Standing Ovation From Me
Written: Oct 08 '04 (Updated Oct 08 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Super convenient, with the quality of Similac
Cons: Not the most economical way to go. Only come in one size.
The Bottom Line: These make my busy life a lot easier.
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| msmorvay's Full Review: Similac With Iron Infant Formula, Single Packets |
Let me start out by saying that I would personally give a standing ovation to who ever it was that came up with this idea if I were to find out who it was. These single serve packets of formula are a wonderful convenience to us parents who have babies. The idea is so simple but such a good one you really have to wonder why it took them so long to come up with it.
In case you do not know what I am talking about, I am talking about single serving formula packets. Similac and Enfamil have both come up with these and I could not be happier.
The Product
These packets come in a box that contains 18 of them. These slim little packets contain .6 oz of powder which is adequate for making a four oz bottle of formula. These packets are slim so that when opened they fit directly inside the opening of the baby’s bottle and can be poured in easily with out spilling out any formula. You do this of course after you have added the 4 oz of water to the bottle, you then shake like you would with any other powdered formula. The little packets have a tear line and if you follow it and tear the packets are very easy to open. The packets are about 1 inch in width and about 7 inches in length making them very thin and light and very easy to throw in a diaper bag or purse. I have managed to easily fit a couple of these in my smallest purse along with my other essentials, they bend easily so they are really easy to fit even in the tightest of areas, but don’t leave them bent for to long, I left on packet in my little purse and forgot about it and the package did begin to give way at the bend and I ended up with powdered formula at the bottom of my purse. I blame my self for this and not the product or the packaging.
As a total these packets would make up 72 fluid oz. of formula as opposed to the 96 fluid oz. you would get in a regular sized can of powdered Similac formula. The price is approximately the same. I have on the average seen these packages for $8.99 which is as I said around the same price as a regular can of powdered formula. So you are getting the little less formula for the same amount of money and are basically paying the extra money for the convenience. You have to decide weather or not it is worth it to you. To me on some occasions it is.
Similac Formula
Of course information about Similac formula in general is called for here. Similac comes in many different varieties created for different child needs, Similac with iron is the basic formula and is used by most babies. Then there is Lactose Free Similac, Similac Isomil which is a soy based formula, Similac Alimentum which was created for babies with food allergies and colic due to protein sensitivity, Similac 2 for older babies and toddlers, and Similac Isomil2 for older babies and toddlers on Soy based diets and Similac Advanced and Similac Advanced two with DHA and ARA. Unfortunately I have only seen these packets in the Similac with iron and the Similac Soy with iron. I am not saying that the others don’t exist, I do not know weather they do or not but I have only seen the Similac with iron in stores and I saw that the packets with Similac with Soy and Iron were available on Drugstore.com but I have not seen them in the store. I went on the Similac web site and did not see any thing about the packets.
Now for the ingredients
Nonfat Milk, Lactose, High Oleic Safflower Oil, Soy Oil, Coconut Oil, Whey Protein Concentrate, Less than 2% of the following:, C. Cohnii Oil, M. Alpina Oil, Potassium Citrate, Calcium Carbonate, Ascorbic Acid, Potassium Chloride, Choline Bitartrate, Magnesium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Taurine, M-Inositol, d-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, L-Carnitine, Mixed Tocopherols, Sodium Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Cupric Sulfate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Thimamine Chloride Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Beta Carotene, Folic Acid, Manganese Sulfate, Phylloquinone, Biotin, Sodium Selenate, Vitamin D3, Cyanocobalamin and Nucleotides: Adenosine 5'-Monophosphate, Disodium Guanosine 5'-Monophosphate, Disodium Uridine 5'-Monophosphate)
(This information and the nutrition information below was copied and pasted from the Drugstore.com web page.)
Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size: 5 fl oz (I found this od since they make 4 fl. oz)
Servings Per Container: 16 packets
Amount per 100 Calories
Calories Total 100
% Daily Value+
Total Fat 5.49 g
Sodium 24 mg
Total Carbohydrate 10.56 g
Protein 2.07 g
% Daily Value
Vitamin A 300 IU
Vitamin C Ascorbic Acid 9 mg
Vitamin D 60 IU
Vitamin E 1.5 IU
Vitamin K 8 mcg
Thiamin (B1) 100 mcg
Riboflavin (B2) 150 mcg
Niacin (B3) 1050 mcg
Vitamin B6 60 mcg
Folate,Folic Acid,Folacin 15 mcg
Vitamin B12 0.25 mcg
Biotin 4.4 mcg
Pantothenic acid 450 mcg
Calcium 78 mg
Iron 1.8 mg
Phosphorus 42 mg
Iodine 6 mcg
Magnesium 6 mg
Zinc 0.75 mg
Copper 90 mcg
Manganese 5 mcg
Chloride 65 mg
Potassium 105 mg
Water 133 g*
Linoleic Acid 1000 mg*
Choline 16 mg*
Inositol 4.7 mg*
* Daily Value not established.
+ Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Nutrition wise these compare well and are in some cases better than other brands of formula.
Directions for use
Add four oz of water to infant bottle. Then open package and pour in. Shake well. Stores in fridge up to 48 hours.
The un-opened packages should be stored at room temperature. If you open a packet and don’t use all of it right away it does dry out.
My Experience
I always keep a case of bottled water in my mini van. It is just convenient for the baby as well as for myself and my active children. No matter where we are we have safe drinking water. So with my doing this these packets are very convenient if we are going to be out and about I can just throw a couple of packets in my diaper bag or purse and when my son needs a bottle I can just pull out a bottle of water from my car and make him a bottle or I can just carry a bottle of water in the diaper bag along with the packet. That way I can always make him a fresh bottle of formula. I don’t have to worry about storing already made formula. I also don’t have to deal with the mess of a plastic baggy and having to carry a scoop around with us all the time.
I also find these packets to be extremely helpful when it comes to baby sitters. When someone else is watching your child you don’t know if they are measuring the formula correctly, you know when you give them one of these packets that they have the correct amount for a 4 oz bottle already measured for them. You also don’t have to worry about bacteria getting in to your little baggy from being opened and shut.
I also found these packets to be extremely helpful when we were on vacation and many of Justin’s feedings had to be done on the road. I just filled the bottle opened the packet and poured. I didn’t have to worry about digging out the big can or carrying a bunch of little baggies and I also find that I don’t spill with these little packets. With the scoops I almost always spill at least a few sprinkles of formula. Of course I did bring along regular cans to keep in hotel rooms where we would be staying for more than a day. But for the driving part of the trip these packets were wonderful.
Not the Most Economical Way To Go
For me at this stage of my life economics is of course important but my husband and I are at a stage in our lives when we can afford a little more convenience provided the convenience is not to outrageous. So for me the little bit extra that I pay for these is worth it to me. However when my two younger children were babies I would never have even considered spending extra money on a convenience because things were tighter then, it was more important for me at that time to find the most amount of formula for the least amount of money. 20 fluid oz less may not seem like that much of a difference but if you are on a tight budget that amount can really add up just think of it as 5 bottles less per package, providing your baby is still drinking just 4 oz bottles.
So obviously if you are on a tight budget then I would recommend that you keep a scoop from a can and get your self a Tupperware or Rubbermaid container and measure enough formula into that for about 4 bottles. Formula does not keep that well outside of its own packaging so you don’t want to store too much at once in an alternate container. Of course if you will be out and about for a longer period of time adjust accordingly.
Minor Complaints
My first minor complaint is: As babies get older they of course start to need bigger bottles. These packets only come in 6 oz packets which are meant to make 4 oz bottles. So when your child gets older you will have to use 2 packets per 8 oz bottle and then suddenly you are carrying more and more packets. It is a minor complaint but I just wish they would come in two sizes 4 fl. oz and 8 fl. oz. Ultimately a 6 fl. oz size would be great too but that might be a bit much. As I said this is a minor complaint and not really that big of a deal.
My second minor complain is: These packets are not available everywhere in fact they are not available at a lot of places. I often find them at grocery stores but don’t see them at the discount stores very often. I did find them at K-Mart once but they were on clearance so I don’t know if they were going to stop selling them or not. I did however get them for $7.00 a package which was awesome and I bought three of them, but I have not been back to K-Mart to see if they still have them. I have not seen them at Walmart, Target, or Meijer. But they are available at my local Jewel (Albertson’s in some parts of the Country) and my local Dominicks. If you can not find them in the store as I mentioned above they are available on Drugstore.com but the price is a bit higher. I have noticed also that the other brand that makes these packets which is Enfamil is usually only at the same places that carry the Similac packets.
If you are having trouble finding them or if you have other questions you can always call 1-800-515-7677 on weekdays from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
Recommendation
I often hear mothers of slightly older children commenting when I take out one of these packets that they wished they had, had these when their children were babies. I smile and nod my head in agreement, they are very convenient. I remember the days when my older children were babies. I remember having to measure out formula in to bags or containers before we went on an outing. I remember the few times that this formula managed to spill into my diaper bag. I remember forgetting the baggies or containers and leaving them in my diaper bag just a bit too long and opening the containers to find dry, brittle, yellowed formula in there.
Yes these packets certainly are a convenience I just grab a packet or two or however many I need I throw them in my purse or diaper bag and off I go. There is no extra time or effort needed. Since I am one of those people who are always just a couple minutes late because I had to stop and do one last thing these packets are wonderful since I don’t have to worry about remembering to pack up some formula at the last minute. These are so small I can leave them in the diaper bag, or my purse and I always have a packet available. I also keep a couple in my glove compartment in case I forget to bring extra formula for some reason. For all of these reasons I am very pleased and do recommend these packets.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
msmorvay
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Member: Rae
Location: Illinois
Reviews written: 688
Trusted by: 481 members
About Me:
Wife,mom, reader, writer, singer, and business owner.
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