Seeking Babyfood Cookbooks, Recipes, Websites
More on getting kids to eat fruits & veggies, especially in the earlier years, an urbanMama asks:
I am wondering if any mama's out there have come across any baby food cook books or websites that do a good job of combining veggies, proteins, good fats, whole grains, fiber, etc to maximize vitamins, fiber and all that. I know its so important when starting solid foods to remember that they are not a replacement to breast milk but a supplement. Pound for pound nothing can come close to the nutrition of breast milk of course. I would love to find some ideas for creative recipes that help develop their little taste buds (combining nutritious with yummy to appeal to that sweet tooth most babies have, etc) and still have well rounded meals.
Are there any go-to favorites for kid-friendly cookbooks or websites, especially for early eaters?
Feeding the Whole Family is a really good book, and very much into using whole foods to incorporate nutrition for the whole family. Super Baby Food (by Yaron, I think) is just about babies, and it goes month by month, and she is very nutrition aware.
Posted by: catmom | June 16, 2007 at 08:39 AM
I second the recommendation of Super Baby Food - it's an excellent book for guidelines, though I didn't follow it strictly, and gave it away after about a year. It just gives you a good framework for babies through toddlers, and some great ideas.
Posted by: Sara | June 16, 2007 at 08:42 AM
I too have really enjoyed the Super Baby Food book.
Have fun!
Posted by: Tana | June 16, 2007 at 08:47 AM
if you're still breastfeeding and eating a good diet yourself I don't know that you need to worry TOO much about what your baby eats when he/she starts solid foods. just try to offer lots of different things, and, in my opinion, not too much bland "baby food". if you expose your kid to adult foods from the start you might be less likely to end up with a picky toddler.
Posted by: sarah | June 16, 2007 at 08:47 AM
The Super Baby Food book is great. Good luck!
Posted by: Rosanne | June 16, 2007 at 09:05 AM
I loved the Organic Baby & Toddler Cookbook, which I originally checked out from the library and then ended up buying a copy... I reviewed it on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Baby-Toddler-Cookbook/dp/0789471906
It does meet your need of having lots of protein-rich and well-balanced recipes, and organizes them by age, although I didn't use all organic ingredients when I cooked from it. shhh! ;)
I guess you'll just have to wait for my book, "food for ungrateful children," that I want to publish one day! hehe.
Posted by: sarah gilbert | June 16, 2007 at 02:17 PM
While I have and like the Super Baby Food, its a long read and a bit too busy for me. My favourite book has been 'Boost Your Childs Immune System" by Lucy Burney. Its an easy read, comprehensive and talks about nutrition from birth to teens. I love the layout and the recipes are easy.
Posted by: lara | June 16, 2007 at 06:45 PM
One of my favorites is Simply Natural Baby Food by Cathe Olson. It's small, but packed with lots of good recipes. And I second the Feeding the Whole Family book. Good luck! This is a fun time.
Posted by: Emily Flippin Maruna | June 16, 2007 at 07:49 PM
what good timing! i was wondering the same thing myself...also, while we're at it, i remember seeing these great little hand-held pureeing devices back before i was a mama...i am now thinking that would be a handy thing to own, but where would i look? what did you guys do? thanks!
Posted by: vivian | June 17, 2007 at 10:48 AM
They sell those baby food mills all over the place - I'm pretty sure I've seen them at Mother Earth on Clinton Street (the place that sells diaper wraps and slings), at Segals, and I'm pretty sure the baby superstores carry them, too.
Posted by: catmom | June 17, 2007 at 11:48 AM
I can't speak highly enough of the baby food mill. I bought mine at New Seasons for my second and it was great. Whatever we had for dinner, he did too. He's a much better eater than my first. With the first, I spent loads of time making baby food from recipes, pureeing, freezing, etc. He's the pickiest eater out there! I think it's the approach that makes the difference. I wasn't nearly as careful and worried about everything the second time around.
Posted by: Tracy | June 17, 2007 at 02:17 PM
I also had high hopes for Super Baby Food but also found it overwhelming. I much preferered Better Baby Food by Daina Kalnins, RD. There's also a sequel out for older kids. I have a foods degree and was extremely impressed with the simple menus and advice from registered dietitians in the book. I still use it for meal ideas and my son is now three.
Posted by: Amanda | June 17, 2007 at 07:32 PM
Feeding the Whole Family is my new favorite cookbook. It is good for coming up with meals for the entire family, so may be better for when you are doing more food, but I highly recommend it.
Posted by: Caitlin | June 17, 2007 at 08:05 PM
I came across a company on the web that home delivers fresh baby food that I think is organic. The thing I liked about it best is that it is not frozen and our baby loved it. The website is www.gaiababyfood.com.
Posted by: Jamie | June 18, 2007 at 08:38 AM
I HATED super baby food. It felt alarmist in some places and weirdly lax in others. I recommend checking it out of the library before you buy it.
Posted by: becky | June 18, 2007 at 03:31 PM
I was just at New Seasons, and they had the baby food mill in the kids' section for about $17. It is useful but I'm thinking you might be able to get a better deal at one of the baby resale stores - I think I've seen them there, too.
Posted by: catmom | June 18, 2007 at 09:19 PM
I too felt completely overwhelmed by Super Baby Food, so I was selective with what information I pulled from it. Dedicated to making as much baby food as possible at home, I decided to give the Fresh Baby kit food a try. Loved it! I successfully made apples, pears, sweet potatoes, mango, winter squash, yellow squash and peas last night within about an hour and a half. The kit comes with a book that has an easy-to-read layout with a plethora of information that isn't overwhelming. I felt so good about the process and highly recommend the kit. Best thing is it is available at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and even Target.
More info on Fresh Baby here:
http://freshbaby.com/
Posted by: westsidemum | June 19, 2007 at 10:26 AM
I highly recommend you check out wholesomebabyfood.com for easy to follow guidelines and recipes. That was all I used for my son (now almost 3) and have started using with my 10mo old daughter. They also have another website - wholesometoddlerfood.com
Posted by: Mary | June 24, 2007 at 10:21 AM
Has anyone seen any first finger foods for babies like rice puffs, etc. that aren't Gerber and are organic and not full of sugar? I haven't seen anything other than the rice cereals - no finger food. Is it okay to give a baby cheerio-type cereal with honey in it, or is that type of honey still a risk?
Posted by: Andrea | February 12, 2009 at 03:13 PM
I returned Super Baby Food...too complicated but I found this site that gives me great information and Ben is enjoying homemade organic food.
http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/
Posted by: Jessica | February 18, 2009 at 06:10 AM
A website that is pretty enjoyable is http://www.weelicious.com - the host posts videos and provides quick demonstrations of her food prep.
Posted by: Jessica | February 18, 2009 at 09:02 PM
Top 100 Babyfood Purees has lots of easy and tasty recipes for baby (and I'd eat a lot of it too!) http://www.amazon.com/Top-100-Baby-Purees-Healthy/dp/0743289579
Posted by: Alyssa | March 17, 2010 at 09:32 AM
I am such a huge fan of my Beaba Babycook appliance. It is expensive, tho I received it as a gift, but it comes with a nice little recipe pamphlet to get the creative juices flowing. Beyond that, the Cooking for Baby cookbook is a good one that is a quick, simple read with easy recipes. I also really enjoy using the Wholesome Baby Food.com website. For me, though, all of these resources just let me to creating my own recipes out of the produce I get weekly from Organics to You. Also, cubes of avocado, tofu, bananas, soft peaches and pears, steamed carrots and yams, etc. make terrific finger foods that aren't loaded with sugar like the Gerber stuff. I've blogged about homemade baby food and other young-people nutrition. http://secretmommy.blogspot.com
Posted by: Secret Mommy | March 17, 2010 at 06:18 PM