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Little Spoon vs Gerber: Which Subscription is Best?

Little Spoon vs Gerber: Which Subscription is Best?

Main Differences Between Little Spoon vs Gerber

The main differences between Little Spoon vs Gerber are:

  • Little Spoon is a subscription-only baby food service, whereas Gerber has subscriptions and regular options
  • Little Spoon is all organic, non-GMO, hormone and antibiotic-free, whereas Gerber is mostly conventional, with limited organic options
  • Gerber has a baby formula, snacks, and microwave meals, whereas Little Spoon focuses on purees and balanced meals

When it comes to quality baby food, there are few baby names, or perhaps no names so classic as Gerber. But now, even the most iconic baby food company, challenged by competitors like Little Spoon, is adding a new feature: subscription box delivery.

Gerber announced its new organic delivery service in Fall 2020– four years after then-start up Little Spoon began offering delivery for baby food.

Whether you’re a new parent trying to decide what baby food is best, looking for convenience, or considering switching it up, Little Spoon and Gerber are likely brands you’ve at least considered.

In this review, I’ll give you my honest opinion about Little Spoon vs Gerber–with a focus on subscription delivery, but also price, availability, quality of food, and overall value. That way, I can help you decide what baby food is right for your family.

I Personally Prefer Little Spoon

I'm rarely "surprised" by a company these days, but Little Spoon truly DELIGHTED me and our family. Transparent ingredients, quick shipping and AMAZING customer support (our kiddos have a few allergies)! Give Little Spoon a try. #GameChange

Save 20% on Little Spoon
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

Little Spoons vs Gerber – How do they compare?

Now let’s take a deep dive into Little Spoon vs Gerber, what each has to offer for baby food and services, and which company is the best match for you and your baby.

Company History & Ethos

gerber

Gerber

Gerber has been selling baby food for 90 years, founded in Michigan but now headquartered in Virginia. It’s now under the parent company, Nestle.

In addition, the company has received over $40 million of tax breaks in the past 15 years, in part due to their work through providing assistance to schools and connection to Nestle research centers dedicated to studying infant nutrition.

Little Spoon

Little Spoon is a relatively new company–it first launched in 2016. Unlike Gerber, Little Spoon is an independent company that focuses solely on organic baby food, delivered through subscription boxes.

However, it has some big names behind it: it was funded by Kyle O’Brien of the yogurt company, Chobani, and Sean Rad, of Tinder. Unlike other baby subscriptions that have failed, it owns its own production: all the food is processed and quality controlled by Little Spoon As of 2019, Little Spoon has sold 1 million meals and received an additional $7 million in funding.

My Takeaway

Gerber has the history, resources, and reputation behind it–plus it does conduct research regarding baby nutrition. On the other hand, Little Spoon also has prominent backers, has exceeded expectations, and, as a smaller company with its own facilities, has tighter control over the quality of its baby food.

Availability and Ordering

little spoon

Just how easy is it to order baby food from Gerber vs Little Spoon, and what are your options?

Gerber

Gerber is sold not only in the United States but worldwide. You’d be hard-pressed to find chain grocery stores or even sizable ones, without some Gerber products on the shelves. You can also order a la carte online or even sign up for their new subscription services, launched in Fall 2020. Shipping is available worldwide for most individual products.

Little Spoon

Little Spoon is more niche. Little spoon offers just one way to buy its food: through a subscription service. However, in addition to organic baby food, you can also order plates for kids and toddlers, as well as vitamin and probiotic supplements. Shipping is available to all states aside from Hawaii and Alaska.

My Takeaway

Gerber is, of course, more widely available, and the clear winner if you’re living outside of the continental States. If you aren’t even considering a subscription, you’ll also want to go with Gerber. However, I love that Little Spoon also offers options for kids, and if you’re a busy parent, pre-made meals and even supplements make it a convenient option as well.

Products

What exactly can you buy from Geber vs Little Spoon, and are they baby food options that are reasonable for you and your family?

Gerber

You won’t be surprised that Gerber offers too many options to speak about briefly. I noticed most products are conventional, but there are organic options in every category–it’s just rather limited.

Vitamins and Supplements

Vitamins and supplements include probiotic drops for babies and multivitamins for kids.

Formula

Formula is available for both infants and toddlers, with options for sensitive stomachs and soy for milk allergies.

Baby Cereal

Rice, oatmeal, and barley are mainstays for hot cereals, with options that are whole wheat, flavored, and multigrain.

Baby Food

For baby food, Gerber has products in jars, cans, and pouches, which are quite handy for different lifestyles. Fruit and vegetable purees and blends are common. There are also protein options, with meat and gravy jars (Turkey, chicken, ham).

Snacks

For slightly older babies and toddlers, snacks include flavored puffs (cheese and sweet); yogurt and fruit/ veggie melts; teethers; easily dissolved cookies; fruit grain bars, and a few related products.

Beverages

Fruit juices are available in a nice selection, including favorites like apple, pear, strawberry-kiwi, mango, and blends.

Meals and Sides

Microwave-friendly meals for babies and toddlers offer convenience, not unlike TV dinners. These include meat and mashed potatoes; macaroni and cheese; ravioli; stew and harvest bowls; breakfast bowls; veggie bites, and some vegetarian pasta options.

Little Spoon

Little Spoon has fewer options on the surface–but still is impressive in terms of variety. All of these options, of course, come via a subscription service. I do really like that their products are always rotating, meaning it’s unlikely you or your baby will become bored.

Baby Blends

Baby blends are vegetable and fruit purees, with some more indulgent seasonal flavors (for winter, this includes cran-apple pie; gingerbread cookie, and peppermint swirl). While offerings do change, you can see samples or current options, which include classics such as mango, apple, carrot ginger, pea, broccoli, and kale as main ingredients.

To make things more interesting, seasons like rosemary, vanilla, coconut, and cinnamon are added; vegetables are often pureed with fruit. Meanwhile, chickpeas, quinoa, and buckwheat add more nutrient-dense options.

I Personally Prefer Little Spoon

I'm rarely "surprised" by a company these days, but Little Spoon truly DELIGHTED me and our family. Transparent ingredients, quick shipping and AMAZING customer support (our kiddos have a few allergies)! Give Little Spoon a try. #GameChange

Save 20% on Little Spoon
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

Plates

Plates are a new option, offering meals for toddlers and kids. Just like Baby Blends, plates rotate and change, but you can always peruse their current options. Main protein sources include cheese-based pasta, meat (turkey and chicken), and beans. All include a balanced meal with vegetables of some kind.

Some examples include mac and cheese (with ‘invisible’ squash and carrots); chicken potstickers (with quinoa veggie stir fry); and even gluten-free pasta, among many other choices. Most kid-friendly, with American, Italian, and Tex Mex inspiration.

Boosters

Boosters are powder packets that can be dissolved in any drink. Options include vitamins and minerals and probiotics.

My Takeaway

Overall, I was impressed with both Gerber and Little Spoon’s sheer variety, but in different ways. Gerber offers flavors and varieties in every category, and especially excels in offering innovative snacks and additions for older babies and toddlers. Meanwhile, Little Spoon excels in continually changing menus, more innovative flavors, and more complete meals. It also sneaks in more vegetarian options and even gluten-free meals.

Food Quality

There’s little doubt that both Little Spoon and Gerber offer impressive variety– but what exactly is the food like in terms of nutrition and quality?

Gerber

Gerber offers mostly conventional but also a line of organic products.

Nutrition

For formula, Gerber does provide some healthful ingredients, along with DHA for brain development; the same heart health benefits of breast milk, and non-GMO options; I especially like the Ultimate Gerber Good Start Soothe Formula for sensitive stomachs.

As far as other options, there is nothing inherently wrong with the snacks, though I’d like to see a greater variety as to the type of nutrients provided. Meals are where I think Gerber falls flatter– they tend to be pretty protein and starch forward, which is fine, but I’d like to see more color. Overall, Gerber products, when used thoughtfully can support a healthy diet.

Ingredients

As far as the quality of ingredients, I do like that there are non-GMO and organic options. Most products have fairly simple ingredients, with a focus on whole foods, but I did notice some preservatives as well, such as diglycerides for some of the snacks. While there isn’t information readily available about where their ingredients come from, most Gerber food does focus on the key nutrients babies and toddlers need.

Little Spoon

Unlike Gerber, Little Spoon has a specialty on all organic foods and ingredients. They also offer a few more options for gluten allergies.

Nutrition

Something that really impressed me with Little Spoon is how nutrient-rich and balanced their meals (plates) are for toddlers and kids. By blending in vegetables in innovative ways (such as in pasta), the meals are both nutritious and not something a kid or toddler would reject. Most plates contain a great balance of carbohydrates, produce, protein, and healthy fats, and are colorful and nice presentation-wise.

As far as purees, they supply a good dose of natural (not added) vitamins and minerals, with a few more hearty options like adding hemp. However, these purees alone are better as a supplement than the mainstay of a baby’s diet; and since Little Spoon doesn’t have a formula for babies, you can’t rely on them for all your baby’s needs.

Ingredients

Baby Blends are free of any ingredients you don’t want. In fact, these purees consist of single-source ingredients, mostly pure fruit, and all organic. It’s about as straightforward as you can get. The plates, meanwhile, contain hidden veggies and fruits; antibiotic and hormone-free meat; no artificial sugars, fillers, or preservatives.

My Takeaway

Both Gerber and Little Spoon offer options for balanced nutrition for your baby. Gerber is less transparent about some of its ingredients, and it also does have some products with additives or preservatives. That said, for as large of a company as Gerber is, they do stay true to mostly balanced nutrition, with organic options too.

Where Little Spoon shines is in its balanced plates and clean ingredients. The one downside to Little Spoon vs Gerber in ingredients is simply that, for a baby, you’ll have to supplement, of course, with formula and likely some other ingredients, as some of the purees are not as satiating.

Subscription Options

If you’re here for a subscription service, there are some key differences. For one, Gerber’s service is very new, and not the sole focus; for another, policies and variety differ.

Gerber

Perhaps in a bid to directly compete, all products that come with Gerber subscription boxes are organic. The monthly subscription shops out a mix of purees, pouches, snacks, and cereals, said to be selected to provide adequate nutritional balance.

There are five box options designed for baby’s needs: for babies at 3, 6, 9, 12, and even 18 month-year-olds. While you don’t know the exact products you’ll receive, you can sneak a peek at samples for 6, 9, and 12 month-year-olds. Boxes also come with weekly menus and recipes, and information about how the food was sourced–plus access to online chat experts and articles.

Boxes cost $69.99/ month, at around $2/ per serving. You can also slightly lower costs by prepaying for a few months at a time.

Little Spoon

Little Spoon offers subscriptions for both baby food (Blends) and kids or toddlers (Plates).

You’ll be asked for your zip code and what stage your baby is at– whether they’ve started solid foods; eating pureed; or a mix a solid and pureed–based upon your answers, you’ll be recommended to either Blends or Plates. They do warn about food allergies, and you actually do have control over what you get; you can modify orders using the online portal.

Baby Blends

You’ll get three subscription options, for 1 meal to three meals a day, or 14 to 48 meals/ delivery. Prices range from around $25/ week to $73/ week (when I was reviewing, there was a special promotion for 3 meals a day for $53/ week). All are USDA certified organic and non-GMO.

Plates

Plates allow you to select from 4 meals/ week to 12 meals/ week, or 8 to 24 meals per delivery. Prices range from $26/week to $78/ week (promotions also happen for larger plans). Meals last up in the freezer for up to 2 months, are all under 500 mg of sodium, and come in BPA-free, recyclable packaging.

My Takeaway

A few things stand out to me. For one, Gerber is more affordable than Little Spoon. Even if you’re just comparing Gerber’s subscription vs Little Spoon’s Baby Blends (the fairest comparison), Gerber averages $2/ serving, while Little Spoon averages $2.74/ serving at the highest frequency, or $3.49/ serving at the lowest. Understandably meals are more expensive.

However, the prices were closer than I imagined they would be– at the best deal, Little Spoon is just .74 more per serving. With that, you get the added benefits of selecting your own items, non-GMO food, lower sodium and fewer ingredients, and even non-BPA packaging. Plus, Little Spoon options tend to be more unique and offer more for special diets.

Customer Reviews

Gerber subscription is so new there simply aren’t adequate outside ratings. I do know, however, that Gerber has an A-plus unofficial rating on Better Business Bureau and has been in business for 95 years. Across aggregate ratings, Gerber averages around 4 out of 5 stars and holds a great reputation.

Little Spoon, meanwhile, is also not accredited and holds an A-minus rating through Better Business Bureau. Little Spoon also does not have a slew of customer ratings, though it has been mentioned through various outlets. The few individual experiences agree with my impression that it’s nutritional sound and overall a tasty option, if not cheap.

FAQs

Question: Is Little Spoon expensive?

Answer: Little Spoon may initially look expensive, but if you’re looking for quality baby food delivered to your door, it’s actually a good value–especially for purees.
For Baby Blends, at the best deal, you’ll pay around $2.74/ a serving, which is less than a dollar more per serving than Gerber. However, Plates do get a bit pricey, at as much as over $5/ serving. Keep in mind that you’re paying for the service, all organic ingredients, and high-quality ingredients.

Question: Is Little Spoon healthy?

Answer: Little spoon contains all non-GMO, organic ingredients for babies through toddlers. All Plates are 500mg of sodium or under, contain limited added sugars, and are free of preservatives. Even the meat is hormone and antibiotic-free. Plus, Plates are well balanced nutritionally. Overall, Little Spoon is a healthy option for your toddler or baby.

Question: Is Gerber a good brand?

Answer: Gerber is considered a reputable brand for baby food, with balanced nutrition as researched by experts. However, Gerber does not have as high of standards when it comes to ingredients as some smaller niche companies focused on natural, organic, and non-GMO food. Overall, Gerber is a good and affordable baby brand for most families.

Final Verdict: Try Little Spoon for subscriptions, and Gerber if you’re on a tight budget.

If you’re looking for a baby food subscription, I recommend Little Spoon over Gerber. Even though it is more expensive, the quality of ingredients, innovative flavors and an impressive commitment to having non-GMO, preservative-free, low to moderate sodium food–plus non-BPA packaging–all make it a better value in my opinion.

For baby food needs, I find that Little Spoon is a slightly better choice, and I also think so if you’re looking for balanced meals. That said if you don’t want a subscription service; are on a tight budget, and are in need of baby formula, Gerber is a solid choice and a better fit.

I Personally Prefer Little Spoon

I'm rarely "surprised" by a company these days, but Little Spoon truly DELIGHTED me and our family. Transparent ingredients, quick shipping and AMAZING customer support (our kiddos have a few allergies)! Give Little Spoon a try. #GameChange

Save 20% on Little Spoon
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

Bottom Line: Choose Little Spoon for subscriptions and balanced meals and Gerber for formula and additional needs.

Interested in Gerber? Shop Here.

Interested in Little Spoon? Shop subscriptions Here

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