Having a newborn does not mean that parents need to stay at home taking care of the little one’s meals. It’s the modern age and you definitely have cooler ways to handle your baby’s food even when you are out of the home.
With the right equipment, proper procedure, and a little preparation, you can tackle your parenting duties and enjoy your outing as well. Storing, carrying, heating, and feeding your baby while going out will no longer feel like a nightmare. Just have a look!
Which Food To Carry For Your Baby?
Before following the general rules of carrying baby food, it is important to consider what kind of food you baby normally takes. If he/she is 6 months old or less, taking solid food will be of no use.
Instead, make sure to take some breastmilk, formula or cereal as these are the main source of food for your baby if he/she is within 12 months old some even prefer to breastfeed for longer. But if your baby has already started eating solid food, your preparation for food storage while traveling will be slightly different.
Useful Kits To Store Meals On The Move
These kits are of great help to carry/store food while traveling no matter what kind of food you want to take for your baby.
- An insulated food flask with a lid which can be used as a food bowl
- An insulated food bag that’ll keep meals and bottles at the right temperature
- Freezer packs/ice packs to keep food fresh in the cool bag
- Disposable or non-disposable plastic pots for individual portions of food
- Cutlery
- Airtight containers
- Disposable Weaning Bibs
Guide Of How To Store Baby Food When Going Out
Parents find it easier to take store-bought baby food while going out with the baby. They are carefully packed and sealed and do not need extra care for the storage.
Already kept in a leak-free container, these readymade store-bought foods do not need to be maintained at any particular temperature and you can feed your baby directly from the jar/container/pouch without the hassle of carrying bowls or bottles.
But if you prefer taking homemade food for your baby, you have to learn the basics of storage, heating, and keeping the food fresh. Through the following way how to store baby food while traveling:
- Insulated cool bags are perfect for such occasions. It keeps the food at the right temperature without damaging its taste or nutrients. You need a freezer pack or the freezer blocks to maintain the freshness. You can either use the normal, regular insulated bag or buy a new one for traveling purposes. Make sure to keep the cooked food in an airtight container.
- For storing breastfeed, formula or purees, insulated flasks are the best. What you need to do is transfer the food to the flask right after cooking, the more you delay, the cooler it will get.
- Easiest way to handle baby meal while traveling is to carry no-cook food. You can simply feed your baby with some no-liquid snacks, fruits or packed sandwiches. Good portable snacks for your newly weaned baby can also include small rice cakes, soft pieces of fruit that can be mashed and soft baby rusks These foods neither need complicated storage nor the hassle of heating or reheating. Another fact about store food is you will find them at any nearby store no matter where you travel, or take them from home without causing any tantrums..
- While you travel for a long route, taking frozen food for your baby instead of cooked ones will of be more help. Frozen purees, mashed fruits, blended veggies, or rice cereals will stay fresh for a long time. In fact, frozen food and refrigerated food stays fresh in a freezer bag for almost 6 hours. Just like the cooked ones, you need to take the frozen food out of the freezer and immediately put it in the cool bag. You can do it a little earlier if you are confused whether the frozen food will defrost or not. Make sure to keep them in airtight containers to prevent leakage.
- You must breastfeed your baby more than solid food or formula. Because of unfamiliar environment and discomfort, babies tend to eat less while going out. Breastfeeding will maintain their hydration even if they do not eat other food. Another way to carrying breast milk for your baby is bottle warmer.
Concluding Suggestions
Knowing the basics of baby food storage while traveling is great, but we want to remind you that it’s best to rely on ready-made packed food for such occasions. The food will be fresh, edible, and free of storage trouble.