Bright Beginnings: Great Product at a Low Cost
Written: May 31 '06 (Updated Aug 06 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Superior DHA/ARA content; Easily digestible; Low cost; Larger standard size
Cons: Hard to find, but this will gradually change in the future
The Bottom Line: This is my favorite baby formula; a product that is equal to or better than its closest competitors in every quality measurement and costs about 40 percent less.
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| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Bright Beginnings Infant Baby Formula With Dha & A... |
Baby formulas are a must for those families whose mother either cannot breast feed or cannot be with her baby when feeding is necessary. There are many different formulas- some with special ingredients for specific needs and some with added nutritional ingredients that all babies can benefit from. I have used several different formulas and my favorite baby formulas among them is Bright Beginnings Infant Formula, a powdered baby formula with DHA and ARA- two special ingredients that are also found in natural breast milk.
Facts About This Product?:
Bright Beginnings is a powdered baby formula with sand- like granules that are yellowish in color. This formula is sold in a large, 31.7 ounce can (900 grams) that is about 23 percent larger than the largest cans offered by most other manufacturers.
To mix a bottle of formula, consumers should combine one scoop (included inside each canister) of powdered formula with every two ounces of warm water. With the cap of the bottle (or other container) firmly in place, the mixture then needs to be shaken until it is dissolved completely. The mixture should then be fed to your baby immediately. If any formula remains after feeding it should be sealed and refrigerated. This will keep the formula fresh and usable for 24 hours. If the prepared formula has been left at room temperature for one hour or more it should be discarded.
Ingredients:
Bright Beginnings is made using lactose, nonfat milk, palm olein, palm oil, high oleic oil, whey protein concentrate, soybean oil, coconut oil, mortierella alpine oil, crypthecodinium cohnii oil, adenosine-5-monophosphatye, cytidine-5-monophosphate, disodium inosine, disodium guanosine-5-monophosphate, disodium uridine-5-monophosphate, mixed tocopherol concentrate, monoglycerides, soy lecithin, taurine, calcium chloride, cupric sulfate, calcium hydroxide, ferrous sulfate, magnesium chloride, manganese sulfate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium hydroxide, potassium iodide, potassium phosphate, sodium citrate, sodium selenite, zinc sulfate, ascorbic acid, beta carotene, ascorbyl palmitate, biotin, calcium pantothenate, choline chloride, cyanocobalamin, folic acid, inositol, niacinamide, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, vitamin A palmitate, thiamine hydrochloride, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K.
Nutrients:
Each 5 oz. serving contains the following nutritional breakdown:
Calories........100
Protein.........2.2 grams
Fat.............5.3 grams
Carbohydrate...10.6 grams
Water..........134 grams
Linoleic Acid..500 mg
Vitamins and minerals contained in each 5 oz. serving include 300 IU of Vitamin A; 60 IU of Vitamin D; 1.4 IU of Vitamin E; 8.3 mcg of Vitamin K; 100 mcg of Thiamine; 150 mcg of Riboflavin; 62.5 mcg of Vitamin B6; .2 mcg of Vitamin B12; 750 mcg of Niacin; 7.5 mcg of Folic Acid; 315 mcg of Pantothenic Acid; 2.2 mcg of Biotin; 8.5 mg of Vitamin C; 15 mg of Choline; 4.1 mg of Inositol; 63 mg of calcium; 42 mg of phosphorus; 7 mg of magnesium; 1.8 mg of iron; .8 mg of zinc; 7.5 mcg of manganese; 70 mcg of copper; 9 mcg of iodine; 22 mg of sodium; 83 mg of potassium; and 56 mg of chloride.
In addition to this, each serving also contains 19 mg DHA and 34 mg ARA- the two special fatty compounds found in natural breast milk.
Customer Service:
To find out more about this baby formula and other Bright Beginnings products, the place to check is the web site, brightbeginnings.com. The web site includes not only extensive product information, it also includes comparison charts with other formulas and the opportunity to sign up for the Customer Club, a membership that offers free formula and money- saving grocery coupons. You should be able to find answers to just about any question but if you don’t find what you need and your question requires the assistance of a live rep, the phone number is 800-272-5095.
Final Thoughts:
Baby formulas are a necessary product for almost all new parents- even those where the mother has decided to breast feed. No matter how dedicated a mother might be to feeding her baby the natural way, there will still be times when this is impractical and baby formula will become a necessary ingredient for proper nutrition.
I have become self- educated in the world of baby formulas over the past nine months and during this time I have noticed a few differences from one brand to the next that make some of them superior choices to others. Most all baby formulas that I have sampled have been good, but some have definitely stood out in the crowd for one reason or another. Among the brands I have tried, Bright Beginnings is my favorite of all.
Many consumers haven’t heard of Bright Beginnings so let me begin by filling you in on the facts. This baby formula is one of the newest on the market and it was introduced in 2003 by PBM Nutritionals. Bright Beginnings received a strong marketing jolt when actress Brooke Shield was hired to assist in sales promotions. Today, Bright Beginnings is the fastest growing baby formula in the USA in terms of sales and it continues to enter new retail outlets and new markets every day.
I first noticed Bright Beginnings at my local Kroger grocery store but I wasn’t convinced to give it a try until a $5.00 off coupon in Child Magazine caught my attention. I already knew, from my encounter at Kroger, that Bright Beginnings was less expensive than other brands. This $5.00 off was icing on the cake and it convinced me that this new product was worthy of my attention. I purchased a large canister (they don’t sell small canisters of Bright Beginnings), handed the cashier my $5.00 coupon, and headed home to give this product a try.
So what does Bright Beginnings have that other formulas do not? Well, in many ways it is very similar to the best brands of formula on the market, like Enfamil and Similac. It has similar vitamin and mineral content as the better known formulas and the protein, carbohydrate, and fat content levels are very similar to these other popular brands. It also contains DHA and ARA- just like the other brand names. But with Bright Beginnings, your baby gets a larger dose of these important fatty compounds. With the DHA, Bright Beginnings offers 19 grams per serving- a figure that is 2 mg greater than Enfamil and 11 grams greater than Similac. With ARA, Bright Beginnings offers 34 mg, which is an amount equal to Enfamil but 12 mg greater than Similac. Looking at the overall numbers, Bright Beginnings is the clear winner in this area, with a superior dosage of these important acids.
Another important component of Bright Beginnings is its composition of proteins. This product contains whey protein, a type of protein that is more easily digested by infants. This, and the other proteins contained in Bright Beginnings, is portioned out to make them as close as possible to actual breast milk. The manufacturer wanted to make Bright Beginnings as similar as possible to the real thing and they have succeeded in creating a product that is almost as good as natural breast milk.
Yet another reason to love Bright Beginnings is its price relative to other baby formulas. As any parent knows, Baby formula is one of the most expensive of all baby products. If you break it down in cost per day, formula costs more than diapers, baby wipes, or any other baby item. The brand name formulas like Similac, Enfamil, and others sell for about $13 for one small canister. This small size canister contains slightly less than 13 oz. of formula, equaling a cost per ounce of about $1.00. But with Bright Beginnings, the canister is 31.7 ounces and the regular price is about $18. This works out to only 57 cents per ounce, a price that is substantially less than regular formula. Not only will this save money over the long run, the large canister means fewer trips to the store. From my experience, one of those small cans of Similac or Enfamil produces about 96 ounces of formula and is good for only about four days of feeding (96 ounces equals 16 six ounce servings; 16 six ounce servings equals 4 servings per day for four days). But with this larger canister, there is enough formula for 240 ounces of formula- enough to last ten days. This means less frequent trips to the grocery store, less stress, and less overall cost.
Are there any drawbacks to purchasing Bright Beginnings infant baby formula? I can only think of a few small things worth mentioning. First is the obvious: Bright Beginnings is not yet as popular as some of the other brand names and thus it is more difficult to find. I have not seen it for sale at all in local Wal- Marts, Food City, and most other stores. Even the large baby warehouse stores often do not carry Bright Beginnings. This will slowly change in the future as the product grows in popularity but for now it isn’t easy to find (there is a locater function in the web site that I recommend using to quickly find the retailer closest to you that sells this product). The only other small complaint I have with Bright Beginnings is its tendency to clump and not dissolve to completion. It takes just the right temperature (warm, but not boiling) and a good deal of shaking to eliminate this problem. But other than that, Bright Beginnings is easily digested; creates few bubbles and little gas; and is easy to feed to your infant baby.
Overall, Bright Beginnings is my favorite baby formula thus far and it is one of the few baby products I have used that has proven to be above average or superior in every quality measurement. I never thought I would see the day when I would be reviewing baby formulas and I never thought I would see the day when I would find a product like this one that fulfills my baby’s needs at a lower price than the competitors. But this is what has happened with Bright Beginnings. It is my favorite baby formula and it has served its purpose well. I recommend logging into the company web site, printing a coupon, finding a local retailer, and giving it a try. Great nutritional content; high levels of DHA and ARA; easily digestible proteins; larger packaging; and lower cost all add up to a great product.
For More Baby Product Reviews, Be Sure to Click on the Links Below:
Baby Formula:
Similac Advance DHA/ARA
Nestle Good Start Supreme DHA/ARA
Enfamil Lipil with Iron
Similac Advance Soy Formula
Baby Diapers:
Huggies Supreme Diapers
LUVS Diapers
Pampers Baby Dry Diapers
Huggies Diapers
Baby Foods:
Gerber Finger Foods
Gerber Multi- Grain Cereal
Baby Merchandise:
Graco Snugride Baby Car Seat- Windsor
Kolcraft Cuddle ‘N Care Rocking Bassinet
Cosco Alpha/Omega Elite Baby Car Seat
Graco Open Top Three- Speed Swing
Baby Cleanup:
Johnson’s Bedtime Lotion, Bedtime
Huggies Baby Wipes with Shea Butter
Johnson’s Baby Shampoo
Johnson’s Bedtime Bath
Recommended:
Yes
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