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Baby food pouches diy


Best Baby Food Pouches (Easy Homemade Ideas)

Learn how to make homemade Baby Food Pouches, no muss, no fuss, with these 15 easy recipe ideas. These are a great way to save money, share lots of flavors with babies and toddlers, and have convenient foods ready to go!

Baby Food Pouches

I always made my own baby food pouches because I like how affordable they are and how once you have a set of reusable pouches, there are so many options! Plus, you can feed many things you’re making for the rest of the family in a pouch, which means you can share flavors with the little ones even if they aren’t quite up to finger foods yet.

I view baby food pouches as one component of feeding a baby and like to mix purees with baby led weaning as a way to expose baby to a wide variety of flavors and textures from an early age.

I also find them very convenient for offering smoothies well into the toddler years!

Ingredients in You Need

What you need for your pouch adventure will depend on what you want to feed your baby! Basically you need something pureed (or a food like yogurt or applesauce that has a very pouch-friendly texture already) and a reusable pouch.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s the general gist of how to make a baby food pouch. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for recipe ideas and best tips!

  1. Choose your puree and prepare it. Let it cool as needed. (Or pull out the yogurt or applesauce.)
  2. Fill the pouch, making sure that the cap is on if using the kind with the zipper opening on the bottom. (Otherwise it will all run right out the top!)
  3. Store in the fridge or serve to baby.

TIP: As a quick an easy snack option, I like to mix half yogurt and half applesauce right in the pouch.

What can I put into a baby food pouch?

You just need the food to be smooth enough that it easily passes through the opening of the pouch, so anything that’s pureed or the consistency of pureed soup or yogurt will work. Generally speaking you can do:

  • Applesauce
  • Fruit purees
  • Vegetable purees
  • Baby food combinations
  • Pureed meats
  • Pureed soups
  • Smoothies
  • Yogurt

TIP: You can also use any of my go-to Baby Food Combinations too!

Making apple yogurt in a bowl

Flavor Ideas for Baby Food Pouches

These are some of my favorite recipe ideas to add to a pouch.

  1. Applesauce
  2. Apple Flax Yogurt: Equal parts Apple Puree and plain yogurt, plus a sprinkle of ground flax.
  3. Baby Oatmeal with Applesauce mixed in for flavor.
  4. Banana Yogurt
  5. Pear Coconut Puree: Pear Puree with full-fat coconut milk mixed in.
  6. Pear Yogurt: Equal parts Pear Puree and plain yogurt.
  7. Red Lentil Coconut Soup
  8. Sweet Potato Tomato Soup
  9. Mango Smoothie
  10. Mashed Butternut Squash
  11. Mashed Roasted Sweet Potato
  12. Spinach-Pea Puree (alone or with Applesauce)
  13. Simple Green Smoothie
  14. Strawberry Smoothie
  15. Veggie Chili, pureed smooth

TIP: For the foods, like soup, that you’d usually serve warm, you can serve them warm in a pouch too. Just be sure they are warm and not hot. Test on your wrist like you would a baby bottle.

How long can I store baby food pouches?

I recommend making them 24 hours ahead or less so they are as fresh as possible. But you can make batches of purees and stash them in the freezer, so the pouch assembly part is quick and easy.

Do I need a baby food pouch maker?

Honestly? No. I tried one and didn’t like it because it took up space in my cabinets and the pouches themselves weren’t reusable, which seemed like a waste and a lot of money. Using reusable pouches is easy and more affordable.

What are the best reusable pouches?

I prefer the silicone Squeasy Gear pouch, which comes in a few sizes (I start with the 3.5 ounce size for babies). It’s easy to learn from as early as 6 or 7 months and the kids can use them for smoothies and applesauce well through toddlerhood as they are very durable. You may want to remove the lid when serving to kids so they don’t play with it.

I also like this set of 3.4 ounce Weesprouts reusable pouches a lot, which are a nice size for babies (there is a larger size too!) and they are easy to clean and use.

Favorite Store-bought Baby Food

There are so many great store bought options! I like the Amara Organic Baby Food (paid affiliate link), which locks in the nutrients, texture, and taste of fresh foods. You just add breastmilk, formula, or water— and the flavors are delicious with straight forward ingredients.

I also like Happy Family Organics Clearly Crafted and Plum Organics. Those are just a few options—there is a lot to choose from as you well know from the baby food aisle!

TIP: I recommend serving pouches occasionally along with regular solids from a spoon and baby led weaning style so baby has a chance to learn how to suck, swallow, move all sorts of textures around in their mouths, and gain the skills needed to be ready for finger foods around 9 months.

How to Store

Store pre-made pouches in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store leftover pouches in the fridge for up to 24 hours and serve again. You can also freeze pouches for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature.

Best Tips for Success

  • If using a pouch with a zipper bottom, like this one from Wee Sprout, avoid overfilling to prevent difficulty sealing the pouch.
  • Be sure the mixture is totally smooth to avoid it becoming stuck in the opening of the pouch.
  • Add ½ teaspoon hemp seeds to any mixture for extra healthy fats.
  • Add 2 tablespoons full fat coconut cream or plain yogurt to the mashed sweet potato or squash for healthy fats.
  • Try any other Baby Food Combination or my No-Cook Baby Foods in a pouch.
  • Serve foods you’d usually serve warm (like soups) just warm, not hot. Test on your wrist to be sure the temperature is not hot.
  • Omit any added salt or sweeteners as needed.
  • Combine pouches with baby led weaning foods for a wide range of texture exposure.

Related Recipes

I’d love to hear your feedback if you try these ideas out, so please comment below to share—I love hearing from you guys!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Author Amy Palanjian

Cuisine American

Course Baby Food

Calories 46kcal

Servings 1

  • ▢ 1½ ounces Apple Puree
  • ▢ 1½ ounces plain whole milk yogurt (regular or Greek)
  • ▢ ½ ground flaxseeds (or hemp seeds)

  • Add the ingredients to a small bowl. Stir to combine well.

  • Add to the pouch, avoiding overfilling. If using a zip bottom style of pouch, be sure the cap is on to prevent the puree from coming out.

  • Serve or store for up to 5 days. (If storing leftovers in a pouch, store in the fridge and serve within 24 hours.)

  • If using a pouch with a zipper bottom, like this one from Wee Sprout, avoid overfilling to prevent difficulty sealing the pouch.
  • Pouch flavor ideas:  
  • Be sure the mixture is totally smooth to avoid it becoming stuck in the opening of the pouch.
  • Add ½ teaspoon hemp seeds or 2 tablespoons full fat coconut cream or plain yogurt to any mixture for extra healthy fats.
  • Try any other Baby Food Combination or  my No-Cook Baby Foods in a pouch.
  • Serve foods you’d usually serve warm (like soups) just warm, not hot. Test on your wrist to be sure the temperature is not hot.
  • Omit any added salt or sweeteners as needed.
  • Combine pouches with baby led weaning foods for a wide range of texture exposure.
  • Store leftover pouches in the fridge for up to 24 hours and serve again.

Calories: 46kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 21mg, Potassium: 101mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 54IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 54mg, Iron: 0.2mg

Tried this recipe?Rate in the comments and tag @yummytoddlerfood on IG!

Homemade baby food pouches {how-to and 5 recipes}

Portable, squeezable and with lots of flavor options, homemade baby food pouches are easy to make and a great way to serve healthy fruits, vegetables and whole grains to your little ones!

I made ALL of the baby food for both of my little ones. Which was no small feat because they were very hearty eaters. A good thing, but whew, kept me busy in the kitchen!

I always made big batches of purees, to knock out a bunch at a time, and inevitably, I’d be left with extras when they were moving onto finger foods and self-feeding.

So I started turning those purees into homemade baby food pouches.

(I also have tons of other ideas of ways to use leftover baby food – I didn’t want to waste a bit!)

You can of course buy squeeze pouches in the store.

They have lots of different kinds of applesauce mixes, yogurt squeezies, and fruit and veggie combinations.

But you can make your own so quickly, easily and for much less money. Plus, you can customize them to your little one’s liking and feel good that you’re controlling the ingredients.

My kids are older now – M is 5 next week (yikes!) and J is coming up on 3 – but they still love these squeezies. M says she has lots of friends who bring them for lunch, so she’s always asking for me to send them to school.

And I’m happy to.

I love that it’s an easy way to ensure they are eating their veggies. They will take down one of these pouches in a matter of minutes but they don’t always dig into a big bowl of peas or a plate full of broccoli. #yet #Iwontgiveup

So today I’m giving you the run-down on what I use, how it works and five easy homemade squeezie combinations to get you started. (Check out these 5 additional homemade baby food pouches for more ideas!)

Equipment for baby food pouches

I have the Infantino Squeeze Station and it’s been great. It’s the only specific baby food equipment I’ve bought and was definitely worth it.

You’ll also need to buy refill pouches (they come in batches of 50 and you will go through them!)

They have other accessories, but I’ve stuck to these basics so far.

You’ll also need an immersion/hand blender or regular blender to make the purees to put into the squeeze pouches.

How to make baby food squeeze pouches

You set up the squeeze station by inserting three pouches into the bottom (they fit through some grooves and sort of snap in.) Then you put the empty containers on top and screw them onto the bags.

Note: Be sure to write the contents and date on your bags before you start to fill them. Much easier than after they’re done.

Next, you spoon your puree mix into each container, filling it almost to the top. You use the press tool and push the puree down into the pouch. It’s a weirdly gratifying feeling.

If the mixture gets stuck or won’t push, you probably have a small chunk in your puree that got caught in the hole. Just unscrew your tube, dump the contents back into your blender and reblend (or pick out the offending piece if you see it).

After the bags are filled, unscrew the tubes and carefully pull the bags out. Twist on the orange top and voila!

You can keep them in the fridge for a couple of days or pop them straight into the freezer to have on hand later.

It’s really easy and actually, really fun! 

Notes about baby food pouch combinations:

  • Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to all of these to help preserve them. The only exception is the pineapple-broccoli mixture. The citrus from the pineapple is enough on its own.
  • You can keep the peels on the pears and apples, just be sure to puree them very well so pieces don’t get stuck and prevent the mixture from going into the squeezie bags.
  • The vegetables and grains need to be cooked and soft, so plan ahead. Or use leftovers. These can be a great way to use up scraps and reduce food waste.
  • If any of your mixtures seem too thick (because the water content of fruits and veggies can vary), just add a bit of applesauce or a splash of water to the blender until its thin enough.
  • Each pouch holds about 4 ounces. Most of these batches for me make about 3 squeezies worth. You can of course always double up if you want to knock out a bunch. They freeze great, so you might as well!

Check out the recipes below and get to making some baby food pouches. I hope your little one enjoys!

(And let me know if you want to see another round-up like this – we have lots of other flavor combinations we’ve made over the years that I can share!)

XO,

Kathryn

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the apple-brown rice-spinach pouches:

  • 1 apple, core removed and roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
  • 1 cup packed fresh spinach leaves (raw)
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

For the pineapple-broccoli pouches:

  • 1 cup cut pineapple (thawed if frozen)
  • 2/3 cup cooked broccoli florets

For the mango-sweet potato-quinoa pouches:

  • 1 ripe mango, peeled, seed removed and roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup cooked sweet potato
  • 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

For the banana-barley-zucchini pouches:

  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1/2 cup cooked barley
  • 1/2 cooked chopped zucchini
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

For the pear-peas-spinach pouches:

  • 1 ripe pear
  • 1/2 cup cooked peas
  • 1 cup raw spinach
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions

  1. Make sure all of your grains and veggies are cooked, if indicated.
  2. Combine all ingredients for each pouch combination in a blender or immersion blender and blend until it’s a smooth, pourable consistency. (See notes.)
  3. Label your bags, set up your station and add the mixture to the squeeze station containers, filled to the indicated line. Push down with the press tool and fill each bag. Remove the bags from the station and twist on the tops.
  4. Store pouches in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. To defrost, simply move the pouch to the refrigerator - it thaws in less than a day.

Notes

Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to all of these to help preserve them. The only exception is the pineapple-broccoli mixture. The citrus from the pineapple is enough on its own.

You can keep the peels on the pears and apples, just be sure to puree them very well so pieces don’t get stuck and prevent the mixture from going into the squeezie bags.

The vegetables and grains need to be cooked and soft, so plan ahead. Or use leftovers. These can be a great way to use up scraps and reduce food waste.

If any of your mixtures seem too thick (because the water content of fruits and veggies can vary), just add a bit of applesauce or a splash of water to the blender until it's thin enough.

Each pouch holds about 4 ounces. Most of these batches for me make about 3 squeezies worth. You can of course always double up if you want to knock out a bunch. They freeze great, so you might as well!

Here are 5 more homemade baby food pouches if you want more flavor/combination ideas!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

3

Serving Size:

1 pouch
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 50

The different varieties will yield different nutrition information.

Happy baby 15051 Baby food storage bags

Our advantages

Delivery on the day of order

Delivery works 7 days a week across the Crimea from 10:00-20:00

Wide range

children under 5 years old.

Quality Assurance

All items in my Lvenok stores carry a manufacturer's warranty.

Promotions and discounts

Be the first to know about promotions, discounts and special offers from moy Lvenok store.

Convenient self-delivery

You can pick up the order yourself in one of the stores in Simferopol.

Own warehouse

All goods are placed in moy Lvenok's warehouse equipped for storing children's goods.

Payment methods

You can pay for the purchase in any way: cash to the courier, bank card to the courier, card according to the details.

  • 590 rub

In stock

531 r

VIP discount card price in retail stores

FOOD POUCH reusable baby food storage bags with lids and a spoon will help out on the road, on a walk or on a trip. They keep food fresh, are completely safe for the baby and are suitable for feeding the baby outside the home right from the bag. Screw the spoon onto the bag - no additional utensils are required. Packages are easily sealed, and a reliable zipper will not open during storage or transportation. Suitable for freezing and perfectly washed in the dishwasher.

COMPOSITION:

  • Polyethylene terephthalate, LDPE/HDPE, polypropylene.

Reviews

Happy baby 15051 Baby food storage bags

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Our advantages

Delivery on the day of order

Delivery works 7 days a week in the Crimea from 10:00-20:00

Wide assortment

We offer the most complete range of products for expectant mothers, newborns and children up to 5 years of age.

Quality Assurance

All items in my Lvenok stores carry a manufacturer's warranty.

Promotions and discounts

Be the first to know about promotions, discounts and special offers from moy Lvenok store.

Convenient self-delivery

You can pick up the order yourself in one of the stores in Simferopol.

Own warehouse

All goods are placed in moy Lvenok's warehouse equipped for storing children's goods.

Payment methods

You can pay for the purchase in any way: cash to the courier, bank card to the courier, card according to the details.

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Don't forget to also buy

Happy Baby Reusable Pouches "


In the summer we are almost never at home, we walk all the time, most often very far from home, naturally I take snacks with me for children, mashed potatoes in spiders are an integral part of a walk or a trip with a small child. Now there is an opportunity to save (to some extent), take care of the environment thanks to reusable bags for baby food from happy baby.

Why them?

- I arranged the price, 299 rubles for 5 bags and 5 caps;

- Optimum volume 180 gr;

- Ease of use;

- Consuming smart, using a more convenient container for feeding my baby does not harm the environment and does not produce more waste.

The sachets are very thoughtful in use, from filling to care. It is possible to purchase an additional nozzle in the form of a spoon, I did not buy it, because I do not see the point in it.

There is a place to sign what kind of product, for whom and date of preparation. The design is quite nice, more neutral, a convenient viewing window and a measuring scale.

Of the whole set, I actively use one bag for fruit purees and one for vegetables, after using mine as soon as possible, sterilize and dry. It can be used for cereals, vegetable purees, for self-made purees, for freezing food. For those who are afraid that the packages are not sterile enough, I suggest just taking a jar of sterilized food, this food bag, and pour everything just before use. So you will be calmer about the freshness of the product.

In the future, I plan to store berries mashed with sugar in these doypacks (first I freeze, then the reverse process and, accordingly, eating), homemade sauces, a small amount - the product will not have time to deteriorate and will be quickly eaten! The main thing is you can indulge, your own, homemade?

Many people have difficulties with washing, they don’t happen to me, everything is quite easy, it’s allowed to wash in the PM, but I do it with my hands using a bottle brush, I need the smallest one for the nipple. Many people think that since the ban on the use of a microwave oven means that it cannot be sterilized. I sterilize the bag in the good old "grandmother's" way - with boiling water and hot steam, then dry the bag using a bottle dryer, everything is straightened and dried out there, I douse it with steam and pour puree before use.

It closes quite tightly, and the lid and lock, for a month of active use, there were no embarrassments. It does not absorb odors from food, the only thing is that if you wash it with a very vigorous dish detergent, it will smell a little, but this does not affect the taste.

Putting mashed potatoes or porridge into it is quite simple, but at first you need to get used to it, the neck is quite narrow, it is not very convenient to scoop with a spoon, over time I somehow got used to pouring mashed potatoes without spilling and without a spoon. But I repeat, you need to adjust when you poured it for the first time from a spoon, wanted to spit and take a funnel?

Today I “loaded” an afternoon snack, vegetable puree to take with me for a walk. And today we don’t have cans, but all our own, made with our own hands?? It looks something like this

Overall, I'm very happy with the purchase of reusable baby food bags! It is incredibly convenient on the road, on a walk and helps to protect mother nature, as well as teach children to consume wisely by example.

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