When we think of travelling with a little one, chances are we’ll think of the convenience of commercial baby food for that would certainly be the easiest! Still, did you know that with some pre-planning and calculations, you might not have to resort to purchasing ready made baby food all the way. Instead, you could offer some wholesome, homemade food during your travels!

Frozen baby food cubes for on-the-go consumption

This may seem impractical, but it’s actually workable with some prior preparations and the right equipment! If planned well, you can offer home made nutritious foods to your little one throughout your trip by packing lots of frozen food cubes in a cooler bag or box. You can use the fridge or freezer once you reach your destination. Of course, you’ll need to plan on how many cubes of each particular food you’ll need for the little one throughout your trip.

Freezer bags

Store frozen food cubes in freezer bags according to food type, for example, sweet potato, pureed pears, stewed and pureed apples, etc. This way, you need only take out your selected freezer bag of food cubes to arrange in the cooler with ice packs. Well-frozen food cubes should be able to withstand a journey of 6 hours with minimal thawing. Once at your destination, you may refrigerate them.

Home-made food cubes should keep for approximately five days in a refrigerator. They can be thawed/heated as you do at home if appliances are available. They can also be thawed over a gas stove via the submersion method. — Warm a pot of water over the fire and place the food cubes needed into a container that will not melt and thaw the cubes. Be sure to keep a close watch on the cubes as they are thawing so as to avoid overheating.

Super tip!

Start serving your little one’s food at room temperature instead of very warm, It will go a long way when you’re travelling, for it will allow your child to get accustomed to room temperature foods and you won’t have to worry about meals being rejected for not being warm enough!

Serving other foods

If you’re planning on a long holiday with your little one, it’ll be good to have an assortment of foods to offer. That way, your child will not get bored or experience a loss of appetite due to the same kind of food. So, other than the previously stated home-prepared meals, you may also want to bring along some other kinds of food to keep your little traveller happy all the way!

Baby cereals

These are also convenient and nutritious for your little one to have during your travels. You may either take your ground grains and cook as needed or take ready-made cereal that has been frozen in ice trays and thaw as you would frozen food cubes.

Fruits and vegetables

Unless you puree fruits and freeze them into cube they can be tricky to take along on a vacation. If you’re thinking of bringing some along, be sure to choose the ones that are not fully ripened but only almost so. Fully ripened fruits may go bad by the time you reach your destination or when you want to use them. Vegetables will travel well provided you do the necessary preparations such as peeling, and if possible, cutting/dicing them prior to leaving your home. Store them in an airtight freezer bag and if possible, fill the bag with some water to help maintain freshness. This method might work if you’re traveling on ground/road. Otherwise, you can always purchase fresh vegetables wherever you will be staying and prepare them as needed.

Dairy and eggs

Dairy should always be of the dry powdered kind, especially while you’re still on the go. You can purchase your needed fresh dairy as well as eggs at your destination for your stay.

The essential equipment to take

A traveling family with a young child should never be without a few essential equipments at hand to make food preparation a breeze! Here are three such equipments.

Manual Food Grinder

This gadget is a handy one for all moms with little ones and will prove quite indispensable while travelling. Not only will it simplify your job of making nutritious foods for your little one while you’re on a holiday, but it may also be used while eating out in restaurants as well. You will be able to order fruits and cooked veggies and grind them up right there!

Extra Storage Containers/Freezer Bags

When you travel with a child, extra is always good and these are no exception. It’s good to have extra at hand because you’ll never know when you’ll need them when you’re out and about at your destination with your little one. It’s also useful to have extras if you need to divide servings and save them for another feeding.

Food masher

Bring this along in case you need to further mash or mix up foods to the right consistency for your fussy little one while you’re on holiday.