frozen wild blueberries Archives

Why Choose Frozen Wild Blueberries?

Frozen foods tend to get a bad reputation for being unhealthy and hyper processed, but truth be told, you can actually find amazing and nutritious healthy food options in the frozen foods aisle – especially when it comes to frozen fruits and vegetables. Since the concept of flash-freezing fruits and vegetables was invented in the 1920s, frozen foods have become a staple many people rely on for weekly meals. As of 2022, the American Frozen Food Institute reported that 99.4% of U.S. households consume frozen foods. And while many people question the nutritious benefits of frozen fruits and veggies, it’s actually been found that they possess a higher nutritional value than those of their fresh counterparts.

Exhibit A: Naturally grown and nutritiously delicious wild blueberries.

These tiny, potent berries are tasty whether they’re consumed frozen or fresh, but frozen wild blueberries are frozen at peak of ripeness, locking in nutrition benefits and taste. So, in this case, frozen is actually fresher. In honor of March being National Frozen Foods Month, we’re dishing on why this is the case.

The Benefits of Flash Freezing Wild Blueberries

Did you know that:

Flash freezing fruit locks in fresh taste, nutrition, and convenience
Research shows frozen fruit is often nutritionally superior to its fresh counterpart
40% of all food produced in the United States is not eaten before expiration. Frozen food can help reduce the food waste epidemic in the United States.
Frozen food generates 47% less food waste than ambient and chilled food in the home

What can we say…the facts don’t lie!

The Wild Blueberry Journey: Harvest to Household

Wild blueberries are harvested in Maine, right where Mother Nature put them more than 10,000 years ago. Harvest season takes place annually in July and August and over 90% of the crop is flash frozen at the peak of ripeness so you can enjoy the taste of Maine summer all year long. To make sure you’re getting true wild blueberries, you’ll want to visit the frozen fruit section of your local grocery store and double check that the package says “wild” on it.

So, how do these little blue gems get from harvest to your table? Here’s the journey of frozen wild blueberries:

Hour 1: Picked at peak of ripeness
Within 24 hours: Washed and flash frozen to lock in key vitamins, minerals, and tasty goodness
Ready to enjoy, well…whenever: delivered to the frozen foods aisle of your local grocery store, ready for you to bring home!
Extended shelf life: Good for about 6-9 months if kept constantly frozen

Unlike wild blueberries, ordinary blueberries can be planted anywhere and grow year round. Their journey is a little different than frozen wild blueberries. Let’s dive into the differences in the journey of an ordinary blueberry from farm to table:

Day 1: Picked before they’re ripe
Day 2-8: Transported, packed, and distributed to grocery stores
Day 9-14: Arrival at grocery store
Day 15-20: Purchased and eaten at home
Short shelf life: Should be eaten within one week of purchase

So, now you know, frozen is fresher – and just as nutritious and delicious as fresh.

And the best part? Wild blueberries are versatile! Keep your freezer stocked so you have easy access to frozen wild blueberries to blend in your smoothies or to top off your oatmeal year round.

If you want to learn more about why frozen really is fresher, check out the Wild Blueberries website for more information. Happy Frozen Foods Month! Celebrate by picking up some frozen wild blueberries from your local grocery store (just make sure it says “wild” on the package).

Jump Start Your Family’s Resolutions with Nutritious Wild Blueberries

For most, January 1^st beckons a fresh start, but sometimes achieving those “big” resolutions can be a little bit challenging. Whether it’s setting a healthy eating goal for yourself or finding ways to get the whole family invested in putting nourishing foods on the table, consider adding Wild Blueberries into your morning routine as an easy way to treat the body and your brain better. Here are three reasons why Wild Blueberries are a great addition to your daily diet, along with some recipe suggestions to help make this change a reality.

Nourish the Noggin with Wild Each Morning

There is a growing body of evidence that suggests people can reduce cognitive decline by adopting key lifestyle changes. One of those is eating a balanced diet that is low in fat and high in vegetable and fruit consumption. There is ample research that suggests Wild Blueberries may improve cognitive function for both young and old. So, prioritize your brain health in 2020 and feed it the tastiest brain food – Wild Blueberries. All you have to do is add a healthy scoop of frozen Wild Blueberries to whatever’s for breakfast to give the whole family a better start to the day. It’s never too early to eat for brain health and it’s recommended you do so for your entire lifespan. Nourish their noggins with this easy-to-make Wild Blueberry Oat Muffin recipe that can be made ahead so you have on hand a nutritious, delicious and convenient breakfast.

Make it a Fiber Filled Day

It’s reported that in 2018, only 5% of Americans got enough fiber in their diets. Well if you’re looking for a way to up your fiber intake, Wild Blueberries are a tasty way to do just that. The Wild Blueberry skin is an excellent source of fiber – because the berries are smaller you’re getting more skin (which equals more fiber) in every serving. Plus, according to the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans MyPlate, it’s important that half your plate consists of fruits and vegetables. Fill up on fiber and start your day off right with this Wild Blueberry Blast with Banana & Chia Seeds Smoothie.

Frozen for Your Convenience

Let’s face it, we’re all busy. And busy schedules mean that we’re constantly looking for options that make our lives easier. Enter: frozen Wild Blueberries. The great thing about frozen Wild Blueberries is that they are frozen with 24-hours of harvest, ensuring that taste and nutritional benefits locked in. The berry is picked locally in the U.S., frozen, and on its way to your table in less time that it takes ordinary berries to make the same journey from Chile, South America, and a variety of other places. When you pick wild it’s like eating a Wild Blueberry right out of the fields. Plus, frozen fruit is super convenient and accessible all year long, eliminating food waste. This weekend, treat yourself with these drool-worthy Wild Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes.

With 2020 right around the corner, help your family – and yourself – achieve realistic health goals. You can get a great start by adding Wild to your diet every day. Happy (almost) New Year!

Breakfast Recipe: Toasted Oat Parfait with Caramelized Wild Blueberries

I usually put my breakfasts on autopilot. I’m one of those people who can eat the same thing every day with no complaints. But I like to get more creative and add new breakfast ideas to the mix when my daughter Norah heads back to school. She isn’t as excited as me to eat the same thing every day, so I try to mix things up and make breakfast a little special. One go-to strategy for making the morning a little more fun is to break out the Wild Blueberries!

September is when most kids are heading back to school, and it also happens to be National Breakfast Month, so there’s no better time to try out a new breakfast recipe. Being fueled in the morning is so important for focus and concentration, especially for children and teens that start the day super early and have to wait a long time before lunch.

Wild Blueberries make a great addition to any breakfast, not only because they’re delicious, full of fiber and are nutrient rich, but also because they’re food for the brain! Recent research shows that eating Wild Blueberries can help with cognitive function and memory, making them the perfect ingredient for back-to-school breakfasts.

We love my Wild Blueberry Banana Bread, Wild Blueberry Crumb Cake, and Belgian Waffles with Wild Blueberry Mascarpone Cream for weekends and special occasions, but my new favorite breakfast for any day of the week is this Toasted Oat Parfait with Caramelized Wild Blueberries.

The toasted oats are an easy alternative to granola, and take much less time to prepare (but still provide the same crunch and texture). You can make a big batch of these to keep in the fridge for topping on ice cream, hot cereal, or a bowl of fresh fruit. The protein-packed Greek yogurt will keep the kiddos full, and the caramelized Wild Blueberries will make anyone smile.

This Toasted Oat Parfait with Caramelized Wild Blueberries is a delicious way to make breakfast feel special and help your family stay fueled all morning long.

5 Bite-Sized Recipes for Your Summer “Send Off” Celebration

It’s hard to believe that Labor Day is this weekend. For many of us that means time to go back-to-school and the end of carefree summer days. If you’re planning to “send off” summer this weekend with a Labor Day gathering or party, try an appetizer-only or “small bites” food theme. It’s completely on trend, gives your guests a variety of options to nosh on, and the best thing is that a lot of the work can be done in advance so you can be in the moment and experience all the fun. It also makes clean-up a breeze at the end of the evening.

To help you savor the last days of summer, try these 5 wildly delicious small bite recipes:

What’s not to love about meatballs? They’re an instant crowd pleaser and a classic party staple. These Turkey Meatballs with Wild Blueberry BBQ Sauce offer a new twist on an old favorite, and can be prepped ahead of time and warmed up right before you’re ready to serve. The Wild Blueberry BBQ sauce makes for an unexpected and delicious sweet and tangy dipping sauce.

Tacos are all the rage these days – probably because they’re so easy to make, and the filling combinations are endless. Social media has helped drive this craze as foodie influencers took to Instagram and coined the phrase and hashtag #TacoTuesdays, making this delightful Mexican-themed meal a weekday must. This weekend, set up a taco bar for your guests and let them get creative. We love this Black Bean Taco with Wild Blueberry Sauce recipe from Danielle Omar of Food Confidence. The tasty Wild Blueberry sauce adds a sweet and zesty flavor while packing in plenty of antioxidant goodness.

Pizza is always a family favorite and a dish that can be easily sliced into small tasting bites that both young and old alike will enjoy. Featuring the flavors of summer in every bite, this Wild Blueberry Tomato and Goat Cheese Naan Pizza recipe is a sweet and savory recipe that’s sure to impress. And don’t worry, if you can’t find naan, you can use pita bread or your favorite pre-cooked pizza crust instead.
Recipe and photo credit: Backyard Farms

With the new season just around the corner, give your guests a taste of Fall with these Wild Blueberry Sweet Potato Stacks. Wild Blueberries complement the sweet potato perfectly in these amazing pop-it-into-your-mouth bites. You can’t go wrong with this one.

Finally, an end of summer celebration is not complete without a few wildly tasty desserts. These easy no-bake Mini Wild Blueberry Cream Pies have been a fan favorite since our friend Danielle Omar of Food Confidence created them. If you’re more of a traditionalist, consider serving up this this classic Wild Blueberry Pie from Kara Lydon of the Foodie Dietitian. Create small individual pies or make a couple large pies and slice them up small and top with homemade whipped cream or your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy these last glorious days of summer with your friends and family. I know I plan to!

When Frozen Beats Fresh in Nutrition

It’s a nutrition question that’s plagued healthy eaters since the first frozen fruits and vegetables were marketed in 1930: are frozen foods as nutritious as their fresh counterparts? While I certainly won’t deny that fresh foods can be nutritious, I’m also not a blind believer of the “fresh is best” mantra that some would have us believe. A recently published study in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis adds to the growing body of research focused on analyzing and comparing the nutrient content of fresh vs. frozen produce.

University of Georgia researchers compared the nutrient content of eight fruits and vegetables that were stored in 3 specific ways: frozen, fresh, and “fresh-stored.” What’s “fresh-stored”? It describes the way that typical consumers handle fresh produce once they get it home. Most folks keep fresh produce in the refrigerator for 5 days before getting around to eating it—according to data from the Food Marketing Institute, and the researchers considered this to be an important comparison for the study in order to make it more relatable to real-world eating behavior. Vitamin C, beta-carotene and total folate concentrations were examined over a span of two years in six different time frames in order to take into account any seasonal variations.

What were the results? The researchers found that for the majority of the comparisons there were no significant differences between the nutrient values of fresh, frozen or “fresh-stored.” Where there were significant differences, it was generally found that the five days of refrigerated storage (for “fresh-stored” produce) had a negative association with nutrient concentration. And, more often than not, the frozen vegetables and fruits had significantly higher nutrient contents than their “fresh-stored” counterparts.

As far as blueberries go, the data revealed that frozen blueberries had significantly greater levels than that of the fresh-stored blueberries (the content of fresh blueberries was in-between). There were no significant differences in vitamin C between the fresh, frozen and “fresh-stored” samples, while beta-carotene was significantly lower in the frozen berries (the same was found with the frozen strawberries—maybe it’s something to do with berry fruits in general?). Finally, the folate content of the frozen blueberries was significantly greater than that of the fresh-stored blueberries (the content of fresh blueberries was in-between). The researchers specifically gave frozen blueberries the win, concluding: “As with other produce types assessed, the results suggest a possible nutrient advantage for frozen when considering the losses of nutrients during refrigerated storage.”

This latest study should give consumers of frozen produce some confidence that in most cases, the nutrient content of frozen produce is as good as, if not better than, fresh produce—especially if that fresh produce has been sitting at the store a while, and then hanging out in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator for days before you eat it.

Extended storage and the dehydration that accompanies it is never a good thing for fresh produce. If the fruits and veggies at your market are looking limp and sad, there’s a good chance that their nutrient content has been compromised. You won’t be doing yourself or your family any nutrition favors by purchasing aging “fresh” produce. At those times, choosing frozen over fresh just makes good sense.

Top 5 Smoothie Making Hacks

Let’s face it – we love smoothies for their convenience, ease and portability. However, in the busy mornings we know that every minute (and every second!) counts. So while it may not take that long to make a smoothie for breakfast before you head out the door, there are some time-saving tips for smoothie making that can help you hit the snooze button one more time, get to the office before everyone else or even better, carve out some time for morning self-care.

I love taking time on Sundays to prep meals for the week ahead. This makes the workweek less chaotic and allows me to carve out some “me time” during the weekly grind. My morning routine is sacred to me. I gave up checking my phone and emails upon waking a long time ago. Now my mornings are my quiet time to meditate or practice yoga to start the day feeling grounded and present. The only way I can find the time to practice self-care in the morning is if I plan ahead and make breakfasts for the week on Sunday.

Now, you may be thinking how can I prepare ahead of time for smoothies? Well, I’ve got 5 simple smoothie-making hacks to share with you today to help make your weekday mornings stress-free.

Make smoothie freezer packs. Ever feel like smoothie making is quite the production? Do you have a counter filled with bags of frozen fruit, liquids, greens, powders, nuts and seeds? Does it take you forever to find that bag of walnuts at the back of the cupboard? Ever wish you could just have all your smoothie-making ingredients ready to go in one place to throw in the blender? You can! Portion out your smoothie ingredients like frozen Wild Blueberries, sliced bananas and kale into freezer Ziploc bags at the beginning of the week and label them with the date and type of smoothie. Come morning all you have to do is open up the bag, toss the contents into your blender, add liquid and blend away!
Take advantage of the ice cube tray. With the ice cube tray, you can add a frosty consistency to your smoothies while adding flavor! No more diluting your smoothie’s flavor with regular ice cubes; think about freezing liquids like coconut milk, juice, coffee or tea. Simply add a few liquid ice cubes to your smoothie and cut the amount of liquid added in half. However, with frozen Wild Blueberries, you don’t have to worry about using ice cubes or diluting your smoothie – they help keep your smoothie cold while packing in deliciously sweet flavor, which is just one of the many reasons I love using them in smoothies. For another time-saver, pre-portion yogurt into ice cube trays and add the yogurt cubes to your smoothie freezer packs!
Don’t waste about-to-turn produce. We’ve all been there – you buy a bunch of bananas only to watch them turn brown in your fruit bowl. Rather than tossing them, avoid food waste and take advantage of their ripeness and flavor and use in smoothies! Puree extra ripe bananas and store in ice cube trays or simply slice them and store in Ziploc freezer bags. Take ‘em out when you’re ready for your banana-powered smoothie.
Batch-make smoothies. Heard of batch cooking to help you save time and energy during the week? It involves making a large portion of a meal to refrigerate or freeze to enjoy later in the week. Well, you can batch-make smoothies too! Make 3-4+ servings of your favorite smoothie recipe on Sunday evening and pre-portion them into mason jars. All you’ll have to do in the morning is grab a mason jar, give it a good shake (as the contents will begin to separate) and be on your way!
Turn leftovers into popsicles. Food waste is one of my biggest pet peeves so I try to repurpose leftovers whenever I get the chance and smoothies are no exception to this rule! Whenever you make too much of a smoothie and have leftovers, pour the remaining smoothie into a popsicle mold and freeze for a refreshing treat another day.

Ready to start hacking away at your smoothie hacks? Try my Wild Blue Velvet smoothie recipe below. You can freeze the yogurt in an ice cube tray and make smoothie freezer packs with frozen Wild Blueberries, beets and yogurt. Toss the contents into the blender in the morning, add your powder and liquid and you’re ready to conquer the day!

Easy Valentine’s Day Wild Blueberry Crumb Cake

We get excited about Valentine’s Day at our house! It’s all about the gifts and the homemade cards and of course….the food. We love to start the day off with breakfast in bed and then cook something special for dinner as a family.

Nothing says I love you better than a tasty homemade crumb cake. Especially if it comes from me. As a self-professed non-baker, if I’m getting my cake on, it’s a special occasion!

What I love about crumb cake is that it’s an anytime-of-day delight: perfect with coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon, or a delicious dessert.

I created this recipe to please the two loves in my life on Valentine’s Day. First, as a thank you to my husband who always goes above and beyond for his favorite girls on Valentine’s Day. Second for Norah, who wants nothing more than to have cake for breakfast. I even get to please myself because I can secretly tinker with the recipe to make it a little healthier.

Since we’re a house of Wild Blueberry lovers, adding a cup into the mix is one of my “health it up” secret weapons. Normally with coffee cake you would add a layer of cinnamon sugar to the center of the cake, but I used frozen Wild Blueberries instead. This way each delicious bite is bursting with incredible Wild Blueberry flavor!

Of course it’s also nice to know that I’m sneaking in a serving of antioxidants, as well. With double the antioxidants as tame blueberries, Wild Blueberries offer a wide range of natural antioxidants that help protect against disease. Wild Blueberries are especially rich in anthocyanin, a flavonoid with potent antioxidant capacity. Highly concentrated in the deep-blue pigments of Wild Blueberries, anthocyanin is responsible for both color and powerful health protection potential.

This delicious Wild Blueberry Crumb Cake is low in sugar and super simple to make using healthy, whole food ingredients. I hope you’ll make it for someone you love!

Make Breakfast Special with this Belgian Waffle with Wild Blueberry Cream Recipe

I rarely eat out these days. I honestly can’t remember the last time I ate out that wasn’t either a girl’s brunch or special occasion. Of course this doesn’t include when I’m traveling or on vacation. Even when I’m traveling for work, I tend to stick to my usual fare. It’s when I’m on vacation that I live it up. And by that I mean, I indulge just a bit more than usual.

It’s a blessing and a curse having a palate for healthy food, but breakfast might be that one exception. Okay, there may be a few others (like French fries), but that’s for another post. When we go on family vacation, breakfast is a big deal. All three of us all look forward to it. We get up early and we’re one of the first family’s to arrive, well before 8:00 am. The hotels where we stay almost always offer a breakfast buffet, something I would normally make huge efforts to avoid!

My husband goes straight for the eggs, he’s a big omelet guy. Norah loves to get an enormous bowl of fruit with yogurt. Me? I head for the made-to-order waffles.

I love a freshly made waffle for breakfast; always topped with fresh whipped cream and berries, no syrup. I can’t describe the disappointment I feel when there’s no fresh whipped cream for my waffle. It’s literally a deal breaker.

Waffles are something I rarely make at home, especially from scratch. My daughter is a pancake gal and waffles hardly seem worth the effort (even though they’re way better). Since making waffles at home is such a treat, of course they deserve some special attention.

This Belgian Waffle with Wild Blueberry Cream is loaded with deliciousness. It’s a perfectly cooked Belgian waffle that is topped with a creamy mascarpone Wild Blueberry spread and homemade no-bake granola.

You might be thinking where’s the whipped cream? Well, for this recipe I’m actually trying something close, but a little different. My Wild Blueberry mascarpone cheese is a lot like whipped cream (just a little thicker and more amazing) and I thought it would be fun to add some texture with the almond oat granola.

My almond oat granola is a secret weapon in many dishes. I love it on top of Chia seed pudding. It has a wonderful crunch and it’s relatively healthy compared to the average baked granola. It’s also a no-bake recipe and there’s really nothing much better than that!

Even with the beautiful Belgian waffle and my no-bake granola, the Wild Blueberries are the star of this dish. I love their intense color and flavor and the perfect amount of sweetness they add to the mascarpone cheese. I only needed to add a little bit of maple syrup to sweeten it just right.

The next time you’re having a waffle craving, why not take it to the next level? Skip the syrup and try my mascarpone Wild Blueberry cream. You won’t be disappointed.

Here’s to made-to-order waffles anytime!

5 Top Wild Your Smoothie Recipes

As we say goodbye to summer, one of the big takeaways was that it was unusually hot and steamy. Much of the country experienced heat waves, and staying hydrated, nourished and energized was critically important. Smoothies are a great way to start your day by getting your nutrition in one easy grab-n-go package.

Over nine weeks this summer, we shared more than 25 new Wild Blueberry smoothie recipes developed by some of our favorite nutrition and healthy lifestyle bloggers. We also selected a number of additional recipes to share from our existing 120 smoothie recipes – a rich resource for any smoothie lover. So, which were your favorites? Below are the top five most shared, liked, and talked about smoothie recipes from our Wild Your Smoothie Summer:

Matcha Wild Blueberry Breakfast Smoothie

Created by Danielle Omar, a leading registered dietitian, clean-eating coach, teacher, cookbook author, and blogger behind Food Confidence, this breakfast smoothie combines Matcha green tea powder, a trending ingredient known for its antioxidant, detoxing and weight loss benefits, with frozen fresh Wild Blueberries also known for being an antioxidant-rich superfruit. Wild Blueberries get their powerful antioxidant protection from anthocyanins, the flavonoids found in their gorgeous blue pigment. These flavonoids have the ability to neutralize free radicals and help prevent cell damage. Antioxidants also protect against inflammation, thought to be a leading factor in brain aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and other degenerative diseases.

matcha-wild-blueberry-breakfast-smoothie-1

Wild Blueberry Banana Hemp Smoothie

This colorful, layered, allergy-friendly, kid-friendly smoothie was created by Kelly Roenicke, one of our “Wild Your Smoothie” Recipe contest winners and author of The Pretty Bee: Allergy Friendly Eats blog. Kelly calls it “a treat for the eyes and the taste buds.” This smoothie features a pink bottom layer using blended frozen bananas and raspberries. Next comes the antioxidant-and fiber-rich Wild Blueberry layer. She tops it all off with hemp hearts to add more healthy fats and proteins. Not only is this smoothie delicious and fun, but it’s also naturally free of the top 8 allergens because of the ingredients she selected – frozen fruit, coconut milk and hemp seeds.

wild-blueberry-smoothie-recipe-from-theprettybee

Wild Blueberry Coconut Lavender Smoothie

When Gina Matsoukas of Running to the Kitchen proposed a Wild Blueberry smoothie that included lavender as an ingredient, we were intrigued. She told us that lavender, also rich in antioxidants, could help promote gut health and reduce bloating. Combined with the frozen Wild Blueberries, this smoothie is an antioxidant powerhouse and a great way to start your day.

wild-blueberry-coconut-lavender-smoothie-3

Savory Wild Blueberry Green Smoothie

Another beautiful layered smoothie, this one is packed with both Wild Blueberries and green veggies (spinach). According to its creator, registered dietitian Kara Lydon and the voice behind The Foodie Dietitian, this savory Wild Blueberry Green Smoothie is good for you because there’s no sugar added and it’s a good source of fiber, protein and healthy fat – the ultimate nutrient trifecta for lasting energy and satiety. So if you have a fear of green smoothies because you think they’ll taste bad, this is a good one to try because using Wild Blueberries will mask the bitterness without having to add sweeteners.

Wild Blueberry & Beet Freeze Breakfast Smoothie

Beets were another “hot” ingredient this summer. We think it’s because – like Wild Blueberries — beets are a beautiful deep purple food with excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. To showcase this fun ingredient Danielle Omar of Food Confidence combined it with frozen Wild Blueberries to create a refreshing and stunning smoothie. Danielle says it’s perfect for breakfast because of the cleansing qualities of beetroot combined with the fiber-richness and sweet-and-tart taste of Wild Blueberries.

So if you love healthy smoothies, keep a supply of frozen Wild Blueberries in your freezer all year long. And if you’re looking to change up your smoothie routine and “wild” your smoothie try to one of these amazing smoothie recipes. For more recipes visit our Wild Your Smoothie Recipes.

Refined Sugar-Free Wild Blueberry Yogurt Recipe + Sqooshi Giveaway

Toddlers are notoriously picky eaters. My daughter, Mia, is no exception. I actually called her doctor a few weeks ago in a panic because she hadn’t eaten anything containing protein in 6 days. Luckily, Mia has the most patient, compassionate and understanding doctor in the world. And instead of telling me to get a grip, she gently suggested we try giving her peanut butter in a smoothie.

Genius!

As we experimented with various smoothie combinations I realized that Mia wasn’t actually a picky eater at all. In fact she’ll eat pretty much anything as long as it comes in a smoothie cup or one of those plastic food pouches. This morning she sucked down a carrot, blueberry and kale yogurt pouch in under a minute.

I was so thrilled that she was eating vegetables that I forgot to actually look at the nutrition facts on the pouch. Sure, they were full of fruits and veggies – but the yogurt pouches I was giving her were also overflowing with sugar. No wonder she loved them.

They were also a giant waste of packaging (more than 2 billion of them end up in landfills every year) and they cost more than a dollar piece. Not very sustainable. So that got me to thinking – or rather – “Googling.” There must be another way.

And indeed there is. It’s called the Squooshi and it’s amazing. It’s a reusable food pouch for kids. You can fill it with anything, then wash it and reuse it – and since it comes out of a squeeze tube, even the pickiest eaters will suck it down without a second thought.

You can fill it up with anything you want, but this (Refined Sugar-Free) Wild Blueberry Greek Yogurt recipe is Mia’s favorite. It has all the flavor and nutrients of a commercial yogurt pouch – but is a fraction of the cost and has NO refined sugar. In fact, the only sugar it contains is naturally occurring sugar from fruit and the lactose in Greek yogurt. And even when it comes to naturally occurring fruit sugars, Wild Blueberries are on the low end – and they have twice the antioxidants of regular cultivated blueberries. I also like to use them because of their intense flavor, which covers up the (optional) kale I like to add for some extra iron.

You can make this yogurt for your toddlers, but it’s also a great breakfast for adults, too. I generally skip the pouch and eat it straight out of the blender, though 😉

Want to try the Squooshi? I’m giving away a full set of Squooshi reusable food pouches on the Wild Blueberries Facebook and Instagram pages! Entering is as easy as the recipe below – and you can do it twice – once on Facebook, and once on Instagram. Just click the links above for details. Enjoy!

Refined Sugar-Free Wild Blueberry Greek Yogurt