Baby food can be delicious when your little one devours it, but what do you do with leftovers that your child no longer enjoys or can’t eat anymore? Well, don’t throw them away! We’ve got some clever ideas to share with you.
Many people have a love-hate relationship with baby food. It's so easy for your child to love a particular food and eat it endlessly! But that food can also accumulate in your pantry. So, what should you do with leftover baby food? "Matbakh Sayyidati" (Lady's Kitchen) shows you the best ways to make the most of baby food.
Dubai – Lina Al-Hourani
How to Store Leftover Baby Food
Freeze Baby Food on a Tray:
If you have dozens of jars of baby food filling your pantry but no immediate need for them, freeze the food using ice cube trays! That’s right! The preferred method is to place pureed baby food in ice cube trays, then transfer the cubes into a plastic bag. This way, you can use the cubes for cooking or even add them to smoothies.
Freeze Baby Food in Cookie Dough Balls:
A perfect solution is to place little dough balls (like cookie dough) on a baking sheet, freeze them, and then store them in plastic bags.
Use Muffin Trays for Freezing:
Another clever freezing hack is to use muffin trays. You can freeze the baby food in these trays, and the plastic bags will save space in your freezer. Plus, serving food this way reduces mess, especially for younger children! But if you opened baby food and stored it in the fridge, be sure to use it within 48 hours. Thaw the food overnight in the fridge and consume it within two days.
Now that you know how to store baby food, let’s talk about some other great ways to use it!
Best Ways to Use Leftover Baby Food for Breakfast
You’ll be amazed at these ideas! We’re sure you’ll be delighted to have leftover baby food on hand:
Oatmeal with Baby Food Leftovers: This can be breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even a snack! Just add some leftover baby food to your oatmeal for a flavor boost.
Make Pancakes: Have leftover oatmeal for babies? Use it to make pancakes! You'll get extra flavor if you add some baby food fruit too!
Make Waffles: Add any baby food that contains fruit to the waffle batter for a delicious twist! Whisk the mixture and let the waffle maker do the work for a yummy breakfast.
Bake Muffins: Did you know you can add baby food fruit or vegetables to muffins? They turn out super soft and delicious! This is perfect for little ones or anyone in the family. You can even substitute part of the flour with baby oatmeal!
Top Toast with Baby Food: Fruit is one of the best toppings for toast! It's tasty for the whole family, including the little ones.
Mix with Oatmeal: You can mix sweet fruits or vegetables, like sweet potatoes or carrots, into regular oatmeal for added flavor.
Mix with Yogurt: If you have plain yogurt, just stir in some leftover fruit from baby food for extra flavor. You can also do this with unsweetened applesauce.
Pair with Cottage Cheese: Add fruit from baby food to cottage cheese—it’s just as delicious, and no need to buy fresh fruit.
Best Ways to Use Leftover Baby Food for Dinner
Enhance your dinner by adding pureed vegetables and meats to your meals, and your family won’t even notice a difference. Try one of these recipes:
Mac and Cheese: Add sweet potatoes or carrots to your mac and cheese for an extra tasty meal.
Hide Pureed Vegetables in Dishes: Add any leftover vegetable puree to dishes you’re preparing; this will help hide the flavor of some less liked vegetables (like peas) while still getting the great nutrients from them.
Add to Soup: Make your soup creamier and richer in protein by adding pureed meats. You can also add pureed vegetables if you need to get them into your diet. Simple and delicious, right? You’ll be glad you added that pureed meat to your family’s meal.
Add to Fruit Salad: You can also add any leftover baby food fruit to your favorite fruit salad. It will make it sweeter and tastier. This way, you’ll create a healthy side dish that contains dairy and fruit.
This is a great way to reuse leftover baby food instead of throwing it away, turning it into nutritious and tasty meals for the whole family!
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