Christmas for me has always been about spending time with loved ones, overeating and lots of winter walks. For a baby it can become overwhelming with so many visitors, and maybe the batch cooked meal prep has fallen to the wayside. Here are my tips to make sure you are well prepared for the festive season. 

1. Make a plan and check the freezer to see what you have to cover the next 4 weeks. 
   
   
2. Pencil in a morning/afternoon to batch cook some meals that you can easily prepare ahead of time. 
• Sauces such as bolognese, pesto, marinara sauce
• Meals such as beef stew, coconut chicken curry, chilli con carne 
• Finger food such as muffins and broccoli tots
3. 
   
4. Have a few quick meals that you can pull together if you are visiting family in their home. Eggs and any pasta dish is always great to quickly wip up when you don’t have a meal prepared.  
   
   
5. Understand the rules around keeping food safe while travelling see below. Take this into account when planning meals while away from home. 
   
   
6. If using shop bought meals make sure to offer it in the same way you have been. Heated up in a bowl and allowing baby to feed themselves. Only offer on occasion as you would hope to go back to the normal food after the break. 

Travelling With Your Baby

Visiting a restaurant - check out my recent blog Tips for taking your baby to a restaurant and how to blend their food. 

Getting out and about with baby - Feeding baby on the go can be essential during the Chrismas period. Here are some products I would recommend for feeding your baby when out and about:

• Insulated Cooler bag with cooler pack to ensure your baby’s food is kept chilled while it's being transported. 
• Food Flask - taking a warm meal out to offer at any time is the perfect way to feed on the go. Our food flasks keep food warm for 12 hours. 

Taking a long trip to visit family - While it's possible to mimic a fridge and keep food fresh by using a cooler bag and cool pack, it's not possible to mimic a freezer while travelling.

If food is removed from the freezer, it can only be transported and then used up within the day. Batch cooking your meals to take with you is only possible if you prepare on the day or day before and then freeze them when you arrive. Removing frozen meals and refreezing is dangerous. 

Christmas Dinner with Baby - it can be nice to have your baby eating a Christmas meal. Check out my Christmas recipes to batch cook ahead of time or prep on the day. 

Enjoy!