Some days ago, my neighbour went on a two weeks trip with her one-year-old baby. It was the first time she was going out for so long with him, so she was really concerned about the food she could take for the trip, especially because she was travelling to a place without many options for baby food.
For that reason, here is this article, for her and for you too.
Food for babies until 6 months
Breastfeeding
If you are breastfeeding, I can tell you this is just a wonderful solution for you and your baby.
I nursed my two babies and every time we were in an airplane or walking in the middle of the street with nowhere to stop to warm or eat other food, this was the perfect solution. They get calmer, satisfied, feed with good nutrients and you do not need to worry about searching or preparing food. Just carry a cloth diaper to cover your breast while doing that if you feel shy to do it in public and that’s all.
Baby Formula
In case you are not breastfeeding, there are several baby formulas in the market that have all your little one needs. For example, Nestlé has a ready to feed option, that comes already in bottles (you just need to pass them to a sterilized bottle) and you do not have to warm them (check this link in Nestlé website).
Baby Food in bottles
There are trades with very good meal options for babies of this age. For example, Hipp or Gerber offer several options that can please you and your baby. Fruits or vegetable purees that can last for several weeks and for that are great to take for travellings. Check this link to have an idea.
Fruit
If your baby is more than 4 months then you can start to introduce some fruit like banana or mango. Bananas are sold almost anywhere in the world, they are soft and with a net for babies like the one in the following image, you do not need to worry with choking. Some people defend the idea that only from 6 months you should start to give soup purees or fruits to your baby, but I personally started with four months old and did not have any problem. My little ones loved it.
Food for babies from 6 months
If in this stage it is much easier to feed your baby, it can also be a challenge because now he eats more and with more variety in his diet.
First of all, my advice is that you do not panic. It is a trip, it can be fun and at the same time tiring for all the family. Your baby routine will change for some days and so his usual diet, schedules and appetite can also suffer some disturbances. It is totally normal.
Fruit, meat, pasta and vegetable purees in bottles
As I recommended in the first section, bottled food can be a great help.
Once more, I recommend Hipp products (or Geber, if you are in America). They have such variety for babies with more than 6 months that you can change the menu every day – vegetables, fruit, meat, pasta…(of course it can be unpleasant for the luggage weight, but I believe you will not take more than 12 kilos of food, so you still have some extra weight for clothes, right?).
you can try also a soft pear, banana, peach or other foods with a tender texture in case your baby is still with just a few teeth and use the net for fruit I mentioned above. This option can let your baby a little bit dirty, but nothing that a good bib cannot solve.
Soup puree (with or without salt?)
If you are spending holidays in family or if you are going to a restaurant at least once a day, it is also an option to ask or make a soup puree with vegetables like potatoes, carrot, pumpkin or leek.
It will be your choice to put or not salt. Honestly, I put salt in my baby food since they started to eat normal food and I rarely had problems with eating. Of course, you should put less than the amount you use in your food but please do not feel paranoid about it.
If it is a fact that taste is also a question of education and that health is an important issue, you will see your baby will enjoy more the food with some salt than without it. I have a friend whose baby would not eat very well, but when she came to my home and he tasted my seasoned food he always ate a good amount of it.
Potato puree
Potato puree can be another good option. It has potato, milk, sometimes egg, so it is nutritious and will certainly fill the stomach of your son/daughter.
Of course, this option is not available everywhere, only in some restaurants or if you are going to a familiar environment where you can cook, but is still an option.
Baby biscuits or bread
For the airplane, bus, in the middle of the street situation, you can also have with you some baby cookies or bread crumbs. That will help to satiate your baby appetite and avoid unnecessary tantrums or malaise.
Bread with crust can also be an option for a baby whose teeth are growing and has itching of the gums. My babies loved bread in any circumstance and when teeth were growing they bit it ferociously and voraciously.
Breadsticks for older babies (from 12 months) can also be a good option.
Baby cereals
Nestlé, Milupa or other trades have a big range of products in terms of baby cereals. With added vitamins and all the necessary nutrients, this can also be an excellent option for your trip. You just need potable water and a spoon to make the mixture homogeneous.
With two packages (different tastes), I can say you would have two meals for your baby daily and not so much weight in the luggage.
It is easy to make, easy to eat and feed your baby properly. For mothers that do not like to give sugar to their babies, Milupa can be the best option. Nestle cereals are in my opinion much tastier, but it will depend on your philosophy.
Hope this article was helpful.
Let me know if you have more suggestions.
