How I pack homemade food for my Bubu when we are on a vacation!
What to feed Bubu on the trip.
We have been on two trips in the last few weeks:
San Diego in last week of December (5 Days Trip)
Disneyland January long weekend (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) (3 Days trip)
As we started planning the trip, it got me thinking as to what to feed Bubu on the trip. He readily eats homemade food. However, he hasn't shown interest in ready-to-eat baby foods and we did not introduce him to breads, biscuits etc due to processing and additives in them. Plus to add to it he does not like fruit, cheese, yogurt. That meant, all the easy options are no options for us. Frankly, I secretly like the fact that he does not eat store bought processed food.
For our San Diego holiday we booked a hotel room with a Kitchenette. In the morning me and my husband would take turns to cook, while the other took a shower. We made things Bubu definitely likes to eats sautéed veggies, pasta, poha. The other 2 things I made just before we left is khichadee (with carrots, onions, palak) and thepla (kind of roti with veggies mixed in the dough) one per day.
Packing Tips
Get variety of containers, small to fit in their hands or child friendly to avoid spills. Its very convenient for them to hold and eat in their own lil container. Bubu loves it. He will screw the lid on and off as he nibble's on his meal.
Khichadee, I packed 1 portion in a ziplock bag and froze it flat for easy storage. They became kind of rectangle ice packs which was great as it would keep the food at a cooler temperature if the day got hot.
If your Bubu enjoys eating variety, I like packing pasta, potatoes and peas+corn+carrot in the 3 pod formula case.
Have a insulated lunch bag, separate from Diaper bag. Helps to regulate temperature due to insulation and being separate its easy to remove meals and clean any spills if ever.
Always have a spoon or two in your lunch bag as well as a finger tooth brush and a baby bib.
Keep a few gel ice packs to pop in the lunch bag, for a day trip or a vacation, bonus they come in cute design (we have a lemon slice one).
We experimented a little on Disney trip, we tried no kitchenette scenario. We booked a hotel room with a mini fridge/freezer. All the meals were prepared on the day we left for Disney. Khichadee (with broccoli, peas, carrot), Pasta (with a homemade veggie sauce, corn, carrots, peas, beans), paneer bhurji and Thepla. Like last time khichadee, paneer bhurji and pasta I packed 1 portion in a ziplock bag and froze it flat for easy storage.
What I liked about this method
Getting ready in the morning was easier, stress free and less work.
Was easy to pack his lunch bag, just pop the 3 frozen ice-pack-cubes (Paneer bhurji, khichadee and pasta) + the ziplock with the thepla and done.
No containers and thermos to clean after we are back.
Easy to eat as we stood in ride lines and toss when done.
Con
All meals we had to use microwave in a cafe close by to reheat and eat. I am not into freezer meals or use of microwave for baby, but some days you got to do whatever is the best available option.
I think both trips were successful from food perspective. San Diego he ate all but in Disneyland Bubu didn't eat khichadee he really wasn't in the mood for it I guess. Anyways he ate the other options. The Disney trip itself was great too. Will write soon on how to cover and enjoy Disneyland successfully if you have a toddler, and is it worth it.
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