How to make baby food pouches

When I was pregnant I saw so many posts about making baby food purees. I decided I would attempt to make Vivian's baby food and so far I have made all of it (besides finger foods of course). I have truly enjoyed making her food and she loves it too! You can ready about how I make her pureed baby food here. Not only do I know exactly what is in the foods she is eating but it also saves money. Now I know this won't last forever... it is time consuming and I likely won't have time once we have another little but for now I love doing it. We started purees when she was about 5.5 months old and as she got older I started to mix things. About 2 months ago I started making pouches so that we could pack them when we leave home and also because it's so much easier to mix lots of different fruits and veggies.

Step 1:

You will need to purchase this Infantino Squeeze Station. It also comes with 10 pouches. I knew I'd need a lot more than that so I also purchased this pack of extra pouches.

Step 2:

Wash, peel and chop your fruits and veggies. I use all organic fruits and veggies but use whatever your prefer. For this batch of patches I did butternut squash, carrots, apples and spinach. I had no idea how to cook butternut squash before I started making baby food but now I feel like a pro. Peel the outside of it then cut the 2 ends off. Cut it in half from top to bottom and scoop out the seeds just like you would a pumpkin. Then chop into cubes.

Step 3:

Steam or boil your fruits and veggies. I use this steamer insert and steam the fruits/veggies over a pot of boiling water. Steam until they are easily pierced with a fork, usually about 20 minutes.

Step 4:

Combine equal parts of desired fruits and veggies into blender. I usually always throw a few handfuls of spinach in because you can't taste it so might as well right? Then I put some of the boiling water from the steaming pot into the blender to wilt the spinach. Blend until pureed. Keep adding water until at desired consistency. You want it pretty thin, almost the consistency of applesauce.

Step 5:

Label your pouches. I always write the date as well as the contents on them.

Step 6:

Set up your squeeze station with pouches, fill your tubes, and press into the pouches. So easy! Then put the cap on and into the freezer they go. I pull a few out at a time and let them thaw in the fridge. They are good in the fridge for about 3 days.

So lets do the math and see what I saved. The actual pouches from Amazon cost $0.30 each. I made 23 pouches so that's $6.90 spent on the actual pouches. I paid $17.86 for all the organic fruit and vegetables for this batch. That's $24.76 total, or $1.07 for each pouch. In stores, organic pouches cost $1.69 each so I am saving $0.62 on each pouch, or a total savings of $14.26 on this batch of pouches! So yes, you do have to spend $20 to buy the squeeze station but you basically make up for it after making one batch.

Some of the combinations I have made:

-Butternut squash, carrots, apples and spinach

-Mango, butternut squash, spinach

-Apples and pears

-Sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach

-Peas, spinach, pears

You can mix anything! Get creative! If your little one isn't crazy about veggies, throw in a little bit of apples or pears to make the veggies sweet. A little bit of fruit goes a long way and I guarantee they will love it! Happy cooking :)

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