Baby Gourmet Review

A couple of weeks ago, I received a sample of the Baby Gourmet baby vegetable and fruit purees for review.

About my little tester: 7 months old Naomi. Had only been fed breast milk and homemade purees up to that point. She can be a little fussy with the homemade purees and made it very clear to me that she would not eat just anything I provide in a spoon. Hehe...

The samples were wrapped in a box made of recycled material that looked like this:

Inside, was 9 pouches of food purees:

• 1 pouch of Stage 1 Orchard Apple, Carrot & Prune
• 1 pouch of Stage 1 Juicy Pear & Garden Greens
• 1 pouch of Stage 1 Harvest Pear, Pumpkin & Banana
• 1 pouch of Stage 2 Baby’s Sweet Potato Pie
• 1 pouch of Stage 2 Apple Sweet Potato Berry Swirl
• 1 pouch of Stage 2 Roasted Squash & Fruit Medley
• 1 pouch of Stage 3 Vanilla Banana berry Risotto
• 1 pouch of Stage 3 Tropical Banana Bliss
• 1 pouch of Stage 3 Old Fashioned Apple Crisp

The first thing that got my attention was the packaging. The pouches BPA-free and vacuum-sealed for 15 months of freshness on the shelf. They have bright colours with cute baby pictures and have an attractive look and feel.

I liked the fact that the puree was kept in a soft pouch because it was easy to squeeze it out and use only the quantity needed at a time. I was actually able to drop the puree directly onto the feeding spoon as Naomi was eating and twist the cap back on when she was done for a safe, uncontaminated storage in the fridge. This would not have been possible with a traditional food container in which the spoon is dipped. Not only did this allow me to reduce waste of whatever she is normally unable to finished, but I was thrilled that my usual feeding cup became obsolete and completely optional. I hate dirty dishes... especially carrying them in a diaper bag!

The food is excellent. "One spoon for Mommy, one spoon for Naomi" excellent... She liked every single flavour she had. The trick is simple but efficient: the taste of nasty vegetables is disguised with flavourful fruit combos. Oh and, did I mention her hatred of brocoli? I was yet to find a food combo that would make her accept brocoli (even the sweet potato did not work) until she tried the juicy pear & garden greens I did not think it would be possible. The garden greens are in fact organic brocoli and organic spinach with a zest of organic lemon juice. Yum! She gave me her complete approval.

Did I mention the purees are organic and without added sugar, salt or preservatives? I'm giving it my Mommy approval right there.

This is a review so I must also try to find the product's weaknesses...

I couldn't really find much to be honest... The product had to be ordered online when I first checked. Then I read it would soon be available from every Walmart in North America but I haven't seen it there yet. The website says it should only be a couple of days before it's available at Walmart but it seems the delay has been pushed a couple of times...

The price is affordable and competitive at $19.99 for a mix of 9 pouches (shipping is free) when you compare with other organic baby food on the market.  However, at this price, I don't know who would want to purchase the 12 pouches package for $33.99. I can't find a justification to account for the price difference. I would expect the 12 pouches package to retail around $26, if not less since you're buying more.

In the end, if you're looking for a convenient and healthy organic option to feed your baby when in a rush or on-the-go then I think this product is what you've been dreaming about.  If you're planning to use them for every meal, then you might find them costly if you went with the 12 pack purchase, but your baby will adore you! I wish it was already available at Walmart so I could stock a few before my long trip to New Caledonia next week!