Guest post from Elise

Baby food pouches came out a few years ago when my now four year old was a toddler. They were immediately a huge hit with many of my mommy friends. I have always made my own baby food, so I never bothered to purchase any of the store-bought pouches.

After the birth of my third son earlier this year, I was still committed to making my own baby food. However, a few weeks ago I was walking through the baby section and found myself in the baby food aisle. The colorful, transportable, spoonless, feed-as-you go food pouches were calling my name and persuaded me into buying two of them for a busy-on-the-go week… just to see what all the fuss was about.

The price was less than alluring at $1 a pouch (sale price), but I figured this was just a one-time purchase, so it wasn’t a big deal. The problem was, after using one of the pouches, I was hooked! I was amazed at how easy it was to feed him while we were out and about — so much less mess, and he seemed to like it, too!

So, I started researching refillable pouches online and was dismayed with how expensive they were. I wasn’t willing to invest that much, especially since this was our last child and I would only be needing them for a few months and would probably only use one or two pouches a week.

I was expressing my desire to do some sort of inexpensive, re-fillable pouches for all of our upcoming holiday travels to my husband; and he all the sudden chimed in, “Can you use the spout from the pouch you just used and put them in one of your icing bags?” Genius! Have I mentioned how glad I am that I married an engineer?

So, that is what I did. I took my two empty pouches, cut out the spouts, removed the foil as much as I could, and ran the spout and lid through the dishwasher. Then I dug out my cake decorating supplies and found my plastic, disposable piping bags and went to work. If you decorate any cakes the assembly will be pretty easy for you!

Amazingly enough, the lid will screw on over the plastic and still lock into place. I will not guarantee that these homemade pouches are completely leak proof. But throwing the pouch into a plastic baggie (that I re-wash later) is something that I am used to doing whenever I packed up my re-usable plastic containers, anyways.

And, best of all, the piping bags that I buy are quality enough that after I feed my baby I re-wash the tip and bag for another use! Thus far, I am on my third use with one bag and it still works like a charm! (Quick tip: turn the bag inside out to pull out the spout!)

Approximate Total Cost:

12 Disposable Piping Bags = $3.99

2 Pre-filled Food Pouches = $2.00

TOTAL = $5.99 for 14 pouches (plus the 12 piping bags can be reused)

Not bad if you ask me!

Picture Instructions:

Carefully cut out the spout remove as much foil as you can. Wash thoroughly by hand or in the dishwasher.

Push the spout as far down into the disposable piping bag and snip the end with scissors. Reach in again and push the spout down as far as you can again to create a tight seal.

Twist on the lid and lock it into place.

Carefully fill the bag with your home made baby food puree. (Consider filling it with applesauce or yogurt for your toddlers for when you are on the go). I recommend using a tall cup to hold the bag in place so you can be careful not to get too much on the sides of the top of the bag.

Twist off the excess bag and secure in place (I used a twist tie, but you could probably use a rubber band or even just tie it off.)

Feed your ridiculously cute baby!

Or let ridiculously cute baby feed themselves!

Elise Haroldson has enjoyed eight years of oneness with her dear husband Steve (who really deserves the credit for this amazing idea!). They have been blessed with three active little boys, ages 6, 4 and 10 months and love living on a 15 acre homestead in IL. Elise strives to maintain an orderly, budget conscious, fun and Christ-centered home, all while dabbling in the fine arts of gardening, baking, sewing, and photography. She currently enjoys writing a quarterly “Cutting Corners” article for her church’s women’s newsletter.