Food pouches for 2 year old - good idea?

[Dominikaa]

Hello!

I am about to buy some food pouches for my 2 yr old. Question: would you give 2 yr old food pouch? Are they not too old for food pouch?

DH eats ok but when in rush there isnt always healthy option available and pouches seem to be made from organic fruits/ vegs so still better option imo then eg cheerios, bread or chrisps....

Also any ideas for quick to make healthy snacks that toddler will actually eat?

I wouldn’t feed a pouch to a 2year old- stick some pasta on and stir in a sauce, beans on toast, jacket potato- all quick and all fine

At 2 I would just give them normal food?
Quick meals here are pasta and a sauce, omelette, a toasted sandwich with veg sticks, soup, fish fingers etc

I still use them occasionally with my 17 month old if out hiking but he really is too old for them and, apart from the Ella's kitchen brekkies, tends to leave a fair amount and I end up using it as a pasta sauce for him later in the day. Ella's kitchen do do meals designed for older kids so maybe look at those? Or things like yoghurts, rice cakes, bread sticks and hummus, fruit, vegetable sticks are all easy snacks (we now get a fruit and veg box delivered to increase the variety and probability that we have something in that he'll eat)

My almost four year old has veg pouches as a snack still. She calls them 'soup', enjoys them, and eats them cold so it's no fuss or mess.

I only buy flavours that we wouldn't normally cook versions off at home though for variety - eg. Pumpkin and prune, parsnip and pea (parsnips are inferior carrots - you won't change my mind), etc

We found them brilliant for sickness, constipation etc

Ironically, she wouldn't touch them as a baby 😂

Also wouldn’t use for two year old: snacks can be fruit, carrots, even raisins better than a pouch. Surely with two they can eat everything now.

I buy the Aldi Greek yogurt and fruit pouches for my 2.5 yo as he likes the ‘suckies’ yogurt as a test after one of his activities and they are expensive (I know asda does their own brand on yogurt pouches but only a small Tesco and Aldi in my village).

Quick suggestions above in other posts , another is tilda kids microwave pouches - various flavours. Not cheap but often on special.

I have tried the ie Ella’s kitchen tray meals and ie M&S kids ready meals but I think he finds them a bit bland as he eats widely and well otherwise

You can get specific kids ready meals which you can freeze or beans/eggs on toast, pesto pasta, omelette, soup, snacky plate of hummus/cream cheese, veg sticks, bread sticks.

If it's for meals, Ellas do older kids microwave meals. I buy them for the day's my partner gives them dinner as he can't (won't) cook. Not ideal but better than the freezer crap they would get otherwise.

If it's for snacks, I tend to do cut up fruit and veg sticks with rice cakes or mini oatcakes or something.

Asda I think do “Little Dish” meals which are essentially chilled ready meals with low salt in - shepherds pie etc. I keep a few in the freezer for emergencies but they are expensive for what they are. Instead I bought some foil roasting trays and when I make lasagne / shepherds pie etc I make two and freeze one, so there is always a family meal ready to go in freezer on nights we’re short of time. Other quick meals I do:
Chunks of cheese, apple, raw veg, crackers and hummus
Boiled eggs, fruit loaf, banana
Jacket potatoes with tuna mayo
Things on toast
Pizza toast
Fish fingers and wedges
Noodles with a few veg in the cooking water

My 5 year old occasionally has prune pouches. We have them for our 2 year old as to avoid constipation. But I would never give a pouch in place of a meal or snack.

Raisins should never be given on their own as the are horrendous for teeth.

My DS is 2 and we use the fruit pouches. He loves them. He has fruit normally through out the day but loves the fruit pouch in his porridge or on the go.

Wouldn't use the dinner pouches though.

Also for quick meals when you really need something in a hurry have you tried little dish? They're in the chilled section and usually on 2 for £4.

I never used pouches for food as the thought of blending spaghetti /roast dinner and eating it would turn my stomach.
But I occasionally buy the fruit ones as I don't think they are much different than a smoothie. So our LO (2.8 yo) will have half a sandwich and a pouch for snack for example.

I used them all the time as a snack when we were out - just the fruit ones as DS would never eat the veggie ones unfortunately, even when he was very little.

We didn't use them for weaning but I buy the fruit / fruit and veg mixes for DD2 now. Not as a meal but either as a "smoothie" with a snack, dipping sauce with crudités or with her breakfast. (She likes them with mini shredded wheat.)

I also like using them to make flapjacks. (Just add oats, ground flax seeds and nuts and then bake.)

At 2 just take a banana or apple with you for a snack when our and about…no need for blended fruit as snacks

Sure there's no need. But then there's probably no need for half of the stuff we eat. But variety is nice and there's no harm in using them every so often.

@ChaosMoon

Sure there's no need. But then there's probably no need for half of the stuff we eat. But variety is nice and there's no harm in using them every so often.

True, I think what I meant to put across is a 2yr old has teeth and can eat and chew like any adult, don’t treat them like a 6 month old.