Keeping your little one safe and healthy is your main priority.
The main concern among parents is how to make sure that you’re giving your baby the best food for optimal nutrition.
If you’re weaning your baby away from organic formula or breast milk and onto the good stuff, you want to make sure you’re still keeping them healthy and happy.
One of the best ways to do this is by making your own baby food.
You’ve gotten all the best ingredients for your baby’s diet together, but now you need to find the safest way to store it.
Baby food storage is tricky because so many storage containers contain harmful chemicals like bisphenol-a (BPA).
So how do you avoid this?
The following tips will give you the best ways to make certain you’re keeping that healthy food safe to feed your baby.
Baby Food Storage Containers
You’ve already made the first step in ensuring your baby is eating the healthiest food possible – but how should you store it?
Baby food storage containers should be chemical free and able to store in different temperatures.
Freezing and reheating baby food can damage baby food storage containers and potentially harm the food inside them.
Some things to keep in mind when you’re looking for chemical-free containers:
- Is it freezable? Make sure your baby food storage containers are freezer safe so you can properly store your baby food for a period of time. Most glass and plastic containers will state whether or not you are able to use them in the microwave or freezer, so double check before you use.
- Is it BPA free? Bisphenol A is a harmful chemical that’s often found in plastic products. BPA is a banned material in most countries and plastics are now being made without it. To be safe, make sure the plastic you are using is BPA free. Freezing and reheating food in containers made with this chemical can be harmful to your baby.
- Is the plastic container reusable? Plastics with the number 1 on them are generally non-reusable. Plastics with the number 7 may contain small amounts of BPA and can be harmful if warmed up.
The safest baby food storage containers are made with harmless materials such as silicone or glass.
These types of containers are also freezable and easy to store in your freezer or cabinet.
Here are some popular baby food storage containers to get you started:
- OXO Tot Baby Blocks: These clear stackable containers are perfect for storing your baby’s food. They’re also BPA free and microwave and freezer safe!
- Sage Spoonfuls Glass Jars: These are great for keeping your baby’s food safe while on-the-go. They even come equipped with paper labels so you don’t have to guess what delicious food is inside.
- Baby Bullet Baby Food Storage: This is some seriously cool baby food storage that takes pureed baby food to the next level. While these can only be refrigerated, you can set the “date dial” to let you know exactly when the food was made. They can also be stored in a convenient to-go tube for mommies on the go!
- Baby Cubes: These non-toxic, BPA-free plastic baby cubes are the perfect baby food storage containers if you’re looking for an all-in-one storage solution. They’re freezer and microwavable safe with multiple trays that you can remove one-by-one. These cute cubes are a great way to perfectly portion out your baby’s food.
Cool it
Freezing your baby’s homemade food is the best baby food storage option to keep food fresh and safe.
However, there are specific ways to store this baby food to ensure that it’s kept safe to eat for a long period of time.
How long will it last?
Your baby’s food will last the following lengths of time:
- Freezer: Freezing times vary depending on the type of food you’re freezing. Vegetable purees can last 1-2 months, while beef and poultry purees can be stored for 3-4 months at a time. Baby food cubes can be frozen for up to several months. Optimal time is between 1-3 months.
- Refrigerator: For fruits and veggies, it’s advised that you only store the food for up to 48 hours to prevent bacteria. Meats can be refrigerated for only 24 hours.
Remember these tips:
- Never refreeze an already thawed out product. This not only reduces taste, it could also be harmful if ingested. Rule of thumb: once it’s thawed, you should cook immediately.
- Watch out for freezer burn. Freezer burn can be identified by graying spots on the top of your food. While not harmful, it could reduce the tastiness of your baby’s food.
- Do not freeze glass! While glass is super safe regarding the lack of chemicals used to make it, glass is not a safe option for freezing. Most glass products are not freezer safe and could burst in your freezer.
- Make sure the food you’re choosing to freeze or refrigerate will freeze well enough. Foods like spinach and citrus fruits don’t generally freeze well.
- When refrigerating your baby’s food, avoid feeding your baby before putting leftovers back into the refrigerator. Your baby’s saliva could contaminate the food if stored after use. Opt for taking individual servings out first.
Conclusion
If you’ve started preparing your baby’s food, you’re on the right path to keeping your little one healthy.
That super nutritional food will be a waste of time and money unless you are storing it correctly.
Choosing the best food storage containers is a matter of checking safety, convenience, and materials.
If the food you’re producing is safe, you want to make certain that your food storage is also chemical-free.
Before storing your baby’s food in your refrigerator or freezer, write down the date of when you made the food. This is also crucial for ensuring food safety.
Whatever method you decide to choose, your baby will be loving your homemade purees!
What are some tips that you’d add to this list? Any baby food storage containers that you thought worked well for you and your little one?
