The Making And Keeping Of Baby's Food : Some Doubts

Bubbles · Nov 4, 2016

When you make food for your child, when do you do it and how do you store it?

Do you prepare fresh each time, and give your child fresh cooked food right away ?
Or do you cook in the morning and keep in fridge, and reheat later? If so, how do you do that?
Do you leave baby's food on the counter without refigerating, and if so for how long?
Mommies sending kids to daycare, how do you ensure your baby gets fresh food?
Lot of questions in mind..

My 1 year + LO usually wakes up and needs breakfast, and then needs lunch right after her first nap.
I'm finding it tricky to cook dal or veggies in pressure cooker while she naps and serve fresh (she gets startled by the whistle)..
I don't want to keep her waiting hungrily.
I don't know if I should it make it earlier..

Please share what you do..

blindpup10 · Nov 5, 2016

I prepare meals twice. Right after DS wakes up he gets a bottle of milk. That gives me time to get his breakfast going. Usually, its oats with fruits. Breakfast is fresh and so is the lunch. But his dinner is reheated.

DS breakfast starts around 8.00 which includes a little bit of feta cheese, fruits that I have- blueberry, banana, peach. And the main breakfast oatmeal.
I cook all the cooker related items when DS is awake and finish up cooking when he asleep.

viki123 · Nov 7, 2016

I have a 2 1/2 year old DS and he goes to Daycare.

I generally make fresh foods daily. I wake up 1 hourly than him. His break fast is mostly idly or baked foods like french toads, Strudel or sandwich. I make this night before and bake them in the morning.
His day care lunch is mostly roti/pasta, with roasted veggie (cut marinated in the night and goes into oven along with breakfast) and fruits.

Dinner are same as our's curry (simple ones) and rice. I cut then veggies on weekends or night before. Over all i spend 2 hours in kitchen for cooking. Rest vegg prep and dishware me and DH share it depend on availability.

All his snacks are fruits or store bough shelf foods.

Bubbles · Nov 8, 2016

Thanks @blindpup10 and @viki123

@viki123 specifically,do you keep food in the refigerator either at home or in the day care, after preparing it and reheating before serving?

I am confused because, back in India, we were not so refrigerator dependent. For ex, as kids our lunchboxes were often prepared as early as 6am, and we got around to eat it only around 12noon.
However, here they advise not leave food outside at room temperature for more than an hour or two. ???!!

I want to cook dal and steam baby's veggies for lunch say at around 11am in pressure cooker, while she's still awake, and then just prepare it and give it to her at around 1 when she wakes up.. is it ok to leave it in the cooker in this while? Anyone knows?
Or should I put it in the fridge, take it out again later, reheat etc?

viki123 · Nov 8, 2016

Bubbles said: ↑

Thanks @blindpup10 and @viki123

@viki123 specifically,do you keep food in the refigerator either at home or in the day care, after preparing it and reheating before serving?

I am confused because, back in India, we were not so refrigerator dependent. For ex, as kids our lunchboxes were often prepared as early as 6am, and we got around to eat it only around 12noon.
However, here they advise not leave food outside at room temperature for more than an hour or two. ???!!

I want to cook dal and steam baby's veggies for lunch say at around 11am in pressure cooker, while she's still awake, and then just prepare it and give it to her at around 1 when she wakes up.. is it ok to leave it in the cooker in this while? Anyone knows?
Or should I put it in the fridge, take it out again later, reheat etc?
Click to expand...

I generally keep the food outside. For daycare, i have a hot box and tell Teachers not to put it in fridge.
At home if you prepare at 11:00 and eat at 1:00 it should not be problem.
I general Indian food is completely cooked and can stay out for more than 3 -4 hours . I think the 1-2 hour rule is for salads or meat that is not well done, where bacteria growth chance is high.

I have observed that food goes bad only if we leave out side overnight. Some times on weekend if i make lunch at around 12, i don't keep it in fridge. I keep the left overs only after dinner.