Travelling with a baby or small child doesn’t have to be stressful. With just a little preparation work before you go and some handy food travel products you will be all set for an enjoyable, well earned break! If you have just started weaning your baby or thinking about starting soon, then have a read of our "Going on Holidays and Weaning" blog for some handy tips and advice to guide you along.
Tips to get you prepared
- Work out how long the journey will take and how many meals and snacks you might need with you.
- Prepare food in advance such as muffins, pasta sauce and overnight oats.
- Make sure you have your Food Travel Set all ready for taking food with you!
Early morning rise for a flight or long distance journey
If your are rising particularly early it can be hard to get a breakfast in before you head out, so what I like to do is pack breakfast with us! Other than a fry or unhealthy pastries, there isn't much else available on route or at the airport. On a normal day I would either give my girls porridge or cereal for breakfast, so the night before a journey I always prepare some cereal or some overnight oats and pack them in portion pots to take on the go. As soon as your child is ready for their breakfast or you are past security while at an airport you can purchase some milk or use babies milk if under 1 year and that's breakfast sorted!
Pack cereal in your portion pots to enjoy at any time
Prepping for your journey
Depending on the length of the journey or flight, you may need to pack two meals along with snacks for your young child. The rule with food is that it cannot be kept outside the fridge for more then 2 hours, but we have a solution for this! The Mummy Cooks food flask will keep your little one's food hot or cold for up to six hours making it the perfect option for when you need to bring a meal on your flight. Healthy muffins such as my Vegetable Muffins or Banana and Berry Muffins also make perfect snacks and can be packed in our portion pots then placed in your cooler bag.
Some ideas to help you prep your meals in advance...
Baby (less than 1 year):
BREAKFAST
Overnight Oats
*find more baby breakfast recipes inside the Baby & Family book
Method
- Make up the overnight oats the night before in your child's size weaning pot, and take out of the fridge on the morning before you leave for the airport.
- For the baby muesli, fill a small portion pot with some muesli and as soon as you get passed security purchase some milk or use your baby's milk to make up the breakfast.
Banana and Berry Muffins
Method
- Offer as a finger food.
LUNCH/DINNER
Chicken, Green Beans & Avocado Purée
Method
- Remove the purée from the freezer the night before.
- In the morning fill your flask with boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile heat your purée until piping hot. Remove the water from the flask and add in your 1oz-3oz pot or decant directly into the flask. Take a ripe avocado along with you to make up the purée. Don’t forget to pack a fork and your baby’s favourite spoon!
Mixed Berry Overnight Oats
Toddler or Older Child
BREAKFAST
Cereal or Overnight Oats
Method
- Make up the overnight oats the night before in our 8oz portion pot, and take out of the fridge in the morning before you leave for the airport.
- Fill a 16oz portion pot with your child's favourite cereal, and as soon as you get passed security purchase some milk.
SNACK
Healthy Granola Bars (find the recipe on page 197 in the Lunchbox Made Easy book)
Method
- Prepared in advance and stored in our 8oz portion pot.
LUNCH/DINNER
Pasta with Marinara Sauce
Method
- Remove your batch cooked Marinara Sauce from the freezer and allow to defrost. Meanwhile boil your pasta, allow to cool and store in the fridge. Alternatively if you have 10 minutes to spare in the morning, cook your pasta then.
- In the morning, fill your food flask with boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes. Heat your Marinara sauce until piping hot and your pasta. Mix together and add to your flask. Don’t forget to pack a fork.
For more information and tips on feeding your young children on holiday, check out my next blog "Feeding your Child on Holiday"!
If you are looking for more great recipes and advice check out our range of E-Books
At Mummy Cooks, we have a wealth of advice on feeding your family. We cover everything from meal prep and slow cooker recipes to moving baby on to family foods and preparing food safely. So whether you're looking for quick and easy meal ideas or want to learn more about healthy eating, we've got you covered - Feeding the Family Advice page
