When my youngest son was a baby the whole food pouch craze was just starting. We now love them even more with all the different varieties that are out there. Best part is that they are no longer just for babies and are oh so convenient. We are big fans of the typical GoGo squeeZ applesauce and Del Monte Fruit Burst Squeezers. It's an easy way to get the kids some fruits and veggies in their diet especially when on the go. And now we don't have the problem of them squeezing the food pouches everywhere thanks to Pouch Pal. Mom win!
As you probably know food pouches aren't the cheapest thing. You pay for the fancy packaging and convenience. I decided to try to make a Homemade Blueberry Veggie Applesauce in hopes of using reusable food pouches one day.
I love that in this recipe you can make it extra healthy by knowing exactly what vegetables are in it and how much. I couldn't figure out what was in Del Monte's Blueberry Fruit Burst Squeezers vegetable wise but I knew blueberry would be the extra fruit. It's my son's favorite flavor for food pouches. Weird considering he won't eat blueberries. Go figure.
This recipe could be even easier if you just leave on the apple skins (extra nutrition and fiber is always good), skip the extra mashing, and just process it all at the end. So basically, that's just throwing it all into a slow cooker and processing. We can all do that! It all depends on the texture you like.
Homemade Blueberry Veggie Applesauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 4-5 apples Cubed, peeled, and cored. I used Fuji, but your favorite baking apples will do.
- 1 yellow squash Cubed
- 1 cup blueberries Fresh or frozen
- 2 cups baby spinach I used a baby spinach kale mix
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 packets Nectresse Optional
Instructions
- Peel, core, and chop the apples into cubes and place into slow cooker. Don't worry if the peeling isn't perfect. Just adds some extra fiber and nutrients. Add in the squash and 1/4 cup water. Cooked covered on high for 2 hours.
- The apples should be golden in color at this point. Stir and mash up with a potato masher. Add blueberries and continue to cook for 45 minutes.
- In a food processor, blend the spinach and 1/4 cup water. Continue to blend until spinach is really fine; pretty much liquified.
- Stir and mash the apple-blueberry mixture again. Let cool; then add to the food processor along with the liquified spinach.
- Once the mixture is thoroughly pureed add in the sweetener and blend one last time. Enjoy!
How do you sneak veggies into your kid's diet?