I agree with some other reviewers, that Cynthia Lair makes a good start but neglects many important whole foods such as yogurt, kefir, free-range beef, wild salmon, etc. The main dishes focus way too heavily on grains, with chicken being the only meat, and seldom, at that. There are some great recipes for adding more veggies to your diet. While the recipes aren't super easy, they're not very difficult, either. As far as the recipes being adapatable for babies, the only comments she makes are to puree some vegetables and grains during the cooking process and set them aside for baby. Most babies graduate from pureed foods in a matter of weeks and begin to prefer finger foods. Her information on why to breastfeed and avoid commercial baby foods and supplements is EXCELLENT, however.
For me, the best part of this book was the dessert section. I have an incurable sweet tooth (that I'm trying to cure). When I began eating whole foods, I cut WAY back on sweets, but I still crave a treat now and then. She gives excellent advice on how to convert your favorite dessert recipes to whole foods by substituting bananas, dates, honey, etc. for the sugar and whole-wheat flour for all-purpose flour. There are also quite a few whole-foods dessert recipes included like cake, cookies, brownies, etc.
The beginning of the book outlines good reasons for switching to whole foods. Unfortunately, she places too much trust in the "food pyramid" promoted by the USDA and encourages a low-fat diet. Many whole foods are naturally high in fat, full of vitamins, and intended to complement the whole foods that are naturally low in fat. She does write, however, that her book is only a starting point and each family needs to do their own research into the healthiest foods for their family. An excellent point.
This book is a good addition to your library of whole foods cookbooks, but please don't let it be your only one. In addition, I recommend "Whole Foods for the Whole Family," "Nourishing Traditions," and "The Maker's Diet."
