Best 9 Generic Gerber Good Start Gentle Formula (Cheap!!)

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Feeding your baby a Gerber Good Start Gentle formula can be very expensive. Especially, the Gerber brand is two times more expensive than the generic brand. Furthermore, this formula could be on recall. Switching to off brands is the best decision since they are approved by the FDA.

In this post, we’ll see the best generic brand of Gerber Good Start Gentle formula, as well as how to switch from a name brand to a generic one. Stay with me!

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What are the Generic Brands of Gerber Good Start Gentle Formula?

There are 9 generic Gerber Good Start Gentle formulas, that you can switch to with no health issues and save you money:

  1. Always My Baby Advantage HMO
  2. Parent’s Choice Advantage
  3. Parent’s Choice Infant NonGMO
  4. Tippy Toes Advantage Premium
  5. Tippy Toes Infant
  6. Up & Up Advantage Formula
  7. Up & Up Advantage Premium
  8. Up & Up Powder Infant Formula
  9. Well Beginnings Advantage HMO

I’ve done a comparison in this table between Gerber Good Start Gentle and store brands in terms of ingredients and price.

Where to Buy Them?

Where to Buy?
Gerber Good Start
Gentle
Buy HERE
Always My Baby
Advantage HMO
Buy HERE
Parent’s Choice
Advantage
Buy 12.4 oz

Buy 36 oz
Parent’s Choice
Advantage (23.2 oz)
Buy HERE
Parent’s Choice Infant
NonGMO
Buy HERE
Tippy Toes
Advantage Premium
Buy HERE
Tippy Toes InfantBuy 22.2 oz

Buy 35 oz
Up & Up
Advantage Formula
Buy HERE
Up & Up
Advantage Premium
Buy HERE
Up & Up
Powder Infant
Buy HERE
Well Beginnings
Advantage HMO
Buy HERE

Protein Source:

All generic Gerber Good Start Gentle use nonfat milk and whey protein concentrate, the nonfat milk (skim milk) is cow milk where the fat has been removed.

Whey protein concentrate is a protein that contains 80% of whey by weight and 20% of carbohydrates and fats. Therefore, the purpose of this formula is to reduce fats as possible.

The whey to casein ratio in Gerber Good Start Gentle is 70% whey: 30% casein + whey protein concentrate whereas off-brands don’t give this information about whey and casein percentages.

Fat Source:

Gerber Good Start Gentle and their off brands use palm oil among the fat sources except “Always My Baby Advantage” and “Up & Up Advantage Premium” formulas. Therefore, they will be a good choice in case you are concerned about palm oil.

Palm oil may lead to hard stool or constipation maybe because it reduces calcium and fat absorption. However, it’s not always the case; most babies drink formulas with palm oil and have no health issues.

Prebiotics/Probiotics:

Most Gerber Good Start Gentle generic formulas have the 2′-FL HMO prebiotic (2′-fucosyllactose) which is a big achievement for store brands. However, they don’t have a probiotic like the Gerber brand.

« HMOs are special prebiotics found naturally in a mother’s breast milk. They are the most abundant solid ingredient in breast milk after fat and carbohydrates. In breastfed babies, HMOs are scientifically shown to positively affect the microbiome. » says nutritionnews.Abbott

Gerber Good Start Gentle VS Gentle Pro:

There are two big differences between Gerber Good Start Gentle and Gentle Pro :

Protein Source:

Gerber Good Start Gentle has two components as sources of protein; the nonfat dry milk (70% whey + 30% casein) and whey protein concentrate, whereas the Gentle Pro formula has 100% whey partially hydrolyzed. When the protein is chopped a little bit in size to reassemble the protein size in breast milk then it’s called “partially hydrolyzed protein”.

Image source: Nestle Health Science

Carbohydrate Source:

Gerber Good Start Gentle uses 100% lactose as a carbohydrate source while Gerber Good Start Gentle Pro has 30% corn maltodextrin and 70 % lactose as a source of carbs, which is a good choice for babies with lactose intolerance.

I did a full comparison between Gerber Good Start Gentle, GentlePro, and SoothePro if you want to check.

How Much Money I Will Save On Good Start Gentle Generic Brands:

Most babies can drink 25 oz of formula per day in the first 6 months, check this article how much formula should a baby eat (with a chart). Therefore, your baby could drink up to 750 oz of formula in one month.

Gerber Good Start Gentle’s price is 1.48 $ /oz which is a total of 1110 $ /month.

Up & Up Powder Infant formula cost 0.57 $ /oz, in one month you will spend 430 $.

Therefore, you will save up to 680 $ per month on generic Good Start Gentle formulas!! that’s 4000 $ in 6 months, and 8000 $ a year. Plus the reward programs of generic brands, that’s a lot of money!!

Related: 14 Easy Ways To Save Money On Baby Formula

What Enfamil Formula is Similar to Good Start Gentle :

1- Enfamil NeuroPro Infant:

Enfamil neuro pro equivalent to similac advance
Image source: Target

The equivalent of Gerber Good Start Gentle in the Enfamil brand is Enfamil NeuroPro because they have the same source of ingredients, this table will show you a comparison between these two formulas:

Enfamil NeuroPro Infant has three prebiotics: 2′-FL HMO, galactooligosaccharides, and polydextrose. Furthermore, it has MFGM (milk fat globule membrane) that has a lot of benefits for your baby, it protects against some infectious diseases. Also, some cognitive benefits (brain development).

However, Enfamil NeuroPro doesn’t have a probiotic.

I did a full comparison between Enfamil Neuropro and Gerber Good Start GentlePro if you want to check.

The ratio of whey-casein in the Enfamil NeuroPro formula is 60:40 whereas Good Start Gentle has a ratio of 70:30. The difference between whey and casein is in digestion time; the whey protein is digested quickly than casein.

Related: Best 9 Generic Brands of Enfamil NeuroPro Infant Formula 

2- Enfamil Infant:

enfamil formula similar to similac advance
Image source: Enfamil

Enfamil Infant formula is also similar to Gerber Good Start Gentle, they have the same basic ingredients (protein source, fat source, carbs source). This table shows the differences between them :

Enfamil Infant formula has also a ratio of 60% whey and 40 % casein whereas Good Start Gentle has a ratio of 70:30.

Enfamil Infant is available in two sizes. But, it doesn’t have the 2′-FL HMO prebiotic.

I did a full comparison between Enfamil Infant and Gerber Good Start Gentle if you want to check.

What Similac Formula is Similar to Gerber Good Start Gentle :

1- Similac Pro Advance:

Similac pro advance powder
Image source: Abbott nutrient

The equivalent of the Gerber Good Start Gentle formula in the Similac brand is Similac Pro Advance because they both reduce fats by using nonfat milk and whey protein concentrate as protein sources. This table shows the differences between them:

I have done a full comparison between Similac Pro Advance and Gerber Good Start Gentle if you want to check.

2- Similac Advance:

Image source: Walmart

Similac Advance can be used as an alternative to Gerber Good Start Gentle because they both use the same ingredients and have the same purpose which is to reduce fats as possible. This table shows the differences between them:

Related: Best 9 Generic Similac Advance & Pro Advance Formula (Cheap!!)

Switching From Gerber Good Start Gentle to Generic brands :

1- It Is Safe?

Switching from Gerber Good Start Gentle to generic brands is safe since the store brands are approved by the FDA and are using the same quality ingredients. But, you must choose the right generic Gerber Good Start Gentle. The Gerber Good Start Gentle off brands must be fat-reduced which means they must use nonfat milk and whey protein concentrate as a protein source. Those are the big points to focus on, whereas the fat source and prebiotics/probiotics are not a big concern.

2- How To Do It?

There are two ways to switch to a new formula :

Gradually :

In case you want to choose the safest way, then switch gradually by mixing Gerber Good Start Gentle and its generic brands until your baby drinks the new formula. In the first days, prepare a bottle of 3/4 Gerber Good Start Gentle and 1/4 off-brand formula, when your baby is drinking it without side effects then move to half-and-half then to 100% generic brand.

Switching Cold Turkey :

During this formula shortage, the Gerber Good Start Gentle formula could be on recall, sometimes it’s hard to find it at local stores. Thus, moms are obliged to switch cold turkey. It’s fine to do, start feeding your baby 100% generic brand, he will do well.

I recommend buying a small can of generic formula until your baby loves it. This way you won’t waste money.

4- Can You Mix Them?

Yes, you can mix and match the Gerber Good Start Gentle formula and its generic brand as long as you are following standard mixing instructions. However, make sure they are using the same protein source.

Conclusion :

Many moms are afraid of feeding their babies generic brands because they are cheap and think they have bad quality ingredients. That’s not true; off-brands are approved by the FDA and are recommended by pediatricians and have the same quality ingredients as name-brand formulas. Therefore, they will give your baby the nutrient value he needs at half the price.

This Post Has One Comment

  1. Anonymous

    Thank you so much for this research!

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