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.
This is absolutely brilliant. Thank you!
Hi. I’d just like to say that your baby is ridiculously cute 🙂
Ace1234
I too make my own food! Love this idea! I can not bring myself to buy pouches because of what has been found in them. Mold! Maggots! (Google for info) No thanks! I think this idea is perfect for traveling or on the go. They eat it and are done. It’s not a toy they are going to play with for heavens sake! I really think those that are concerned about chocking have never decorated a cake with the thick reusable icing bags! They are very durable!! Great creativity!!
thats what I was thinking when I saw the way people were getting bent out of shape over a difference of opinion. arent people allowed to disaggree about something? no., I was never a “supermom”, I just fed my child with a spoon and taught them manners for heavens sake!
I thought so? But apparently having a comment that doesn’t agree(but still compliments the writer?) isn’t okay either.
BTW, never used these, I decorate cakes for a living as a little side money-still wouldn’t use it to feed my child. But that’s MY opinion only. You know what they say opinions are like 😉
I don’t see where anyone was really attacking anyone else, it’s okay to disagree. It should be okay to post online that you disagree and why, and then list your concerns. It’s called discussion, which is something as grown-ups, we ought to be able to have without making someone feel badly because they don’t feel the same as you.
I applaud mothers who do all they can for their children to take care of them, I think most all moms do really. Does it mean I’m going to agree 100% of the time with everyone? Nope. But no one is always going to agree with me either, and that’s okay too 😀
I just have to comment and say wow OMGosh that is an absolutely beautiful baby!! I think you may have written an article in there somewhere but for the life of me, I couldn’t take my eyes off of little man’s gorgeous baby blues to comprehend what all the hub-bub is about!! That sweet squeezable chubchub would be my undoing lol. <3
Love this idea. I would seal the bottom off with my heat seal a meal gadget. Then you don’t gave all the bulk at the end of the plastic tube.
Brilliant!
This is brilliant! I bought a set of those reusable pouches but they were impossible to clean so I had to throw them out. This is a much better, and cheaper option. Thanks!
What a clever idea! Necessity is the mother of invention!
I just put my reusable pouches on the top shelf of the dishwasher and it’s worked fine. They say they’re dishwasher safe.
Okay, can I just say that your little one is quite possibly one of the cutest babies EVER?! Those sweet little hands…those blue eyes… be still my heart. What a precious boy!
Oh, and please pay no mind to the naysayers. You have a wonderfully inventive idea, and I am thankful for mamas like you who are willing to share with the rest of us. Keep your head up!
I don’t spoon feed my child, so when we ‘re jn a pinch and need a snack, pouches are great.
I’m not going to go over the choking hazard thing, that’s been done already. But I will say that .42 each is the price that GoGo Squeeze applesauce pouches are when they are on sale, and that includs the food. No, they aren’t organic, but IMO they are find for emergencies. For organic, it’s about .70 each for the Happy Baby mango pouches on Amazon with Subscribe and Save.
Those two options are worth it for me to avoid that particular set of work tasks.
One of my friends rinses out pouches and reuses them by refilling with a frosting tip and putting them in the freezer. This has it’s own issues, of course, but it has worked for her.
I think this is brilliant! I have been looking for an alternative to throwing away those expensive pouches and I think this might just be what I’ve been looking for. My son has a crazy fast metabolism (like his dad…) and and hypoglycemia (also like his dad) and needs to eat something about every 2 hours or he dissolves into a screaming fit. I use these in the house often for him to snack on while I get dinner ready and they would be so worth the effort of washing to keep him from screaming. He still eats all his meals with a spoon or his fingers so he’s definitely not losing that skill.
And I never understood the choking hazard obsession. Your kid has a 0.00165% chance of dying from choking under the age of three (66 out of 4,000,000). But they have a 0.05% chance of dying in a car accident (2,000 out of 4,000,000), or 30 times more likely to die in the car than by choking on something. And while those numbers are estimates based on my research, what if I’m half wrong? So while you’re driving your kid to the store to buy your disposable pouches to avoid them choking to death, mine is better off at home using homemade and reusable pouches.
This cracked me up – and your data is spot on! 😀
Great idea, especially if you have some icing bags already! Then you can plan your next purchase of bags using a Michael’s coupon or other craft store. Thank you for sharing!
I buy 50 of the disposable ones from infantino for $15. I have the squeeze station and it works great. Not much hassle and the price is low enough for me. I would prefer the reusable ones but they are more expensive and I don’t really have much extra time for washing.
I, for one, LOVE those pouches. Both of my kids use them, usually just for special treats or good behavior in the store (ages 5 and 2). I love the convenience of them, just grab and go. For those cynical people who feel they must put down all the other mothers out there who choose not to cart around the jar of baby food and the spoon and all the various feeding paraphernalia that young children require.. we’re not all superheroes. Sometimes you just want something to hold your kid over until you’re ABLE to sit and feed them. Its better than handing them a baggie full of goldfish crackers or cheerios (btw..also a choking hazard..yet i’m sure there’s more than enough people out there that allow their kids to eat THOSE in the car).
These do seem to be a bit labor intensive, however if I had the time to do so, and could find a better way to keep them from possibly leaking, I’d probably try it. The items are readily available, instead of having to wait for shipping, and you can put in as much or as little as you want, instead of filling only 6oz at a time.
Don’t you use those bags to decorate cookies, cakes, cupcakes, etc? Why is it ok to use the bags to store food in to consume, but its not ok to put babyfood in???
I think people have to lighten up a bit. Awesome job Elise. For the others.. if you dont want to use the idea, then don’t.. but seriously people, stop bashing on others ideas!!
Is there something special about the spout? Could you just use a coupler and coupler ring from cake cake decorating with no tip? that would solve the choking hazard.
Personally I’d be more worried about the coupler ring coming off, than an oversized spout coming through a tiny hole… both are low- to no-chance events, really.
I love this! My 8 year old loves easy, on-the-go yogurt and applesauce snacks. Whenever I bought them for her baby brother, she’d want one too 🙂 I’ve been looking at the reusable ones but I think I’ll try this one!
I love those food pouches for my son because he loves them and they’re little to no mess, but they ARE expensive. I pick them up when I can when there are good sales & coupons, and we asked for and received the reusable pouches for Christmas (grandparents are always looking for good gift ideas for little ones who won’t remember Christmas anyway…) So much easier than spoon feeding!
We love these for grandparents too and on-the-go snacks and we get them cheaper by buying them in the regular food/snacks area instead of the baby section. For babies they are over $1 on average, for regular food they are 25-50 cents, much better proved for usm
I’m with the other ladies who mentioned that this is a choking hazard! I love the convenience of the pouches on occasion. I also love saving money when I can but NOT when it sacrifices the safety of my child. I am disappointed that this is on your sight 🙁
I love these pouches for traveling – even my big kids like it for a snack in the car! For anyone who thinks it’s gross to suck your food through a straw, well, I guess you’ve never had a smoothie, lol! I have to agree that it does seem like an awful lot of work and potential for hazard when for about $4 more you can get 6 re-usable pouches (via the link posted in a previous comment) that you know are free of BPA and don’t have a lot of separate parts to worry about. Good effort, but for this mama, not enough of a time or money savings to make it on my to-do list.
Totally agree with you! I have been looking into similar reuseable pouches…haven’t decided on which ones yet though! My almost 3 year old LOVES them! We were getting them when they were free with the Beechnut coupons (or nearly free), but they haven’t had them lately! So handy for the car and on the go times! I have relied on them MANY times to be my daughter’s partial meal (along with other stuff) when we are too busy to have a sit down meal! She can fed herself in her carseat, no mess no fuss! She even at one of these at the Nutcracker this weekend! No one even knew because she could feed herself on my lap (in the pitch black)! They are great!
I think this is a super smart way to have the ease of pouches (at a fraction of the cost) and since you are there feeding your child it should be safe, too.
Thanks for taking the time to write, edit and post this, as well as take such great photographs. This really is a clever idea and your child is adorable. I know you take the time to watch him while he eats and you don’t just leave him unattended. I am sorry so many people on here had so many negative things to say.
I agree with Five4Five. 🙂
Agreed. It’s easy to be negative behind the anonymity of the internet.
Love this supportive and kind comment.
While this is quite inventive, it sounds like a whole lot of work in the name of saving time. By the time you fill these, you could have spoon fed your baby! Washing a spoon sounds simpler. But I guess I’m a simple kind of mama. But if you want to use these, please do heed the safety warning! What kid wouldn’t end up sucking on the plastic bag? Not a good idea.
This may be beside the point, but doesn’t sucking baby food sound disgusting? And while I’ve never used these, I can guarantee that my kids would still make a huge mess, so I would not want to use them in the car seat, shopping cart, etc. Just my opinion, of course. Do what works for you, but please be safe. Splurging on some reusable ones would be worth it if you use these a lot.
I went through your emotions with my 11 month old. This is a very creative idea.
You could also buy reusable ones online that don’t have choking hazards.
I found this one in less than a minute after reading the other commenters concerns: http://www.amazon.com/Resealable-Refillable-Precious-Applesauce-Reinforced/dp/B00E88Y9NE/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1386701765&sr=1-1&keywords=reusable+food+pouch
Safe, affordable, reusable, and BPA free. Sounds good to this mama! =)
Couldn’t you just put the puree into a sippy cup with a lid and a straw? There are no-spill sippy cups without BPA in them that are made to withstand dishwasher sanitation.
Always appreciate a clever idea!
They didn’t have these pouches when my son was little but now that I’m expecting again, I looked at some of them. It looks like a handy way to feed on the go, but we made food or brought a hand grinder with us. I tried some applesauce in a pouch and to me, it was less than appetizing to suck my applesauce through a straw. My 5 yo felt the same way and asked me not to buy those again. I may be way off my rocker, but I think I’ll stick with little cups of food with a spoon if I have to feed baby food on the go or a mesh feeder with a soft fruit – something about teaching my child to suck his food through a straw that just doesn’t sound right to me…. But, I appreciate ingenuity and money saving ideas, and this was one I hadn’t seen yet! 🙂
That’s kind of how I feel. Very smart and quirky idea for sure, but I don’t see the benefit of teaching them to suck the food out of the bags? I also agree with the ladies earlier who mentioned the choking hazards and plastic concerns. It seems really nifty, but I’m just not sure at all about it.
same thought with me. I’m long out of the loop on baby items and had never heard of these. I dont like the idea of encouraging one to put things in their mouth, and dosent it defeat the purpose of teaching them to eat properly with a spoon?
This is a clever idea to save a few cents, however, have you considered the safety aspect? You are having a child suck on something that has a choking hazard that could easily come loose. It would not take much for that valve to pop out or the bag to rip. I don’t generally worry much about small parts and toddlers but when it’s something they are encouraged to suck on and have in their mouths, this is asking for trouble. Don’t say that you are watching the whole time. Even if you are standing there, staring at the child the entire time, the part would come off so suddenly that it could be inhaled or swallowed. Then you have to hope that the Heimlich maneuver works and the child suffers no lasting damage. No thank you. I’ll stick to teaching my child to use a spoon at home and save the pouches for outings. Are you really saving so much that risking the child’s life is worth it?
I have to agree with Alicia! While this definitely is a creative and interesting idea, I see the potential for it to be a choking hazard. It is also important to note that some types of plastic contain BPA which could be in the piping bags, therefore they should not be heated to a high temperature to clean them. I’m also not sure that the spouts from the used pouches are suitable to be washed at a high temperature, this could weaken the plastic or cause it to change chemically. I don’t think that this type of thing should be suggested to anyone to try with their baby or young child, there might be better ways to save money as to allow for more money in your budget to purchase the food pouches at the store. I do applaud the writer’s effort to make homemade food for her children, just not this particular idea.
Yes I agree not to mention the twist tie and rubber band are choking hazards as well. Clever idea to try and make your own though.
Piping bags are pretty thick, they would not tear that easily.
If you don’t feel comfortable with the small risk, simply click the back button and move on.
I think these replies are very useful, especially for new moms. Sometimes, there may be hazards you just don’t think about. Without them, someone might have to learn the hard way.
I wouldn’t take it personally, it’s still really great ingenuity. And may be the out of the box thinking needed for someone to figure out a safer way.
I’m not entirely sure the spout is even necessary. If you really want to do this, it seems to me that you could fill the bag and simply cut the tip off when you are ready to give it to your child, and there’d be less worry about leaks, choking, etc. You’d have to be careful not to cut too large a hole, though, especially with younger babies. Honestly, though, I’m not sure why anyone would bother if they are using just one or two pouches a week for a couple months.