Infantino Fresh Squeezed

How many of you like smoothies? …applesauce? …yogurt? Now, of those of you that said yes, how many of you have children?

As I’m sure many of you know, the aforementioned snacks aren’t exactly the cleanest of the bunch. They are, however, a few of the healthier snacking options for our little ones. As much as I love to see my children opt for the healthy snacks over the unhealthy choices, I must admit that I’m not always too pleased with the mess that coincides. I think that most of us often go for some of the less-healthy options due to the simple fact that their packaging, simplicity, and on-the-go ability is more ideal in today’s fast-paced lifestyle. I try my best to provide better options for our little ones and, although there are easier ways, you’ll typically see my kids with snack baggies full of chopped fruit, carrot sticks, string cheese, or something similar. As proud as I am of that statement, I am still guilty of caving from time to time.  My kids have figured out the perfect time to beg for that bag of pretzels or cookie instead of happily enjoying, say, their apple… it’s while rushing out the door for sporting events. The chaos of the moment gets to me and junk snack it is. Darn.

Thankfully, I recently figured out a way to change that. What would you do if I told you that there was a way to guarantee that your little ones can have amazingly healthy snacks that are completely mess-free and perfect for on-the-go? You’d all jump for joy, right? Okay, maybe you’re not as celebratory as me, but, regardless, you have to admit that it sounds pretty cool, right? It is…

I’ve been a fan of the Infantino brand ever since my little ones were, well, wee little ones. These days, though, since they’re older and have moved onto “big kid” things, I thought that Infantino products were just going to be a missed memory of the past. Boy was I wrong.

 

I have seen the Infantino Fresh Squeezed collection in passing and browsing from time to time but, again, thought it to be an incredible product that I was going to have to miss out on. Primarily geared toward parents wanting to provide their young ones with fresh, homemade pureed baby food, I (with my solid food devouring kiddos) continually passed it by. Nonetheless, when I was given the opportunity to test it out for all of you, I jumped at the chance. Having thought that my big kids were a bit “too big” for it, I was thrilled to not only prove myself wrong but also to prove to all of you that this particular product is so much more than meets the eye.

First and foremost, the collection’s workhorse is the Infantino Fresh Squeezed Peppy Puree. While, to some, it may look like your typical blender, it is not.

The Peppy Puree blends your steamed veggies and fruits easily and lets you choose the texture of your baby’s foods with the handy pulse control button.

I’ve mixed up a few things for the kids in our blender prior to receiving the Infantino Fresh Squeezed Peppy Puree but was thrilled to finally have the option to control the speed and pulse action and, therefore, the texture and consistency of the food. Consistency is what’s key when you’re making foods for little ones of different ages.

Now that I’m making treats for the older little ones, I don’t have to worry too much about different textures but, rather, crazy messes. That’s where this next part comes in…

While most similar baby food making products only offer small containers for food storage, this is where the Infantino Fresh Squeezed collection leaps ahead of the game. With the innovative Infantino Fresh Squeezed Squeeze Station you can now make baby food (and toddler snacks!) in nifty, little squeeze pouches that are perfect for on-the-go.

Why cube when you can squeeze? Other methods for storing and serving baby food haven’t kept up with today’s parent. That’s why we’ve created the Squeeze Station, a one-stop-unit that presses your delicious, homemade baby food into easy-to-store and ready-to-serve pouches.

In addition to the nifty, little pouches (did I mention that you can label these?)…

 

…the handy Infantino Fresh Squeezed Keeper Squeeze Pouch is a huge bonus for on-the-go as well. This toss-it-in-the-diaper-bag canister of sorts is completely worry-free and the perfect way to securely store your little one’s food while traveling.

Additionally, Infantino has everyone covered with this product line and their Fresh Squeezed Couple a Spoons is absolutely perfect for the tiniest little ones. These spoon tips secure directly onto the end of your Fresh Squeezed pouches for instant, no mess feedings. And if you’re not able to wash it off right away, no worries! The handy carrying case makes it a breeze to store until you return home.

With my own little ones constantly on the move, choosing the good-for-you snacks can sometimes be a challenge. Sitting down for a healthy option isn’t always the preferred choice over the quicker, easier eat-it-wherever kinds of snacks. The Infantino Fresh Squeezed collection finally changes all of that. It is no longer a forced choice between healthy and not healthy nor sitting at the table or taking off to play. It is, now, always good for you. It is always a healthy option for them. And it is always a sigh of relief for me. Knowing that, even when on-the-go, I can provide my children with healthy snacking options is a great thing. Keeping our children at their best and constantly giving them nothing but the true good stuff is a wonderful feeling for any parent. I am thrilled that Infantino and their new Fresh Squeezed collection give us parents that peace of mind that, finally, meshes well with the hectic, crazy schedules of today’s lifestyle.

A few friends of mine and I got together to put the Fresh Squeezed collection to the ultimate test – a culinary play date! Between us, we have children that span quite a few different age groups and figured it would be best to let the gang of little ones test it out themselves. After all, they’re the ones eating the goodies. With supervision, of course, we let the kids put together the ingredients for pureeing.

After we got the food to the correct texture, we poured it into the designated Squeeze Station slots and let the kiddos press each meal and snack into their individual pouches. There were plenty that never made it to the fridge but, heck, who could blame them? Delicious food in handy little I-can-do-it-myself pouches has “little kid” written all over it. And, honestly, since we had the chance to choose the best ingredients, ensure freshness, and the ability to package it on our own, this is one snack that I don’t mind the kids sneaking.

Here are a couple of our favorite recipe ideas that are, both, kid and mom approved! This one we found right on the Infantino Fresh Squeezed website. It’s pretty tasty, too!

Breakfast Yogurt Pouches

Ingredients:

• Strawberry yogurt (nonfat or whole milk yogurt will work)
• A handful of strawberries
• One banana
• ½ cup of baby oatmeal cereal for thickening purposes

Directions:

1. Mix together the yogurt and fruit using the Infantino Fresh Squeezed Peppy Puree.
2. Slowly add in the baby cereal to thicken as desired.
3. Pour and press into individual squeeze pouches with the Infantino Fresh Squeezed Squeeze Station.
4. Cool to serve. These also store well in the freezer for later consumption.

 

 

This second recipe is a bit of a copy-cat recipe but with my own twist on it. Having lived in the South for a while, I’m a big fan of nice, cold smoothies. There’s this pretty amazing Caribbean-style smoothie that I just love. Since I’ve now gotten my little ones hooked on it, we decided to whip up our own version of the deliciousness.

Eighty MPH Mom’s Caribbean Cooler

Ingredients (will make two full servings):

• 1 cup of orange peach mango juice
• 1 banana
• ½ of a sliced orange
• A handful of sliced strawberries
• A handful of sliced peaches
• ½ cup of yogurt (nonfat or whole milk will work)

Directions:

1. Mix all of the ingredients into the Infantino Fresh Squeezed Peppy Puree until you get your desired consistency.
2. Pour and press into individual squeeze pouches with the Infantino Fresh Squeezed Squeeze Station.
3. Chill and/or freeze until ready to serve.

 

To share a little secret with you… even I’m guilty of sneaking a pouch here and there! Shh! Don’t tell the kids!

With an endless amount of tasty and delicious possibilities, everyone is going to want to have some!

Buy
The Infantino Fresh Squeezed Peppy Puree and Squeeze Station along with other accessories can be purchased directly through the Infantino website as well as in-store and online from various baby & children’s product retailers nationwide.

Connect
Be sure to keep up with all things Infantino via their social media outlets on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on the latest news, sale alerts, new products, giveaways, and more!

Speaking of giveaways and everyone wanting some…

That’s right! We’ve got a stellar giveaway for you right now! The generous folk over at Infantino want you to have the ability to try out the greatness of the new Fresh Squeezed collection so they’ve graciously put together a pretty great prize pack for one lucky Eighty MPH Mom reader.

THE GIVEAWAY:
One (1) winner will receive an Infantino Fresh Squeezed Prize Pack including the following:

• Infantino Fresh Squeezed: Peppy Puree
• Infantino Fresh Squeezed: Squeeze Station
• Infantino Fresh Squeezed: Squeeze Pouches – 50 pack
• Infantino Fresh Squeezed: Keeper Squeeze Pouch
• Infantino Fresh Squeezed: Couple a Spoons

Giveaway open to US residents only. Ends 11/10/13. Total ARV of $75.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

No purchase necessary. Open to residents of US only. Giveaway ends November 10, 2013 at 9:00 p.m. (PST). ONE ENTRANT PER HOUSEHOLD/IP Address! I check all entries – cheating will not be tolerated. Winner will be notified via email and needs to reply within 48 hours, or a new winner will be chosen. Please make sure you check your spam folder – I will not be responsible if you did not receive winning email notification. Winners name(s) will be displayed on the post, and will also be posted on Winners List shortly after drawing has occurred. Winners will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter. Screenshots of winners available by request. Prize will be shipped directly from sponsor or their PR Agency unless otherwise noted. Eighty MPH Mom is not responsible for prizes lost in transit, although every attempt will be made for prize delivery.

**By entering this giveaway, you confirm that you have read and agree to my giveaway rules. Sponsor reserves the right to limit one prize per person/household (of this item/prize pack). Please allow 6-8 weeks for deliver of prize {though it is usually much sooner}. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability. Odds of winning: The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. All prizes will be awarded. Void where prohibited by law.

 

*Randi received the above product(s), free of charge, to facilitate this review. All opinions are those of the reviewer only.