Earth's Best is the Best indeed!
Written: Jul 13 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Healthy, tasty for my son, organic
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: Quality product that is good for your child!
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| daycogs's Full Review: Earths Best Baby Cereals |
My son's MD suggested giving our son cereal to help him avoid spitting up so much (he's 4 months old). We live in Germany and I do about 50% of our food shopping at the commissary. After the ped. recommended giving Linc the cereal I went and purchased the two kinds of cereal that the commissary stocked: Gerber and Nature's Goodness (Del Monte). Since this review is of of Earth's Best, I will just say that I did not care for these cereals AT ALL. First of all, they were messy. And the consistency resembled fish food. My son did seem to "like" it; however, I should preface that statement by telling you that he's his father's son: he would probably eat anything! Also, he continued to spit up while I was using Nature's Goodness and Gerber.
Luckily for us, I was flying back to NYC for a family visit. While I was there, one of the first things I did was set out to buy Earth's Best cereal (rice). There are many reasons why I had decided to give this a try (but since I knew that Linc is not a picky eater, I knew we wouldn't have to "try"...we could just make the switch). I am a very healthy eater, am a vegetarian, buy local produce always, & I believe in buying organically when you can. I believe that pesticides, hormones,& the like do not belong in our food. I knew from researching online that Earth's Best baby foods use organic ingredients, do not use genetically engineered ingredients, don't use artificial flavors or preservatives, and are made from whole grains (I read this on the Earth's Best website: http://www.earthsbest.com/about_eb/index.php). I also noted that Earth's Best is USDA certified for organics, meaning that an agency accredited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Earth's Best is certified by Oregon Tilth) certifies that the products used by Earth's Best meet strict federal organic standards. In order for this to happen, Earth's Best must use at least 95% organic ingredients. Those are all reasons why I wanted to use Earth's Best. I would like to find out about the other 5%, but I am not too concerned.
From researching the company via the web, I just really liked their philosophy....very natural, organic (no pun intended!), and healthy. I liked the idea that they use only whole grains...which I feel may help to establish a foundation for eating only whole grains later in life (like me and my husband). Whole grains lower your chances of high blood pressure, heart disease, and have a high fiber content. I believe that it is never too early to instill a healthy attitude in your children about health, food, and consumption.
I found Earth's Best at the local Babies R Us. They had the cereals, the jar food, formula, and biscuits. Because I wanted to be able to bring the cereal back to Germany with me on the plane, I purchased the box of rice cereal that held six single serve pouches inside. This would be much better for me than lugging the box onto the plane. And also, it would be easier for me to pack some into my suitcase as well. The single serve pouches are 3 oz in size and you just tear off the top to prepare the meal.
As soon as I got back to my parents I fed my son. I decided to try the cereal. As soon as I opened the small single serve pouch, I could see the difference. This cereal did not in any way resemble fish food. It has a very fine consistency and is light tan in color. The other cereals I had tried were very flaky and didn't really blend well. For this first feeding I mixed some of the cereal into my son's bottle. It mixed right in and didn't clump as the Gerber had. Also, using the single serve size pouch was a lot easier than using those bulky cereal boxes with those flimsy spouts. I admit that I tasted the cereal/milk mixture. It tasted "okay"....very bland and well, ricey if that is a word. But who cares what I think about the taste. Lincoln's opinion is all that really matters in terms of this review.
Lincoln did not seem to notice that I had used a different cereal...although he did drink every drop...like he had never eaten before! I don't know if it was the NYC air or the cereal, but that is what happened the first time I gave it to him. Since he didn't seem to notice/care, I knew that this would now become our cereal of choice (and also would be our baby food of choice when we try solids).
I should also report that when I was giving Lincoln the Gerber and the DelMonte cereals, his poop became really compact and not too regular. Once I switched to Earth's Best, he became regular again and his normal poop times/consistency returned. Not to be gross or give too much info, but since rice can be binding, I wanted to share that it was my experience that this kind of rice cereal seemed a bit kinder and gentler on his digestive system.
I have noticed that this cereal mixes better with breast milk/formula than with water but again, my son doesn't care. He likes it in his bottle, or from a spoon (bottle better as he is still mastering the whole spoon thing).
I went back to Babies R Us and purchased every single box of single serve rice cereal that they had. I wound up packing over 100 packets in my suitcase! I also purchased a box of the single serve oatmeal cereal so I could give that to my son after my MD gave the go-ahead. I got back to Germany (with a very heavy suitcase) only to find out that I can order from the company directly via their online store (they ship to APO boxes which are overseas, yeah!). I actually went online today and ordered some jars of baby food in preparation for when we introduce those to my son (shipping to APO boxes can take forever and a day so you should always shop early when you can).
I am quite happy that I started using this cereal for my son and I look forward to using more of their products. It makes me feel good inside knowing that my son is receiving a healthier source than what was around when I was his age thirty-one years ago.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
daycogs
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Member: Dana F.
Location: New Jersey
Reviews written: 49
Trusted by: 20 members
About Me:
School's in session; that means back to work! Epinons on weekends :-(
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