How To Store Baby Food

First time mommies have a lot to learn about taking care of their babies. Breastfeeding is the most basic skill you should possess once you have a newborn baby. As your little one grows and develops, the point will come that you are going to introduce to him solid baby food such as vegetables, cereals, egg yolk or commercially-made baby products. The first introduction is typically done when the baby reaches four months to six months old. Since you already know how to prepare baby food, storage is the next thing to learn. Here are some convenient guidelines to ensure sanitation when storing baby food:

1. Put the prepared food in ice cube trays. Cover it with transparent plastic wrap then store inside the fridge. Never use aluminum foil to cover the tray because tiny bits of it may mess up with the baby food. There are specially-made ice cube trays for baby food storage in the market selling various baby stuff. You do not need to buy a new one if you already have one at home. Before refrigerating, label the tray with the name of food (so as not to be confused which to take if you prepared food in multiple ice trays) and the date you made it to guide you about its freshness. Make sure that you clean the tray before using it.
2. Another method is to scoop out the frozen food from the ice tray then transfer it inside clean plastic bags.
3. You may also use jars or bottles to store baby food. Note that not all glass containers are advisable for refrigeration because it expands at cold temperatures and will break thereafter. Plastic jars or bottles are the most recommended containers. Remember, do not feed your baby directly from the container because the saliva will make the food spoil right away.
4. One more storage process is to put the pureed food in different spots of a baking sheet and then secure it with plastic wrap. But a disadvantage of this method is that it needs a lot of space for refrigeration. Again, you may transfer this to individual plastic bags after refrigerating.
5. When refrigerating, it is advised that the cooked fruits and vegetables or meat-vegetable combination will be stocked no longer than two days; and meat and egg yolk for only a day. Bear in mind that refrigerating does not kill bacteria and other harmful organisms on food. It just slows down their growth and production rate.
6. Throw away the baby food if not consumed at a particular length of time or when you know it is already in the process of spoiling. It is better to be safe and sure rather than feel sorry later for your baby's health.

Following the above-mentioned tips on storing baby food not only saves you time, but also saves you energy. You better spend most of your time and energy playing and taking care of your infant rather than stress yourself out preparing baby food every now and then because you did not bother to store it for future use.