My 12-month-old son loves food and is always hungry, so having food pouches in the house to grab when on the run or heading out is a must. Once Upon a Farm is a company that specializes in making the first cold-pressured, refrigerated, HPP baby food pouches. Their food is USDA organic and kosher, non GMO, and incorporates healthy fats and superfoods into all their blends. They describe their food as “fresh from farm to highchair” and the company is committed to using local ingredients and listing all the farms they source on their website. Once Upon a Farm offers their food pouches for sale in packs of eight ($23.92) or as a monthly subscription service ($2.49/pouch).
I was very impressed with both the efficiency and the presentation of the box that arrived. The pouches are sent in a Styrofoam freezer box with a chart of each flavor included. Just the logo itself makes you excited to open the box: the words are bouncy and cute–totally eye-catching and reminiscent of a big book of fairytales. Each individual pouch comes with a different colored top and a fun name, from “Magic Velvet Mango” and “The Fairest of Pears,” to “Wild Rumpus Avocado,” and “Chocolate Ever After.” The backs of the pouches are clear so that you can see (and admire!) the vibrant colors of the whole food inside. I was excited to have my son try the flavors out, while sneaking tastes myself.
The flavors
The first few flavors we tasted were my favorites. “Just Right Porridge” was like a mouthful of apple crisp and their three new applesauce flavors (“Straight From the Apple,” “Spiced Apple,” and “Sweet as Apple Pie”) were mouth-wateringly delicious. My son devoured each pack happily. The more exotic flavors were just as much of a hit with my son, but not as tasty to me. Many were just not as flavorful, which is understandable, since they are meant for babies. Some, however, I found downright weird tasting. One example of this was the chocolate flavored pouch, which was actually a combination of banana, avocado, raspberry, cacao, and dates. I was not a fan, though thankfully my son seemed to like it! My favorite part of having these pouches, though, was really the convenience. There are just so many instances that having healthy, ready-made food on hand is so helpful. Having the food in a pouch, too, cuts down on mess and the necessity of utensils.
Out of all the many food pouch brands we’ve tried, Once Upon A Farm is definitely my favorite and I’d happily buy them again. I look forward to seeing what new flavors they might come out with in the future.