Taking Solids to Daycare

I also froze foods in ice cube trays and sent a tray full in a ziploc freezer bag, usually giving a selection of a couple diff. foods to choose from.

try checking out tupperware... they have been trusted for a bazillion years... and they have containers of every shape and size! :D

you could get some small pyrex dishes - the glass ones with plastic lids( take the lids off when microwaving), like this:
http://www.pyrexware.com/index.asp?pageId=103&pid=348

I think they sell these little ones individually at Walmart, I think you can get something similar form Pampered Chef, too in case you know someone who sells that.

Or for the cheapo in all of us, you could get the empty glass baby food jars from friends who are feeding regular baby food to their kids, and just pop an food cube or two in each one - they can be microwaved with the lids off too. or send them in regular plastic disposable gladware bowls, but send one decent "feeding bowl" that is BPS free and microwave safe, and just have the provider put the food into the eating bowl to that in the micro, only using the plastic stuff to store it cold.

I would also pre-mix the cereal to the consistency you use, she may not know what that is , as it will probably change as your baby grows.

Good Luck - I made my own food too, and I think it has helped to make my girl a non-picky eater, cause she was used to the tastes of REAL food from the start, not that yucky jar stuff.

Jessie

My daughter goes to an in-home daycare as well 4 days a week, she is 15 months old right now, and when she was younger I would just give my provider a box of the rice cereal w/ breast milk (frozen) and she would mix it herself. That way it doesn't go bad. I have heard that goes bad pretty quickly.

I don't have much advice on the containers as I just sent Gerber baby food, but I believe that Gerber makes a set of plastic bowls with covers on them. You would have to check on the BPA Free but they are colored so I think they are. I think you get about 3 in a pack--otherwise what about ziplock freezer baggies? I used to freeze puree for Deceptively Delicious meals and put the 1/2 cup in a ziplock freezer bag. Maybe easier to transport.

Hope this helps! Good Luck!

We received Pyrex storage bowls for our wedding (both a round set and a rectangular set) and they are fantastic. They can go in the microwave (they have vented tops), the oven, the dishwasher, and the freezer. They came in big boxed sets--so I have a 9x13, a smaller rectangle, and then at ton of single-serving (adult sized) bowls that are perfect for taking food to work. I don't know whether the lids are BPA free (they are from 7 years ago), but they might be by now, and the plastic doesn't even have to touch the food. I did wonder about the food program, as well, as someone above mentioned. If your daycare is licensed and on a food program, they HAVE to provide food; you are not to bring food for your child except breastmilk (they even have to provide formula).

KidCo makes a good food mill; they were the only ones selling baby food mills when we had our first. You can find them online, but I've seen them lately at our Natural Foods store, too. I think our natural foods store actually carries another brand, too, but our first food mill is still quite serviceable.

My daughter is almost 7 months and I send her solids for the babysitter every day. When my daughter was at a licensed daycare, they did not want me to bring anything (they get reimbursed if on a food program) so that may impact your decision. I also make all of her food, freezing it in ice cube trays. I have found that if I just fill the cube 1/2 full, it is about what she will eat in a serving, so there is less prep and waste. I use the gerber bowls with snap on lids. I'm pretty sure that they are BPA free, and I know they are microwave safe. I put a serving of fruit or veggie in one and dry rice cereal in another. I put about 1/2 oz or so of breastmilk in a container to be mixed there. I have noticed that the consistancy of the cereal changes as it sits (thins). I also prep all of her bottles ahead of time. Everything goes in a cooler. My sitter has told me how easy it makes things and how much she appreciates it. And this way, I know exactly what she is eating! Good luck & have fun!

Good for you making your own baby food! You should check out onestepahead.com. They have these really cool food storage trays that goes from freezer to microwave to dishwasher. Perfect size too. Hope that helps :-)

My first thought was how about some babyfood jars if you have them? Zip lock bags would be messy when the food thaws out. Other then glass jars or some of the little microwave saft dishes, I am not sure what you could use.

I would send the ceral mix and let her mix it up there. It doesn't have to be refridgerated if it isn't mixed up.

I always just put the cubes into a zip lock and labeled them. Then my day care lady would just put them in one of her bowls in the morning to thaw (sat it in the fridge) and then warm it if it needed it at eating time.

I second the pyrex glass idea. Also, you can get some 1/2 pint canning jars. You won't need to fill them all the way up for a serving, but then you have durable, glass, reusable jars. Canning jar lids do have a small amount of BPA under two layers of paint (I think), but that won't matter if your food does not touch the lid.

I always sent my home made babyfood in breast milk storage bags. My daycare would then put the bag in a croc pot to warm it. After it was warm they then put it in a regular bowl and feed. Warn your daycare that it will heat quick. As for cereal if they are not on the food program they are not required to provide cereal. I would send a box of cereal and breast milk. I would suggest not preparing the cereal ahead of time as it seems to get runny as it sits.

Just a confirmation on a previous post. I noticed today while buying a baby shower gift that indeed the Gerber Bunch of Bowls sets are labeled BPA free. They are a nice small size, usable for a variety of things (my 2 year old still uses them for cereal), and have tightly sealing lids. You don't have to worry about them breaking either since they are plastic.

Does your daycare provider participate in a USDA sponsored Food Program? Is your child signed up for this (you would have had to fill out a form and should have recieved a copy of it, even if you are providing breastmilk). If your daycare is claiming your child on this program, they need to be providing the meal components (other than breastmilk) once they turn 8 months old. (at that point, cereal and a fruit or vegtable component would be required to claim a breakfast or lunch). If a parent provides all the pieces, then the provider can not claim them for these meals.

There are also many providers who simply prefer parents to provide infant feeding items, or perhaps do not participate in the food programs for various reasons.

I am a licensed child care provider, and what works for me, is to provide the components, as per Food Program regulations AND parent preferences, as long as they are reasonable. In recent years, I buy organic store bought baby cereal..rice or mixed or oatmeal, etc...whichever the parent prefers or the baby seems to prefer...as long as I can readily purchase it as needed. And for the last 2 years, I make all of my own baby food as well. Just as you described...freezing it in ice cube trays, then I transfer it to freezer bags labled with the contents and dates.

Anyways..sorry so long.....I would suggest, if you haven't already..talking further with your care provider about all of this. Maybe she would prefer you just bring her a box of the dry cereal you prefer labled with your childs name, and for you to bring baggies with cubes of frozen foods once a week? She certainly has bowls and baby spoons, right? and space for say...2 quart sized freezer baggies each week in her freezer? Then theres no washing of your bowls and lids and making sure its all returned and such.....for me, as a provider, thats more than I would want to worry about in my busy day....

I know for me, I prefer to either supply items myself (food, cups, bottles, pacifiers...everything but diapers, generally around here)..and not have a diaper bag of supplies coming daily..I want my supplies stocked at least for the week, if not longer time periods.

Sorry so long...YIKES...got away from me there!!!!

I used to microwave in the Gerber plastic bowls until the whole BPA scare. Now though, I never use anything but glass bowls in the microwave. Pyrex makes great glass bowls with lids in 1 cup and 2 cup sizes (a little pricey though). There is a brand called Anchor sold at Target stores (and target.com) that also makes really nice glass bowls with lids in the 1 and 2 cup sizes that I use every single day.