Baby Product Review: Beaba Babypote - Reusable Food Pouch (Recipes included!)

Back when I bought all of my baby food making supplies, I came across this silicone reusable food pouch.  I didn't have a lot (well, any) experience with the disposable food pouches, but several friends had raved about how awesome they were for older babies and toddlers on the go, so I decided to give this reusable one a try.  Well, about a year later, we finally got to give it a shot! 

 

 

 



This past weekend, Michael & Annalyn picked me up from work and we had a little Target date to get some much needed baby proofing essentials.  Annalyn had just woken up from her nap and hadn't had a snack yet, so I bought her one of the disposable pouches at work.  I was amazed at how natural and easy it was for her.  Within minutes, she had it drained!  Which brings us to today and our experiment with this guy...



Washing the Babypote was super easy - all the pieces come apart and our bottle brush even fit inside the silicone pouch.  I decided to use a puree I know she loves - Avocado & Banana, but added some applesauce and milk to thin the puree to a consistency that could be easily sucked through the spout.

 

Avocado Banana Applesauce Smoothie

since I used the MB, I pureed

1/2 banana, 1/2 avocado, and about 1/2 c. applesauce

at a time, then added about 1/4 c. milk

 

 



Once the puree seemed right, I spooned it into the pouch (which holds 4 oz.), screwed the top piece in place, handed it to Peanut, and hoped for the best!  Once again, this little lady amazes me at how simple she makes everything seem lately.  She slurped and squeezed her way to the bottom (and really did a great job of emptying it) like she'd been doing it for months. 

 

 I refilled the pouch with a little more puree, and watched to see what she would do once she was actually full. (This is where we see what can go wrong.)  Note, just like the other pouches, all baby has to do is squeeze, and out comes the puree.  With the first serving, she didn't stop long enough to try, but as she got full, she started to investigate.  Am I going to hand this to her in my new car?  Probably not.  Can she handle it on her own?  Yes, but with supervision. 

 



Now for my favorite part - the pro/con list!

 

Pros:

- silicone makes it easy to clean, store, take along

- reusable, so much cheaper than buying the disposable ones (in the long run)

- I can continue to control what goes in the purees

- wonderful and healthy on the go snack for toddlers

- great way to add fruits and veggies - I made a second batch with some steamed kale added to the above mixture.  She loved it just as much!

Kale, Apple, and Banana'cado Puree

steam and kale then transfer to blender

along with cooking liquid

add some applesauce to help make it smoother

then add the banana'cado puree and water as needed

perfect, healthy green goodness!



Cons:

- the lid is not attached, so may be easy to lose

- with homemade purees, must be refrigerated until ready to use

- can get messy

- drinking purees can contribute to tooth decay, just like juices (which is why I'd recommend saving this for snacks and on the go... make it a special treat, not an every meal addition)

- expensive - right now the price on Amazon is $15.95 for 1!  I think I got mine on sale, but it was still around $11-12 if I remember right

 



 

Mama's verdict:  This is a great idea and a wonderful way to pack healthy homemade snacks on the go.  It's so much cheaper (after the initial cost), and babies seem to like the pouch concept.  The Babypote is easy to clean and handle, and Annalyn seemed to figure it out quickly.  However, there are many more resuable pouch options available now and most of them at a more reasonable price.  They come in packs of 2, 4, 6, 8, and so forth which would make it nice to plan ahead (maybe even freeze directly in the pouch - just be sure to allow extra room for expansion!).  I'm not completely sold on this product, but I do like it and will continue to use it.  In the meantime, I think we will try some of the other products available.  Here are a few I'm considering... any input? (all are BPA, PVC, and phthalate free)

 

1.  Squooshi Reusable Food Pouches - two different sizes (2.5 oz. and 4.5 oz.), dishwasher and freezer safe, refillable zipper seal on the bottom, cute animal designs, and about $36 for 8.  These also have replacement caps available for purchase - I can see that being helpful!

2.  Yummi Pouches - holds about 6 oz., dishwasher and freezer safe, refillable zipper seal on the top, set of 6 for about $15.

3.  Little Green Pouch - holds up to 6 oz., dishwasher and freezer safe, top zipper seal, about $20 for 4 pack.

 







4.  GoFreshBaby pouches - Another option I found with the top spout (seems more natural to me, not sure if baby would care?).  Not available on Amazon, but on their site, they are about $10 for 3 pouches, hold 5 oz., dishwasher/freezer safe, and have replacement caps available.

 

5.  The Sili Squeeze - This looks like a more durable silicone squeeze pouch, similar to the Babypote.  Two sizes - 4 oz. with spill-proof spout (a nice feature!), and 6 oz. with free-flow spout.  Dishwasher/freezer safe, two pack (one of each size) is $29.