It's definitely easier to feed your kids while you're out and about once they're old enough to enjoy packable foods like cut up fruits and veggies, sandwiches or muffins, but for little ones it can be little trickier.
One of my biggest challenges as a parent was figuring out how to manage homemade baby food on camping trips since my kids absolutely refused to eat commercial baby food. Even if they had tolerated the store-bought stuff, glass jars are a nuisance to transport and I worried about keeping the partially-consumed jars adequately cold in our camp cooler. The solution proved to be very simple: I dehydrated my homemade pureed fruits and vegetables, then packed little containers of the powdered food which I could reconstitute in small quantities as needed. This method works with many different kinds of cooked fruits and vegetables.
I’ve tried sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin, peas, carrots, pears, apples, peaches and plums and all were successful. If you don’t have (or can’t borrow) a food dehydrator, you can use the lowest heat setting on your oven instead. As I dehydrated all the things, not only did I learn that this was a super convenient method, I discovered dehydrating foods at home minimally affects their nutritional value. If you’re travelling, camping, or just on the go all the time, this is a great way to be sure you have a nutritious supply of homemade baby food on hand that doesn’t need refrigeration.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine puree with just enough water to make a solution that’s pourable (similar in consistency to regular yogurt).
Spread the mixture in a thin layer on a fine-meshed dehydrator tray. Dry for several hours at 140F until the puree is paper thin and completely dry.
Alternatively, spread the puree and water mixture on a sheet of parchment paper placed on 10 x 12 baking sheet. Place in your oven set to its lowest heat (usually 170F) for several hours until paper thin and completely dry.
Pulverize the crispy dried vegetables in a blender to form a fine powder.
Store powdered food in airtight containers.
When ready to feed your child, rehydrate a tablespoon or two of the powdered food with breast milk or water and you’ve got a nutritious meal that’s ready whenever and wherever hunger strikes.
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