Now that the world has opened up again like it was never shut (what a relief!), travelling is back in full swing! This is truly a great time to travel and go on extended workcations as several offices continue to offer a hybrid working model.
Which means no more excuses or leaving your baby behind with your parents! With so many toddler and kid-friendly destinations around the world, you can now easily carry your baby in a stroller and travel to where your heart takes you! The only trouble is figuring out your baby’s food chart on vacay!
But worry not as your travel food for babies conundrum is about to be sorted once and for all! Here is a list of travel-friendly foods for babies and toddlers that you can easily make at home.
- Milk and baby formula
- Veggies or fruit puree
- Baby porridge
- Carrot cake
- Yogurt
- Eggs
- Cheese
The only item on this menu that needs no introduction or explanation! If your baby is six months or older, you can carry a pouch of their usual baby formula in an airtight container along with milk powder and a thermos full of hot water. Whenever your baby needs a quick meal on-the-go, simply mix the three and whip up a batch of tasty and nutritious baby formula for your kid!
You can even carry bottled breast milk if your child is younger than six months. And once your batch of bottled milk runs out, you can express more in a hotel room and bottle it up for the next day’s adventure. Nothing is as nutritious, wholesome and filling for your toddler anyway.
Another great travel food for babies and toddlers is veggies or fruit puree!
All you need is your baby’s favourite fruit or vegetable. You can either prepare this simple dish at home or make a fresh meal out of it wherever you go by getting local produce.
Wondering how to make it? It is very simple! Just pick a few of your baby’s preferred fruits or veggies. Mash it to a pulp if it’s a fruit. You can use a blender too for this purpose. If it is a vegetable, make sure you boil it first and then mash it. Add milk to the mashed veggies or fruits. Throw in some oats if you want. Mix all three and pack it in airtight, leak-proof containers!
The shelf-life is pretty short so make you sure you prepare a fresh batch from time to time. It should be easy to make!
If you are making a list of baby foods to carry while travelling, porridge should definitely be on your list. It is mind-numbingly simple to make and is packed with a ton of nutrients. Let us show you how to make a quick bowl of banana oats porridge.
Gather a ripe banana, some roasted oats and milk that your baby drinks regularly. Grind the roasted oats to a fine powder. Mash a peeled banana and mix the three ingredients till they form a porridge of even consistency. You can keep it as thick or runny as your child prefers.
Carrots are a rich source of vitamin A and can be great for your baby’s vision, skin and immunity. Therefore, carrot cake should definitely be on your list of foods to carry while travelling. Here is a no-bake carrot cake recipe you can try out.
Ingredients you need include oats, crushed almonds and walnuts, grated carrots, date syrup, cinnamon powder, ginger powder, nutmeg powder, salt and vanilla extract.
To make this cake, grind the oats and the almonds to a powder. Now add the grated carrots to this mix and pulse it in your food processor till it forms a batter of thick consistency. Add the rest of the ingredients to this batter except the date syrup. Transfer this mixture to your food processor, add the date syrup and blend it till the mixture is of a sticky and firm consistency.
Now pour the syrup on a greased baking tray and set it in the fridge for a couple of hours. Once ready, give small portions of it to your baby.
If you are really short of time, you will love this simple travel food idea! There is no doubt about the fact that yoghurt is a calcium and nutrient-rich superfood. Plus, it is very easy to swallow which makes it the perfect travel food for your toddler. It is also easy on your baby’s tummy, preventing any queasiness that may arise during a trip. You can pack some homemade yoghurt for your baby or you can pick up fresh yoghurt from the local market. Just make sure it is free of any sugars, natural or artificial.
Eggs are a no-fuss travel food idea for babies that you cannot go wrong with. Rich in protein, phosphorus, vitamin VB12 and antioxidants among other things, eggs can provide your baby with their daily dose of nutrients. You can carry hard-boiled eggs in a container and feed them to your toddler anytime, anywhere. Just be sure to carry fresh eggs. Scrambled eggs are another alternative if your baby is old enough to eat soft solid foods.
Cheese is that deliciously nutrient snack which is great for both babies and older kids. You can carry small chiplets of cheddar cheese and give them to your baby as snacks when on the journey. Just be sure not to give your baby heavily processed cheese. You can give them lightly salted and mashed cottage cheese instead. The great thing about cheese is that it is easily available everywhere and is a non-messy food while being nutritious and a great source of healthy fats.
This list of travel-friendly foods for babies and toddlers will surely take some of the hassle out of planning a family trip. Maybe you can even enjoy some of these as snacks such as the carrot cakes, eggs and cheeses! At EuroKids, we follow the same principles of nutrition and try to implement a healthy eating policy amongst all our students. To know how we contribute to the health of your children, be sure to visit us.
