Nom Nom Kids Pouches – The best way to wean?

Reusable pouches are a fantastic product for weaning for so many reasons.

There were no reusable pouches on the market when I was weaning my 1st child although I wished constantly that there was as I loved to make my own purees and I loved the convenience of the pouch as a container for my mushy creations. My 2nd child was weaned whilst using the prototypes of what is now the Nom Nom Kids pouch. Using the pouches has been so easy and I loved seeing people’s reaction to how colourful and fun they are when I fed out and about.

Feeding out and about

When I was weaning my first child I loved the convenience of Ella’s Kitchen pre-filled pouches and would buy them for my NCT mummy dates and visits to relatives as it was so easy to just squeeze out the food onto a spoon and feed. The pouches could be heated by submerging in some hot water which was always available wherever we were – even if it was some I had taken along in a flask. If I had used one of my many Tupperware style weaning pots which were very much in favour at the time I would struggle to get the food heated unless there was a microwave present which there wasn’t always. With my 2^nd child I fed out and about in the exact same way except all the food was home made and stored in my reusable food pouches.

Weaning pots/trays

With my 1^st child I I had various pots for weaning from ice cube style trays to individual pots which ended up scattered about the kitchen cupboards and in the freezer. Most were tiny and after the first couple of weeks of weaning became pointless as my little ones appetite grew. In the end I used small freezer bags with zip lock closures as this was more space efficient and more convenient but so expensive in the end. With my 2^nd child I filled my prototype pouches with baby food. Initially a whole pouch would last 2-3 meals over 3 days so I would have 3 different meals on the go and would rotate them ensuring that all were finished by the 3^rd day. For example

Pouch 1 100g carrot & sweet potato puree

Pouch 2 100g pea, spinach & potato puree

Pouch 3 100g Cauliflower & Broccoli cheese puree

I would also do the same with fruit puree’s and feed these with cereals at breakfast or as desserts when my little one still seemed hungry.

2^nd & 3^rd stage weaning

As time goes on your baby will happily eat a whole pouch and as their appetite increases so will their dexterity and you will find that you no longer need to make pureed meals for your baby. They will eat things like sandwiches or vegetable sticks or pasta dishes. The pouch can then be used to either transport a homemade pasta sauce or to contain fruit smoothies and yogurts to give as a healthy dessert . These can be fed directly from the pouch with a little adult supervision at first.

From Baby to Toddler

As your baby becomes a toddler the pouches become a really handy item to have in your cupboard. They will be able to feed themselves easily and quickly from the pouch and you will find that you can trust them with a pouch of yogurt or fruit smoothie whilst sat in their buggy or car seat. It really is the ultimate eating on the go accessory for today’s busy and active parents.

Labelling food

When using pots for baby food I always struggled to identify what was in the pot. Based on this I designed my pouches with a space to write on the back of the pouch who it belongs to, what’s inside, whether it needs to be kept chilled and/or needs to be re-heated, the date that the pouch was filled and a little reminder to take the pouch home with you. These extra instructions are great for when you send food off to nursery, child minder or the grand parents

Storing the Pouches

The pouches stand up in the fridge and therefore take up little space and they really brighten up your fridge! In the freezer you can lie them down flat so they will freeze taking up as little space as possible and then once frozen solid you can line them up in an orderly fashion for easy selection.

When not in use the pouch packs flat so very little storage space is required. I use an old square Tupperware container to keep mine all together after they are dry.

My next invention needs to be a dryer for the pouches as I tend to dry mine on my kitchen utensils!

Long term use

Unlike weaning pots, Reusable Pouches can be used for many years. You can use them initially for weaning and then continue using them at nursery, pre-school and even school.

Why feed your baby home made food?

I have nothing against processed baby food as such but I do feel that homemade baby food really does taste better and tastes more real. Many processed foods are sweetened with apple juice to make them more palatable but that just gets your baby used to sweet tastes. Homemade food tastes like real food. If you puree some carrot and peas it will taste of carrot and peas so your child will grow up knowing what they taste like and recognising the flavours later.

The Nom Nom pouches aren’t exclusively for storing / serving homemade food. You can add a jar of stage 1 or 2 baby food for convenience or add yogurts and store bought smoothies. You could even give custard, mousse or jelly in the pouch! I haven’t tried it yet but you could also put soups in the pouch. I bet my little girl would love some of that famous cream of tomato soup in her pouch (something i wouldn't dare give in a bowl to my messy little madam!).