3 baby food hacks recommended by a registered dietitian

When you think of baby food, what comes to mind? Do you think of the old-school, glass jars with weird flavors and intense smells? Today’s kids have it so much better. Not only are there so many more options but there are just as many baby food hacks to create new and delicious recipes. 

Baby food pouches are an easy way to give your child something nutritious and flavorful. Plus, you can use them for so much more. Did you know that you can make fruit leather and frozen dots with these magical pouches? Who knew pouches were so versatile?

Here are a few recommended baby food hacks using the easy-to-squeeze pouches from Happy Family Organics, straight from registered dietitian and mom of two littles, Amanda Blechman. If you’ve got young kids, we bet you have a few pouches stashed in your pantry right now that you can use to make these recipes.

1. Baby food fruit leather

Lay out a piece of parchment paper. Squeeze baby food from any flavor baby food pouch onto the parchment paper—aim for about ¼ inch thickness. Go for the authentic rectangle shape or any other shape. Set your oven to the lowest setting (140º for most) and then let it work its magic for about 6-8 hours. You’ll soon have dehydrated, fruit leather. 

2. Baby food frozen dots

Create frozen dots by squeezing out dot-sized dollops of your child’s baby food pouch. You can do this on parchment paper or you can drop them into small silicone molds in fun shapes. Freeze for about an hour. 

3. Baby food popsicles 

Sore gums are no joke. Make teething a little easier to bear for your little one with these organic popsicles. Fill a popsicle mold with baby food pouches and freeze. You can also DIY it with an ice cube tray and popsicle sticks. 

It can be so hard to get your child to eat whatever you put in front of them. Even at this stage you might have a picky eater on your hand. It can help to use baby food pouch flavors they are already familiar with and love before introducing new ones. Sometimes kids enjoy snacks in different textures and are more likely to try something new when it looks interesting to them. Try these easy recipes for a delightful treat your little one will love.