Solid Advice
Feeding a novice eater when traveling
By 6 months, most babies are starting to eat solid food – if you call soft, mushy blobs of nourishment “solid”. Nutritionally speaking, breast milk or formula should continue to be the primary source of calories up until baby’s first birthday, but curiosity and appetite usually leads to earlier sampling of such temptations as cereal, pureed fruits and mashed up veggies.
There are many charts and guides out there that give you a month-by-month rundown on appropriate foods to feed your baby. Most suggest you start slowly, introducing one new food for 2 to 3 days, watching for signs of allergies or sensitivities before trying another. If you’re going on a short trip, it’s best to stick to foods you’ve already deemed safe rather than introducing new items.
It’s an exciting stage watching your budding gourmand discover (and often reject) new tastes and textures. However, you now have to plan, organize and prepare for meals and messes when traveling with a new eater. Your carry-all diaper bag will weigh a bit more carrying jars of purees, baggies of biscuits, containers of finger food, and assorted spoons, bowls, bibs and cloths. You’ll never want to leave the house without an easily accessible snack on hand, because when babies want to nosh, they want it NOW!
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NOTE: Always keep an eye on a new eater and watch for signs of gagging and choking. Never, for example, give finger foods to a baby in a car seat without an adult watching closely.
When you are away from home, baby-suitable foods can be gleaned from your own plate, simply mashed with a fork or ground in a portable food mill. Steamed vegetables, mashed sweet potatoes, rice, bits of bread, soft fruit, thin slices of cheese – you’re sure to find something you can share.
Many restaurants are happy to whip up something plain and healthy for a baby to eat if you ask. Prepared baby food can be most convenient when you’re on the go. Familiar commercial brands will be most likely available at your destination, or you can pack enough for your trip in your suitcase. Just be careful about storage after you open a jar of baby food. If you don’t have access to refrigeration, you can put it in a cooler on ice for 24 hours, but if you’ve spoon-fed the baby straight from the jar either finish it all or throw out the remainder to avoid bacterial contamination.
Try to get your child used to eating room temperature food before the trip, otherwise you’ll have the added hassle of finding a means to warm a meal. This is fine if you’re staying somewhere with a kitchen or microwave oven, otherwise you’ll have to rely on the courtesies of flight attendants, hotel staff or restaurant workers to help you out. You can always submerge a jar of baby food in a mug of hot tap water if you’re in a pinch. Travel with a thermos so you can prepare a meal for your baby to enjoy later down the road.
Be forewarned – the mess of a rookie eater may be beyond a little chin dribble. It can be full body coverage, from the hair to the neck folds, down the lap and to the toes. A particularly projectile meal can splatter the chair, table, floors and walls, not to mention you, the feeder. A plastic, waterproof, wipeable bib with a catch-all pocket can help minimize the mess, as can a fully sleeved cover-up bib or an old large t-shirt. Disposable bibs can make life on the road a bit easier for you, or stripping the baby down to his or her diaper at mealtime can save on excess laundry. Have plenty of baby wipes or cloths at the ready – you’ll need them.
Speaking of mess, new aromas, textures and consistencies don’t just apply your baby’s intake of food. They apply to the, shall we say, “output” as well. Once your baby starts eating solid food, digestion and diaper duty ramp up to a whole new level. This is normal, but can be a bit of a shock to a first-time parent.
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