Reheating Baby Food: Microwaving vs. Steaming

Eversince Evie had started eating purely un-pureed food (chunks of veggies, fruits, and meat), I see to it that I make them ahead of time which usually lasts for 3 days (veggies specifically). I cooked peas, carrots, corn, broccoli through steaming and boil green beans, drain excess water, let it cool down, store in a plastic container, and off to the fridge. Before, I used the microwave to reheat the food. Most of the time, I heard peas and corns popping inside the microwave, or worse some scary ignition. I had to cover the bowl to prevent it from happening. After reheating the baby food, the peas usually shrunk and wrinkled. Probably because it got overcooked from the reheating itself. Reheating frozen slices of roast chicken was fine, but, some outer part of the meat became dry.

Just recently, we gave her ground beef. Same process was done—cook and freeze them in portions. But when I reheated the meat using the microwave, it turned out dry and overcooked. Something not so pleasant for my daughter's palate. I thought of how to solve the problem, and what came out was the idea of reheating the baby food by steaming instead of microwaving. The result? Perfect! The texture, shape, and taste of the veggies didn't change, and the meat were not overcooked and dry.

Steaming compared to microwaving takes a little bit of effort because I have to boil a pot of water that could take a few minutes. However, the end result is what I wanted for the food to be reheated—tastes fresh, and looks fresh! I'm sticking to it.