Subtitle: Wholesome, Homemade, Delicious Foods for 6 to 18 Months.
The subtitle says it all. It's exactly what this book provides especially if you want to start your child's diet with a clean, healthy slate. If you are looking for quick and easy meals made with less expensive, more refined or common ingredients then you will find some recipes useful, but probably won't want to spend the money on this book unless you're looking to expand your culinary horizons or make healthful changes to your diet.
- Contains recipes using whole grains
- More than half the recipes go beyond the brief pureed foods stage
- Colorful pictures
- Easy-to-follow directions
- Lots of tips and helpful general nutrition information
- Cooking techniques that may not be familiar to all readers
- Some ingredients may be hard to find in some areas
- Nutrition information (calories, fat, vitamins, etc.) for recipes not listed
- Chapter One: Introducing Solids
- Chapter Two: First Tastes
- Chapter Three: New Flavors
- Chapter Four: New Textures
- Chapter Five: Real Meals
- Appendix: Key Nutrients for Young Babies
Some of these dishes -- like "Lentil Burgers with Mint-Yogurt Sauce" -- aren't going to make it onto your child's high chair every week unless you are already vegan / vegetarian or regularly prepare foods using these ingredients. Some recipes, though, are wholesome versions of toddler staples like "Mac & Cheese" or "Little Dippers Fish Fingers" that can help you make the transition from less healthy to more wholesome fare. Some recipes are simple like "Blackberry and Ricotta Parfait." It reminds you to serve foods in a different way; Ricotta isn't just for lasagna, after all. For guidance, there are colorful pictures of nearly every recipe.
Some recipes I found to be a little complicated. I like to think my cooking skills are above average, but two attempts at "Buckwheat Crepes" were a bit of a mess. If you're busy, don't cook much or don't like to cook, you'll find yourself avoiding these recipes. Also, if that sounds like you, ingredients like buckwheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, millet, quinoa, amaranth, flaxseed meal, goat cheese and toasted wheat germ aren't likely to reside in your pantry and may be hard to find at some grocery stores.
If you're looking to expand your child's horizons and possibly your own, however, the recipes are simple and delicious so it'll be well worth it to go out of your way to give these new tastes a try. (Bonus: These ingredients are also quite nutrient dense.) If this doesn't sound like you, then once past puree territory, you may find this book isn't worth your money.
