Breast milk is the gold standard for a baby’s nutrition, growth, and brain development.¹ So when choosing a formula - 75% of parents will in the first six months² - ask the question: which is closest to breast milk? 

Most formulas fall short on key ingredients naturally found in breast milk. We enlisted Pediatric Dietitian Susan Okonkowski (RDN, MPH) to explain the factors that actually matter when choosing a formula, and combined her expertise with hands-on testing by TCD moms on staff.

We compared four leading formulas on ingredients & similarity to breast milk, taste, and safety: Little Spoon Organic Whole Milk Infant Formula, Enfamil Optimum Infant Formula, Kendamil Organic Infant Formula, and Similac 360 Total Care Infant Formula. One brand was a clear winner. 

Should I Use Formula?

“Breast milk is an incredible, complete source of nutrition for babies, but it is not always possible  to breastfeed,” says Okonkowski. Medical conditions, low milk supply, returning to work, or simply personal preference are all valid reasons to choose formula.

And that does not make formula feeding a compromise. “With the right education, moms can choose a high-quality formula that resembles breast milk to help their baby get the nutrients they need.” 

What Makes a Formula Close to Breast Milk?

To “closely match the profile and composition of breast milk,” Okonkowski tells us to look for the following:

• ‍Protein ratio: a 60:40 whey-to-casein ratio that mirrors mature breast milk for easier digestion. Whey and casein are milk’s two main proteins, and breast milk’s roughly 60:40 balance forms softer curds that are gentler on a baby’s stomach than casein-heavy milk.³‍
• Whole milk base: a whole milk foundation that naturally includes MFGM (milk fat globule membrane) for brain and immune support. MFGM is the membrane that supplies the structural lipids a baby's brain uses to insulate and connect its nerve cells - leading to stronger cognitive and motor development and fewer infections.⁴‍
• Breast-milk bioactives: DHA at EU levels, all 5 nucleotides, L-carnitine, and choline and inositol within the breast milk range. Bioactives are the functional components in breast milk, beyond basic calories and vitamins, that support brain development, immunity, and energy metabolism.⁵ L-carnitine allows the body to convert fat into energy; infants don’t produce enough on their own and require some from diet - that’s why EU standards require L-carnitine in formula. ‍
• Taste & feeding experience: added iron and vegetable oils give many formulas a metallic scent and taste - look for a mild, lightly sweet scent and a creamy texture closer to breast milk.⁶

Here is how the four formulas compare.

Top Infant Formulas, Compared

Ingredients & Match to Breast Milk: Little Spoon Wins

Breast milk is made up of whey-rich protein, milk fat that carries MFGM, lactose, and bioactives like DHA, nucleotides, and L-carnitine. Here is how each formula compares:

🥇 Little Spoon Organic Whole Milk Infant Formula is the formulation that’s closest to breast milk:

•  Milk base: organic, grass-fed whole milk base from New Zealand cows that graze 350+ days a year, keeping its natural milk fat and MFGM, plus skim milk.⁷ Grass-heavy diets lead to naturally-occuring MFCM, Omega 6s, ARA, and DHA - unlike the grain-based diets many US cows receive, where those nutrients have to be added artificially.
• Protein and carbohydrate: 60:40 whey-to-casein ratio (identical to breast milk) and 100% lactose, with no corn syrup, maltodextrin, or soy.
• DHA and ARA: DHA and ARA are long-chain fatty acids in breast milk, an omega-3 and an omega-6, that help build a baby's brain and eyes during the first year, the period of fastest brain growth.⁵ Little Spoon features plant-based DHA at EU levels, paired with ARA in the natural breast-milk range - rather than a generic added amount.
• Bioactives: all 5 nucleotides, L-carnitine, prebiotic FOS, and choline and inositol in breast milk range.

🥈 Kendamil Organic Infant Formula comes in second with less nutrient match to breast milk:

• Milk base: organic whole milk base from non-disclosed origin.
• Protein and carbohydrate: 60:40 whey-to-casein ratio and 100% lactose.
• DHA and ARA: DHA at EU levels, but ARA is low.
• Bioactives: all 5 nucleotides and a GOS prebiotic, but no added L-carnitine, and inositol below breast-milk levels.

❌ Enfamil Optimum Infant Formula is further from breast milk:

• Milk base: nonfat milk base - meaning its fat is reconstructed from oils rather than milk fat, and its MFGM is added back separately rather than naturally present.
• Protein and carbohydrate: 60:40 whey-to-casein ratio and 100% lactose.
• DHA and ARA: DHA does not reach the EU 20 mg per 100 kcal minimum, though it includes ARA.⁸
• Bioactives: includes L-carnitine, but no added nucleotides.

❌ Similac 360 Total Care features a milk base and protein ratio that do not match breast milk’s composition:

• Milk base: nonfat milk base plus vegetable oils - its fat is reconstructed from oils rather than milk fat, meaning no MFGM.
• Protein and carbohydrate: casein-heavy 48:52 ratio, further from breast milk, with 100% lactose.
• DHA and ARA: DHA at less than half the EU minimum, plus ARA.
• Bioactives: includes L-carnitine and 4 of 5 nucleotides.

Taste & Consistency: Little Spoon Wins

Clumpy or foamy formula makes bottles harder to prepare and less appealing to a baby. Our editor tested all four with her 4-month-old, June:

🥇 Smoothest: Little Spoon mixes to a creamy, smooth consistency with almost no foam or clumping, and a mild, buttery scent with a lightly sweet taste that follows the natural cues of breast milk. June accepted her bottles without fuss.

✔️ Average: Enfamil Optimum and Similac 360 mix reasonably well but have a grainier texture and the faint metallic scent typical of nonfat-milk, vegetable-oil formulas. June tolerated them, but required more encouragement to finish the bottles.

❌ Coarse: Kendamil is a coarser powder that clumps and sticks to the sides of the bottle, with a stronger, more metallic smell and taste. June refused her bottle after the first few sips. 

Safety & Third-Party Testing: Little Spoon Wins

Breast milk is very safe and reduces risk of infant illnesses.⁹ That’s why it’s important to evaluate safety when choosing a formula. Formula can carry heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, which “are neurotoxic,” Okonkowski says, so she looks for brands that test transparently and earn independent certifications. Here’s how the four compare:

🥇 Little Spoon Organic Whole Milk Infant Formula is the safest option we tested:

• USDA Organic and EU Organic certified
• Clean Label Project Purity Award and First 1,000 Day Promise
• Publishes batch-level results for heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury
• Screens for over 550 toxins including pesticides, plasticizers, and pathogens like Cronobacter and Salmonella
• Tests for Sulfite-Reducing Clostridia (SRC) at levels 10x stricter than industry guidance, with 2,000+ safety checks per batch
• No recalls, and made in the USA using New Zealand organic whole milk

🥈 Kendamil Organic Infant Formula is well-certified but less transparent:

• USDA Organic (via the EU Organic Equivalency Program) and EU Organic certified
• UK Soil Association verified
• Clean Label Project Purity Award
• Does not publish batch-level heavy metal results
• No information on SRC testing or toxin screening
• Recalled two batches over cereulide toxin in February 2026, and made in the UK and Europe¹⁰

❌ Enfamil Optimum Infant Formula carries no organic or clean-label certification:

• Not organic, with no USDA or EU Organic certification
• No Clean Label Project certification.
• Does not publish batch-level heavy metal results
• No information on SRC testing or toxin screening, but conducts 2,200+ safety checks per batch
• Made in the USA

❌ Similac 360 Total Care is uncertified and has the most serious recall history:

• Not organic, with no USDA or EU Organic certification
• No Clean Label Project certification.
• Does not publish batch-level heavy metal results.
• No information on SRC testing or toxin screening
• Recalled in 2022 over Cronobacter concerns¹¹ - a serious illness for infants
• Made in the USA

Availability: Enfamil and Similac Win

Consistent product availability is important.

🥇 Enfamil Optimum and Similac 360 Total Care are the most widely available, carried in most grocery stores, pharmacies, and retailers nationwide, and both are made in the USA.

🥈 Little Spoon Organic Whole Milk Infant Formula ships direct to your door and is available via subscription, and is also made in the USA. Subscription customers receive 10% off all orders, free shipping, guaranteed stock, and the option for rush orders.

❌ Kendamil Organic Infant Formula is available at Target and Walmart along with several grocery stores, but it is imported from the UK and has seen intermittent US retail shortages.

Our Verdict: Little Spoon Is Closest to Breast Milk

After testing all four, one formula came closest to breast milk: organic, grass-fed whole milk base that keeps its natural fat and MFGM, a 60:40 ratio and 100% lactose, all five nucleotides plus L-carnitine, and the most transparent safety testing in the group. And that’s Little Spoon.

Okonkowski agrees: “I recommend Little Spoon for babies. It meets the highest standard across both quality and safety verification.”

Ready to try Little Spoon? With TCD, get your first two cans FREE:

References

1.  American Academy of Pediatrics
2. CDC
3. Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
4. JGH Open
5. Life
6. Journal of Dairy Science
7. Foods
8. Mead Johnson
9. Women’s Health 
10. Government of Canada Recalls
11.  FTC

‍