How to offer delicious home-cooked food when you’re weaning your baby at 6 months and you’re out and about with your baby

Now that you have spotted the signs that your baby is ready to start weaning, you can start on the exciting journey of introducing your little one to all those wonderful tastes and textures.

Just because you are starting a new plan of offering delicious first foods for your baby, it doesn’t mean that you must be confined to your home – and that’s where Fill n Squeeze can help!

All mums want to give their baby the freshest, most nutritious food - and making your own is the ideal way to know it’s as good as it can be, and that you know what’s in it. Once you have steamed and puréed some lovely fresh, seasonal vegetables or fruit and made up your Fill n Squeeze pouches, you and your baby can have outings to the park, to a café to meet friends and to relatives’ homes. Just make sure you’re well prepared and have all you need in your baby changing bag and you’ll manage all eventualities.

Why not try this delicious Apple and Rhubarb Purée recipe

Checklist

Pack these in your changing bag to have all you need for meals out

Your Fill n Squeeze pouches

A selection of baby finger food such as rice cakes, veg sticks and fruit

Bibs

Bottles (for formula or expressed breastmilk), or a sippy cup for water – of course, if you’re breastfeeding, you can do this anywhere!

Hot water in a flask, to warm your pouches

Biodegradable or re-usable wipes

A lidded bowl - those with a suction device underneath are great

Fill n Squeeze baby pouch weaning spoons

A travel highchair if needed

Tips for weaning on the go

• Babies’ appetites change daily and they need to be in the mood for food, so offer your baby a few spoons when they are alert and awake and not too hungry - a quick breastfeed first works well.

• If you are going to a café or restaurant, check to see if they have safe, clean highchairs; if not, pack a travel version, or you can feed your little one in the pushchair.

• Ask restaurant staff to heat up food or drinks for you and always stir thoroughly and check the temperature before offering to your baby.

• Babies love to imitate, so times when people are eating together is a great time to offer food. Let your little one hold a spoon and join in the fun!

• Hungry babies get impatient, so have some simple baby finger food handy while you prepare their food – or add a spoon to your Fill n Squeeze weaning pouch for an instant meal. Don’t forget, you can mix spoon-fed weaning with baby-led weaning.

Safety tips

Discard any unused food when you get home, never be tempted to use it later

Keep your baby’s food in a cool bag and keep it out of the sun and away from heat such as radiators

Clean all feeding utensils thoroughly

Make sure you store your pouches properly in the fried or freezer and use them while still fresh

Want to try making your own baby food? Start off with all you need to make reusable pouches for meals on the go.