When I first became a mom, I had a clear vision for how I wanted to feed my children. I always thought of nutrition as an important part of all-around wellness—not just physical health. So, especially for their growing minds and bodies, I wanted to offer the very best ingredients.

But, to be honest, that was much easier when I just had one baby. And, even more honestly, even then it was a big task to source and prepare his baby food once we introduced solids.

Related: Everything you need for starting solids with your baby

Fast-forward to when I had my third baby in less than four years: Although I didn’t want to compromise the nutritional standards of what I offered my youngest, I simply needed a more efficient solution. That’s when I discovered Once Upon a Farm, which offers a variety of organic, cold-pressed snacks and meals filled with fruits, veggies and other intentionally selected ingredients.

With a jam-packed schedule, Once Upon a Farm gave me the gift of more time to spend with my family—rather than steaming and pureeing baby food. At the same time, using the farm-to-fridge pouches allowed me to introduce even more powerhouse first foods, such as flax seed, kale, turmeric, ginger and more. 

Co-founded by incredible mamas Cassandra Curtis and Jennifer Garner, the company is dedicated to offering delicious, nutritious food for kids of all ages. As for the endorsement that really matters, my son absolutely loved the Fruit & Veggie Blends. With unique flavors that are loaded with vitamins and minerals, he also had the chance to expand his palate while fueling his body with the best food. 

Related: Parents are having ‘yes days’ with their kids and it might inspire you to try one

Because I could depend on the clean ingredients used by Once Upon a Farm, I even sought out other ways to use the Fruit & Veggie Blends—like mixing some into plain yogurt for flavor or swapping it for oil while baking to up the nutritional value of muffins or brownies. 

The Dairy-Free Smoothies are also a favorite among all three of my dairy-sensitive children. I often pack a smoothie pouch in my oldest son’s lunch box—so he gets a refreshing “treat” during the day while I know he’s also getting fruits and veggies without any added sugar.

With life only getting busier, the convenience of preparing and purchasing Once Upon a Farm is a real help to me. Thanks to customizable subscriptions delivered straight to my doorstep, I’ve been able to adapt my order throughout time to meet my kids’ tastes and needs. It’s not just my family that benefits, either: Once Upon a Farm partnered with Save the Children to pledge one million nutritious meals to children in food insecure communities in the United States. 

In my two years of loyalty to Once Upon a Farm, I’ve also been continually impressed by the new products that they offer, such as their Immunity Blends and new Plant-Rich frozen meals. Even though my family now eats meals together, I like offering the whole-food meals as a side dish for my kids.

Here are some of my family’s favorite Once Upon a Farm products…

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Once Upon a Farm Pumpkin Cookie

1. Farmer Jen’s Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie

This creamy blend of pumpkin, banana, oats, coconut milk, vanilla and cinnamon was inspired by Jennifer Garner’s family recipe for pumpkin oatmeal cookies. Unlike cookies, though, this pouch doesn’t have any added sugar! It’s also a snack that gives back: $0.25 is donated to Save the Children for every pouch purchased.

Once Upon a Farm Go-Go Greens

2. Go-Go Greens Dairy-Free Smoothie

My kids are more than willing to overlook the spinach and spirulina in this smoothie thanks to the sweet taste of apples and bananas. Rounded out with organic pumpkin seeds (high in zinc and protein!) and kale, wheatgrass and moringa, this smoothie is as nutritious as it is delicious.

Once Upon a Farm Apple and Sweet Potato

3. Apple & Sweet Potato Blend

I like to take a slow and steady approach to starting solids, so I appreciated that this blend truly just has two ingredients: cold-pressed apple and sweet potato. Not only did this blend save me precious time, but it also comes with the added benefit of organic, non-GMO ingredients and powerful ingredients. Apple is a good source of prebiotic fiber and Vitamin C while sweet potato is filled with Vitamin A for eye development.

mango coconut carrot 1 hover 1080x Motherly

4. Mango, Coconut & Carrot Blend

This pouch is just one of the many examples of how Once Upon a Farm takes baby food to the next level. I mean, do you think you were eating turmeric and coconut before your first birthday? Not only are these ingredients great for growing bodies, but they also help develop more adventurous palates.

Once Upon a Farm Meals Sweet Potato

5. Sweet Potato, Raspberry & Coconut Butter Meal

A new family favorite side-dish, this farm-to-freezer meal can be pureed, mashed or served as finger food. The tasty combination of sweet potato and raspberry is rounded out by cardamom and coconut butter.

Discover more of what Once Upon a Farm has to offer on their website.