The ultimate guide to batch cooking for your baby or toddler

Words: Kate Hall from www.thefullfreezer.com

So, you’re thinking of batch cooking for your little one? Fantastic! Batch cooking is a brilliant way to know exactly what your child is eating; not to mention perfect for saving a few quid.

BUT there are some things you should know before you get stuck in.

Having batch cooked for both my kids (and batch cooked for 14 years before developing my Full Freezer Method), I know the pit falls all too well. Hopefully I can help you avoid them!

Know Your Food Safety Facts.

Let’s be honest, most of us pick up how to cook from our parents or have figured it out for ourselves at some point during adulthood. There are few that have had any sort of formal training (unless you work in the catering industry, or perhaps childcare).

So, it’s fair to say that most know very little about food safety.

This knowledge is VITAL if you’re wanting to keep your little bundle of joy safe.

The key things to know are:

-When you’re batching any food (even veg) it needs to be cooled down within two hours. It should be cooled by stirring, splitting into smaller portions, and if necessary, popping these portions into a dish of ice water. Don’t put it into the fridge or freezer whilst it’s still warm.

-When you are defrosting, this should be done in the fridge or in a dish of cold water. You can also reheat from frozen; just start with low heat and then increase the temperature once it has defrosted (both for stove and microwave).

-You need to reheat food until it is piping hot (at least 80°C for 6 seconds*), then cool it down. You can always add a little cold milk to speed up the cooling.

-It is worth investing in a food probe thermometer so that you can have absolute certainty that the food is hot enough. The reason why this is all so important is that bacteria multiplies rapidly in food when it sits in the ‘Danger Zone’ (between 8°C and 63°C).

So, if your food is cooling or defrosting at room temperature for a long time you will be giving the bacteria ample opportunity to develop. Not good for little tummies!

For more tips on food safety I recommend following Food Safety Mum on Instagram.

Freeze in Small Quantities.

If you’re weaning, silicone ice cube trays are perfect portion sizes for first tastes of homemade purees. Once frozen solid, tip your food out into labelled freezer bags, squeeze the air out and seal tightly. I usually just write the date and contents on the bag with a Sharpie.

If you’re baby led weaning, did you know you can prep and freeze individual items of food such as pieces of broccoli?

If you’re cooking for a toddler, you can get larger moulds. These do take up quite a lot of space though.

My preference is to flat freeze portions in small bags such as these Ikea Istad Bags (which when washed are recyclable with common plastics). The pink ones are a great size for kids, and perfect if you have limited freezer space!

Flat freezing is also great as it allows you defrost food quickly. Pop the bag in a dish of cold water and you’ll be able to get the food out and reheat it within a matter of minutes (never reheat in the bag!).

By freezing your food in small portions, you can test different flavours and dishes without masses of waste. Just remember not to give up if they refuse your lovingly made food – some kids need a good 10-20 exposures (if not more) before they’ll even give it a try!

Cook and Freeze for The Family (or Set Up A Swap Group)

It can be really disheartening when you slave over food for you child, just to have them launch it across the room.

Wherever possible, I really recommend cooking your normal food and just adjusting it to suit your child. For example, use baby stock cubes, and then if you want more salt, you can add it after cooking.

This doesn’t mean that you always have to eat at the same time as them (although this is often recommended, I’ve rarely found it practical in my own life!).

Simply separate out a few small portions for them to try, cool and flat freeze. This way you can get your baby trying a variety of meals without you spending all day in the kitchen.

If you do want to make a stash of food specifically for your baby (e.g. first taste purees), consider setting up a ‘Swap Group’ if you have any friends with kids a similar age. This way you can just prep one big batch of one thing each and cut down on your washing up!