Rating:  Summary: Wonderful cookbook Review: Even if you do not have access to an "organic" store this book is a great recipe resource and also provides easy low cost ways to begin organic. One of the best things about the book is that the foods are quite different from what you would find in the store or at most restuarants and to see your child take to these foods (as well as you) is simply wonderful.
Rating:  Summary: Great recipes! Review: First let me say that there are MANY great sections on nutrition and how to feed your baby/toddler well with wonderful organic foods. Also, the recipes are excellent and my son has enjoyed almost all of the dishes I have made from this book. In some cases the portion sizes and methods are a bit impractical, but she includes prep/cook times and serving suggestions. The first recipe I decided to make for my son was a pasta dish (I bought this book when he was over a year old), and when I looked at the ingredients I realized it was for a SINGLE serving (for a 10 month old). So,I have just decided to make larger portions and freeze some of the leftovers.
Rating:  Summary: Great recipes, some poor advice Review: First off, this cookbook does contain some wonderful recipes for babies and toddlers which are easy and quick to prepare and are very nutritious. However, like other reviewers below, I too take exception to the poor advice given regarding breastfeeding and the nutritional importance of breastmilk. In the introduction the author writes, "I believe there is nothing more important than the quality of the food that we feed our children - their development, health, and happiness depend on it... always use organic ingredients... always use natural ingredients... keep sugar and processed ingredients out of your child's diet for as long as possible." One chapter is entitled, "As Nature Intended".A quote by the author on the back of the book states, "There should be no compromise in what we feed our children." But unfortunately she does not seem to apply any of these principles to what we feed them before they eat solid food. Rather than advising a mother returning to work to pump her breastmilk for her baby, she tells her to switch to formula! Now which is more "natural, organic, and unprocessed", fresh human milk or prepackaged formula? She further states in the first recipe section that "breast or formula milk is the only suitable food during the first four months. After this, your baby needs some solid food in her diet... By four to seven months of age milk alone no longer meets her body's demands for nutrition and energy as she grows." I don't know where she got this information, but it is complete nonsense. First, formula is NOT on a par with breastmilk in terms of "suitability". It is a poor substitute which should only be used by those unable to produce milk of their own. Second, a baby absolutely does not NEED other foods at four months of age, or even at seven. Some babies will want food at four months, others not for a lot longer. My daughter was not interested in solid food until she was eight months old. Breast milk is perfectly sufficient to sustain thriving babies up to a year old with no supplementation. Even at a year, most babies should still be receiving the bulk of their calories from breastmilk, and contrary to the author's advice, breastmilk should be given BEFORE solid food to ensure the infant is receiving the correct fats and cholesterol s/he needs to grow and develop properly. My daughter is now 11 months old and is still about 80% breastfed, and she is certainly not suffering for lack of nutrition -- in fact she is the same size as many 2-year-olds we see around here (22.5lb and 30in, not fat by any means but strong and sturdy).
My other issue is with her treatment of bread. For someone who is so zealous for healthy food, I am at a loss as to why she would promote white bread for young children. She includes a few bread recipes using "brown or white" flour, and states, "Toddlers sometimes prefer simple white bread. Do not get into a battle if that is your child's choice; respect your child's wishes and try something new a month or two later." This is just bad advice. Refined white flour, like refined white sugar and refined white salt, is basically a slow poison. Better advice would be to never even introduce white bread into the child's diet at all; the child can't "prefer" or "choose" what isn't there.
One last caveat: in her "Fresh and Fruity Shakes" recipe she writes, "... rice, soy, and follow-up milks may be substituted", and in the appendices on vegetarianism she also recommends tofu and soy protein. Although soy is high in protein and is a popular milk and meat substitute, recent research indicates it is NOT suitable for infants and children. It contains phytoestrogens which can negatively affect thyroid function, the endocrine system and growth/sex hormones. If a milk substitute is desired, please give your children rice or nut milk instead. If a meat substitute is wanted, it is better to use tempeh instead of tofu as the fermentation reduces the levels of harmful toxins and also increases the good things such as protein content.
Overall, besides the aforementioned exceptions, the recipes in this book are excellent, and as an added bonus there is also a handy seasonal produce chart in the back to guide you in your grocery selections.
Rating:  Summary: Authors introduction to the book Review: Hi! I wrote the book to introduce new parents to the delight of feeding their children tasty combinations of healthy ingredients that are combined in ways to make sure they get the nutrients they need. At Baby Organix we've always followed a philosophy of 'The Parent has a Right to Know what they are feeding their Child' so here's our contribution to how to make babyfoods - its so simple! As well as the recipes there are chapters about how to buy, store and prepare organic ingredients, and menu planners and child development information. I've tried to make it fun and informative about organic food as well as appealing with lots of food values and cooking tips. I hope you enjoy it. I'd welcome all your comments about the recipes and any other way in which the book could be improved. ....
Rating:  Summary: Recipes are worth it! Review: I bought this book hoping to find some fresh ideas for feeding my kids. Bingo. The recipes are fabulous, and definitely worth the $ paid for the rest of the book. I found the book itself to be very preachy about buying organic, which I found odd because chances are if you buy this book, you are already buying organic. As it is, I do not shop organic, and the book certainly did nothing to particularily sway me in that direction.I guess the bottom line is to skip the filler in this book and head right to the recipes- you won't be disappointed.
Rating:  Summary: Recipes are worth it! Review: I bought this book hoping to find some fresh ideas for feeding my kids. Bingo. The recipes are fabulous, and definitely worth the $ paid for the rest of the book. I found the book itself to be very preachy about buying organic, which I found odd because chances are if you buy this book, you are already buying organic. As it is, I do not shop organic, and the book certainly did nothing to particularily sway me in that direction. I guess the bottom line is to skip the filler in this book and head right to the recipes- you won't be disappointed.
Rating:  Summary: Yummy and easy Review: I wish I bought this book sooner! It is just simply a great cookbook with plenty of healthy recipes. The photographs are great. The recipes are easy to make. The author lets you know which ones can be kept in the freezer and for how long. I found plenty of ideas in it for my 1 and 5 year old. Definitely worth buing!
Rating:  Summary: Very good cookbook Review: I wish I bought this book sooner! It is just simply a great cookbook with plenty of healthy recipes. The photographs are great. The recipes are easy to make. The author lets you know which ones can be kept in the freezer and for how long. I found plenty of ideas in it for my 1 and 5 year old. Definitely worth buing!
Rating:  Summary: Yummy and easy Review: I've been making all of my daughter's baby food since she began eating solids and this is one of the two cookbooks I use regularly. She has loved everything I have made out of it - the pasta dishes are her favorite. She also loves the oatmeal and fruit breakfasts which are very easy to make. Each recipe also gives storage information. My only complaint is that she doesn't suggest waiting a few days between introducing new foods (her recipe for first veggies has about 5 different vegetables). This has been a great help in feeding my daughter healthy food. We still use jars sometimes but most of the time we pull this book out.
Rating:  Summary: Beautiful and Informative Review: Like most books published by Dorling & Kindersley this book is a pleasure to read because of the high quality paper and plenty of colour photographs. It is well written and clearly explains the importance of organic food for babies and toddlers. There are many recipes that are original and creative, not just the standard baby food you'd expect. The only thing that was disappointing is that the book did not contain more recipes.
|