Both of these baby foods are “all-natural” and contain a minimal number of ingredients, without added sugar, salt, fats, spices or fillers.
So can two baby products that contain the same minimal number of ingredients really be that different? Yes.
The answer lies in a couple of product tests of these natural baby foods:
1. A nutritional comparison
2. The baby taste test
3. Price comparison
Gerber’s Simple Recipe beat out Beech Nut Baby Food on two out of three of these product comparison factors
Similarities Between Gerber’s Simple Recipe and Beech Nut
First, what is the same between these two natural products?
For the fruit baby foods, both Gerber’s and Beech Nut contain either one fruit or a combination of fruits, plus water. There are no added sugars. The products include only the sugar naturally found in fruit.
Also, the meat-based baby foods are usually a meat plus a vegetable or a meat plus a fruit, with added water.
Nutritional Comparison
When comparing the flavors of each jar side by side, a pattern emerges. The Gerber Simple recipe turns out to be slightly more nutritious than the Beech Nut product on several fronts.
The Gerber Simple recipe, depending on the flavor, tends to have less sugar, and more protein than the Beech Nut. Since baby food is one of baby’s few sources of protein, it is important to buy the product which has the higher protein content.
The Beech Nut, even though it did not have added sugar, sometimes tended to have a higher concentration of sugar per serving.
Because I did purchase Beech Nut on occasion, like when it was on sale at a price I could not refuse, my son taste tested both products. He did not care for the more watery texture of the Beech Nut.
The Gerber Simple recipe tended to have a less smooth texture, which must have appealed to his senses as he began eating more solid foods.
Price Comparison
In the grocery store, when it was not on sale, I found the Gerber Simple Recipe to be more expensive than the Beech Nut. At all four local grocery stores – yes, I shop around – Beech Nut tended to be cheaper.
However, I did find a great price for Gerber Simple Recipe at Wal-mart.
Overall, I prefer the Gerber Simple Recipe to the Beech Nut baby food.
