https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 24 Apr 2026 05:10:36 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2601829 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 12:51:48 +0000 alphagam84 2601829@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@DesertDreams88: I make my own baby food as well and have never been concerned about reusing it. I do it all the time with her stuff. I feel safer doing it with what I make as I know it's fresh. It's not like they are fragile and more prone to sickness than adults and everyone eats food and then eats more of it later. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2601814 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 12:31:32 +0000 SweetiePie 2601814@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do it within 24 hours. Throw away after that.<br /> I thought that's what the jars and pouches said to do? But it's been a while so I'm not confident :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2601811 Wed, 10 Aug 2016 12:27:29 +0000 alphagam84 2601811@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <br /><p><i>This comment has been deleted by the original poster.</i></p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2601414 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 20:06:37 +0000 magnolia 2601414@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do it all the time... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2601374 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 18:52:33 +0000 caterw 2601374@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was crazy about this with DD, and I probably won't be with my second baby... I think as long as you put it away immediately and use the rest the same day you should be OK! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2601353 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 18:17:41 +0000 Trailmix 2601353@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Definitely didn't know this was a thing and definitely did it all the time when mine were little! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2601347 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 18:11:01 +0000 KT326 2601347@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@DesertDreams88: I never made my own baby food, just used the jars, and I always did this. Especially in the beginning when he would sometimes eat a whole jar and sometimes not. If it is refrigerated and consumed in the same day I don't see a problem with it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2601339 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 17:52:08 +0000 mauxie 2601339@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With my first baby, I was a stickler with these rules but now with LO3, I think it's fine if consumed within 24 hours :) especially since they are refrigerating? </p> <p>For the most part, if I know LO will only eat half, I portion it out into another bowl first. Maybe you could do that for them? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2601211 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 14:21:47 +0000 DesertDreams88 2601211@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Haha ok good! I don't want to waste food, but I don't want to get my baby sick! I wonder if it is different for homemade food vs. commercially prepared food. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2601209 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 14:19:22 +0000 arosebyany 2601209@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I also had no idea this was a thing! DS always eats half, and then I refrigerate and offer the next half at dinner! I just always went by the 24 hour rule! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2601161 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 13:12:29 +0000 pachamama 2601161@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@DesertDreams88: I do this all the time. I even warm food up and give it throughout the day. No problems at all! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2601128 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 12:19:49 +0000 Adira 2601128@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did this all the time. Anything within the 2-3 days that they can be kept after open for is totally fine in my book! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2601049 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 10:03:57 +0000 lovehoneybee 2601049@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't realize this was a thing. We regularly split jars...she'll eat half each of two types of food per meal (so like half a jar of sweet potato and chicken and half a jar of pears for lunch, and then the rest at dinner). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2601024 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 09:16:47 +0000 snowjewelz 2601024@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Food? Oh we totally would feed from the same container in one day. We make our purees so we usually don't keep them overnight anyway. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2601022 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 09:15:07 +0000 Mrs. Goose 2601022@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do within a 24 hour window. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2601018 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 09:11:00 +0000 alphagam84 2601018@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think there's anything wrong with that and have totally done that. Anything within 24 hours is fine in my opinion and I know our daycare can keep offering food from one container for 24 hours. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2601000 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 08:44:50 +0000 avivoca 2601000@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did this a lot. If she didn't eat it the second time, it got tossed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2600999 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 08:44:22 +0000 mrsrain 2600999@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We would do this if using it within 12 hours.</p> <p>I would just ask them to put it in a bowl first to avoid introducing germs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2600975 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 08:01:14 +0000 Maysprout 2600975@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've done this a lot. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2600972 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 07:51:08 +0000 ShootingStar 2600972@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think a couple hours is going to cause any problem. I think within 24 hours is fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2600964 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 07:32:01 +0000 JenGirl 2600964@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do this frequently and don't worry about it, so long as it's used the same day. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2600956 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 07:06:41 +0000 LulaBee 2600956@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't know this was a thing. I serve DD2 food out of a jar that's been used up to 2 days after opening. Oops! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2600940 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 06:00:10 +0000 ValentineMommy 2600940@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If it's being served the same day, I think it's fine.</p> <p>If you are worried, could you just split it up into two containers before giving it to your parents to serve? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2600928 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 04:55:29 +0000 BSB 2600928@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So I've done this in the beginning to save food but have you ever tried the food if their saliva comes in contact with it and it sits? After accidentally trying a bite (it got on my hand and I licked it), the saliva totally changed the way it tastes. It was gross tasting! If I know they aren't going to finish the whole container and I want to use it again at another serving, I'll try to take a clean spoon and split it into another bowl. If not, I trash it. The saliva really breaks down the food. Which is cool (because of the nerd in me) but not tasty for me or my babies.</p> <p>Oh, I didn't think it was a food safety issue. On the food pouches, it says it should be used within 24 hours of opening. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2600927 Tue, 09 Aug 2016 03:53:43 +0000 Foodnerd81 2600927@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've been wondering the same thing. If I don't know if she will like something or think she might not finish it (like its her second container of the meal) I try to pour it into another container for serving so the uneaten portion is "clean", but I still use it within 24 hours. But sometimes I'm surprised that she doesn't finish something and I do what you just mentioned- refrigerate to right away and serve at the next meal. If she was very young or ill I'd worry but at almost 8 months and generally healthy I feel like it's ok. But I'm not really sure, to be honest. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2600915 Mon, 08 Aug 2016 23:39:46 +0000 BabyTsMom 2600915@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think it's a big deal, especially since it was only a few hours between breakfast and lunch and it was refrigerated during that time. But I guess I did this sort of thing when my LO was eating purées. Now if it had been left out for a few hours, then I would be more concerned.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2600914 Mon, 08 Aug 2016 23:27:02 +0000 DesertDreams88 2600914@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PinkElephant: yeah, I have a ton of small plastic containers that I use for my homemade baby food. I will try to remind them again of that option and show them the containers again. I think they just thought it was no big deal bc they just think of it as leftovers.</p> <p>I don't know if they pre-plannded to serve 1/2, or they thought he would eat it all. I pre-portion all of his days food and milk for them, this was some additional food they chose to serve bc he was fussy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2600912 Mon, 08 Aug 2016 23:09:56 +0000 PinkElephant 2600912@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I always tried not to do this, but would re-use the same jar within the same day and not worry if I forgot to separate the food before sticking a spoon used for feeding back into it. Usually I just tried to halve the jars. Can you provide the caregivers with some small glass or plastic, dishwasher safe, containers with kids to make this easier for them to do? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2600909 Mon, 08 Aug 2016 23:03:29 +0000 JoyfulKiwi 2600909@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So I definitely didn't know this was a safety recommendation. I've never tossed baby food like that for either kid and my older one was never ill from it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/saving-and-re-serving-partially-fed-food#post-2600906 Mon, 08 Aug 2016 22:58:47 +0000 youboots 2600906@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Usually if I knew she was only going to eat half I would feed it in another container so bacteria would not be in the jar. But she mostly are pouches- which I would refrigerate for up to 24 hours. I don't think it's a big deal- but you are the mom and its your call. </p>