s growth, development, and immune system.
In offering parents a range of products from pouches to cereals to oatmeals and more, Gerber makes it easy to explore a rainbow of flavors no matter which stage of development your little one has reached.
Want to learn more about the Clean Label Project and which Gerber products have received its certification? Take a deeper dive here and explore our high standards for quality.
