By Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers
www.FreshBaby.com
These days, families are always on the go, whether it’s off
to daycare everyday or to visit friends and family once in a while. Here are
some strategies to help you prepare for your baby’s meals on the go. Start with
six golden rules for serving Fresh Baby food away from home:
Frozen
food cubes take 3-4 hours to thaw in the refrigerator and 1-2 hours to
thaw at room temperature. Frozen
food cubes stay cold in an insulated bag with a freezer pack for about
8-12 hours. To
thaw frozen food cubes, microwave for 30-40 seconds. To
warm thawed food cubes, microwave 5-15 seconds. Never
store frozen food cubes without refrigeration for over 4 hours. Always
stir and test the temperature of microwaved or warmed food on your skin
before serving to your baby.
Once you’ve got the basics, you’re on your way!
A travel tote bag is an essential item for any family on the
go. Buy an insulated lunch bag and a set of plastic containers with lids that
will fit nicely into the bag. The best type of lunch bag to purchase is a
sturdy canvas tote that comes with a reusable ice pack-the type you can place
in the freezer overnight. Also consider the size of the tote so that it will
fit easily into your diaper bag.
Planning to get away
for a day or going on an airplane, train, car or bus and need to pack up your
baby’s meals? Just before you are
ready to leave on your trip, select the food cubes for your baby’s meal(s) and
place them in the plastic containers of your travel tote. If you pack more than
one meal or snack, label the lids of the containers with “Lunch”, “Snack”,
“Dinner” with a permanent marker, sticker or a piece of paper and scotch
tape. Pack them all into the travel tote
with the freezer pack to keep them cold. Additionally, you may want to pack a
bottle of water, since baby’s tummies are especially sensitive to components of
unfamiliar tap water. The frozen food cubes will slowly defrost inside the
tote, and will stay cold for 8-12 hours, plenty of time to reach your
destination. Most convenient stores and/or truck stops have a microwave and
airlines will usually give you a bag of very hot water to warm baby food with
(just be careful with this bag the water is usually VERY hot).
Tips for going to a restaurant:
Make
reservations so you do not have to wait to be seated. Plan
the time to have dinner or lunch according to your baby’s feeding
schedule. Call
ahead to find out if the restaurant has a high chair. Make
sure the table you sit at has adequate room for everyone, including your
baby. Remove
everything within reach of your baby-unless you want to see it on the
floor!
About the
authors: Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five
children and founders of Fresh Baby ( www.FreshBaby.com
). They are the creators of the award-winning So Easy Baby Food Kit and Good
Clean Fun Placemats, available at many fine specialty stores and national
chains including Target and Whole Foods Markets.
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