Weaning on holiday by Tidy Tot
Posted by Sachelle, 22nd August 2019 at 13:43
Sensory weaning experts, Tidy Tot, and creator of the award-winning Tidy Tot Bib and Tray Kit, give us their top advice about weaning when on holiday.
Your first holiday with your baby is an exciting time, but if you’re in the middle of weaning, whether you’ve just started out, or are starting to establish a routine, it can seem a bit daunting. After all, at home everything is familiar and you have everything you need easily to hand but with a bit of planning, weaning on holiday can be a wonderful experience and give you the chance to explore even more new flavours together.
What to pack for weaning on holiday
By taking a few handy weaning items with you when you travel, you can make life a lot easier on holiday.
Firstly, something to deal with the mess of weaning and save on the clothes washing - holidays are not a time for chores! The Tidy Tot Bib and Tray Kit includes a water-resistant bib and integrated wipe-clean tray with travel bag that stops food falling in between the gap of baby and the highchair and on the floor. It protectsclothes underneath and lets baby get as messy as they like exploring their food from squelchy banana to splatty yoghurt –after all, weaning is all about letting little ones get their hands stuck in. The Long Length Coverall Bib with travel bag is another great option to protect clothes from mess and stains.
Food flasks are another great item to take with you to keep food hot or cold when feeding out and abouton holiday. These ones from TUM TUM come in lovely designs babies will love and can keep food warm for up to 5 hours. They would be great to take along for the flight.
There are also some great inventions for traditional weaning on holiday. The Fill n Squeeze pouch system purees food for on-the-go pouches and Itsy Blitz, is the world’s first portable baby food blender.
Gadgets ...
Staying Hydrated
If you are travelling to a hot country, it’s important to offer water to your baby regularly. Sometimes tap water is not safe so it is best to use bottled water, and water with the lowest sodium content where possible. Practise using a cup or beker before you go away so your little one is used to sipping on it throughout the day. BabyCup first cups are great for early weaners and are kind to little teeth – they are the perfect size for little hands and mouths.
Snacks and meal inspiration
Holidays can often mean feeding routines shift a little. It’s always good to have some healthy and easy snack and meal ideas ready to fill up little tummies. You may be able to pack quite a selection of ready-made snacks in your suitcase, but if you have a kitchen and like to cook, take some inspiration from the Baby Led Weaning Cookbook and her downloadable apps which are full of quick and simple recipes for snacks and meals. These wheat-free apricot and date cookies are one of our favourite.
Try new tastes
Holidays are the perfect time to try new flavours and tastes from wherever you are in the world. You can start with fresh fruits or local dishes from the country and it is always best to lead by example and let them copy you in what you eat. You may find a new family favourite you can re-create at home.
Here are our top tips for encouraging baby to explore their food:
1. Offer different textures of food from crunchy to wet and chewy
2. Let you baby eat with their hands
3. If you’re using a spoon, let them have one too so they can dig in
4. If they end up with food on their face leave it there, there’s no need to scrape it off and distract them
5. Eat with your baby, get it on your hands and show they what to do
6. Leave the wipes behind, don’t clean mid-meal, leave it to the end –being messy is part of exploring food
These tips and more are part of Tidy Tot’s Sensory Weaning approach to help develop happy and confident little eaters on holiday and at home. Wherever you are, have fun with weaning and let little hands get stuck in.
For more information on helping little one explore new foods andthe Tidy Tot range of award-winning bib solutions, please visit www.tidytot.com
