I think it goes without saying that as a Registered Dietitian one of my goals is to provide a solid nutrition foundation for my little one. My goal was to breastfeed for at least 6 months (which I did) and then advance to a balanced diet of solid foods. For many health conscoius parents providing a balanced diet during the toddler years can become a challenge when the picky habits kick in. We are certainly starting to see some signs of pickiness in our household.
We first introduced yogurt to my son when he was between seven to eight months. To start we offered him whole milk plain yogurt mixed with fresh fruit or baby food puree. Seasonings such as cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice were sometimes included. He could not get enough of the yogurt mixture at that time and still continues to love it through his current picky stage.
When I dreamed of being a mother, making my child homemade babyfood was part of that fantasty. After my son was born reality set in, and I soon realized this working momma didn’t have the time to make homemade babyfood on a regular basis. The super easy preparation process for the yogurt creations allowed me to feel like I was actually making something healthy for my little one (rather than always rely on pre-prepared baby foods).
My little one was a huge fan of the squeezeabe food pouches. Until he was ready for finger foods a squeezeable pouch was part of most mealtimes. Initially we were spoon feeding him the yogurt creation. After I witnessed his love for the food pouches a light bulb went off in my head. Why not make my own DIY Yogurt pouches? The little one already loved the concept of pouches and this allowed my an opportunity to offer more protein and dairy packed options.
The world of DIY pouch products is expanding by the minute. When I first started my search all I landed on was this Infantino squeeze pouch kit. These pouches are easy for my little one to hold, but are not resuable and require a gadget to fill the pouches. To this day we continue to make yogurt pouches (perhaps a bit less), but I have now discovered numerous reusable pouch options. For a variety of options check out Amazon and Target.
A now I will share some of my favorite DIY yogurt pouch recipes. These pouches are simple to make and will sure to be a kid pleaser – whether you have a little one new to solids or a toddler who enjoys pouches. I forsee these DIY Yogurt Food Pouches to be a part of my little ones diet for quite some time!
Enjoy!
- 1/2 cup whole milk plain yogurt
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- Dash of pumpkin pie spice
- Optional: Banana or honey for sweetener (honey appropriate for ages > 1 year old)
- 1/2 cup whole milk plain yogurt
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (or baby food apples)
- dash of cinnamon
- 1/2 cup whole milk plain yogurt
- 1/3 cup peach puree (or baby food peaches)
- 1/2 cup whole milk plain yogurt
- 1/3 cup strawberry puree (can use blender to puree)
- optional: banana or honey for sweetener (honey appropriate in ages > 1 years old)