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As a busy parent, time isnt always on your side. Making baby food from scratch can be stressful and time consuming, especially when it comes to appeasing picky eaters. Luckily, there are these organic baby foods brands that you can feel good about feeding your child.

Since the National Organic Program of the USDA has developed strict rules and regulations that govern USDA certified organic foods, those carrying the USDA organic seal cannot contain GMOs or any artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors. And certain studies show that organic fruits and vegetables have significantly more antioxidant polyphenols than conventionally grown produce. Encouraging an abundance of fruits and vegetables at all ages is key, but organically grown produce can provide some additional benefits without the GMOs or preservatives.

And speaking of ages, baby food stages arent standardized but there are general guidelines that many brands utilize. Keep in mind that every baby develops differently, and some babies are ready for stage 2 before they are 7 months old, while others may not be ready until they are 10 months old. Talk to your pediatrician to help guide you throughout the process, and remember that its important for babies to advance through the stages on their own time. Stage 1 foods generally consist of a single ingredient purees and are ideal for babies ages 4-6 months. Stage 2 foods are for babies ages 6-9 months and start to incorporate more than one ingredient. Stage 3 foods are for babies 9-12 months, and they feature a lot of different textures and new flavors. Stage 4 foods are for babies at least one year of age and typically indicate that table food can be introduced.

To make sure you're giving your child the very best, we put several brands to the test through a panel of babies, moms, and our editors to see which organic baby food products make the cut.

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Happy Baby Organics Pouches & Jars

$18.85

Mom Shazi Visram founded Happy Family Organics to provide a wide variety of healthy organic baby food options to parents. They offer 100% USDA organicclearly crafted pouches and jars, as well as hearty meal pouches for Stage 2, andorganic oats cereal.Our little ones loved the pears, zucchini, and peas pouch, and the apples, guavas, and beets pouches were also a hit.As your child continues to grow, they can enjoy even more Happy Family Organics products, including teethers, puffs, crackers, veggie straws, and meal bowls.

Little Journey Pouches

Your favorite supermarket ALDI is at it again with their line of Little Journey baby pouches and snacks. Their pouches are all 100% USDA organic and boast delicious and nutritious combinations for your baby. As your child continues to grow, they can enjoy Little Journey munchers, yogurt bites, and puffs. Moms loved the price point on these Little Journey Packets and that they have no artificial colors or flavors, which are some of the many reasons why ALDI-exclusive Little Journey baby and toddler essentials have earned the Good Housekeeping Seal. Some of the pouches are even made with whole milk yogurt. Pro tip from one of our moms: Her 8-month-old doesn't normally like any fruit baby food, but she mixed the apple blueberry Little Journey packet in her babys cereal to sneak some fruit in and it was a hit.

Beech-Nut Organic Pouches & Jars

$35.00

Beech Nut has been making baby food since 1931, and their engineers patented the vacuum-sealed jar that is now the safety standard for the industry. They put sustainability top of mind and are the worlds first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)- certified baby food production company. Their organic line includes jars for stages 1 and 2, organic oatmeal cereal, and pouches for stages 2 and 4. Moms loved the jar of stage 1organic prunes to help with their babys constipation. They also offer some unique blends like the Just Apple, Raspberry and Avocado jar and the Banana Cinnamon Granola jar, both made withonly natural ingredients and no added sugars.

Plum Organics Pouches

Plum Organics offers all USDA Organic pouches, puffs, and teethers. They have items for all stages, and their stage 3 pouches help to develop a baby's palate for table food by incorporating blends of organic turkey, chicken, and beef. One of our moms gives her 10-month-old the Plum Organics Just Prunes pouch every morning and it keeps him regular. Another one of our tots loved the Mighty 4 blend that combines fruits, vegetables, grains, and greek yogurt. Plum also really pays it forward and donates their Super Smoothie pouches to children in need. Plus, their website has a page of different recipes on how to use their products for adults too!

Little Spoon

This subscription-based baby food service brings a unique twist to the traditional baby food we see on the market. Their organic baby blends feature nutritious ingredient combinations not found in the others foods we reviewed, including chia seeds, buckwheat, pumpkin seed, and hemp seeds. Plus, they offer a line of small packs called boosters that act as nutritional supplements to mix into your babys food. You can select from four different types of boosters that are carefully sourced with vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and organic produce.

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Gerber Organic Pouches & Freshful Start

Many of us grew up on Gerber baby food, and its nice to see their organic line starting to expand. Not only do they have a complete line of organic cereals and baby food pouches and jars, but their selections for toddlers have now expanded into organic beverages made with coconut water, popped crisps, and fruit and veggie bars. One of our favorite products was the organic Grain and Grow Morning Bowl, which features ancient grains and 15% daily value of iron for infants. Freshful Start by Gerber is an innovative line of USDA organic fresh baby food, everything from organic homestyle purees to organic veggie entree bowls. They are refrigerated and can be warmed up in the microwave or stovetop. Moms loved that Gerber Organics is so readily available and easy to find, and the Gerber organic oatmeal cereal was a favorite.

Sprout Organic Baby Food Pouches

This company offers more than 50 different organic products for babies and children. The stage 2 selections are quite robust and include pouches, plant power puffs, and teething crackers. What sets Sprout apart is theirplant powered products which contain vegetable-based protein from organic beans and legumes. The toddler line features hearty purees, crispy snacks and chews, waffles, and even smoothies that come in the convenient pouch.

Earth's Best Organic Pouches & Jars

$16.68

Earths Best boasts all USDA organic products for all stages. They have three different types of infant cereals, including oatmeal, rice, or multi-grain. They have a variety of stage 2 pouches and jars, and their stage 3 pouches include a homestyle meal line with organic protein such as turkey or chicken. Our moms like Earth's Best Veggie Puree poucheswhich contain solely veggies and no fruit.

Once Upon a Farm Organic Cold-Pressed Pouches

$11.47

This line of baby food pouches and cups was co-founded by Jennifer Garner. Every ingredient is certified USDA organic and sustainably grown. Once Upon A Farm sets themselves apart from the other brands we reviewed due to the cold-pressed process that the blends utilize to lock in the nutrients, taste, and texture of the farm-fresh ingredients. They have a very fresh taste and need to be refrigerated.

Peter Rabbit Organics Pouches

$15.99

Peter Rabbit Organics offers all USDA Organic options that are not diluted with water and are free from ascorbic acid. Their selection is small but mighty, offering fruit and veggie pouches as well as super oats and seeds packs. The packaging is BPA-free and all selections are gluten-free as well.

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Read more:

Best Organic Baby Food Brands of 2020 - What Are the Best Baby Foods? - GoodHousekeeping.com