Categories
Homemade Baby Formula Science

Baby Formula Nutrition Data

Note: This database is current as of June 11th, 2021

Below is a baby formula nutrition database I created to show conclusively that this homemade baby formula recipe follows the federal guidelines for nutrient minimums and maximums required by law in infant formula.

This recipe follows the same nutrient requirements that infant formula manufacturers must follow for each 100 calories (5 oz) of formula they produce. The law specifies dozens of different micro and macro nutrients must have minimums and, in some cases, maximum that are carefully maintained.

Now because this is a recipe that creates an 8 fl oz bottle and not a finished powder or ready-to-drink liquid, there are certain nutritional assumptions that need to be made in order to show the nutrient level per 100 calories.

We need an apples to apples comparison.

For example, the recipe relies on adding the Head Start multivitamin powder in one bottle per day.  This means that we have to average the micronutrients found in that bottle over the course of several bottles per day. The vitamins in this bottle will be different than the other bottles baby drinks. If baby drinks three (8 oz) bottles per day they would be intaking a slightly different concentration of vitamins per calories than if they drink four (8 oz) bottles per day.

For this nutrient database I used the formula assumption of 30 fl oz of formula per day based on the average consumption my readers gave me feedback on.

This means that this information of 100 calories (5 fl. oz) per day is assuming that baby is consuming 30 fl. oz of per day. The micronutrient numbers (vitamins/minerals) will vary slightly based on how much formula baby is consuming (the once per day ingredients aren’t present in every bottle) but the macronutrient numbers (protein/carbohydrates/fat) will remain consistent bottle to bottle.

First is a downloadable copy of the nutrition data you can print off and share with your healthcare providers who might be interested in this data if you are making your own homemade baby formula.  Baby Formula Nutrition Database.

*Note: We have recently switched from high oleic sunflower oil to extra virgin olive oil, which has a very similar fatty acid profile, but the nutrient database has not yet been updated with this information. You will see sunflower oil listed in some places, think olive oil.

This second window contains a completely searchable database for the baby formula nutrition data in which I’ve tried to show my work in a way that is understandable and follows basic logic. None of the math is complicated but there are a lot of steps involved in coming up with the data.  If you have a question, send me a note and I will try and clarify.

 

 

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