Use Leftover Baby Food

If your baby has moved rather quickly to table foods and/or more chunky foods, you might now find yourself with a cupboard full of baby food jars, or a freezer full of homemade pureed food cubes that your baby no longer wants to eat. Don't toss the baby food out! You can use the baby food for baking and in the creation of other culinary items. You can also get creative and even make a body or face scrub. Or, you can consider donating the food to a person in need.

Steps

Using Leftover Fruit Baby Food

1. Make it into a spread. Using a butter knife or spoon, remove baby food from the jar and spread it on a piece of toast, bagel, or cracker. Single-fruit baby foods, such as apricot and banana, work particularly well as spreads. The natural sugar content is high enough to mimic a store bought jam and the consistency is thick enough to stay on the top of bread without being totally absorbed.
   • This also makes a great toddler snack. Cut up the bread with spread into long, thin pieces or small squares for a healthy “finger-food."
2. Use it as a drizzle or dipping sauce. Take a spoon and drizzle baby food with a smooth consistency and complimentary flavor, such as pear, over a baked chicken or even a dessert, like a tart. Or, take the baby food out of the jar and place a small amount of it on a plate to be used as a dipping sauce with veggie sticks, chicken nuggets, etc.
   • Feel free to add additional spices to the baby food to amplify its flavor as a dip. For example, you could add cinnamon to an apple baby food and then dip French toast sticks into the mixture.
   • If your baby food is Stage 1 and a smooth consistency, it is ready to be used as a side sauce. If it is a Stage 2 or higher (a bit more chunky), place the baby food in a food processor and pulse for a few times to smooth it out. Or, place the baby food in a bowl and whip it with a fork until it is a smooth consistency.
3. Pair it with yogurt or cottage cheese. Get a bowl, add a few spoons of cottage cheese or yogurt, and place some fruit baby food on top. You can eat it as is, or you can mix it all together. This makes an exceptionally healthy snack for children or adults.
   • This recipe is also something that kids can help make. Give them the bowl with the yogurt and a bowl with baby food. Then ask them to mix the two together with spoons. They can taste test the various versions. A warning, though, this process may get a bit messy depending on the age of your child.
4. Blend it into a smoothie. Throw some ice cubes, fresh fruit, yogurt, and fruit baby food into a blender and pulse until smooth. You can also add fruit juice or milk if you prefer. Play with the consistency to see what you like, adding more food or less ice in different versions.
   • You can always make smoothies in bulk and then place them in to-go cups in the refrigerator until you want them. A good combination might be ice, orange juice, pear baby food, fresh strawberries, and plain yogurt.
   • This is another possible food prep activity for kids. Set out all the available ingredients and let your kids decide what to place in the blender. You blend everything together and then let them taste test their creations.
5. Freeze it into popsicles or fruity ice cubes. Get an ice cube tray or plastic popsicle freezer tray. In a bowl or food processor, mix together baby food and fruit juice. Continue until you have a close-to-liquid consistency. Pour the mixture into the trays and freeze at least overnight.
   • You can use the ice cubes with a fruity drink or even water to create additional flavor. The popsicles make a great, cool snack for children and adults. Feel free to include chunkier baby food or even fruit chunks in the mixture; just be careful not to give the final product to young children as it could present a choking hazard.
6. Use it as a healthy sweetener. Keep a few jars of fruit baby food available as a healthy substitute for sugar in your everyday recipes. For example, if you sprinkle sugar on top of your oatmeal for breakfast, try adding a spoonful of pureed apples instead. You will find that you eventually won’t notice the difference in taste at all.
7. Bake with it. You can use baby food in a wide variety of baking recipes. Baby food adds moisture and additional flavor to most baked goods. You can find tons of recipes online by searching “baked goods and baby food” or “baking with baby food.” Look for those recipes with strong reviews and clear instructions.
   • Cookies, cakes, biscuits, pancakes, and breads are just a few baking options when using leftover baby food. For example, banana baby food is a great addition to a traditional banana bread recipe.
   • Use leftover dry baby cereal in place of flour. Just substitute 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of flour with dry cereal.

Using Leftover Vegetable and Meat Baby Food

1. Glaze or marinate with baby food. This can actually work with either fruit or vegetable baby food; however, many people like the idea of ‘hiding’ veggies in this way. Get a cut of meat, season it, place it in a Ziploc bag, add a few jars of baby food, gently shake the bag to coat the meat, and let it sit overnight in the fridge prior to cooking.
2. Hide the baby food in soups. Ramp up the health factor in your run-of-the-mill soup by adding a jar or two of either meat or vegetable baby food. For example, in a vegetable soup you could add a jar of chicken baby food for additional texture and protein. Or, you could add a jar of mushed peas to make the broth taste richer.
   • This is an especially good strategy to use if you have a picky eater who refuses to try certain vegetables. You can introduce the flavors to them in this subtle way and perhaps they will come to enjoy the taste.
3. Add it as a binder to meat recipes. In addition to adding an egg in your meatloaf or hamburger mixture, throw in a jar of vegetable baby food as well. It will help to bind the ingredients together and it will contribute additional flavors and nutrients. For example, in a meatball recipe you might include a jar of green beans.
4. Mix it with eggs. Create an omelet or scrambled egg station with various toppings including cheese, meats, veggies, and baby food. If you add the baby food with these other items, you won’t even be able to taste it and you will get the nutritional benefit. Try to stick with baby foods with a more subtle taste such as mixed vegetables.
   • Add the baby food in to your egg mixture little by little to avoid creating a runny mess. Keep an eye on the eggs to make sure that the baby food doesn’t just burn to the outside and actually mixes in with other ingredients.
   • This is another moment where you can invite your kids to help cook. Set out the ingredient options and let them decide what to add to their eggs.
5. Add it to pasta or rice recipes. After you’ve finished cooking the pasta or rice, and before you add any sauce, mix in some vegetable baby food. It will bind rather quickly with the rice or pasta, adding flavor instantly. Try to pick a baby food that will work well with your sauce selection. For example, a squash baby food pairs well with a spaghetti sauce.

Using Leftover Baby Food in Non-Food Ways

1. Mix up a bath soak. This is an option that will work if you have leftover baby oatmeal or cereal. Run a nice warm bath and pour some of the oatmeal directly into the water (how much you use it up to you). The oatmeal will help to soothe irritated skin. You can also rub it against your skin with a hand towel or loofa to exfoliate.
   • Oatmeal, in particular, can also lessen itching. So, if you or your child comes down with any type of rash, an oatmeal bath may be a good idea. It also has the benefit of being non-toxic in case of ingestion by younger children.
2. Stir together a face and body scrub. Get out a small bowl and add two jars of fruit baby food of your choice. Stage 1 will work the best. Then, add a couple drops of essential oil. Stir together and gradually add raw sugar until it reaches a thick, but moveable consistency. Use this mixture as a face or body scrub while taking a bath or shower.
   • You can also make extra batches and store them for up to a week in a sealed container. If you fill up decorative glass jars this can also be a great gift idea.
3. Create a sensory bin. Pull out a plastic bin and pour in your leftover baby cereals and liquid baby food. Then, let your child play and explore the different textures. Like many sensory activities, this can get quite messy so you may want to put a few towels down or even a plastic shower curtain before getting started. When they are finished, throw away the leftover food and rinse off all items that were used.
4. Use baby food as safe paint. Empty five or so varied colors of baby food into plastic bowls. Set out the bowls on a covered surface along with blank large sheets of paper. Let your child paint with their hands or give them brushes that they can use.
   • This type of art is not meant to last and be displayed. After the creation process is done you will need to throw away the food and art. Rinse off the artist and the utensils used.

Helping Others with Your Leftover Baby Food

1. Give it to a friend or family member. Baby food is expensive and usually lasts for quite a while. If you know someone who is expecting, offer to give them the food. You will help them out and it will clean out your pantry. Just make sure that none of the food is expired and that all of the jars are in good shape without chips, etc.
2. Donate it to a charity organization. Contact your local domestic violence shelter or food bank and ask if they are accepting baby food donations. They will most likely answer with an enthusiastic, “Yes!” If that is the case, drop by the leftover food that you have. Make sure that it is unexpired and not opened.
3. Feed the sick with baby food. Both sick animals and humans can eat baby food as part of a recuperating diet. Baby food is easy to consume and digest, making it ideal for anyone with an illness to overcome. If you feed it to your animal, just make sure that the baby food is non-toxic for them. For example, a beef baby food with onions would not be a good idea for cats.

Tips

• To truly give new life to your baby food, fill up reusable pouches with your leftover baby food. These on-the-go pouches can then be used by your child or by you. Smooth Stage 1 purees work the best for this and empty refillable pouches are available for purchase online.
• You could also buy a cookbook that shows how to ‘hide’ foods within other foods. This would be especially helpful when working with meat or vegetable baby foods.
• Don’t just throw away the empty baby food jars. They are great storage containers for small items, such as paperclips or buttons.

Warnings

• Even as you experiment, make sure to feed your children only age appropriate foods.
• Follow the directions provided on the baby food jar and refrigerate after opening. Do not use a baby food jar after you’ve dipped a spoon into it while feeding as that can contaminate the food inside with germs.

Related Articles

• Deliver a Baby
• Deal With Baby Constipation
• Keep a Food Diary
• Get a Baby to Sleep

References

_Methods_

See also

• Make Baby Finger Foods
• Reduce Toddler Food Throwing Messes
• Mix Baby Cereal
• Get an Infant to Eat More
• Feed a Baby or Infant Solid Food
• Make Healthy Baby Food
• Formula Feed a Premature Baby
• Burp a Newborn
• Store Baby Food
• Wean Your Baby off the Bottle

Read more ...

What links here

• Bottle Nurse a Baby
• Feed a Baby or Infant Solid Food
• Make Baby Food
• Make Healthy Baby Food
• Make Your Own Diaper Cream
• Prepare for the Arrival of a Newborn As a Father
• Soothe a Teething Baby
• Make Baby Finger Foods