Eating out with a small child: practical tips for preparing and storing food without food risks and stress

If you are a parent who cares about health and healthy eating, you know that not only the preparation but also the proper storage and heating of food requires care. When you have a small child in the weaning phase, ensuring a warm and nutritious meal when you are outside the home at mealtime is not always easy, but it is possible.

The question is: how can you store and heat food safely outside the home or while traveling, and what tools can make life easier for parents?
Here are some practical tips to handle meals outside the home comfortably and stress-free.

Keep the food warm in a thermos or heat it when needed? Choose the most convenient method for you

Many parents choose to keep the food warm in a thermos so that it can be served immediately when mealtime comes. This solution can be practical in some situations, but it is useful to consider a few factors. Food left at intermediate temperatures (between 5°C and 60°C) for several hours can encourage bacterial growth, especially if it contains proteins or milk. Additionally, the organoleptic quality of the food may change over time, making it less appealing to the child. If you choose to use a thermos, it is advisable to opt for high-quality models that can maintain a stable temperature for several hours, such as these Nuvita models with double stainless steel walls, available in different capacities and colors.

An alternative to storing food in a thermos or thermal container is to transport the food cold and heat it when mealtime comes. This way, you avoid the risk of a “sticky” consistency that sometimes occurs when meals are kept warm for too long, such as soup with pasta, but also rice pudding, corn cream, or tapioca cream. In these cases, before offering it to the child, it is often necessary to add a bit of liquid, which could be broth or hot water, which may affect the final flavor.

If you decide to transport the food cold and heat it when needed, here are the steps to follow:

• cool the food quickly after preparation: by placing the container with the food in a bowl of cold water and ice.
• store the food in an airtight container: preferably made of glass, steel, or BPA-free plastic.
• use a thermal bag with cooling packs: this helps maintain the temperature below 4°C until consumption.
• heat only the necessary amount: avoiding reheating and cooling the same food multiple times reduces the risk of contamination.

How to heat food comfortably and correctly when outside the home?

There are practical solutions for how to heat food when you are outside the home, such as bringing along a thermos with boiling water and, at mealtime, pouring the water into a bowl and heating the food in a double boiler. This is an effective and safe method. If you are in a restaurant, café, or hotel, you can kindly ask them to heat the food in a double boiler or microwave; everyone will be happy to help serve a warm meal to a small child.

Alternatively, you can be completely independent by using a baby food warmer; there are even portable models with rechargeable batteries, such as the Nuvita Pappa’n’Go, which allows you to heat the food anywhere without needing to plug it in. A convenience that frees you from location and time constraints: you can heat the food while traveling by train, plane, boat, in the park, during a beach or mountain trip, or while spending a long day out visiting family or friends or attending a ceremony.

Why choose a portable baby food warmer?

• heating as needed: it allows you to heat the food only when necessary, avoiding the risk of bacterial growth.
• preservation of nutrients: it heats the food gradually and evenly, preserving important vitamins and minerals for the child’s growth.
• ease of use everywhere: with the rechargeable battery, it is ideal for travel, walks, and any outing outside the home.
• greater food safety: using a food warmer drastically reduces the risks associated with prolonged storage at room temperature.
• optimal consistency: gradually heating the food helps maintain its structure, preventing changes in consistency that could make swallowing difficult for the child.

When it comes to ensuring a healthy and safe meal for your child, it is important to take the right precautions in storing and heating food. Using a thermos can be a practical solution for short periods, but for optimal safety, transporting the food cold and heating it at mealtime is often the best choice. With the right method, you can heat the food in minutes, wherever you are, without compromising the quality of the food.

No more stress or improvisations: with the right preparation, every outing becomes easier, and mealtime remains a pleasure to share.