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The pros and cons of substituting hydrolyzed collagen peptides for grassfed beef gelatin in homemade baby formula whether made from cow or goat milk.
Mothers who are unable to breastfeed or procure a sufficient quantity of quality donor milk to feed their babies are increasingly turning to a homemade baby formula recipe made with whole, unprocessed ingredients to fill in the gap.
This is because a growing body of research suggests that commercial formula is not only bad for babies, it may very well damage their health for life. Most recently, scientists discovered unlabeled and unregulated nanoparticle additives in every single powdered baby formula tested. This included Gerber, Enfamil, Similac and Well Beginnings products currently available on store shelves (1).
As the popularity of homemade baby formula continues to grow within health-conscious communities around the globe, so do attempts to make the process of whipping up a batch ever faster and more convenient.
One very obvious way to reduce the time required to make a batch of homemade formula is to substitute collagen peptides (aka, hydrolyzed collagen or collagen hydrolysate) for the gelatin in the recipe.
The Case for Peptides
Making baby formula would definitely be an easier process if peptides were substituted for gelatin.
The biggest reason is that peptides dissolve in liquid no matter what the temperature while gelatin requires warm to hot liquids. This would allow all the formula ingredients to be conveniently blended together in one step, which eliminates the necessity of warming the water portion of the formula in a small pan on the stove first (not a microwave) in order to dissolve the gelatin before adding in the other ingredients.
Using peptides instead of gelatin also eliminates the problem of the formula congealing slightly when refrigerated. While this problem is not a safety issue or really a problem at all, as it is resolved when a bottle of the formula is warmed up for baby, it can sometimes alarm parents who are making the formula for the first time.
From a nutritional perspective, collagen peptides have a very similar amino acid profile to gelatin and look and taste almost exactly the same. They are processed in a similar manner and are made from the same ingredients.
Both collagen peptides and gelatin remain hydrophilic even after cooking or heating too. This means that both attract digestive juices in a manner similar to raw foods. All other cooked foods repel digestive juices, making gelatin and peptides unique in how they benefit the digestive process.
Seems like a no brainer to make the substitution!
However, before you make the change in your home, here are some guidelines to consider.
When to Try Peptides Instead of Gelatin in Baby Formula
Of all the ingredients in the cow’s milk baby formula, gelatin is one of the top two that might potentially cause digestive upset for baby. The other ingredient is the nutritional yeast. Incidentally, gelatin is included in the goat milk baby formula recipe and bone broth baby formula recipe as well.
While most babies tolerate the gelatin just fine, when a parent emails me that their baby is gassy or fussy after feeding, one of the first things I typically suggest is to try removing the gelatin and/or the nutritional yeast from the formula and see if that helps.
If this is the situation for your baby where the gelatin is not well tolerated, then, by all means, try the peptides instead. The manufacturing of peptides is more intensive than the processing of gelatin, which breaks up the amino acid chains (protein) into smaller units. This can make them a bit easier to digest than gelatin for some people with, especially sensitive digestion.
Another reason to substitute the peptides for the gelatin is when the baby has an allergy to beef. While rare, this type of allergy is on the rise, and I have definitely had a few parents email me about it over the years.
Grassfed beef gelatin is the type recommended for the homemade baby formula (tested free of glyphosate residue). If an allergy is present, it may be prudent to try the wild marine peptides (tested for purity) instead.
When Not to Substitute Peptides
If your baby is doing well with gelatin added to the homemade formula, then it is not advisable to substitute the collagen peptides just for the sake of convenience.
While collagen peptides are a bit easier to digest than straight gelatin for some people, remember that extra processing is required to make peptides.
Providing baby with ingredients that are processed as little as possible is the optimal approach as long as the gelatin is not causing any issues.
In other words, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Stick with the original homemade formula recipe devised by the brilliant food scientist Dr. Mary Enig, co-author with Sally Fallon Morell of the nutritional classic Nourishing Traditions.
You mentioned nutritional yeast causing digestive upset and our little one is very gassybsince starting the homemade formula. What can be substituted for the nutritional yeast?
There isn’t a substitute for the nutritional yeast. Just leave it out if it is causing issues.
Sarah thanks for the information, I have been looking into peptides for my self lately and when I heard of what you speak about I had to tell my sister as her newborn is having issues with gelatin and having difficulty in finding a solution. My question is why did the doctors not advise her of this and do they agree with it from what you have found out.
Thank you! I agree that they are being too nosy and it is immoral for them to try to be reimbursed for food that they are not providing. They provide Enfamil formula at no charge. I’m sure it is much easier for them to make that than to warm up my bottles, but we refuse to be “forced” into giving that to him instead. I’m hoping we can come to a resolution as daycares in our area are hard to get into, and probably won’t be able to get him into a new one quickly.
Then just change as soon as you can. In the meantime, I’m sure there are plenty of holistic doctors in your area that can vouch and sign off that your homemade formula being a much better choice than Enfamil!
Hi Sarah,
I sent you the last question about taking this formula to daycare a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately the daycare is pressing to know what it is since they participate in the food program in PA (they want it to be approved so they can get reimbursed for his meals). They want me to have a doctor sign an approval form and to describe why he has special dietary needs and impairments, which he does not have. I of course don’t want to bring this to our pediatrician, but I’m trying to see if my chiropractor will sign it and hopefully that will be acceptable. I did have another question for you too. Since I switched to the collagen, my baby has started to develop dry red patches on his arms and some on his belly. Do you know if the collagen could be a cause of this? Or maybe it’s just a coincidence that it started around the same time? The daycare mentioned something about it too, so now I’m really worried they may point the blame at the formula. I now bought the Vital Proteins brand to see if that makes a difference, since that is the one you recommend. Thank you so much in advance for your response!
Hard to tell what might be causing the dry patches … you can leave out the peptides too if you suspect he is sensitive. Yes, get a holistic doctor’s signature for the daycare center if you must. Many are familiar with homemade formula and supportive of it. Why would the daycare center seek to get reimbursed from the PA food program for his meals when you are making and providing the formula in the first place?? Just me, but sounds like a ploy just to get you to give them information they have no business asking in the first place. Also, I seriously doubt that they need a doctor’s signature for the formula as required by law. They are flat out being too nosy.
I would suggest finding another daycare center that doesn’t overstep its bounds!
Hi Sarah,
I have been making this formula for my son for weeks now, but I am soon sending him to daycare. I would like to switch to collagen so that is stays liquid even when cold so that I can tell them it is breast milk. In your opinion, can this pass as breast milk without the daycare questioning it? Or am I better off just telling them it is homemade? I am concerned about the way it separates in the fridge when cold and if it would look odd to them. Also, I noticed that once heated and I am feeding my baby, the oils between to separate slightly so I continually shake the bottle a bit to keep the formula mixed. I would like to tell them to do the same, but maybe this isn’t necessary.
Thanks!
You might need to leave out the nutritional yeast if it doesn’t blend in sufficiently. Sometimes this can float at the top and clog the bottle nipple a bit. I don’t see daycare workers tolerating that! As for saying what it is, lying is never a good idea. On the other hand, you DO NOT have to justify your parental decisions to them. And, you are under no obligation to identify whether the formula is commercial or homemade. So, I would suggest saying as little as possible about it. Basically, just give them the bottles each day and say nothing more other than instructing them how much to feed him each day and how to prepare the bottle (do not let them microwave it!). If they get nosey and press you for specifics, simply say it is a doctor approved formula which is 100% true as the formula was developed by Dr. Mary Enig to mimic breastmilk as closely as possible. I would not say anything about homemade or that you blend it up yourself. Let them think what they like! You don’t have to fill in the blanks for them. Ultimately, it is none of their business anyway. They work for you, not the other way around.
Is it ok to give kefir or colostrum kefir to baby
Kefir is fine if it is plain and blended with the other ingredients into a homemade formula. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/video-homemade-milk-based-baby-formula/
Hi! I make the cows milk formula for my baby. It’s the only thing she can use but she is allergic to beef gelatin. I want to substitute with marine peptides but don’t know how much to use. ?? Also I don’t just heat the gelatin, I heat the lactose on the stove also. Do I not have to do that?
Substitute peptides for gelatin 1:1. You don’t have to heat at all if you use peptides as they dissolve in cold liquids.
The maximum temperature for a raw milk formula is about 39 or 40 degrees celcius right?
But I noticed that it will get cold really fast. (Pure raw milk only)
I have never used the formula because I breastfedd my son for a year.
But I’m curious if theres a quick solution for this.
Does the collagen hydrolysate contain (almost) the same good stuff as gelatin?
Great lakes has collagen hydrolysate as well, right? at least.. thats what I tought….
Greetings
Peptides seem like a really good way to get the nutrients you need. I did not knot hat you could put them into baby formulas as well. I will have to try it one of these days because I want to see if it works.
I was considering using the collagen instead of gelatin as it would be so much faster to make a batch of the formula. But, my twins are handling it so beautifully, I will still with the grassfed gelatin. Thanks Sarah!