34 Easy Homemade Travel Foods For Babies and Toddlers

Before we dive into the world of travel foods for babies and toddlers, let’s embrace the evolving trends of parenthood. Gone are the days when parents had to wait for their children to grow up before embarking on adventures. Nowadays, little ones join in on the exploration, their curious eyes witnessing the vast wonders of the world. While modern conveniences have made life easier for parents, one concern remains: what to feed their children while traveling.

Given the concerns surrounding packaged food and unhygienic food preparation in restaurants, many parents prefer to take matters into their own hands. This requires meticulous planning, but worry not! We are here to lend a helping hand. To ensure a seamless journey, we have curated a collection of convenient and nutritious travel foods for babies and toddlers. Let’s embark on this culinary journey together, making travel an enjoyable experience for both parents and little ones.

34 Easy Homemade Travel Foods For Babies and Toddlers

Milk

If you are breastfeeding your baby, there’s no need for any additional milk supplement during your journey. However, if your little one has been weaned, you can consider using substitutes for milk such as formula or commercially available milk powder. To prepare these substitutes while traveling, simply carry hot water in a thermos flask and mix it with the powder. This ensures that your baby’s milk is ready whenever needed, making it a convenient option for travel foods for babies.

Fruit

Fresh fruits are one of the best travel foods for babies, being convenient and and hygienic. For toddlers, you can just cut up the fruit and feed them. For babies, you can mash and puree fruits like papaya, muskmelon, banana or chikoo. When ripe enough, they can be easily mashed with just a fork.

Instant Porridge

 

Here is a list of 15 instant porridge powder recipes, all of which require only hot water to be added.

No time to make these powder, no worry !! Just click, order and get home delivered here. We also have Instant food ‘trial’ packs available now, because you can never tell what the baby might like!

Main Meals – Lunch

Main meals like lunch and dinner are a little more difficult to handle while travelling as it isn’t easy to prepare a filling rice meal on the go. However, you can still work your way around this problem with a few tips:

1. If you have a rice cooker then all you need to do is plug it in to  make a simple khichdi with carrots or potatoes. You can carry carrots and potatoes as they last for more than 2 to 3 days without refrigeration.

2.For a convenient rice meal while traveling, dry roast rice and dal, grind them into a powder, and carry it in an airtight container. Mix the powder with hot water from your flask to cook. You can also add grated carrot for added nutrition. Discover more travel foods for babies to make your journey enjoyable and hassle-free.

If you don’t have time to dry roast rice and dal, you can easily order homemade Instant Khichdi mixes here.

3. If you want to give lunch from a restaurant, ask for steamed hot rice with dal. Mash it with sanitized fingers or spoons and feed your baby.

Snacks

When it comes to snacks, most parents reach out for packaged foods like biscuits. But you can go healthy here too, especially since toddlers snack a lot and you don’t want so much junk going into their bodies! Try these homemade snack recipes that don’t require refrigeration.

• Laddus
• Cookies
• Roasted chickpeas
• Energy bars – Groundnut Bars, Maple Oat Cluster Bars , Chocolate trail Mix

Tips for Feeding your Baby at a Restaurant

Sometimes, you find yourself with no option but to feed your baby from a restaurant. In such cases, there’s no need to panic; just keep these few tips in mind:

1.Ensure the safety of your baby while feeding from a restaurant during travel. Avoid giving raw foods like salads or chutneys. Opt for cooked and suitable meals. Prioritize the well-being of your little one by following travel foods for babies.

2. Along with raw foods, you should also avoid dishes with raw ingredients like mayonnaise, souffle, sushi etc.

3. Always try to go for steamed foods – steamed rice, steamed idlis and cooked vegetables.

4. Use your own cutlery.

5. Ensure a safe eating experience for your baby by eliminating choking hazards from their food. When preparing meals, cut or mash food into appropriate sizes and avoid giving small, hard, or round foods that may pose a risk. Prioritize your baby’s safety during travel by following guidelines for travel foods for babies.

6. Prioritize your baby’s safety while traveling by avoiding new foods that may cause allergies. Stick to familiar and trusted options to ensure a worry-free journey. Explore travel foods for babies that are suitable and known to your child.

7. Stick to boiled/bottled water and don’t give baby juices or milkshakes.

8. Stay away from anything with artificial coloring or flavoring.

Don’t let the stress of feeding your baby or toddler during travel weigh you down. With some thoughtful planning and preparation, you can ensure a worry-free journey filled with delightful moments. Bid farewell to food-related concerns and embrace the convenience of travel-friendly and nutritious options for your little one. Let us be your guide in making your travel experience smoother and more enjoyable with our helpful tips and suggestions on travel foods for babies. Bon voyage and happy travels!

If your baby has recently started on solids, you might also want to check out our detailed post – High Chair Vs Booster Seat: Your Ultimate Guide to Buying a Feeding Chair.  Some of the feeding chairs recommended in this article are travel friendly too!

We have compiled a comprehensive Travel Food packing List for Babies and Toddlers

Authors

• Dr Hemapriya
• Fabida Abdullah
• Dhvani Shah