This post brought to you by Sprout Organic Foods . The content and opinions expressed below are that of Mama instincts.
I remember when I had my first child 3+ year ago. There was so much to learn and I only wanted the best for her but I felt overwhelmed at times and guilty about not being able to do it all. I am sure most moms have felt the same way at some point…
One of the things that stressed me out the most was the introduction of solids. I spent hours researching what was the best approach and I also asked my mom friends for advice. I wanted to skip baby food all together and only feed my baby food I made. This was fairly easy to do when I was at home but harder when I was out, especially if I had to rush out the door.
I learned that a lot of moms fed their baby food pouches and at first I had some concerns about it. Is the food safe in those pouches? Are the pouches BPA-free? Is there a brand that doesn’t use preservatives or sweeteners? Are they made with concentrate or do they use real foods? Is there a brand that’s uses non-GMO ingredients? Can the food go bad? How do I store it?
I decided that before I introduced my baby to food pouches I needed all these questions answered and I needed to find a brand I could trust. After all, my babies only get healthy organic food and I wanted to keep it that way.
I learned that the answers to these questions varied by brand and not all baby food was made the same way so I set on to find a company I could trust and that’s when I came across Sprout Organic Foods.
I honestly love everything about this company and as a mama that wants the best for their kids, when I find a brand I can trust I stick to them and really want to support them. Their Mission & Values are exactly what I look for when it comes to companies I want to support. But what I love the most about Sprout is that they use real organic foods and they do not use preservatives.
The ingredients on their front labels match the ingredients on the back of their packaging. This means they don’t use fillers, sweeteners, or concentrates. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve checked out food that said was one thing on the front of the package and when I read the ingredient list it had a lot of other ingredients I didn’t want to feed my kid.
Sprout is the only baby food I have fed my kids because it was the only brand I could find up to my standards. Below you will find what I researched about baby food pouches and why I chose Sprout Organic Foods.
Towards the end of the post you will find instructions on how to store these baby food pouches so you don’t have to worry about what your baby is eating.
Are baby food pouches safe?
The answer to this question depends on what you consider safe. All brands that make food pouches make them in a way that the food doesn’t spoil if used before the “best by” date. However, I don’t consider baby food safe if it’s not organic, or uses preservatives, or has a BPA lined packaging.
So for me, not all food pouches are safe – I actually wouldn’t feed my baby most of my them. This is the reason why I looked into so many brands until I found one that was up to my standards and even then, I was only left with one choice.
For me, a brand that is considered safe has to answers all of the following questions:
Are the pouches BPA-free?
I am happy to report that Sprout pouches are in fact BPA-free.
Is there a brand that doesn’t use preservatives or sweeteners?
Yes, Sprout doesn’t use preservatives nor sweeteners and it’s one of the main reasons I chose them. I looked into other organic baby food brands and they all used preservatives and some even used sweeteners. I was slightly horrified.
Are they made with concentrate or do they use real foods?
You’ll be surprised to find that some brands do use concentrate but not Sprouts. Sprout offers delicious blends of whole fruits, vegetables, and grains giving babies greater exposure to wholesome foods.
This is so important because research shows that developing a love of healthy foods early on helps foster healthy eating habits for life. By not using concentrates or sweeteners your baby gets used to flavors of real food.
Sprout food pouches use the same ingredients I use when I cook for my kid. That is a huge plus in my book!
Is there a brand that’s uses non-GMO ingredients?
Sprout uses ingredients that are GMO-free, which is another reason why I chose them. Baby’s bodies are delicate and still developing, you want to make sure they get the purest form of food and not something that has been genetically modified.
Can the food go bad? How do I store it?
Yes, the food in the pouches can go bad. All food pouches are perishable items so they require basic care and all of them say how is best to store them on their packing or site.
When it comes to Sprout food pouches there is a “best by” date so you have to give them to your baby before that date. They can be stored in a cupboard at room temperature. This means they shouldn’t be exposed to temperatures that are too hot nor too cold.
Once open your baby should eat the contents right away. Whatever is left over can be stored the fridge for 24 hours. If it’s not eaten within those 24 hours it’s best to dispose of the food pouch.
What should I do when looking for baby food?
- Flip that package. Do not believe what is listed on the front of any package, flip it over to check the ingredient list. Seriously.
- Look for baby food that is made with real food and that is organic, non-GMO, free of preservatives, concentrates and sweeteners.
I have found many brands that have one or two of the aspects I look for in baby food, but the only brand I’ve found that complies with my list of requirements is Sprout Organic Foods. Plus they are one of the few brands that don’t use a lot of different ingredients on their food pouches, instead they just use a few (they list them on the front of the pouch) and it’s all ingredients I personally use when preparing homemade baby good. This is why it’s the only brand we use when it comes to baby food, and baby and toddler snacks.
I am so happy I found them because now that I’m a mom of two it’s become quite challenging to prepare food for my baby before we go out so having a food pouch I can grab on my way out has been very convenient.
Our cupboard is stocked with all of their products because I only want to support companies that actually care about our kids and use only the best ingredients. So thank you Sprout Organic Foods for creating a products for mamas like me!
If you haven’t tried Sprout, then stop by your local Babies R Us between Sep 9th – Oct 2nd so you can receive a $10 gift card with a $25 Sprout purchase.
Have you tried Sprouts organic baby food pouches? What did you think of it?
Anna @ To Make a Mommy says
Hi Carolina! I worry about the lining of these even when they aren’t BPA. We know that other soft plastics still have the endocrine disrupting properties even when they aren’t BPA. My toddler LOVES pouches and we supplement many meals with them. He likes to suck the food right out. I worry every day about what the packages are made of. Did you do any investigating into what materials ates users in the lining of the pouches? And are they all the same or are there different manufacturers with different linings? Thanks!!!
Carolina says
Hi Anna! I am sorry I haven’t gotten back to you. I looked into this a while back before deciding if I was going to give these food pouches to my baby.
I really want to give you an updated answer so I asked the manufacturer again about it. As soon as I hear back from them I’ll be letting you know.
This information is something that has to be asked directly with each company since a lot of them outsource the packaging.
Carolina says
Hi Anna!
I spoke to Sprout about their packaging and requested more detailed information about their lining. This is what I found out:
They do not use endocrine disrupting properties in their pouch packaging materials. The pouch supplier conducts mandatory tests every 6 months to comply with local food safety laws and requirements. Also, the pouch supplier’s raw material suppliers test their materials for endocrine disrupting properties every year.
The film material they use complies with US FDA regulation and European Regulation EU No 10/2011. In my personal opinion EU standards are a lot better than the US so the fact that it complies with them makes me happy.
I hope that puts your mind at ease. I cannot speak for all the other brands because after I read some of the ingredients they used I decided not to use them and have been only using Sprout for the past 2+ years.
Let me know if you have any other questions. 🙂
Anna says
Thanks Carolina! This is great information and does make me feel better. Any chance they told you what that film material is?
Carolina says
I didn’t ask but if you want me to find out for you I will. 🙂
Just let me know.
Shannon says
Hi Carolina!
I was wondering if you might know and be able to explain to me how these pouches can be stored at room temperature without needing preservatives? I noticed a few pouches have a higher level of sodium, which makes me think that might be the alternative to preservatives, but some of the pouches have no sodium. I make homemade pouches that we use, but it’s just so much easier to have some that can stay in the diaper bag all the time without needing to be refrigerated. I just want to make sure I understand everything that I’m putting into my son when I give him these pouches, and they almost seem too good to be true. Thanks for any insight!
Carolina says
Hello Shannon,
It has to do with their system of packaging the food but the best person to answer this in detail would be Sprouts, you can reach them at info@sproutfoods.com or if you’d like I can get more detailed information for you. Just let me know!
Nicole says
Hi! New mom here, I would love the answer to this as well. I will also be asking Sprout myself. I currently puree all my baby food myself, and most fruits and veggies only last 3 days in the fridge. Im trying to figure out how these foods dont go bad at room temp. Will post my answer when they respond!