The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood: Ten Ways to Get Your Family on the Right Nutritional Track (Sears Parenting Library) [Paperback]

William Sears (Author), Martha Sears (Author), James Sears (Author), Robert Sears (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sears Parenting Library

America's foremost childcare experts present a practical, appetizing, easy-to-follow eating plan for shaping children's tastes and metabolisms toward optimal health.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (September 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316060127
• ISBN-13: 978-0316060127
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.1 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #473,361 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #84 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Health > Diet & Nutrition

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Buyer Beware, December 31, 2007

By 

Kelly "kelly" (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood: Ten Ways to Get Your Family on the Right Nutritional Track (Sears Parenting Library) (Paperback)

I gave this book 2 stars because it is NOT a new book - if you already own Dr. Sears' "The Family Nutrition Book" this book is nothing but a condensed version of that book - there is *nothing* new in here. They just took verbatim parts of that book and re-arranged them to put in this book.

If you already own their other book, this book is completely useless to you. I already have [and love] "The Family Nutrition Book" and I feel like I totally wasted my money on this book.

If you have no books on nutrition, this is a good one, but "The Family Nutrition book" is better because it is more complete and thorough.

I've been irritated for the last half decade at the Sears family just "re-organizing" material from their existing books and selling it to unwary customers as something "new" [a la "The Attachment Parenting Book"]. This book is exactly the same thing.

For those of us who are "die hard fans" and buy all their books, this starts to feel like being taken advantage of after a while.

So, if you want a good, basic nutrition book and don't already have one, this book will fit the bill just fine. If you already own the other book, you will feel cheated to spend your money on this "new" one.

51 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reviewed by Jenny Salyers, January 25, 2007

By 

Front Street Reviews www.frontstreetreviews.com - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood: Ten Ways to Get Your Family on the Right Nutritional Track (Sears Parenting Library) (Paperback)

Are your kids junk food kids?

Dr. William Sears, a well known pediatrician, has written a book with his wife and two sons (themselves doctors) about getting your kids to eat healthier. He admits that raising healthy kids is getting harder and harder to do. These days, there are fast food restaurants everywhere, school lunches frequently have junk food as a part of the meal, and there is an overabundance of trans-fats and high risk sweeteners in the snacks and foods targeted at children. More and more kids are being diagnosed with illnesses like A.D.D., diabetes, cholesterol imbalances, and being overweight at an early age. These are situations that can be linked directly to the foods that children are eating.

The book is broken down into chapters that first identify good foods and then explain how and why these choices can boost a person's immunity. Another chapter focuses on how to make changes that will result in your children craving healthy foods, not junk, and one that shouldn't be missed talks about how to go shopping with young children and still come home with healthy foods instead of attractively-packaged junk. There are also answers to many nutritional questions that parents may have and a section with kid friendly recipes.

This book is written in a tone that sounds helpful without being preachy. It helps parents learn how to plan meals and snacks that will instill healthy eating habits that will carry over into adulthood. Dr. Sears is able to share with his readers the knowledge and experience that his family has gained throughout the years, and his sons are proof that his methods work. He uses examples of real families throughout the book along with some very helpful advice for both parents and children.

I found the book to be a great reference guide to how different foods help or hinder our health. I especially loved the chapters that broke down the "grow foods" or super foods for kids. They show us why the super foods are super for our children (and us as well) and give us ways to include these foods in our daily eating to maximize their importance to growth and general heath. Most of what was explained should be common sense to the caring parent, however it was great to see Dr. Sears' advice on what to look for when reading labels, and which vitamins are good to give your children in supplement form to enhance what they should be getting through food. The charts breaking down how much of a mineral you need each day (example iron, and calcium) and the best food sources for those minerals were extremely helpful. This is a book that will be helpful for those parents determined to raise their children as healthily as they can. Whether it is from their child's first solid food stage or as an older child that is slowly having his food choices changed from "junk food" to "pure food".

33 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Informative, but overzealous, April 13, 2007

By 

Shannon In Cali "Book Addict" (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood: Ten Ways to Get Your Family on the Right Nutritional Track (Sears Parenting Library) (Paperback)

The Good
The book has a lot of really good info as far as good carbs vs. bad carbs, good fats vs. bad fats, and so on. Also has good ideas on how to slip healthier foods into your family's diets without them fighting.

The Bad
The author's obsession with wild salmon (seriously, is he being paid by the Alaskan fishing industry?) and organic foods can make you feel like if you're not buying all organic, and serving wild salmon every night, you're guilty of child abuse. His assumption that everyone can afford organics if we'd just give up our "$4 coffee drinks" is wrong, although since his pediatric practice is in a fairly well-to-do area of California, I can see why he might not have a realistic perspective on the food budget of the average family. Book can get a bit repetitive - you don't just learn about the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, you learn about them over and over in each chapter. You'll find yourself skimming through repetitive parts, and the parts that get heavy into science.

The Verdict
Worth getting from the library for some good snack ideas and comparisons on the merits of various foods. Not a book that's realistic for the average family to live by, and don't let Dr. Sears make you feel like a bad parent for not following his dictates.