Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Good Guide's Best Baby Foods

Greener Living in Honor of Earth Day

In honor of Earth Day, April 22nd, this week we will post the best green products. Identifying safe baby products can be a challenge, especially when there are so many products out there to choose from: clothing, diapers, bottles, shampoo, soap, baby wipes, toys.

GoodGuide, is a Web-based system that rates consumer products — personal care, food, household cleaners, and toys, so far—on their health, environmental, and social impacts. Dara O’Rourke, a professor of environmental policy at the University of California, Berkeley got the help of some of his students in his lab to take academic-quality research and make it accessible to average people, empowering them to find healthier, greener products. Today the company provides ratings for more than 75,000 items.

Best Baby Foods

You need to reference the actual guide since different products made by the same company listed below may rate higher than other foods made by the same company. You may also want to compare how they are rated. For example, all the foods listed below are rated highest as number 10 for health. They may rate lower due to packaging. Despite the GoodGuide ratings you must still read labels for ingredients you may or may not want to feed the baby.

1. Homemade Baby Piwi Baby Food




2. Stonyfield Simply Plain Yobaby Organic Whole Milk




3. Tastybaby Peas On Earth




4. Dr. Susanna's World Baby Foods



5. HAPPYBABY Organic Baby Food




6. Plum Organics




7. Petite Palate




8. Healthy Times Organic Baby Food



9. Nature's Goodness


Worst Baby Foods



Specific foods by the same companies may rate much higher. For example, although Beech Nut multigrain cereal with bananas rates the lowest they have other foods that rate much better.

1. Beech Nut Cereal Multigrain with Bananas
2. Healthy Times Baby Sweet Peas, Organic
3. Nature's Goodness 2, Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
4. Gerber Mixed Grain Cereal
5. Earth's Best Yummy Tummy Instant Oatmeal

3 comments:

Imani said...

I threw out our beech nut cereal! But thanks for advice to check out list 'cause I found other Beech Nut products are ok.

Anonymous said...

IMO...Ready made baby foods should only be used if on the go. You can make up your own just as easy by mashing. However, when you cook a food many of the nutrients are lost. So better to just cut up the food and let the baby eat them fresh.
Also, many babies don't like pureered food- and would rather prefer to self food with real bits of food. It's much better for the baby in the end, as they develop their mouth muscles and a more mature gag reflex. Baby lead weaning is a good subject to research, it's taught me alot! How did generations before us do it without all this premade baby food?

Anonymous said...

Also wanted to add- giving a baby real pcs. of fruit or veggies with a Nubby Nibbler is much more healthy- as they are eating a fresh pc. of food.