My daughter is almost a year old, and to say she loves baby food pouches would be an understatement. When she started eating solids at six months, we decided to do a mix of classic purees and baby-led-weaning (which primarily uses finger foods). In my search for purees, I bought a variety of jars and pouches. Although my daughter was originally open to any type of food, she’s definitely developed preferences as she’s approached the 12-month mark. And like so many other infants and toddlers, baby food pouches have become her favorite. So far, it doesn’t matter what’s in the pouch — fruit smoothies, plain applesauce, yogurt blends, meat and veggies — as long as it’s in the pouch, she’ll eat it.
I know we’re not alone when it comes to the baby food pouch obsession. According to the Los Angeles Times, pouches are the most popular baby food on the market, with sales increasing 900% over the past decade.
While pouches are incredibly convenient, they aren’t always the healthiest. According to a 2019 study published in Nutrition Today, infant and toddler food pouches contain significantly more sugar per serving than comparable food in other types of packaging. Many pouches feature a blend of ingredients: fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, etc. Unfortunately, what this means is that many pouches are very fruit-forward. For example, a pouch that says it contains “apple, sweet potato, and green bean” will often be almost all apple puree, with a bit of sweet potato and green bean.
Many pouches list their key ingredients on the front, and some will break down the amounts on the back (I swear I found a pouch that said it had spinach, but when I looked closely, it said “one spinach leaf”). Once I started checking the ingredients on pouches, I was disappointed to find that they almost all had fruit bases. Don’t get me wrong, fruits are great for babies and toddlers, but they’re high in sugar — this gives pouches the sweet flavor that kids love.
Luckily, there are some really great pouch options out there! Here are some of my favorite baby and toddler food pouches.
Cerebelly
Cerebelly pouches are packed with organic, veggie-first whole ingredients. Created by a neurosurgeon, Cerebelly has a focus on brain development, and every pouch contains 16 brain-boosting nutrients. And just because they’re veggie-first doesn’t mean they don’t taste good — I always try out my daughter’s food, and I can confirm the Cerebelly pouches are quite tasty (my daughter’s favorite is Broccoli Pear, but I’m partial to the Black Bean Sweet Potato). One of the reasons they taste so good is because of the addition of spices like cumin, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, and ginger. These pouches can also help you introduce some allergens, because they contain ingredients like sunflower seed butter, coconut milk, and avocado oil.
Babylife Organics
Starting at
$3.83
from
Babylife Organics
Babylife Organics is the first baby food brand to create purées with Regenerative Organic Certified® ingredients. They also independently test every batch for heavy metals, so parents can be sure their little ones are getting safe, delicious ingredients. These tasty fruit- and veggie-filled pouches feature flavor combinations that you’d find at your favorite smoothie shop — but are packaged perfectly for babies and toddlers. You can buy Babylife Organics pouches directly from their website, but they’re also conveniently sold at Whole Foods.
HappyFamily Organics
Although you might not have heard of HappyFamily Organics, chances are you have seen HappyBaby and HappyTot pouches on shelves at a local grocery store. This brand has a huge range of pouches, so you’ll want to cull through the options to find what’s best for your little one. I really like the “Savory Blends” line for a good mix of proteins (beans and meats), vegetables, grains (quinoa), oils (olive and avocado), and seasoning (garlic, sage, rosemary, and oregano).
Simple Modern Joey Reusable Food Pouches
$9.99
from
Simple Modern
If you want to have even more control over the food your little one is eating, get some reusable pouches! These easy-to-fill and easy-to-clean pouches are so simple to use. Whether you want to make your own purées or repackage store-bought purées, smoothies, or yogurt, these pouches are ideal. With a double zip lock at the bottom, the pouches are leakproof, so they’re as mess-free as it comes. They’re safely made of BPA-, PVC-, lead-, and phthalate-free materials. The best part? They’re freezer-safe and dishwasher-safe!
When it comes to introducing solids to infants and serving nutritious meals to toddlers, pouches can be a great tool. Just remember they shouldn’t be the only thing your kiddo is eating!
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