STOP wasting money on pouches!
If you’ve got pouch-aged kids don’t scroll past this!
Pouches are *expensive* and so much plastic to throw away after a single use. My son LOVES those pouches but I was tired of throwing away so much money on them. Enter this little gadget I found that changed everything.
This is the Infantimo Squeeze Station, and it’s one of the few products I’ll be recommending to every parent I know from now on. It comes with a stand, five reusable pouches, three filling cylinders, and a filling plunger. You just place the pouches in the stand, screw the cylinders onto the tops, fill them with your applesauce, and push the plunger down to push it into the pouches. It takes me under a minute to fill three pouches from start to finish, probably well under once I’ve got a rhythm going. The pouches also have a seal at the bottom so you can open them for easy cleaning. Is it slightly more work than just buying a box of pouches that you can throw away? Sure. But I think it’s well, well worth it.
You can choose exactly what goes into the pouches and I really like knowing what I’m feeding my baby. Store bought applesauce is way cheaper than the pouches, and you can save even more if you make your own. Another benefit of homemade is that you can add in other fruits and even veggies! I always add a veggie that goes well with the fruits I’m using - sweet potato, carrot, and butternut squash all make great applesauce additions!
I bought an extra pack of 25 reusable pouches so I could make the applesauce in a larger batch and have it on hand. The pouches freeze wonderfully so you can make a bunch in one go!
Cost breakdown:
The cheapest store-brand pouches I could find were still nearly $7 for a box of a dozen pouches - coming out to 58¢ per pouch or 17.7¢ per ounce.
A 46oz jar of unsweetened applesauce (again, store brand) is $3.12 at my store - this would give you about 13 pouches at 24¢ each, or 6.8¢ per ounce.
Homemade varies a bit more in both cost and volume based on the size of your fruits/veggies and what all you want to add, but I’ll use my most recent recipe as an example. I used six gala apples, one sweet potato, and one can of pumpkin purée for a total of $4.19 in ingredients. I also added in cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg but didn’t factor those into the cost because I always have them on hand. This recipe gave me 20 full pouches, bringing the cost to 21¢ each, or 5.9¢ per ounce.
#toddlermom #parentsoflemom8 #lemon8parents #momlife #frugalmom @Lemon8Parenting
Pouches for baby food can add up quickly, not only draining your wallet but also contributing to environmental waste. The Infantino Squeeze Station offers a sustainable solution by allowing parents to easily create homemade food pouches. This innovative gadget includes reusable pouches and simplifies the process of filling them with nutritious blends. Parents can opt for store-bought applesauce or go the extra mile, making their own using fresh ingredients, which is often more cost-effective. For example, a jar of unsweetened applesauce can fill several pouches at a fraction of the cost of store-bought options. Moreover, creating homemade pouches lets you control what goes into your baby's food, ensuring that only wholesome ingredients are used. Adding nutritious veggies like sweet potatoes or pumpkin puree not only enhances flavors but also boosts the nutritional value. By purchasing extra reusable pouches, families can prepare larger batches of baby food and freeze them for convenience. Switching to homemade baby food pouches means making fewer trips to the store while embracing a healthier, less wasteful lifestyle. Consider how much money you could save and how easy it can be to ensure your child eats well!
I definitely need to do this! My little one has just decided that he doesn't like baby food anymore but I think it's because it lacks the flavor. If I make my own, I can add what ever I want. Such a good idea!