I am at a point where health is my number one priority, especially for my children. I made both of my kids baby food and I didn’t find it to be much trouble. However, I know I am lucky to be able to stay at home so I have time to do those things. But even still there are the days where convenience just has to take priority. We will be running out the door and the kids want a snack. Or I know we will be out of the house for a long time, so snacks will be necessary, but I don’t want them eating processed junk foods. That’s where those nice little fruit and veggie pouches come in very handy. They are all fruits and vegetables, not messy, and for some reason kids absolutely love them. My kids would rather suck down broccoli, spinach, and sweet potato out of one of those pouches than have a cookie.
They didn’t have those pouches when Alyssa was little, but they did with Cassidy. We used them some, like I said for convenice, but I still didn’t love using them because they are a processed food. They were sitting on a shelf for months at a time losing all that valuable nutrition as time ticked on. They also were heavy on the sweet fruit and not so much the veggies. I really preferred making my own baby food. But again, sometimes convenience won over.
I recently came across a reusable pouch and almost bought it. But it was a hard plastic and didn’t have the same spout, so I figured, knowing how finicky kids are, it just wouldn’t be the same. A couple months later I researched it a little more figuring someone had to have had the genius idea of making a reusable pouch just like the one all kids love. And they do! There were a couple different brands I found, but one stood out, Squooshi.
squooshi features:
Extra sturdy zip-lock bottom for easy-to-fill and easy-to-clean convenience & usability.
Unique designs make even picky eaters happy.
Compatible with spoon attachments.
Great for baby food, yogurt, oatmeal, smoothies and more.
Freeze, store and serve from the same container. No more freezer cubes needed!
BPA free, Phthalate free, PVC free, Lead free
Dishwasher safe
I originally typed up my own reasons for wanting to use the Squooshi pouch. Then I looked back at their website and my points were identical to theirs…
• You control the ingredients in your little one’s food. Organic, local food reduces exposure
to overly processed ingredients, pesticides, food dyes, preservatives, sugar, added salt,
and genetically modified organisms (GMO’s).
• You give your child the gift of nutrient rich, real food in a variety of recipes
• You enjoy the cost savings of homemade vs. pre-prepared. A 2.5oz pouch or jar of baby
food can cost anywhere from 50 cents to $1.40; homemade costs about 5 to 10 cents per
2.5oz; Savings which can add up to hundreds of dollars saves annually.
• You reduce wasteful food packaging going into landfills and energy used in food transportation.
• Your child learns to enjoy the flavors of fresh, wholesome food.
I have been using the pouches for several weeks and I honestly love them.
What I love:
The zippers on the bottom don’t leak or bust open from tight squeezes (I was afraid of that)
They are shaped just like the ones in the store. Many of the other brands were square shaped so food could get stuck up in the top corners, making it harder to get all the food out and clean it.
When held upside down, they don’t pour out (I was afraid of that as well)
The store bought caps fit their pouch, so if you lose one, its easily replaced (although i think they sell replacement caps as well).
The kids love them too and I have complete control over what goes in them!
Tips (these might sound self explanatory, but that doesnt mean I didn’t have to learn the hard way):
Keep the lid on while filling them up so it doesn’t spill out the top.
Make your puree thick but not too thick. A thinner consistancy will pour out too fast and make a mess but too thick and it will choke the kid up. Theres not a perfect consistancy you have to reach or anything, but just thicker than pure liquid, and thin enough it can easily be squeezed out. (just like the store bought kind)
Only fill them about 2/3 of the way before zipping them closed. Don’t be like me and try and shove more into the pouch just to find its going to squish out when you try to zip it.
Have I convinced you yet? If not, maybe trying them out for yourself will! Squooshi is going to give a Fuel My Family reader one of their variety packs, two 2.5 oz and two 4.5 oz pouches! To enter, leave a comment with what recipe or produce combinations you would want to make for your little ones (or not so little ones, my 4.5 year old still loves them!). For an extra entry, go to Squooshi’s facebook page, “like” it, and leave a separate comment telling me you did so.
Check back next week and I will announce the winner!
Fuel My Family 