Feeding Baby Food

I have a day/night bottle warmer that also warms baby food through steaming it to a certain degree. It comes with handy measurement viles so you know how much water to put in to heat the food. Either way thats an option and if you microwave it I would suggest very small time intervals till you find something that makes the food warm and stir it a lot after you warm it to prevent hot spots. Also, I usually just through the left overs in the fridge again or I will portion out a certain amount of food into his little bowl and warm that instead of the whole amount.

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I think it's okay to warm it up in the microwave. I put the jar in the microwave for ten seconds just to take the chill off of it. I have a high powered microwave so it does not take long to get food hot so it just depends on your microwave. Start off with a few seconds stir the food to even the heat, test it and go from there.

Hello,It is recommended not to feed from the jar and put it back in fridge for later,dish out what you'll think baby will eat then cover the jar put the jar into the fridge.This causes cross contamination,you see we have germs in our mouths and it's not good for baby, saliva get's on spoon back and forth into mouth and jar GROSS.You can give baby fruit cold or room temp. we like it that way,with veggies and meals I usually put in hot water if that doesn't work put in microwave for only 5 sec or so make sure it is stirred and not to hot just like warmer than room temp. Good Luck
Wife ____@____.com mama of 2

I didn't warm up baby food - figured if I never did it she wouldn't know the difference. She always ate things cold and I had no problems while she was eating baby food. As I started feeding her more adult food (she's 2 now), her mouth was really sensitive to heat. If the food was just a little warm she would spit it out and say it was 'hot.' That lasted a couple of months and now everything is fine. For me, it was worth all the time saved not warming things up for many months.... but there was the little drawback I wanted you to be aware of.

Oh - and I'd read NOT to warm things up in the microwave. I guess the microwave doesn't heat things evenly so you could test one bite and it feels fine but another bite might scald them. My friend that did warm up the food would put the jar hot water.

I have never reheated baby food. My son is fine with his food being cold, but unfortunately not all babies like cold food. I would put a little in a bowl and heat it for 10 sec or so at a time until it's at the desired temperature. But I do believe I have seen instructions on most jars that you can reheat it in the jar itself.

I don't think that it is recommended to microwave baby food because it can heat unevenly. Try putting the jar, lid on tight, in a bowl of hot water for a bit. It probably won't make it warm but it will take the chill off.

I used the microwave to reheat my daughters food. You just have to make sure that you stir it well and make sure that there are no hot pockets in it. That is what I did and never had a problem. If you warm it up and they don't eat it all them I would throw it out and not reheat for a 2nd time.

I had a little steamer that I believe was made by Parent's Choice (I gave it away over a year ago and can't remember if that's the brand for sure). I bought it at Target. It was made specifically to warm up bottles and baby food jars. It took less than 5 minutes and was really a handy little gadget. I would suspect they carry the same type of thing at WalMart or Toys R Us. I used it with my last 2 babies and wished I had known about it for my 1st. I can find out more specific info. if you need me to. Just email me privately at ____@____.com and put baby food warmer in the subject line. Hope this helps!

T.

I made my baby food for my kids and froze it in ice cube trays. To heat it up I used an egg poaching pan...The little egg compartments were the perfect size (when they got bigger I used two or three sections) for the kids' portions.

I don't think it took very long to heat up either.

It kind of depends on the amout of food left and the size of the jar, but 7-10 seconds in the microwave takes the chill off of it. Just make sure to stir it and test it before you start feeding. The jar may feel hotter than the food actually is. Usually there are instructions on the back side of the label too, so you can peel that off and check the recommendations from the manufacturer.

I would spoon out what you think the baby will eat in one feeding, and just microwave it for seconds just enough to take the chill out of it. If its fruit I would give cold unless the baby wont take it cold then you can do the same.

I never heated it. If I wanted it warmer I would let it sit out about 10 min before feeding time began. my friend microwaved it for 10 sec. so I have heard of warming it up just make sure to stir it first to mix the cold bottom with the warm top.

You can microwave it in another bowl as long as you check every 8 to 10 seconds and stir it every time until warm (not hot). Just be SURE you take what you will be feeding out of the jar with a clean spoon to heat it. DO NOT put a spoon in the jar that has been in contact with your baby's mouth. The saliva causes the food to break down and harbor germs that can be dangerous to feed a baby later! You can always get another clean spoon and feed your little one more if needed.

I always gave it to my kids cold. I wouldn't microwave anything that is in plastic. You could just run the container under hot water to get it slightly warm.

When my kids were little I used to take the left over baby food and put the jar into a pan of water on the stove and heated it that was till the chill was off the food

This works for veggies and meats. If you heat you a pan of water and set the jar down in side of it for a little while, that will warm the babie's food with you in control of the temp. I think you will probably find they will eat it better, that always worked for me. Mom of three and now grandma of 5..

Hi, S..

I put baby food from a jar to a small plate for a baby to warm it up in the microwave and stir the food to make sure it is not too hot (or even try a little bit myself). It is true that it possiblly gets too hot partially (that's why I think it's important to stir well). I admire you that you are a single mom doing everything by yourself. Please keep it up, take very good care of yourself as well as your little one, and stay happy!

My children are now 8 and 10. I used the microwave to warm their leftovers. Just remember to be careful that you mix it well (you don't want hot spots), and test the temp before feeding. Setting in warm water is also a great way to warm the food.

The microwave will work for heating, but take the baby food out of the jar! This is where most new mommies make their mistake. If you heat anything in a cylindrical container, you will get "hot spots" that can seriously harm your child. Please do not heat any of you child's food unless it is in a shallow dish or on a plate, and stir and TEST before feeding. Microwaves are much more powerful now than they were when my kids were little, and I was still very cautious when using mine. Good Luck!
Kimmer-(two children, 19 and 16)

I have a three old little girl and what I did with the baby food is put a little in a bowl and warm it in the microwave for 10 second increments untill it was just right. That way you aren't reheating the same food.

I put it in the microware at 1/2 power and heat for about 10 -15 seconds at a time, stirring and checking the temp by dropping a bit on my inner wrist. Or you can put the jar in a small pan of water (have the water come about half way up the side of the jar) and heat on stove. Wait a minute! I just realized your baby is only 4 months old. You should wait until 6 months before offering food. The longer you hold off the less chance of allergies, stomach problems, rashes, ect.
D.-mother 0f 9

Hi S.,

I never kept it, if I fed them from the jar I didn't keep it. I was afraid if they had a virus of some kind that hadn't shown up yet it provided the perfect breeding ground for it, so I would just throw it away.

Now if I spooned it out onto a plate or another container that was different. But also when you use the microwave it takes away the nutritional value of what you are feeding. If I did need to warm it up I would put water in a pan and bring it to almost boiling and then put the jar in there of what was left over (with the lid on) Hope this helps W.

If you feed from the jar you are not to keep it. but if you put it in a bowl to feed, just start out with small amounts untill you can guess about how much baby will eat at one time. whatever is left in the jar can be put in the frig. I always warm the baby food up a little. you can make sure the lid is on really good and put it in hot water. i have microwaved it as well but only 5sec. at a time. and stir it very well. also make sure its not to hot before feeding. hope this helps..

I never warmed his food up, until I got to those Gerber Entrees. Everything else was room temp or cold from the fridge.

okay so.....I have a son...he is 6 now. There was some debate about heating bottles and food in the microwave when i was a new mommy. I NEVER HAD A PROBLEM USING THE MICROWAVE! The most important thing to remember when you use the microwave is to STIR the food or SHAKE the bottle. and start small with like 10 seconds and so on. ALWAYS test it with your own lips or if the bottle the inside of your wrist. if it to hot for you......it is definetly TO HOT for the baby! The alternative is to put a small pan of water on the stove wait for it to boil and sit the bottle in there for a sec...who wants to do that? The microwave is fine....just remember it heats from the outside in. so the outside will feel so hot but the inside will be cold still. STIR STIR STIR or SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE! you'll be fine!

microwave for 20 seconds and stir, dip your finger in and see if its warm and then put back in at 10 second intervals if needed.
Or boil a small pot of water and remove from heat and place the jar in it and keep stirring and checking. The stirring helps distribute the heat more evenly.
That was the old days for me. The microwave is what I did for my grandchildren. always check to ensure tit's not to hot by testing with your finger.

Hi S.
It is best to avoid the microwave -- not only because it becomes too hot but it destroys the vitamins and nutrition. We used to set the jar (or whatever container it was in) in warm water for a bit and stir. It doesn't take very long to get to a lukewarm temperature this way.
Have fun!

Hi S.,
I usually just heat the refrigerated leftovers in a ceramic (plastic can leach) bowl for 5-8 seconds (depending on the microwave) and then always test it on my finger first. Slightly warmer than lukewarm seems to be a good temp for my 9-month old.
I also warm the newly-opened food for about 5 seconds also. Hope that helps.
K.

I do warm it, but it heats up really quickly so you have to be careful!

Just warm in the mircowave for a few sec. 10-15. Stir, you might have to warm 10 sec more, but feel it first before giving it to your baby.

I always used the microwave. A lot of baby food jars have microwave warming instructions on the jar. I experimented. I started at 15 sec and worked up from there. Just make sure to stir it well to distribute the heat so there are no burns.

Virginia

I am a grandmother now of three children and three grandchildren. We didn't have microwaves when I had babies. I would heat everything in a pan of water. Even if I was a young mother of children and babies today, I am certain I would still do the same. It may take longer but it seems so much safer than microwaves.

S. what I have done and works well is to take a pan or bowl and put hot water in it, then stick the jar of food into the water and let it set. it takes alittle bit but you wont have to worry about hot spots from the microwave.

We always fed it to him cold, and he never had any problems. We also gave him his bottle cold, and soon he came to prefer it that way!

S.,
I did put the jar in the microwave or I dished it out into a bowl. I put it in the microwave for just a very few seconds, then stirred it and put it up to my lips. If it felt to warm, I kept stirring it until I felt that it was a good temperature for our daughter. Also, I didn't worry so much about heating up fruit and desserts, just the veggies. My mother-in-law brought up a good point which I had never thought of. I was feeding our child right out of the baby food jar and then putting it back in the refrigerator until she finished it later. My mother-in-law said that can harbor bacteria in the jar because I was putting the food in my child's mouth, putting the spoon back in the jar, and then saving some for later. Therefore, I started putting it into a bowl instead of feeding it to her out of the jar. Just some added information! Take care.

you can warm it up a little but its best not to use the microwave. Just sit it out a little while before your feeding. Most babies dont like real cold anything unless they are teething. Mother of 5 grandmother of 3

As a mother of four I never warmed up baby food. I never even warmed up the baby bottles; just took them out of the fridge and started feeding. The reasoning behind this was I might be out where it would not be possible to heat the food which then Baby would not eat because it was not the temp he was used to. If you do want to nuke the food just 5 - 10 seconds will take the chill off!

Set the baby food in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes. Or just take it out a couple hours ahead of time.

Congrats on your little one! Whenever you feed baby food, take the portion out of the jar and put into a microwaveable bowl put it on for brief seconds and check so it does not burn the baby. Maybe 12 sec and go from there, if it needs more heating heat it up briefly again. This all depends on the amount you have so you will catch on with how long to leave it in there for. If the little one is still hungry, remove some more from the jar and heat up. I am sure you don't eat your food cold like that so don't expect that for you little one (and avoid belly aches too). Never feed baby directly from the jar UNLESS he/she will eat it all and the reason being that the salvia on the spoon from the baby to jar creates a bacteria infected area to the remaining food if you would put it back into ice box (like double dipping-- a big no no). let me know if you need something else.. you will do fine!!

I used to take the leftovers out of the jar and put it in a bowl to warm it up. It makes it easier to gauge the tempera ture. The fruits I just gave them to him cold, he loved that! But the veggies and other things I warmed those up! Hope that helps.

I couldn't tell by your entry if you are feeding directly out of the jar or not so sorry if you already know this, but did you know that you're not supposed to save food in the jar that has been fed out of? When the baby's drool gets on the spoon and then put in the jar it turns it into a breeding ground for bacteria when you save it in the fridge. It's fine to save it if they haven't eaten out of it. If it's more than they can eat in one serving just pour some into a small bowl, heat it up a few seconds to take the chill off, stir it well, and then just make sure you test it before you put it in their mouth.

I know it's not great news, but you are supposed to throw away any leftovers if you fed out of the jar. The saliva from the spoon you are feeding with continues to break down the food in the refrigerator. You can take the portion out that you will feed the baby and put it in a bowl, saving the rest of the jar for later. I just microwaved mine, stirring it frequently and never more than to just make it lukewarm. Hope this helps!

If I used the microwave (usually on medium high), I warmed it in the jar. Then, I dumped the heated food in a separate bowl and stirred really well (microwaves cause "hot spots"!). Good luck!

S.,

Just put the container in the microwave for a few seconds. Then stir it up really good. To test if it was too hot, I would take the spoon, dip it in the food and then put the food to my lips. If it was too hot for my lips, it was too hot for my baby (who is now 20 months old!).

Enjoy your little one! They become independent way too fast!!
L.

Well I have a 15 month old and she didn't really like anything to be warm so I just put it in the microwave for a few seconds, depending on how much is left, no longer than 10sec with the lid on lightly. But most of the time she ate it right out of the refridgerator. Hope this hepls you I'm also a first time mom.

J.

My daughter has a 2 yr. old and she just put portions on a small plate and in the microwave for about 10 to 12 seconds. Its really not good to refeed from the jar. I think it's best to always portion it out to a plate. Good luck!

wow. 4 months seems a little young yet for babyfood in jars? My 'babies are 11 & 13... i started with rice cereal, with warm milk, and sometimes baby prune juice... then veggies first, so they get used to the taste. you can warm them in the microwave.. but not to hot. stir it really well and let it sit a minute or so. & test it on your own tongue, or a bit to your wrist, like the bottle. Or sit the jar in a bowl of really hot water for a while and stir it well. be sure to reference some books on feeding.. 'what to expect the first year' is a wonderful source of information!

I had a bottle steamer (small plug-in) that also heated jars. it just takes 10-15 sec. it was the perfect (room temp) heat for both bottles and food. I usually put it in a bowl though so I wouldn't waste it and heated it just for a few seconds and stirred. it can get too hot. hope that helps. too warm and they will want it that way all the time- when you are out you don't have microwaves. room temp is fine.

If it a brand new jar I feed it at room temp. Otherwise I have microwave for about 15 seconds, stirred and tested to make sure it was not hot. I shoot for a room temp type warm. My 3 boys never minded my girl is not on solid yet.

hey,S.,first time mom good question theres a couple of diffrent ways i have warmed my babies food i have used the microwave alot to heat babies food i would just warm it for a couple seconds ,stir and warm it for another couple seconds if needed(first know how hot your microwave actully gets) or if you dont want to use the microwave warm the jar food in hot tap water in the sink in a shallow dish it just takes longer so give yourself a little extra time if using this method.

Put it in the microwave for 8-12 seconds at 50% power. Usually works great for me.

before microwaves, I would run hot water in a bowl and set the jar of baby food in there. It would warm up to room temperature after stirring a couple of times. Works great and it never had hot spots.

When my son is done with his food and there is leftover i do still stick in the fridge and when he is hungry i will heat it up in the microwave for about 10 senconds and do temp check and go from there--warmer the better for my 11 mth old.
hope this helps

S. j.

I usually didn't heat up the baby food, just used it at room temperature. Microwaving can cause the food to get too hot, and to heat unevenly so that some areas are hotter than others. My kids didn't seem to care if it was warm or cold. Also, be sure to use a separate dish to feed the baby out of. Put the desired amount of baby food from the jar in a bowl and refrigerate the rest. If you feed directly out of the jar, bacteria from the baby's mouth can contaminate the remaining food and cause illness. Good luck and enjoy the fun and mess of baby food!! Be sure to take pictures of the messy baby, some of my favorites are the ones with all the food on the face!