Genius Baby Food Hacks You Haven't Heard Yet!

We all could use a little practical help saving us time and frustration. Here are 11 creative and genius baby food hacks that will blow your mind! Enjoy!

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Crock Pot Warmer

Leaving your crockpot on low all day serves 3 purposes: warm bottles, warm food, and emit humidity. My mom showed me this trick, and it was genius!!

I was using a small bottle warmer, but it was constantly running out of water, and the food bags wouldn’t fit very well. But this! This is so handy to plop something in and walk away!

You can also add a drop of your favorite essential oil to smell all day! But only one drop or max 2; the oils will eat through any plastic you place in the crockpot.

Plastic Storage Bags

I tried using the pre-made bags with the twist top, but they were not equipped to handle anything chunky past stage 2 food. BUT regular sandwich storage bags can handle any stage food, and it is virtually mess-free! Simply add the frozen cubes of food to the bag, warm in the crockpot, cut a slit in the corner of the bag, and squeeze it onto the baby spoon! Now THAT is a genius!

Cut a smaller hole for purees and a larger one for things like spaghetti or oatmeal. What I love about this method is that it eliminates dangerous chunks. As an unblended hidden chunk clogs the opening, squeeze it through with your fingers and set it aside, keeping baby safe! THIS is a BPA-free and Kosher option.

Keep A Blender On The Counter

As baby gets older, they can handle more complex foods. Generally referred to as table food. Before you heavily season your dinner for adults, take out a cup full for baby and blend it! This works for almost everything! I use aOver Fill The Ice Cube Tray

I have found through trial and error that when I slightly overfill the ice cube tray with baby food, the food cubes come out easier than when I carefully perfectly fill each cube with food.

This is probably due to them being connected and helping to remove each other out of the tray. Just don’t mound the tray with food. This makes one big ice cube and is almost impossible to break apart once you finally get it out of the tray. Make just a thin layer of food connecting all of the cubes before you freeze!

Make Half Cubes

Sometimes I get distracted, and the crockpot gets the baby’s food way too hot! This hack is perfect for just such occasions. Add a frozen half cube of food to the too-hot food cooling it back to a warm temperature. Feel free to share these genius baby food hacks!

Thickening Foods

These foods I keep on hand to mix with some of the runnier foods like bell peppers or fruit purees. These foods can be oatmeal, rice, quinoa, or spaghetti! Mix up a batch of this boiled in water or bone broth and save for a yummy treat for baby!

Extra Cooking Liquid

If you have extra water or broth after boiling your baby food, DO NOT THROW IT OUT! This stuff is packed FULL of nutrients. Some studies have shown that food loses up to half of its nutrients when cooked. Keep that liquid and add oatmeal, rice, pasta, or quinoa as your last food made for the day to make your thickening food!

Freeze In Bulk

A different option from ice cube trays would be to freeze in bulk containers. I use this option for thickening foods. I put about 3 servings in each freezer-appropriate container, then when I run out, I get another one out of the freezer and transfer it to the refrigerator. Keep in mind that 3 days is probably the maximum you want to keep the food in the refrigerator as it doesn’t have extra preservatives.

Emergency Food

Yes, I have been caught without food left in a panic to make something as fast as I can! This hack will help you eliminate that problem. Now, I keep things like cottage cheese or yogurt in the refrigerator at all times! You can also use bulk thickening food for this purpose! It will get you through in a pinch.

Hot Water

When I go places and need to take baby food, I will brew a cup of hot water from my coffee maker! I put tape over the mouth hole and take it on our outing. About 30 minutes before it’s time to eat, I put the baby food into the cup and bam! Ready to eat food! I take frozen cubes in a small lunch bag without freezer packs. This way, as we walk around shopping or at the zoo, they start to thaw.

When I put the frozen bag of food in hot water, it generally will not be warm food. The frozen cubes bring down the temperature of the water. However, if you want to bring a lunch bag with freezer packs and already thawed food, the water will warm the food.

If you take foods like a banana or avocado, you can eliminate the freezer packs, lunch bag, and hot water! Just take a spoon and a plastic sandwich bag, smoosh the food with your fingers, tear a hole in the corner of the bag, and VWALAH! Food!

Probiotics

I had a hard time getting my infant to drink his probiotics. We use THIS brand and love it! However, mine didn’t love the taste, and they clog the bottle nipple if you put it in a drink.

You are supposed to use a syringe with breastmilk and probiotics. As soon as my baby was eating pureed food, I started to sprinkle those little bacteria all over his food, and he eats it like a champ! I always do it on cold food and feed it to him quickly, so they don’t die.

Sick Baby

Lastly, If you find yourself with a sick baby that will still eat, blend in some natural antibiotics like honey, cinnamon, garlic, herbs, and spices. Look up appropriate ages to give certain foods.

Use your instincts and your doctor to carefully determine the amount. Then, watch the baby carefully with as much skin-to-skin time you can allow. God has given us some incredible whole foods to aid in healing. Use them!

Genius Baby Food Hacks You Haven’t Heard Yet!