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Baby Food Storage Tips
Filed under: Babies, Health & Safety: Babies
What are we gonna do with these leftovers? Credit: Getty Images
Making baby food last can be difficult. Sometimes babies only want a bite or two, but the very next meal they're bottomless pits. Learning to go with the flow of what your baby is hungry for will make things easier. And, with a few tips on great methods of safe baby food storage, your baby food will last longer, too.
Healthy Basics: One of the first rules of making baby food last is to wash your hands and your baby's hands before eating. There are many food borne illnesses your child can pick up from bacteria left on your hands after touching raw meats, changing diapers or handling pets. You also want to ensure the refrigerator is set at the correct temperature, 40 degrees or below. The designated baby food storage area should never be on the door because the temperature often varies in that location due to the refrigerator being opened and closed.
Cool it Now: If you're making baby food at home, a good method of baby food storage is to cool it to room temperature and transfer it to ice cube trays. Cover the trays tightly with a sheet of plastic wrap and freeze. Once frozen, remove the cubes (now a convenient portion-size for babies) and put them into labeled freezer-safe bags.
Frozen baby food storage is ideal because it greatly extends the shelf life of the food in comparison to refrigerated baby food storage. According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration, frozen baby food is safe for baby's consumption ranging from one to eight months, depending on what type of food it is. The FDA advises that if making baby food, optimal freezer storage time is three to four months. Once you thaw frozen baby food, it should be discarded after one to two days.
Jar Talk: Many parents lack the time to make their own baby food. There is nothing wrong with this, and, thankfully, there are many quality baby food companies on the market that can provide healthy meals for your baby. If you use jars of food for your little one, there is still the matter of safe leftover storage for unused portions of the container. The government agency, Food Safety, advises to "never double dip." That is, do not feed your baby directly out of the jar and put the leftovers in the refrigerator. Bacteria may have been introduced from the spoon going from baby's mouth back to the jar, and it is no longer safe for leftover storage.
If you feel your baby may not eat the entire jar of food, first pour some into a separate bowl and the unused portion may then be put in the refrigerator for baby food storage. Do not store the unused portion of food for longer than two hours at room temperature and discard no longer than three days after putting it in the refrigerator.
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