Squeezy Fruit

The newest thing to hit the Thorpe house other than Isaac is a little something we like to call Squeezy Fruit. If you've got a little one you have probably seen those little squeezable fruit pouches. We first encountered them in a Chick-fil-a kids meal and Noah LOVED it. It was during one of those typical toddler periods when we couldn't get the child to eat anything. So, Ben immediately went to the store and bought a few. I loved that Noah was eating something but didn't like that they were so expensive (about $1 each) or that they are so wasteful (a lot of materials are used to make that little pouch of pureed fruit). We purchased them one more time when Noah was sick as it was one of the few things he would eat. After that I told Ben, "no more, we have to come up w/ a homemade solution". We started brainstorming and stumbled upon the Hydrapak Softflask--a collapsable energy gel and drink flask--and it's almost perfect. Then we discovered that Ben could get them through one of their suppliers at work. Bonus!

It took a couple of tries but Noah has really taken to them and is trying pretty much anything we put in them. Today he had one filled with apples, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, and spinach. We also use it for applesauce or yogurt (either plain or mixed w/ pureed fruit). A couple of our friends have started using them too and they have been able to get their little one to eat carrots, peas, prunes and all sorts of other good stuff.

Now for the pros and cons:

Pros:

-Less expensive and less wasteful than pureed fruit pouches in store

-Easy on the go breakfast or snack.

-Not messy. It has a bite valve so it doesn't just pour out when it's squeezed

-Your kids might eat fruits and vegetables they typically wouldn't eat

-Comes in 2 sizes: 5oz and 8 oz (we prefer the 5oz most of the time but 8oz is great for bigger eaters and for a breakfast smoothie)

-Relatively easy to clean. It comes completely apart and all the pieces can be cleaned with a little soap and water. We've found that using the combination of a bottle brush and a nipple brush make it really easy to clean.

-Fun--Noah really enjoys his and will ask for his "squeezy fruit"

Cons:

-Cost--they range from about $5-$8 per pouch. Small investment on the front end if you want a couple.

-Bite valve may be difficult for your kids. Noah figured it out quickly. Most of his sippy cups have some type of bite valve and are harder to drink from than this.

-Fruit needs to be pureed really well. Large chunks can clog the valve.

-Pouches are clear. I think kids would have even more fun if they had a kid-friendly design on the outside plus we could put even more "green stuff" in them w/out our kids being turned off by the color.