Healthy Meals for Babies & Toddlers {Cookbook Review}

(I’m not sure why the picture of the cover does not show up here–if you click on the link it will take you to the website that shows the cover)

I originally picked this book up thinking it would make a nice gift for my sister-in-law and her new baby when she’s ready to start eating solid foods! But after looking it over I may have to keep this one and get her another one! Even though my kids are well beyond the first foods stage, I found the variety of ideas and recipes appealing and they may be for my kids still!

The introduction gives a nice overview of basic sources of nutrition like carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals, fiber and more. It also includes a brief page on basic serving sizes for babies and toddlers and some great charts by age of what types of foods you can introduce to your baby (of course you should always check with your pediatrician first!) It goes on to include some simple tips on cooking, freezing and reheating meals for baby and even touches on allergies and intolerances and vegetarian diets for babies.

What I especially like is the simple layout for the recipes and starting with the basics like infant rice and first purees that you can make yourself from scratch (cheaper and easier than you might think!) Some interesting combinations like pea, bean and zucchini puree or purees and oatmeal cereal. Following chapters include a little more complex flavors like Tomato, Cheese or Vegetable sauce. Moving on to things like Spring Vegetable Risotto or Apple & Plum Yogurt rounds out the offerings for more than just the basics. For the self-feeding stage, Breadsticks with Dip (Hummus, Avocado, Beet) or Mini-meatballs and Sauce. For the toddlers on up, Simply Super Sandwich Fillings (like Crunchy Tuna, Fruity Cheese Spread or Egg & Bacon) or Tex-Mex Rollups are simple to prepare and a great way to keep exposing children to different flavors and textures.

Every recipe has a picture which is makes everything just more appealing. This book is definitely a keeper and a winner for parents with children of all ages!