Organic Baby & Toddler Cookbook

Just, April 11, 2006

By 

E. M. Fullante “momof3weeones” (Hamilton, MT United States) –

  

I was excited to find an organic cookbook for babies and toddlers, hoping to find some new inspiration and/or healthful recipes for my 3 kids (all under the age of 4). I did glean a few new healthy ideas from this cookbook, but was really surprised about some of the things suggested to feed a 4 to 7 month old baby. For example, I can’t wait to try the hummus recipe for my 4 year old and 22 month old. The recipe isn’t that original in any way, it’s more that I hadn’t thought about making hummus in awhile. But, one of the first recipes suggested to make in the 4 ot 7 month old category is a rice cereal with raspberries and strawberries. For a baby that young?? Yet, off to the side there is a note saying something about needing to remove all seeds from fruits because babies at this age cannot process seeds comfortably since they are so young. I don’t know many moms willing to pick the seeds off of strawberries. Most of the recipes for young babies contain multiple ingredients, including olive oil, oregano or other spices and I have always read/heard that you introduce one food at a time using the 4 day wait rule in case of allergies. Much of the same is found throughout this age category of recipes.

There is quite a bit of information about organic food and the pros of feeding it to your children, which is great, however overall I don’t feel like the author has a really good feel for what kids should be eating at what age. And it seemed like there were so many recipes for an oatmeal or rice breakfast, all with very little variation.

So if you’re looking for a book to go by age and appropriate ingredients, try Ruth Yaron’s Super Baby Food. If you are looking for a book with a few recipes for your toddler or preschooler, this is an ok choice. The one thing that is very consistent is that the measurements for each recipe tell you how to make just a tiny amount needed to feed your little one.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

|

 Comment (1)

Great recipes, some poor advice, February 20, 2005

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.

*Update*
Regardless of the author’s nationality, there is no excuse for not using current information when dishing out nutritional advice for babies. If you do not intend to check with the most authoritative, trusted sources for the most up-to-date recommendations, then you should refrain from offering breastfeeding and weaning advice and stick to recipes. The author of this book has taken it upon herself to dispense breastfeeding and weaning advice, and she therefore has a responsibility to get it right. La Leche League is recognized as the world’s foremost authority on all things breastfeeding and is an international organization, not just American. There is no reason the author couldn’t have used LLL as an…

Read more

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

|

 Comments (7)