Customer Reviews

Eating Expectantly: A Practical and Tasty Guide to Prenatal Nutrition

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book has a lot of information packed into it about pregnancy, nutrition, exercise, breastfeeding, and pregnancy complications. The nutrition information is incredibly useful and practical -- foods are detailed for each essential nutrient needed during pregnancy. The information provided on the related topics is also very valuable and understandable, it helps to have ideas about what may or may not happen and what to think about for planning for breastfeeding and postpartum. The recipes are good, they are simple and easy to prepare with very easy instructions. In addition, nutritional information is detailed for each recipe. At the same time I bought this book, I also bought Hope Ricciotti's "The Pregancy Cookbook"; I have found that the two are very complimentary to each other. While this book leans heavily on valuable and precise information, the other cookbook provides more elaborate and interesting recipes for when you want something special to eat that fits well into pregnancy.

There is not a day that goes by that I don't pick up this book. Whether it's for a quick, nutritious breakfast recipe or tips for eating out, I feel so much more in control of my role in developing my baby. The topics really matter in day to day life. It in no way expects that anyone can have the perfect diet all the time, but helps you do the best you can in any situation. All aspects of pregnancy are covered: each trimester, multiple births, bed rest, and even under weight moms. I cannot recommend this book enough!!! I love it!

Even though I barely ate a thing the first five months of my pregnancy, I didn't worry about nutrition since this book helped guide me to good food choices that I could also stomach. As I began to feel better, I was able to get more creative with my menus and loved trying the nutritionally sound recipes. I particularly liked the suggested menus with titles like, "I don't feel like cooking" or "I feel awful." Very recommended.

This book seems like it was written by a team of strangers- the advice, style, and point of view vary throughout. Pregnant women were advised to avoid alfalfa sprouts completely because of toxins in pesticides, then they appeared (raw) as the main ingredient in a sandwich. Orange roughy was listed as a fish to be avoided due to mercury levels, then it appeared on a list of fish recommended for pregnant women.
The first section is noticibly stronger than the second, and it certainly contains a great deal of useful information. I will probably refer to some sections again, particularly the many charts giving nutrition information for specific foods.

I love this book! Although I bought it to use while I was pregnant, I have used it extensively for my family and also now for my active toddler. There are so many wonderful ideas in addition to the healthy and delicious recipes - every household can use this book!

I recently had the pleasure of meeting the author at a baby fair, and she is as intelligent and committed in person as she is in the text. I truly think this is a must-have book, and suitable for all levels of skill in the kitchen. You CANNOT go wrong with this one!

This book is great. It helps you modify your eating with terrific recipes and even good choices at a variety of fast food chains. She even suggests menus for when you don't feel like cooking or eating.

The best thing about this book is that the guidelines are reasonable. Swinney outlines what your nutrition needs are and how to meet them each trimester, but does not "lay down the law" and make you feel horribly guilty if you can't eat or just don't feel like eating perfectly all the time. A wonderful book.

I read this book while pregnant with my first child and found it to be of great help. There are three main advantages this book has over many others. First, the content. It's accurate and well researched information of nutrition catered specifically to pregnant women. Also the information was written in a concise manner, so you read what really is relevant. Second, the choice of words. It is written in "English", it doesn't confuse you with a lot of high tech nutritional concepts. And third, the format. It has a simple format, easy to read, easy to come back to as reference, easy to enjoy. It's an easy to read book, and the recipes are amazing. Don't miss out.

Although I found the information and recipes in this book very good, I found the type and layout confusing and difficult to read. "Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy" by Elizabeth Somer seems to have the same nutrition information in a very easy to read format. Unfortunately, Somer's book doesn't have much in the way of interesting recipes.

If you actually cook, you might find the recipes in here uninspired. There is a substantial amount of information about nutrition, but personally I find it difficult to translate all that information into decisions about what to have for dinner. The Pregnancy Cookbook, with a condensed chapter on nutrition during pregnancy and lots of delicious recipes, served me much better.