Baby Food Fridays Series - NurturMe Review

            Ever since Myka started eating real food, baby food has been my new obsession. While my husband and I LOVE making our own baby food for her, it is not exactly feasible to take with us on the go since it needs to be refrigerated. That’s where NurturMe NurturMeals come in!

            So, how are NurturMeals different from regular baby food? Instead of using the traditional canning process, fruits and veggies are freeze dried or drum dried. Because of this, more nutrients are preserved. It also means a longer shelf life AND no refrigeration! NurturMeals are also USDA certified organic, kosher certified, gluten and GMO free, and their packages contain no BPA! Oh. And it’s made in the U.S.A. It doesn’t get much better than that!

            Since NurturMeals come in powder form from being freeze/drum dried, how do you prepare them? It’s easy! You can mix them with water, formula, or breast milk until you reach the desired consistency for your baby and even add them to toddlers’ food for a boost in nutrients. NurturMe’s website even includes a page with videos of recipe ideas for adding NurturMeals.

           I first came across NurturMeals in a subscription box. It was right around the time we were introducing solid foods to Myka, so it was great timing! The first “flavor” we tried was the Plump Peas and I’ll be honest, she was less than thrilled. However, I think she just wasn’t used to real food yet. Ever since the second time she tried them she has absolutely LOVED them. I mean, she gobbles them up! She has even had peas that I made and packaged for her and doesn’t even like them as well as her NurturMeal peas which, hey, that’s fine with me. I’m just glad she likes peas! These are one of her favorite foods right now, which I’m sure you can tell by the picture below. :D

            NurturMe was kind enough to send the following products for Myka and I to try. (Yes, I try them too!) Here’s how they stacked up:
            -Plump Peas: Like I said, she LOVES these and it is her favorite veggie by              far!

-Squash, Banana, & Green Kale: Much to my surprise, she really seemed to like this. Myka is usually iffy when it comes to new foods, but she ate this pretty well the first time, which makes me a happy mama since kale is a superfood.

-Crisp Apples: She was a little unsure of this the first bite or so since they were so much sweeter than the ones she’s used to, but she gobbled them up like she normally does anything with apples in it!

-Protein-packed Quinoa: I’m not going to lie. Myka was less than enthused about this. She’s usually not crazy about most foods when she first tries them, though, like I said. I’m hoping she likes it better next time. I might try to spice it up a bit.

-Sweet Potatoes, Oatmeal, and Bananas: I could tell this wasn't her favorite, but she still ate it. She had never had oatmeal before, so the whole consistency factor might have been part of it. 

 

The surprisingly well received kale blend. See? Looks just like a normal puree once you mix it with your liquid of choice!

           
            I love everything about NurturMeals, but my favorite thing is that I can take them with me while I’m out. I have been trying to go for walks at least several times a week because 1) They help me clear my head and feel less cooped up on my days off work and 2) So I can pretend like I’m going to get back into shape. With NurtureMeals I don’t have to worry about extra food spoiling while it’s not being refrigerated and as long as I have some water with me and a bowl and spoon, I can mix them up quickly. I know what you’re thinking. What if I don’t have a place to rinse the bowl and spoon out before I stick it back in the diaper bag, right? I can always just take a plastic bag and stick it in there and wash it when I get home! And yes, I have used these while I wasn’t home. Just last week we took my husband lunch at work and Myka gobbled up her peas as usual. :)

            I also like taking these to the babysitter’s sometimes. I was lazy about feeding Myka real food at first and would sometimes skip several days in a row, especially if I took her to the sitter’s. Now I am making sure she eats real food at least once a day and NurturMeals are a convenient way to make sure she is still eating real food while I’m not around!

            We also received a sample of the Caribbean Crop flavored Yum-a-roo’s, which are a healthy snack for older babies and toddlers. The fruits and veggies in these are also quick dried, but left in small pieces, so that they dissolve into soft bites that are easy for children with new teeth! Since Myka isn’t old enough for these (or have any teeth, for that matter), I decided to give them a try. They’re really tasty! I love that it has natural sweetness from the fruit, but still has veggies too for extra nutrients. The pieces are small enough for little hands to grab easily too. I also like that the pouches are re-sealable in case your little muncher doesn’t finish them all in one go.

NurturMeals and Yum-a-roo’s come in several other flavors and can be purchased at a very reasonable price on NurturMe’s website HERE. You can also find them on Walmart, Target, Meijer’s, and many, many other websites. I also encourage you to check out their page on becoming an Nmoms+Dads ambassador HERE.