Traveling with a baby is exciting, but managing their meals in a new city can feel challenging. Finding suitable food and hygiene are already a challenge and ensuring proper nutrition just adds to it.
One simple fix is to prepare homemade baby food premixes before you leave. They are easy to carry, quick to cook and let you offer different meals without depending entirely on packaged food.
You can also ask your hotel to steam vegetables or make plain rice, and carry sterilizing bags to keep bottle cleaning simple. Most Hotel staff are more than happy to cook your baby’s food for you.
Read on to find the 5 premixes Dietitian Sheenam packed for her family trip:
5 Recipes of healthy baby food Premixes for traveling
1. Daliya Vegetable Premix
Daliya gives carbohydrates and fibre, and pairing it with moong dal makes a filling meal. Cook it with whatever fresh vegetables you find locally, so it never tastes the same twice.
- Ingredients: 1 cup daliya (broken wheat), 2 tbsp moong dal, 1 tsp jeera
- Prep: Wash and dry completely. Dry roast until aromatic, grind to a slightly coarse powder and store airtight.
- To cook: Mix 2-3 tbsp premix with water and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add grated carrot, peas, pumpkin or lauki. Finish with a little ghee if desired.
2. Ragi Banana Instant Mix
Ragi is a good source of calcium, and banana adds natural sweetness, so no extra sugar is needed. It is a soft, quick porridge that works well for breakfast on the go.
- Ingredients: 1 cup ragi flour, 2 tbsp poha, 5-6 almonds (optional)
- Prep: Dry roast the poha and almonds separately. Mix with ragi flour, grind fine and store airtight.
- To cook: Cook the premix with water or milk for 3-4 minutes, making sure the ragi is thoroughly cooked. Add mashed banana and a little ghee if desired.
3. Makhana Poha Comfort Mix
Makhana and poha make a light, easy-to-digest combination. This one needs very little cooking, which makes it ideal for hotel rooms and long travel days.
- Ingredients: 1 cup makhana, 1 cup thick poha, 1 tbsp chana dal
- Prep: Dry roast all three separately until crisp. Cool and grind to a fine powder. Store airtight.
- To cook: Add hot water and cook for 5-7 minutes until soft and fully cooked. For a sweeter version, add mashed banana or steamed apple.
4. Dal Rice Travel Mix
Dal rice is a familiar comfort food in most Indian homes. This premix gives you a khichdi-style meal in minutes, using just a few ingredients.
- Ingredients: 1 cup rice, ½ cup moong dal, 1 tsp jeera, a pinch of haldi.
- Prep: Wash and dry the rice and dal completely. Roast separately with jeera and haldi, cool and grind coarse.
- To cook: Cook 2-3 tbsp premix with water for 5-6 minutes until completely soft. Add freshly cooked vegetables and a little ghee if desired.
5. Multigrain Vegetable Booster Mix
If you want to carry just one premix, this is the one. It combines grains and lentils, and you can turn it into either a sweet or a savoury meal depending on what’s available.
- Ingredients: ½ cup each of daliya, ragi, makhana and poha, plus 2 tbsp moong dal.
- Prep: Dry roast all ingredients separately. Cool completely, grind medium-fine and store airtight.
- To cook: Sweet: cook with water or milk and add mashed banana or apple. Savoury: cook with water and add carrot, spinach or pumpkin.
Important note
Please adapt these recipes to your baby’s age, feeding stage and allergy history.
- Daliya contains gluten and almonds are a common allergen, so introduce them the right way and keep textures age-appropriate.
- Do not add salt or sugar for babies under one year, and use pasteurised milk where appropriate.
- Drying and roasting do not make premixes sterile, so use clean, dry, airtight containers, carry small portions, prepare meals fresh and never leave cooked baby food at room temperature for long.
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