Saturday, May 4, 2013

Squishy Snak Pak Reusable Snack Pouch: Review & Giveaway (Closed)


Spouted pouch snacks are all the rage these days, with their "no mess" factor, convenient size and oodles of available flavour combos. Parents are snapping 'em up like hotcakes, kiddos love 'em and new brands continue to jump on board with their own offerings. The downside is they can be quite pricey (especially organic variants) and their disposable nature results in significant waste. What if there was a way to enjoy the benefits of this snack format without breaking the bank nor adding to our landfills? Well I'm happy to let you know there is, thanks to a mompreneur named Michelle Zacharias and her her nifty and whimsically-named Squishy Snak Pak!


Product Info:
  • Snack container you can fill it from the bottom, squish it out the top
  • Our product is made from BPA-free materials and features a choke proof cap along with a heavy duty zip closure. Fill it up with any creation your little one loves.
  • Wash it and reuse it over and over again
  • The clear window on the back allows you to see the contents
  • Holds 1/2 cup of your creations
  • Ideal for use on the go
  • Fun for at home snacks
  • Great freezer storage for portioned baby purees

My Review:

Michelle sent me a 2-pack of Squishy Snak Paks to review. All packs currently come in the same bright & colourful, gender-neutral design.


Right away I noted how thin and light-weight the packs are. I'd guess a similar amount of material goes into the creation of a Squishy Snak Pak as a disposable variant, but these, of course, can be reused! The lids are, indeed, pretty large and would be difficult to choke on, however they don't pass the "toilet paper tube test" so technically there'd still be a small risk. As such, they should be kept away from young'uns inclined to put things in their mouths.

To get started, you first need to cut/tear off the excess material at the bottom below the zip closure. This wasn't specified anywhere directly but it was pretty obvious from the pack's construction. (See above photo - note the little holes on each one near the bottom.)

I got to work quickly making a pureed apple, carrot and cinnamon blend for my 2 1/2 year old daughter S.




Next, I rinsed and filled one of the two packs. I used a large spoon which was pretty easy & effective, though a little did get on the outside which I rinsed off afterwards. Pouring directly into the pack or using a funnel would probably work for a thinner puree.


There's a fill line on the pack, but I wasn't able to add puree all the way up to this line as it would start squishing out when I closed the zip. I think the issue with a fill line on a container like this is that the capacity is variable depending on how wide you open the mouth. So I found it easiest just to eyeball it.

The zip mechanism secures easily and results in a strong and leak-proof closure which would be difficult for little hands to rip apart. The window at the back is useful as it allows storing a few kinds at once and knowing which one you're taking out each time without having to unscrew the caps. It also helps show how much is left when a snack is in progress.


The spout is a perfect size for dishing out the pack's contents.


I tried out the first pack myself (delish!!) and then filled up the other one and gave it to my daughter. She's had pouch snacks before so knew exactly what to do with it!


Here's a video of her first Squishy Snak Pak experience. As you can see, she was pretty self-sufficient though I did remove the lid myself and helped her squish the last few mouthfuls of puree from the bottom.


The next time I handed her a pack, she got a little too excited and gave it a good squish before bringing it to her mouth. Needless to say, this was a bit messy! So it's a good idea to remind younger ones in which order operations should occur. :)

In terms of clean-up, these puppies are easy peasy. If you wash them immediately after usage, a simple rinse gets the job done. If a used pack sits for awhile, I just soak for a few minutes in soapy water to loosen the grime and then wipe and rinse. Michelle confirmed that the packs are dishwasher-safe; I haven't washed them this way yet but will do so periodically to give 'em a really deep clean.

Longevity-wise, Michelle mentioned she's used and washed her own packs over 100 times and they're still going strong. They're made of a nylon/poly blend free of BPA and other toxic materials, so she has no concerns of them leaching over time.

Finally, a peek into cost savings vs. pre-made/disposable pouch snacks. The puree I made from two apples and 4 carrots (all organic) cost just under $3.00 and made six full packs. This is about half the cost of pre-made. If I went with non-organic, I probably could have made the same amount for $1.50 or less. Of course, there's the time factor of making purees, filling the packs and clean-up. As such, when time is short a pack could be filled with store-bought foods such as yogurt or jarred applesauce and this would still result in significant savings.

As for areas of improvement, the main one I can think of is that the packs don't stand up on their own like many disposable versions do. Not an issue for our little monkey since she gulps each one down without taking a breath, but I can see this as a desirable feature for slower eaters. Second, from an aesthetic standpoint it would be nice to see a variety of styles in the future. In terms of the website, an FAQ section (or more comprehensive product info page) would be helpful clarifying details on the packs such as whether they're dishwasher safe, specific materials they're made out of, etc.

Overall, I'm a big fan of the Squishy Snak Pak; it functions very similar to pre-made snack pouches but at a lower cost and without all that waste. Plus, there are practically unlimited options for healthy & tasty "squishables" to put inside! You just need a few extra minutes here and there and a dash of creativity. As for our daughter? She's hooked! Whenever we tell her she's getting a Squishy Snak Pak for dessert, her face lights up and she giggles excitedly. Definitely 10/10 on the "fun to eat" scale!


Buy It:

Squishy Snak Paks can be ordered directly from the website or via numerous online and "brick and mortar" shops. A store locator tool is currently under development.


Win It:

One lucky Manager to Mom reader will win two Squishy Snak Paks of their own! Open to CAN/US.

To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Please follow all instructions within each entry option to ensure your entries are valid.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  The prize is being provided and shipped to the winner by Squishy Snak Pak.  I received no financial compensation for writing my review or offering this giveaway, although I did receive the sample items free of charge.  This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours.   

23 comments:

  1. I'd like to win it for my second son who just started eating solids!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I would love to win this for all of my kids and our newest one arriving this spring too! I would love to make up just some simple purees as well as use them for yogurt on the go!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I would love to win them for my 2 year old daughter and then probably use them for Baby 2.0 due in June. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. i'd like to win them for our baby girl! she'll be starting purees in june!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'd love this for my daughter, she turns 1 next Saturday. She has been eating pureed everything and loves it, especially avocado.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I want to try making my own baby food purees for my daughter when she starts eating solids. Thanks!
    - Beth Ann Erwin facebook/rafflecopter

    ReplyDelete
  7. For my daughter. Want to make some babyfood for her.
    Maybe will try smoothies too.

    Narathip WAll
    www.dealsandfree.blogspot.ca
    polo_wataga@yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am not sure if this only me. I think your picket fence link doesn't work for a few days already. :(

    Narathip wall

    ReplyDelete
  9. I would make my own baby food like mashed bananas and apple sauce

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'd love to win these for my daughter! She loves greek yogurt and mashed fruit mixtures in her pouches. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. For my son....blueberry banana mash

    ReplyDelete
  12. my daughter is a great eater, but doesn't really love orange veggies, so i'd make something with those

    ReplyDelete
  13. I would love to win these for my sons (3years and 18 months)They love the pre-packaged fruit ones but I would love to be able to make my own. I would also use them for yogurt and smoothies :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'd love to win this to ease the "snacks on the go" for my toddler. He gets bored with Cheerios and bananas (my general go to "on the road" snacks) but he's still a bit, er, unreliable with messier snacks (e.g., yogurt) and his strong-natured personality fiercely resists bibs of all sorts. I couldn't fathom the cost of the one-use pouches, and I prefer to make things at home so I know what's going into my kiddo! These are a great solution :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'd love to win it for my kids! I like to try all sorts of purees.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'd love these for my boys. I think K would love sucking back his yogurt and it might encourage him to try some other smooth fruity options.

    ReplyDelete
  17. These would be great for my girls!! I would probably use them for Applesauce the most but would also use them for other mixes and yogurt!

    ReplyDelete
  18. THis would be great for my 2 youngest (3 and 8 months). My 3 year old love applesauce and smoothies on the go and the baby is still eating purees. We'd use them for his lunches of Sweet potatoes on the go! Thanks for the chance!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I'd love to win this for my 2.5 year old and 9 month old. I would puree just about any fruit and veggie, combinations, and yogurt. This would be so awesome to have for on the go!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'd love to win this for my nephews this summer, and for our little one on the way!

    ReplyDelete
  21. For my kids. Applesauce is always a hit. I would have been worried that they didn't clean up well but from your review, it seems like they do.

    Thanks for making this open to Canadians.

    Besos, Sarah
    Blogger at Journeys of The Zoo
    Finding Humour in Everyday Life
    journeysofthezoo at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  22. This would be great for my daughter to put sweet potato puree and applesauce in.

    ReplyDelete
  23. this will be for my youngest and yummy foods

    ReplyDelete