Freezing and thawing homemade baby food?

[hello_kitty]

Hi ladies,

I usually cook my baby's food from scratch and often end up with a big container. He never finishes the whole thing and I end up throwing a huge amount of it away. Its very wasteful! I tried freezing it once but when I put it in the refrigerator to thaw, the ice melted causing extra fluid and makes the food bland. I havent froze any food since. Is there any other method? I still want to cook meals for my baby but I want to make it in large quantities because its too much of a hassle having to cook once a day for him. Can anyone share experiences with storing food? Thanks

 

[MrsClark24]

Stalking! I'd like to start freezing foods and have no idea what can and can't be frozen!

 

[Cheska]

I've frozen quite a bit without any problems. In the early days of weaning put things like carrot + courgette and sweet potato + spinach together in little pots.

Now when I'm making us a bolognese/chilli/curry I always take some portions out to freeze for lo before I add anything like red wine/ oxo. Seems to thaw fine might be a little water but when it's warmed there isn't.

I've made some soups just for him and out in the freezer in portions.

Also freeze things that are baby friendly like cheese sauce, gravy I've made with baby stock cubes. Great to pull out a portion when we are having something he can't have like tonight we are having gnocchi and I put chilli and a stock cube in my sauce so I'll just put his gnocchi with some cheese sauce.

Hope my rambling has helped?

 

[hello_kitty]

cheska, how old is your baby?

sorry I just saw your signature. My baby was also a preemie and born 8 weeks early. His due date was 12/29/12 but came on 11/04/12.

My baby shows almost no interest in his pureed baby foods. He wants to eat whatever we're eating. He usually looks at us or crawls over when we are drinking or eating something, but I dont know if its unsafe for him to eat what we eat.

 

[Cheska]

Hi.

Wow our babies are really similar in age. Z's due date was 30th December. He wants to feed himself which is great but v messy. If we have bolognese I cook some pasta which he is able to pick up and feed himself and spoon him the bolognese while he is busy holding pasta.

You should be able to feed lo anything you have just minus the salt. Zac loves rice cakes and crispbread keeps him thoroughly entertained while I am cooking tea

 

[hello_kitty]

Cheska,

My baby's name is also Zachary! I have been feeding him whatever I eat ever since. Although he only eats a few bites at a time but he eats throughout the day. I dont put salt in my food..or maybe a sprinkle at times is that ok? Also, I use fish sauce as seasoning (asian cooking). I heard its ok for babies to consume salt just under 1000 mg a day, if I'm correct.

 

[Cheska]

Oh wow what a coincidence! Hello Zachary. My lo is just Zac. How much did Zachary weigh when he was born?

I try to avoid salt for myself as well as baby as I have high blood pressure. Though some things do need a bit. I'm sure a sprinkle will be just fine. I have never used fish sauce I would have a look how much it says it contained and/or if they do a low salt version if it has a lot in. I've had low salt version of soy sauce. Don't know anything about fish sauce though :-/.

Thought I'd mention I made little fish cakes and froze those. Quick tea to pull out and put with a bit of veg.

 

[hello_kitty]

Thanks Cheska,

Do you just call him Zac for short or is that his full name? I use fish sauce as an alternative to salt. No one in my family has a history of high blood pressure so I was assuming its fine, plus he only gets a very small portion of what we're eating, maybe a few spoons at each feed.

He was born 3 lbs 11 oz. He gained good weight the first few months but has slow down tremendously that even the doctor is starting to get concerned. Are you still breastfeeding Zac? If not when did you switch to formula? I think I just have face the fact that my supply is diminishing and its just not enough for him anymore, hence the very slow weight gain...so I only offer my breast as a snack now and night feedings. He gets formula during the day. Hopefully his weight gain will pick up.

 

[Cheska]

I'm lost for words!! Zac was 3lb 11oz too!!! His full name is Zac. How much does Zachary weigh ATM?

Are you in the uk?

I never managed to get my supply up to what he demanded through expressing. He spent 16days in nicu. At first he was just topped up with formula by 10-20ml a day. Then as he got bigger he had a couple of bottles of formula a day, from about 5 - 6 month I just bf him first and last feed of the day and my milk just diminished at about 9 and a half month. I wasn't too sad as it kind of fitted in with going back to work and I was very pleased to manage that long as the midwifes didn't think I would due to expressing early on.

 

[hello_kitty]

Cheska, I am in the US.

Zachary spent 35 days in the nicu and I was expressing since day one until he got home I just breastfed him straight from the breast. He's still getting breastfed during the night but is on formula during the day. I tried to breastfeed him exclusively but he had trouble gaining weight, so I assumed it must be my supply decreasing. I am a little bit sad that I didnt get to bf exclusively til he's a year old but oh well, whatever's the best for him. At least he still gets the night feeds. He currently weighs 18 lbs. Just weighed him last night and I hope it doesnt dip again like it always have. He was 18 lbs a few weeks before and then he didnt like the food that I cooked for him so he refused to eat and his weight dropped to 17.4. Since then, I'm like "ok thats enough, if he doesnt like his food, he's eating what we're eating". No way I'm gonna let my baby starve if he doesnt like his baby food.

How many lbs does Zac weigh now? They have soo much in common its almost scary lol.