I am a high school science teacher (Bachelor’s in Biology Education) of over a decade and homeschool mom of five (four boys and a girl). As a parent, I’ve been there and done that. As a science teacher, I know how to do my research.
I am a stickler when it comes to what my family consumes because I know that eating clean, high-quality foods that are nutrient-dense is vital to maintaining good health. It fuels your body with the vitamins and minerals you need while avoiding harmful additives and chemicals that can cause damage.
Simply eating good quality food (non-GMO, organic, nutritional whole foods) without the contaminants is one of the most effective ways to avoid illness, maintain high energy levels, and strengthen your immune system.
I grow a lot of our veggies myself and I only buy non-GMO/organic food for the rest of my family. So, why wouldn’t I want that same standard in formula for our babies as well? My children are ten, eight, six, two, and ten months old, so I’ve spent almost a decade reading and researching ingredient labels and nutrition facts in my search for a formula brand that I didn’t have any reservations about feeding my children.
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Why Did We Decide to Try Little Spoon?
I’ve gone through lots of different brands with my kids over the years: Enfamil, Earth’s Best, Bobbie, etc. Then, we tried Little Spoon with my ten-month-old for about two months. I chose to give my son Little Spoon’s Organic Whole Milk Formula because I want him to still have access to premium complete infant nutrition while he transitions to regular foods. I don’t want there to be any gaps in their diet while their bodies are getting used to eating like a ‘big kid’.
We have used multiple cans of Little Spoon’s Organic Whole Milk Infant Formula and my youngest was using Little Spoon consistently for a couple of months before I decided to write this review, which gave me time to evaluate how it performed day to day. It has been my favorite formula we have found for my baby to drink by far.
Our experience with Little Spoon’s Organic Whole Milk Infant Formula
As they say, “Receipts or it didn’t happen.” You all know what I am talking about.
My favorite thing to chuckle at when I am checking into a product is how some brands will talk a big game about how clean and wonderful the ingredients are but then have nothing to prove it.
That’s why I like that Little Spoon does plenty of quality tests and safety checks before that formula makes it to your baby – and you can track each and every result for your specific batch of baby formula! That fact alone made my science brain so happy. Let me see the data!
I was really impressed by the level of transparency in all the testing. As a teacher, I know that transparency means you are doing what you are supposed to do and you know it – therefore, you are not afraid to show everyone else what you are doing too.
It makes me suspicious when other premium organic formula brands claim to have done all these tests with great findings but then do not release the results to the public. Like, what are you hiding and why can’t we see?
First, a Few Complaints
I’ll tell you straight up, there were two things that I didn’t like about Little Spoon’s Organic Whole Milk Infant Formula.
First, the little scoop spoon.
Every parent who has ever made a bottle from formula knows how annoying it is to have to dig around in the formula canister for the little scoop.
How hard would it be to just have a notch we could click the scoop into on the underside of the lid, so we don’t have to root around in the powder?
Not only does that make a mess and I always spill some, I also know I am contaminating that can of formula to some extent when I am searching for the scoop.
This doesn’t really affect the big picture of how I use the formula every day; it’s just a small irritation that I deal with every time I make a bottle… but I make a lot of bottles every day.
It bothered me so much that I visited my local grocery store and purchased a baby formula dispenser with its own built-in, separate scoop compartment for hygienic storage. It was less than ten dollars, so that was an easy fix.
Second, the subscriptions.
I personally don’t like subscriptions of any kind to be honest (I have been traumatized one time too many when trying to cancel them). I do wish I could just walk in the grocery store and grab more Little Spoon whenever I need it, but unfortunately, I can’t.
Honestly, my children’s health comes first so this is a small adaptation I can make to how I am comfortable making purchases in order to have access to a premium quality infant formula that I can’t find anywhere else.
The website is very easy to navigate and ordering is straightforward and simple. I didn’t see any catches or gimmicks when you sign up for your subscription and you have multiple options when you do. There are three bundle sizes to choose from: four cans, eight cans, or ten cans. Your order ships every two weeks, and mine arrived very quickly, so I can’t complain about that.
Where Little Spoon Impressed Me
One of the first things I noticed when I unpacked and opened the formula to make a bottle for the first time was how easily the powder dissolved in water.
Some cheaper formulas I have tried can be hard to mix and leave gross clumps behind, or require a lot of shaking. That wasn’t my experience here. The powder mixed smoothly and quickly, making bottle prep simple and straightforward.
This is important to me because I have two older boys (8 and 10) who love helping with their younger siblings, and simply mixing makes it easy for them to do it correctly when they want to help me make a bottle.
I also noticed that there wasn’t a strong or unusual smell when opening the can or preparing bottles. There are a few brands of formula that when you open the seal on the can emit a very unusual chemical odor and that is an immediate turn-off for me.
My son liked the taste and I had no issue assimilating it into what he already eats and drinks during the day.
He had no digestive issues with Little Spoon’s Organic Whole Milk Infant Formula. No burping, no gas, no tummy aches, and no weird changes in his stool or diapers. That told me it was easy for him to digest and absorb and it did not mess with his stomach.
He is used to eating mostly non-GMO and organic foods so I think it would have been very obvious if the formula was made of low-quality ingredients because it would have been a large divergence from his normal diet and probably would have affected his digestive system.
Little Spoon’s Organic Infant Formula Ingredients are *Chef’s Kiss*
All of the ingredients found in Little Spoon’s Organic Whole Milk Infant Formula are organic and non-GMO, but there are a few particular ingredients that Little Spoon uses that I find extra appealing. And believe you me I have looked into every. single. ingredient.
Organic Lactose
Organic lactose is the first ingredient on the label. This is the primary source of energy (carbs) that your growing baby gets. It mimics breastmilk, supports gut health and nutrient absorption, and is essential fuel for their rapidly growing brain.
Many lower-quality baby formula brands replace organic lactose with cheaper carbs that get used up quickly, lack gut health benefits, and just make your baby feel full without nourishing them.
Grass-Fed Whole Milk and MFGM Components
Their formula is made with organic grass-fed whole milk from New Zealand. A whole milk base is important because it naturally carries more of the good fats and nutrients that support healthy growth.
Little Spoon also has naturally occurring MFGM components, which are a rich source of fats that support your baby’s cognitive development, support their developing immune system, and promote a healthy gut microbiome.
FOS Prebiotics and Plant-Based Fatty Acids
They have included FOS prebiotics, which essentially are the food that nourish and promote the growth of the probiotics that make up your beneficial gut bacteria.
Also included are plant-based DHA & ARA, which are fatty acids that serve as critical building blocks for infant development and cognitive health. These premium ingredients are highly sought after for their benefits. They mimic components naturally found in breast milk and are so important for your baby’s development.
What is Missing (in a Good Way)?
In my opinion, what is left out of Little Spoon’s Organic Whole Milk Infant Formula is just as important as the ingredients they include. They have a ‘No No’ list of 100 ingredients that are banned from being included in ANY Little Spoon product their brand creates.
Many of these are preservatives, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, and things like emulsifiers that might be commonly found in grocery store brands but that does not mean they are good for you or your baby.
When I first read this list I was so happy to see that Little Spoon sees these ingredients for what they are and they know your baby deserves better. You can take a look at the ‘No No’ list for yourself by following the link in the above paragraph.
With all of this being said, I’m not just paying more for formula simply because they say it is organic. I am paying for the confidence I have that comes from a combination of the company’s intentional transparency with the public, premium ingredient sourcing, and testing performance:
The Data: Tests, Safety Checks & Certifications
This is the part where I might nerd out on you a little bit because I could talk for hours about all the precautions that Little Spoon takes to make sure that your baby is ingesting the cleanest, healthiest, most nutritious ingredients from across the globe.
In my opinion, this is what entirely sets Little Spoon apart from the rest of their competitors and puts them in a class of their own.
Their dedication to using extremely high-quality ingredients in their formulation and providing parents with the documentation to prove it makes them stand out and makes the premium formula price more than worth it to me.
Little Spoon’s Organic Whole Milk Infant Formula is dual certified EU and USDA organic. It is also certified pesticide-free by the Clean Label Project and they have received the Purity Award by the Clean Label Project.
Every single batch of formula is tested by an accredited third-party lab. They look for heavy metals, pathogens, plasticizers, pesticides and glyphosate, hygiene indicators and toxin-producing and spore-forming bacteria.
You can find the links to all their results right here on the product listing under the ‘Safety and Transparency’ tab!
Overall, I’m a Big Fan of Little Spoon
I have mentioned using other brands of formula in the past and I just wasn’t satisfied with them. I’m glad I didn’t settle and kept looking until I found what was right for our family.
When we tried Enfamil with our oldest boy he didn’t tolerate it well and had daily issues with reflux. It was so bad that I took him to our pediatrician, and they suggested that he go on prescription medication. I decided that wasn’t something I wanted for him at such a young age so we tried switching formulas instead and the reflux stopped within a couple of weeks.
We started using the Earth’s Best Sensitivity Infant Formula after our poor experience with Enfamil, and he tolerated it well. However, the price on this formula was quite an increase from Enfamil and when I started looking into safety standards and ingredient testing, we did not feel like we were getting all the bang for our buck with Earth’s Best. The first two ingredients in this variety of formula are glucose syrup solids and palm oil; and when you navigate to the page on their testing standards, the information they provide seems intentionally hazy and difficult to follow… you do the math.
If your baby is thriving on a more affordable formula and you’re happy with it, then maybe there isn’t a reason to switch your formula right now. But, if your child is having a difficult time tolerating subpar ingredients and you are having a hard time justifying the price on other brands that don’t prove their worth, it may be time for you to switch like I did.
Having the background I do in science and the experience that comes with raising 5 children, providing a formula with the best ingredients I can find for my children is an absolute top priority for me.
I wasn’t satisfied with the formula I was finding in the store, and while I will say that I understand that everyone can’t afford the premium baby formula price, if you’re looking for a premium organic formula backed by rigorous testing, give Little Spoon a try, as we did.