Anyone else out there have a child who really enjoys those premade baby food pouches? Anyone have a picky kid who doesn't eat any vegetables? Anyone looking for convenient snacks that are perfect for on-the-go? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this product might be for you! Why am I giving this product 5 stars? Let me tell you my story: I have a ridiculously picky 17 month old, and she has been picky since the day we first introduced solids. From like 6-9 months, no matter what it was, if it wasn't breast milk, she gagged to the point of vomiting. Things have gotten better, and we have found solids that she likes but that mainly consists of chicken nuggets, french toast, meatballs, yogurt, and fruit (thankfully, she eats almost any fruit out there!). But vegetables? Forget about it. We can try until our face turns blue and she won't even put anything that remotely looks like a vegetable into her mouth. Kids, man. During my desperate attempts to get my daughter to EAT, I picked up a few of the baby food pouches from the grocery store. I started with pretty basic things, like apples and sweet potatoes, but as I ventured into more obscure flavors (chickpeas, broccoli, beets), it seemed like no matter what the flavor was, my daughter would eat it. Maybe it was the fact that she was independently able to self feed with the pouch? Not sure what it was, but it soon became clear: if it was in pouch form, it was a winner. One of my daughter's first words was "POUCH!" :: face palm :: Pouches became a weekly staple in our grocery store runs. I would try to buy the healthiest ones I could find, and mainly try to focus on the veggie-heavy kinds. Soon, though, I wanted to look for another alternative? Why? Well: 1. Pouches are expensive! The cheapest I could find were ones for 0.99, but the majority of them ranged from 1.19-1.76 per pouch! This adds up! 2. As I noted earlier, my daughter would eat fruits on her own, so pouches were my attempt to sneak vegetables into her diet. While a pouch would say that it contained kale, peas, or spinach, it was often not clear how much of the vegetable was present. Was the pouch really all apples with 2 peas? Was I really sneaking enough veggies in?? 3. Mom guilt. Sigh. I know, I know, fed is best, but I felt like I was failing by giving my daughter premade pouches all the time. Shouldn't I be slaving away in the kitchen to give her only the very best?? These pouches and the corresponding squeeze station (Infantino Squeeze Station ) came recommended to me by my sister-in-law. I bought the system right up to try to assuage items 1-3 above. I had a couple of "Where do I even start" moments, but decided I just needed to dive in. Through trial and error, I learned what works and what doesn't work and I include my tips to you below. PROS: - I can feel more fulfilled as a mother because I am giving my daughter something that I myself made. It makes me feel good inside. - I have control over what goes inside every pouch. I choose the ingredients and I decide on the ratio of fruits/vegetables. - I save money. It's about 30 cents for each of these disposable pouches. Depending on the exact ingredients I am using, I spend about 2-5 dollars for each recipe batch. Each recipe batch makes about 10 pouches. This is much less than what I was spending on pouches in the grocery store. - They freeze well. I typically spend a few hours making about 50 pouches at once. I label with Sharpie marker and throw in the freezer. To thaw, it is very simple. For the pouches that I send to daycare, I simply take it out of the freezer the night before and put into her lunch box in the fridge. The pouch is thawed by morning. For pouches that my daughter wants to eat at home, I typically lay on the counter to thaw in about 2 hours, or if I need one quicker, I just thaw in a mug of warm water. That takes about 5 minutes. You shouldn't microwave these pouches. - Texture has always been as issue for my daughter. I think that contributes to her pickiness. What I like about these pouches is that due to the way you fill them (like a plunging system), something that has not been finely enough pureed will simply not pass through the spout. When this happens to me, I just return to the food processor and puree some more and/or add some water (using the water from the vegetables I have steamed if I can) to further thin out. CONS: - It can get a little messy doing the filling. I have the Infantino Squeeze station and I find that the suction is so strong, that after you have filled the pouch, you cannot simply pull up the plunger. You have to unscrew the filler container first. Then I often find that some of the pouch filling spews out. I just have to have a lot of rags on hand to mop of spills and splatters. - Be prepared to wash a lot of dishes, because I find that you need a lot of equipment to make these pouches. I use pots and a steamer basket, a food processor, and the Infantino Squeeze Station. I usually do a few batches/flavors in one sitting, so I have to wash a lot of things over and over. It definitely feels like a chore. I prefer to do a lot at one time, though, because when I steam the carrots or the apples, I steam a lot of them and use them in different recipes/combinations. - I feel bad throwing all of this away. The good thing is that Infantino does offer reusable pouches! I like that as an option, but because I prefer to make my pouches in bulk and freeze, these disposable ones are more suited to my needs. ___________________________________________ RECIPE IDEAS- I am far from talented in culinary arts, but through trial and error (and what I happened to have on hand), these particular combinations have found success in our household. To get the general idea, I provided the first recipe in great detail, but the others just list the flavors that I find go well together. 1. Acorn Squash, Peach, Carrot, and Apple - Slice, de-seed, and roast the acorn squash (about 45 minutes at 400 degrees). - Steam some carrots until tender. If using baby carrots, I think I take about two handfuls. If using regular carrots, I think I use 2-3 peeled ones. - Use 1 small bag of frozen peaches. I let sit on the counter to start to soften as I prepare the vegetables. You could probably use fresh peaches, too! That just wasn't an option for me. - Use 2-3 peeled and steamed apples, or store bought applesauce works too! I mainly use the apples to add some sweetness. Pears are another good option. - Combine everything together into food processor and blend until smooth. If the mixture seems too thick, add water to thin. 2. Red Pepper, Carrot, and Pear 3. Broccoli, Zucchini, and Mixed Berries 4. Sweet Potato and Tropical Fruits 5. Avocado, Cherry, and Watermelon 6. Kiwi, Celery, and Green Bean 7. Spinach and Pineapple 8. Pea and Mango
