Hey moms (or dads too)! This one is for YOU. Do you have a picky eater? Want to sneak a few more veggies into your kids diet? Need a snack on the go? My daughter has become a super picky eater as she gets closer to 2, so it’s hard to get enough variety in her diet, especially with veggies. We spent 2 weeks “introducing” carrots before she would swallow one, but now she won’t eat them anymore. So into a smoothie they go!
I want to emphasize that these pouches are a great supplement to what your child is already eating. They are not a meal, and I am not advocating that they should be the only way you feed your child fruits and veggies. 😉 Phew, glad we got that out of the way.
Just a heads up – this post is for parents who don’t really follow recipes and “just eyeball it” like me. You won’t find any measurements or special prep with these recipes! Just simple, quick, throw it together combinations for the busy parent who still wants to make sure what they feed their kid is healthy and clean.
My daughter, Madeline, is 2 years old now and she has liked every pouch I’ve made. Sometimes I’m not really sure if she actually enjoys the flavor or if it’s the fun aspect of the pouch, but hey! She eats it so that’s a WIN.
I’m going to continue to update this list as I try more combos so make sure you pin this post and check back every occasionally!
Ready? Let’s go!
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How to blend
I use my Ninja Fit blender to make all the smoothies. One cup fills 2 pouches. It’s super powerful and blends all the ingredients well. It’s also easy to clean in the dishwasher!
If any of your mixtures are too thick, keep adding water until they are the consistency you want. Feel free to add breastmilk to any of these if you want as well.
Storage
I don’t normally make big batches so I store all of them in the fridge for Maddie to eat that week. If you’re wanting to save them past a week, freeze them and thaw whenever you plan to serve.
You can add a splash of lemon juice to any of these if you’re worried about the color. I added some to the strawberry + banana + kale mixture and they stayed beautifully pink!
If you ever make too much puree and don’t have enough pouches, don’t toss it out! Simply store in your fridge in an air tight container. You can later add it to pouches or eat with a spoon.
Pouches
Click here for the exact pouches I use. There are others on the market but I have been using these for OVER a year now and fully recommend them. They’re easy to clean, good quality, and we’ve had no leaks or problems with them. I also like that they zip on the side instead of the bottom because it makes the opening bigger for adding the puree. They come with a funnel but since the opening is so big, I haven’t had to use it at all. I stick all of mine in the dishwasher to clean. You may have to wipe out some corners but that’s it.
OK let’s get on to the combos!
Apple + Broccoli
This is the first one I ever tried and I was so skeptical if Madeline would like it. She was already a year old so she figured out how to use the pouch pretty quickly and sucked the whole thing down. I was so proud that she was eating broccoli with no fuss!
Simply steam broccoli however you want. I buy a bag of frozen organic broccoli that steams in the bag, microwave it and dump it in the food processor with unsweetened organic apple sauce. If you really want to outdo yourself, peel and dice apples and simmer in a pot of water until they’re soft. I’ll stick to the applesauce, but to each their own LOL.
Pineapple + Broccoli
I combined a can of pineapple and another bag of steamed broccoli for this combo. Super easy and was also a hit!
Apple + Carrot
For this one I combined applesauce and a freezer bag of steamed carrots that I microwaved. Maddie loves this one as well.
Apple + Pumpkin
Don’t worry, you don’t have to dissect a pumpkin for this one. I bought a can of organic 100% pumpkin. It’s pretty thick so I combined half the can with a lot of applesauce. I also added a tbsp of cinnamon. YUM. I used to make this baby food for Maddie before she ate solids. If it’s too thick while you’re mixing, keep adding water.
Strawberry + Carrot + Banana
I tasted this one and it’s delicious! Maddie loves it as well. I add one banana, some steamed carrots and frozen strawberries.
Peach + Pumpkin + Carrot
This one was super ORANGE and Maddie only ate half the pouch the first time she tried it, but after that she didn’t think anything of it. I combined about a cup of frozen peaches I had thawed, half a can of organic 100% pumpkin, and steamed carrots.
Strawberry + Banana + Kale
Kale… am I right? Ugh. Sneak this one in with something yummy like strawberries and bananas. I buy frozen organic chopped kale, and heat about a cup up in the microwave for 30 seconds before blending it. I tossed in fresh strawberries (frozen works too) and 2 bananas.
Mango + Apple + Kale
By now you know I use applesauce. Combine it with mango and chopped kale. I buy my mango slices frozen because they’re cheaper and then just thaw a bowl of them in the microwave for about a minute.
Yogurt + Spinach + Berries
For this one, I use unsweetened Greek yogurt. You want to make sure it’s full fat for your kiddo. I mixed in spinach (chopped, frozen, full leaf, whatever) and any berries I had on hand. You could throw in a banana or other fruit too. Can’t go wrong with a yogurt smoothie! This is good in a bowl too.
Banana + Butternut Squash
This is one of my favorites. Maddie used to eat this almost daily out of a bowl. I simply buy a steam bag of butternut squash and microwave it, blend it with a couple bananas and add cinnamon and that’s it! The banana flavor perfectly overpowers the squash and the cinnamon is a nice treat as well.
Avocado Smoothie
This one is so awesome and filling! Maddie doesn’t really like avocados by themselves so I love sneaking them into smoothies and they make the texture super smooth as well. I add half an avocado, one banana, frozen berries (Walmart has giant bags of berry blends), and a little bit of chopped spinach or kale (whatever I have on hand). They might turn a brownish color because of the avocado but that’s normal. You can add some lemon juice to help with that if you want.
Sometimes I add dates or hemp hearts to this smoothie.
Be sure and let me know which flavors you make and if your kid likes them!
Love all of these recipes!! Thank you for sharing. My toddler loves go-go squeeze pouches and I really need more variety! How long do you think pouches are good for once they’re made?
Thank you so much! Up to a week in the fridge and longer in the freezer. 🙂 They may turn brown depending on the ingredients but that’s normal. Just give them a little shake.
How much of each ingredient do you use for the batches?
However much you want!
Do you put the pouch straight in the freezer or do you do a separate container when freezing?
I never froze any of mine, just kept them in the fridge.