These days, we are always on the go whether it’s to day care, to a restaurant, or a vacation. It seems we’ve all got a place to be. Luckily, making homemade baby food does not mean you need to be at home when you feed your baby. There are plenty of options for taking delicious meals on the road with you. Here is some advice:

Invest in an insulated lunch bag and a few nice storage containers. The best type of tote bag is a zippered canvas tote with room for an ice pack (the type you can freeze overnight). The storage containers should have lids and be microwave-safe. Even if you don’t warm food in the microwave when you are at home, it may be your only option on the road. Frozen baby food cubes stay cold for about 10-12 hours in an insulated bag.

Label containers. If you are packing up for more than one meal, label containers “Breakfast”, “Snack” and “Lunch”. This makes it easy to grab what you need out of the bag when you have a hungry baby in the back of the car or on the plane.

Pack a bib and a spoon for each meal that you are planning on the road. It is unlikely you will find a place that you will feel comfortable washing these items and re-using them on your travel. Bring a small trash bag with you to hold these items until your reach your final destination.

Warming up baby food. Truck stops and gas station convenience stores almost always have a microwave to use for warming your baby’s food. If you are at a restaurant, ask your server for assistance, they can bring you a bowl of hot water or they can warm baby food in the kitchen for you. Airplanes do not have microwaves; the flight attendant can provide you with a bag of very hot water.

Book a hotel room with a refrigerator and microwave. Whether you choose to bring homemade or jarred foods these appliances are a must for a family-friendly hotel stay. Fortunately, they are quite common and most hotels offer them. When booking your reservation, make sure to ask about guest conveniences.

Pureed soups, such as cream of asparagus may sound exotic, but they are quite simple to make. Even a novice in the kitchen can be successful. A hand held immersion blender is a good appliance to invest in for making pureed soups hassle-free. This appliance is placed right into the soup pot, move it around, and viola – pureed soup!

Don’t overlook fruit soups. They are sweet, healthy and refreshing. Most fruit soups require no cooking. You simply put ingredients in a blender and whirl away. Fruits soups are a huge hit with toddlers.

Create a “Soup Bar” to make it family fun! Prepare a simple soup recipe and spoon it into bowls or cups. Line up a series of topping choices and let the kids sprinkle their own toppings on the soup! Here are some suggestions:

• Thinly sliced green onions
• Chopped cilantro
• Cubes of avocado
• Wedges of lemon or lime
• Sour cream
• Bacon bits
• Diced Ham or chicken
• Shredded cheese
• Croutons or broiled cheese toasts

Studies are revealing that children who are fed diets of bland, tasteless food are more likely to have issues with weight. Unlike the jarred foods, homemade baby food is full of delicious fresh, wholesome flavor and adding herbs and spices is a great way to enhance this flavor.

Here are a few tips on how your baby’s food can go from simple to a culinary treat:

• Introduce herbs and spices at 8-10 months. Keep it simple for the first few months.
• Add herbs and spice in the cooking step. It is best for flavors to blend in cooking and become more subtle. Do not sprinkle herbs and spices on the food prior to serving. The flavor will be too strong.
• A little goes along way. Use herbs and spices sparingly. As a general rule, add 1/8 teaspoon of spice per 16-24 ounces of fruits or vegetables.
• Add herbs and spices only to foods that you have previously fed to your baby. Remember the “One at a Time” rule to ensure that any food allergies are detected early.
• Avoid sugar and salt. There are healthier and more flavorful choices to add to your baby’s foods.

Baby-friendly herbs and spices:

• Cinnamon
• Dill
• Ginger
• Mint
• Nutmeg
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Garlic
• Lemon or orange zest
• Vanilla

When you start making baby food, you’ll need an appliance that will puree your baby’s food into a smooth, pudding-like texture. Here are the top three choices in pureeing appliances and some helpful advice choosing which one is right for you.

#1 Food Processor: This appliance is a work horse. They have strong motors and can puree event the toughest veggies into pudding smooth textures. The results are excellent. If you’ve always wanted a food processor, making baby food is great reason to make the investment.

Bottom line: The best choice for silky, smooth baby purees, if you can afford it. Price: over $100

#2 Blender: This appliance is the most widely used for making baby food, because it will do a fine job. Blenders are quick and efficient, but the really cheap ones might overheat. The tall shape will require you to scrape the sides several times to ensure your puree is “chunk-free”.

Bottom line: A popular choice that will deliver good results. Price: $25-$100

#3 Food Mill: We’re talking about a real one, not the gimmicky baby food mills. Shaped like a bowl or cone, this contraption has a series of stainless steel mesh layers with a hand crank. This is a very eco-friendly option, it runs on muscle power! Available at higher end kitchen stores, a food mill will deliver fine results.

Bottom Line: A terrific green option. No electricity required. Price: $50-$100

Beyond food purees: Once you are ready to introduce textured foods and finger foods, other nifty kitchen utensils include:

• Ricers and potato mashers for making “textured” baby foods.
• A hand held immersion blender for making pureed soups ~ a toddler favorite!
• Cookie cutters or a canapé cutter for creating cute shapes that toddlers love

The simplest and most convenient system for making baby food is to make large batches of food purees and freeze it in single serving cubes. Once you get started, it will take about 30 minutes per week. Here is some time saving advice that will help you out.

• Use a cookbook for support. Invest in a baby food cookbook. It will offer you guidance and suggestions that will keep you focused on success.
• Plan ahead. Before you go to the grocery store, look through the freezer and take a mental inventory. Read through the recipes in your cookbook and select something to make. Always have a backup recipe, just in case the food you wanted to purchase is not ripe, in poor condition, unavailable, or too expensive.
• Buy frozen. Buying frozen foods saves a lot of time—it is already washed, cleaned, and ready to cook. Washing and cleaning some foods can be the most time-consuming step in making baby food. It most cases, frozen fruits and vegetables are equal in nutrition to store-bought fresh produce.
• Pick one cooking method and stick with it. You can choose to cook foods on the stove top or the microwave. Pick one method and stick with it. This will enable you to master the technique and become more efficient – saving you time in the long run.
• Plan on 30 minutes per week. Set aside the time to make your baby food. Pick a time when you do not have distractions. In the evening after your baby has gone to sleep is a great time. DON’T try to make baby food with your baby in the kitchen—it will go slower, it will be frustrating, and it could even be dangerous.
• Double favorite recipes. Some foods will become staples in your baby’s diet. Learn what they are and make twice as much.