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Many parents consider using goat milk-based formulas instead of classic cow milk products. If this is your case, too, you’ve probably already heard of Kabrita – a premium goat milk formula from the Netherlands. Wondering how to choose the right product from this range for your baby? This article explains Kabrita stages one by one to help you make the best decision.
We’ll briefly explain what makes goat milk special, why some children tolerate it much better than standard cow milk, and what other nutrients a good modern formula contains. We’ll also take a deeper look at Kabrita’s qualities and benefits for your baby’s health, explore the content of this formula, and provide you with some similar alternative products that can be used instead.
First, let’s start with a summary of Kabrita‘s greatest advantages and strengths.
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Why Use Kabrita
A good formula should, first of all, meet your baby’s daily needs of nutrients, healthy fats, vitamins, and carbohydrates, so that they can grow up into a healthy, active, and happy toddler. Nevertheless, some babies need more – or, to be more precise, they need something else than what standard formulas offer.
Kabrita, a premium-quality goat-milk-based product from Europe, is designed mainly for these special needs. Nevertheless, its wide array of benefits will certainly appeal even to parents of kids without any special conditions. Let’s check them out in detail:
Goat Milk Comes With Many Benefits
As the name Kabrita suggests (Cabra = goat in Spanish), this range of formulas relies on goat milk instead of the more common cow milk as its primary source of carbohydrates. This comes with several important benefits:
- Since the structure of this milk is smoother with smaller particles of protein and fat, goat milk is much easier to digest than cow milk. If your baby suffers from colics related to difficult digestion, this might help.
- Cow milk contains more lactose compared to goat milk. This makes it easier for enzymes in your little one’s tummy to break it down. Again, this contributes to easier digestion and fewer colics.
- If your baby seems to suffer from a cow milk allergy/dairy intolerance, it might be worth trying goat milk formula instead. Children suffering from various mild conditions related to lactose often react to this milk differently.
- Goat milk contains more calcium, selenium, and some other nutrients compared to cow milk.
- Goat milk is in various regards more similar to breast milk than cow milk.
Many Beneficial Ingredients
Besides the goat milk itself, Kabrita formulas also contain many other valuable and beneficial ingredients. The formula, for example, provides your baby with healthy unsaturated fatty acids (DHA and AA) and prebiotic fibers (GOS). These substances are essential for your little one’s healthy brain development and strong immunity.
Kabrita is also full of good vitamins and minerals – all are reportedly derived from natural sources, while many of the ingredients in this formula are also certified as organic. This impressive list of ingredients suggests that Kabrita is a modern formula designed for parents with the highest expectations.
GMO-free With No Added Refined Sugar
Even though some studies suggest that GMO products are most likely not as harmful and dangerous as people might think, most parents will certainly like to avoid these controversial ingredients in their baby’s nutrition anyway. If this concerns you too, rest assured that Kabrita is completely GMO-free.
Moreover, all Kabrita products are also free from added refined sugar. Since lactose is a natural source of carbohydrates and energy, your baby does not (and according to health experts even shouldn’t) get excessive amounts of sugar from other sources.
Nice Taste And Smell
People sometimes avoid goat milk because of its distinctive aroma and intensive taste. Babies are no different – some get used to goat milk-based formulas easily, others seem to struggle with adapting to them. Although Kabrita won’t cheat anyone completely, it is certainly one of the mildest tastings and smelling goat milk formulas on the market.
Stricter Regulations
First and foremost, European regulations for baby food are stricter compared to American, so these products must meet more demanding standards and requirements.
Secondly, the animal sources of nutrients (in this case, goats) are also bred, kept, and fed under stricter policies. Their food is often organic, and of bio quality, so their milk should also be cleaner, more nourishing, and free from residues of harmful pesticides. Kabrita is produced in the Netherlands, so it complies with all these typical European specifics.
A Whole Range of Products
Whether you plan to use Kabrita goat milk only as a supplement to breastfeeding or you need to use formula as a leading source of nutrition for your baby, Kabrita covers you from the first days of your little one’s life to the toddler years.
Kabrita range consists of three different stages that will suit each development phase of your baby perfectly, providing them with all the nutrients they need.
Major Ingredients of Kabrita Formula
Let’s now focus on the main ingredients in Kabrita formulas closely.
Lactose
Although goat milk formulas are often recommended to babies who suffer from a milder form of lactose intolerance, you should keep in mind that these products are NOT completely lactose-free. If your baby was already diagnosed with a severe milk allergy, you should opt for some of the lactose-free formulas instead.
Otherwise, lactose as natural milk sugar comes with many benefits. Besides providing your baby with lots of energy, it also improves the sweetness and overall taste of the formula.
Dry Goat Milk
Goats are, compared to cows, relatively small animals, and they produce significantly less milk. They are also not bred in such large numbers as cows. Those are some of the main reasons why goat milk is considerably more expensive, yet it also creates some challenges in its storage and distribution.
Therefore, dry powder is one of the most common forms of goat milk, and you can find it in many different products. However, rest assured that this convenient alternative to fresh goat milk remains just as healthy and beneficial – dehydration just prolongs its shelf life and simplifies its mixing and measuring.
High sn2-Palmitic Acid Oil
Caution, do not confuse this ingredient with palm oil – Palmitic acid is the main saturated fatty acid found in human milk, and it comes with various benefits. Baby formulas use it to mimic mother’s breast milk as closely as possible. It helps with the growth of the bone mass, minimizes risks of constipation, helps healthy bacteria spread in the digestive system, and even promotes calmer sleep.
DHA & AA
Healthy fatty acids represent the key ingredients of breast milk, so, logically, they should also be included in all modern formulas. Special attention is usually devoted to arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), two essential substances that are directly linked to the healthy development of the baby’s brain, reduced risk of allergies, and improved immunity.
European authorities require all formulas produced within the region to contain a specific amount of these acids. Kabrita, as a formula produced in the Netherlands, fully complies with these regulations.
Vitamins And Minerals
Since the formula is usually the only source of nutrition for a baby during the first month of life, it should contain every nutrient they need and can benefit from. Kabrita is full of vitamins and minerals that can assist your kid with proper growth and development, healthy digestion, and a good mood.
The long list includes vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin K, folic acids, several important vitamins from the B-group, calcium, magnesium, iron, biotin, manganese, and many others.
Kabrita Stages
Kabrita comes in three variations. Each of them is suitable for different age groups:
Stage 1
Kabrita Stage 1 Goat Milk for infants is formulated for the tiniest babies aged 0 to 6 months. It is a reliable alternative or supplement to breastfeeding. This formula is made from high-quality European goat milk and enriched with a vast range of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. It also contains DHA & AA, which help improve a baby’s brain development and eyesight.
Kabrita Stage 1 also contains Prebiotic fibers (GOS) that assist with maintaining gut health. It is very easy to digest, so it’s a good choice for babies who struggle with standard cow milk-based formulas (colics, gassing, constipation, etc.)
Kabrita Stage 1 is standardly sold in 400/800g cans. Expect your newborn to eat between 2 to 6oz of formula per feed, five to seven times a day.
Stage 2
Although babies usually start exploring solid foods approximately when they’re 6 months old, they still need their milk-based nutrition too. Kabrita Stage 2 is a follow-on goat milk formula that will supplement their new diet with all the important nutrients and help them with a smooth and safe transition.
Besides a whole range of beneficial vitamins and minerals, Kabrita Stage 2 also contains goat whey protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and prebiotic fiber. It boasts a mild taste and aroma that should suit well even the pickiest babies.
Kabrita Stage 2 is available in 400g and 800g packaging. One feed should consist of approximately 6oz of formula. Your 6 to 12 months old baby should eat about 3 to 4 doses of formula per day.
Stage 3
Kabrita Stage 3 is a formula designed particularly for toddlers who are already 12 months and older. It is usually the last type of formula you will feed your baby with before he or she weans off this type of food completely. Since your baby at this stage gets the most of his nutrition from solid food already, a toddler formula has quite a different content.
Nevertheless, it still supplements your baby with all the healthy proteins, fatty acids, and prebiotics they would be otherwise getting from their mother’s breast milk. Kabrita Toddler formula supports babies during all the new activities they engage in, so the emphasis is on their vitality, strength, and healthy metabolism.
Again, you can buy this formula in the form of a powder in 400 or 800g cans. On average, babies at this age eat around 2 bottles of formula (2 x 6oz) per day.
Kabrita Alternatives
Kabrita is one of the most popular and acclaimed goat milk formulas on the market, but it’s certainly not your only option. Here are some alternatives that can suit you well too:
Kendamil Goat Milk Formula
Kendamil is a premium-quality British formula that comes with two variations – you can opt for a standard cow milk-based formula or a goat milk alternative. Both products are available in three stages. Kendamil Goat milk formula can therefore accompany your child from birth up to the toddler years.
Kendamil formulas are, in general, considered to be very gentle and easy to digest. All their ingredients come from natural bio-quality/organic sources, and they are free from GMOs, artificial preservatives, or added refined sugar.
Learn more about this formula in our full Kendamil review.
NANNY
Nanny (also known as Nannycare) is another goat milk-based formula for babies that can be used right from birth up to toddler age. You can also find a range of Nanny formulas enriched with prebiotics, which is great for establishing and maintaining healthy microflora in a baby’s digestive system.
Nanny is produced by Bibicol, a company originally from New Zealand, but you can find it in stores in many other countries around the world too. This formula is free from palm oil and soy-based products. It is also full of vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and healthy fatty acids.
Learn more about this formula in our full Nannycare review.
Else
If you’re looking for a goat milk formula because your baby seems to have an issue with lactose, you should know that it might not be the solution you are hoping for. Although goat milk contains less lactose and is generally easier to digest, babies with severe milk allergy or lactose intolerance will probably struggle with it as well.
In that case, your only option is a dairy-free plant-based formula like Else. This organic formula meets the highest standard for nutrition. It doesn’t contain any soy, gluten, corn syrup, or GMO – just real, whole foods like almonds, tapioca, and buckwheat. It is full of minerals, vitamins, and important nutrients.
For other alternative options, see our recently updated List of the best goat milk formulas on the market.
FAQs
Answer: The manufacturer recommends using a fully prepared dose of Kabrita formula within one hour from preparation. If you need to prolong the formula’s lifespan, put it into a fridge immediately after the preparation – this way, it should last fresh and be good for up to 24 hours. Any formula that has not been used within the recommended period should be immediately thrown away.
Answer: Many European formulas are, unfortunately, not fully approved by the FDA due to the different standards and requirements on the two continents. Nevertheless, Kabrita is somewhat of an exemption – although it is not fully approved by the FDA, it was allowed to market and sell some of its products on the American market already as it officially meets all the requirements.
Answer: No. Although Kabrita’s toddler formula does officially meet the FDA requirements for infant formulas, it is not recommended to feed your infant with follow-on formula products.
Final Thoughts
Whether your baby has some specific issues with cow milk formula or goat milk alternative is just your preferential choice, Kabrita is one of the best products you can currently find within this specific niche of the market. Due to its unique content, this European formula is great for sensitive tummies, but it also contains a vast range of essential nutrients, vitamins, fatty acids, and minerals that are great for the growth and development of all babies.
Whether you’re a parent to a newborn, larger baby, or a toddler, the Kabrita range has a suitable product for everyone. We hope that this article helps you understand what makes each of these products special and which will be the best one for your child.
What are your options if you realize that Kabrita might not be good for you? Besides the alternatives we’ve provided in the article above, check out our detailed article on the Holle formula and its stages, too, for another tip on a sensitive European formula that’s worth trying.
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