We’ve taken a look at several flavors from Little Journey Organics baby food line. And now, here’s another one, which stars my all-time favorite fruit in a solo role: banana.
I don’t believe this flavor was available when the line was first introduced, because it definitely would have been one of the first flavors I tried, but at some point it seems to have been added to their permanent inventory, because I’ve grabbed it for my son a couple of times over the past few months. Jealous, I grabbed one for myself on a recent shopping trip and got my vengeance by slowly drinking it in front of him as he reached for it and cried. (Haha, not really. I slurped it down while he was gone.)
Of course, banana should be the main flavor here, considering it’s the only fruit named in the title, and thankfully, it doesn’t disappoint in that regard. It has a rich, delicious banana flavor that’s similar to the taste found in the jarred baby food. It might be slightly more banana-y, but understandably nowhere near the taste of a fresh banana. The pouch does provide a better way to enjoy it, too, giving it a more smoothie-ish texture than those found in baby food jars, and without the added requirement of needing to track down a dang spoon, which somehow always seem to be in short supply in our house, no matter how recently we just did the dishes.
Most of the other pouches in their organics line have lemon juice added; I have to be honest that I’m not sure why (does that work as a preservative? Or just to add a little bit of tartness? Or maybe as an agent to blend all the flavors together?). I’m also not sure why this one doesn’t, offering up citric acid, and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) as the only two other ingredients. The amount of ascorbic acid must be minimal, however, considering vitamin C isn’t even listed in the nutrition facts, making me also wonder why that’s included.
At any rate, this pouch offers up 110 calories, 26g of sugar (with none added), 1g of protein, 2% calcium, and a solid 60% potassium, assuming a 2,000 calorie diet. Aside from the potassium, none of those numbers are particularly exciting, but it’s still a healthier snack than a lot of other things out there. Meanwhile, the $.79 price tag—standard for almost all of the pouches in the organic line—once again represents excellent value compared to a majority of the competition.
Clearly, these pouches make great snacks for their intended demographic (kids), but they’re also a great quick snack for parents, too. Some of them are too weird for adults (such as the turkey and ancient grains, or whatever the hell it was), and others too sweet for some (like their three-fruit combos), but the banana shifts away from that by providing a straightforward, no-frills flavor that should satisfy anyone who likes the titular fruit.
Overall: 8/10. It’s nowhere near as tasty or wholesome as a fresh one, but Little Journey Organics Banana pouch offers up a nice banana flavor with an appropriately soft texture that makes a great snack for virtually any fan of ‘nanas. The minimal ingredients (banana, citric acid, ascorbic acid) are another solid plus, along with a high dose of potassium, and no added sugars. The $.79 price tag for an organic product doesn’t hurt, either. I always make sure to have some of these on hand as a snack for our two-year-old, but have been known to dip into his stash from time to time myself!