baby food pouches - Stuff Parents Need

Take the Ouch Out of Pouch Feeding with PouchPop (Giveaway)

April 29, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 48 Comments

If your little ones are like mine, then food pouches are one of their favorite things to eat, either as part of a meal or as a healthy snack. But did you realize that the design of many pouch tops can cause irritation of the gums?

See the edges? They aren’t sharp enough to cut gums, at least not in my experience, but if you’ve got a baby who loves to gnaw on things, then they can cause irritation. Another parents noticed the same issue, and as a result, developed the PouchPop.

While I don’t personally use pouches enough to have noticed my baby’s gums getting irritated, I can definitely see how that could happen, especially if your little one eats at least one pouch each day, or if you let them gnaw on it for a while after they are done eating. I have found the PouchPop to be very easy to pop onto your pouch, and very easy to wash, as well. For pouch food fans out there, it is a great find!

Buy it!: If you use code Topper12 on Amazon during checkout, you will save 25% off the $9.99 price.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a set of PouchPops!

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Reusable Food Pouches: EZ Squeezees (Giveaway!)

March 18, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 62 Comments

My very favorite type of food to pack for both of my girls when we are taking a road trip, or even just running errands for a few hours, are reusable food pouches.

I’m sure you are familiar with food pouches, also sometimes called squeeze pouches. Most every brand that makes baby and toddler food now carries them because the kids love them so much. But are you confused about the “reusable” part? Aren’t they all disposable?

Well, most of the ready to eat food pouches from the store ARE disposable. But for the most part, that’s not how we roll! I don’t like being that wasteful, and even more importantly, I just can’t afford to give those pouches to my girls on a regular basis, as they are at least $1 each, and that’s when I shop the sales and match them up with a coupon! Ain’t nobody got time for that!

Introducting EZ Squeezees.

It looks pretty much just like a squeeze pouch you would buy from a store (though perhaps a bit sturdier). But the side of the pouch has a seal just like a plastic storage bag. Simple open up the side and fill it with whatever your little ones like! I add plain yogurt, apple sauce, and even baby food purees.

There is a bit of a learning curve with the reusable food pouches. The first few times I filled them, I over-filled them, only realizing it as I was closing the pouch. When it is too full, excess food will just spill out over the closure as you are trying to close it. Which, of course, is messy. But I have a better sense now for how much it can hold and tend to get it right.

I do wish that the caps it comes with would be attached to the pouch. This would make losing them much more difficult, and would also be a bit safer, as the caps are small, and not something you would want to be within reach of anyone under 3.

Overall, though, we are very pleased with the EZ Squeezees reusable food pouches. These save us a lot of money and still give the girls the opportunity to have their favorite type of snack. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE that these are dishwasher safe. I just put them in the top rack!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a set of 3 EZ Squeezees resusble food pouches!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Baby Food Ideas for Older Babies

March 14, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 5 Comments

Layah is 10 months old now.

Let me just catch my breath for a second while that sinks in….

Whew!

Anyway, she has certainly developed an appetite at this point. Sometimes I ask out loud if someone traded Layah’s stomach for that of a teenage boy. And I’m only half-kidding. She LOVES to eat, and she really loves to feed herself. While she still eats pureed baby food, I can tell that she is growing a little tired of it, and wants to have more of each meal be foods with more texture. I’ve been in need of some baby food ideas for her as an older baby.

Baby Food Ideas

In addition to finding new finger foods for Layah to sample (like bits of olives!) and I’m still making good use of all that baby food I have made and purchased by making it more appetizing to her.

Want to know my trick?

Whole grains! I love to add brown rice, quinoa or bulgur to Layah’s purees. If I ever have cooked pasta on hand, I’ll chop it up (usually in my food processor) and add that to her baby food, as well.

She is also really enjoying the stage 3 foods from Earth’s Best. They have a soft chunky texture that she absolutely loves.

I’d love to hear how you transitioned your baby away from pureed food and over to solids. Any tips or tricks to share? Any ideas of other things I can start adding into her baby food?

I am a blog ambassador for Earth’s Best, and as such I have received complimentary products as a thank you for my time. All thoughts and opinions express here are strictly my own.

Peter Rabbit Organics: Not Just for Babies! (GIVEAWAY!!!)

October 16, 2010 · by Tiffany Merritt · 74 Comments

I feel as though the organic baby food market has reached a tipping point, and more and more wonderful options are coming on the market. I’m so thrilled to see it!

Today I want to tell you about one such company that offers 3 very delicious fruit snack pouches. Check out Peter Rabbit Organics, a company based in London that now makes products in Oregon so that they can be offered to U.S. customers!

Their pouches are certified USDA organic, and they use local suppliers in Oregon as much as they possibly can. So the food is organic and also local where it is produced. That helps to ensure products that are full of yummy natural flavors!

They call their pouches fruit snacks, but the term may be a bit misleading. When I think of snacks, I think of little treats that aren’t necessarily very good for you. These pouches contain pureed versions of fruit…THAT’S IT!! They are so good for you that I have served them to Darah as a meal!

And so that I could report back to you, I tasted each of the fruit snacks, as well. Um, they don’t taste like baby food at all! They basically taste like a shelf-safe fruit smoothie…yum! Darah had one of the pouches while we were playing in a park one day, and when she was all done, I happily licked the spoon before I put it back in the bag. I’m sure some of the parents around me were grossed out, but that’s just because they’ve never had the Peter Rabbit Organics experience! 🙂

Peter Rabbit Organics offers fruit snacks in the following flavors:
Strawberry & Banana
Mango, Banana & Orange
Apple & Grape (a surprisingly delicious combo, if I do say so myself!)

Find Peter Rabbit Organics Online

So how to you find these to try out for yourself, I mean, for your baby??? Well, they are sold at Starbucks, so you can just follow your nose to the closest store, or you can check out their online store finder. Additionally, you can buy them through online retailers like Amazon.com and Diapers.com. They are definitely something that will be devoured quickly, and they make for the healthiest of snacks!

Win it!: Peter Rabbit Organics wants to give one lucky Stuff Parents Need Reader a set of 3 pouches to try out! These would be fun stocking stuffers or just yummy surprise treats! The contest will run until October 26th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me your favorite fruit! Mine is a mango, with watermelon coming in a close second.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: “Like” Peter Rabbit Organics on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Follow me on Google Friend Connect (not signed up yet? It is painless, I promise!).

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.
Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you.