Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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".

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.

Here are the most important pros and cons to this book:

PRO:
- Many lists teach about "good" and "bad" foods for certain minerals, vitamins, brain growth, cancer prevention etc.
- Special discussion of the primary superfoods and the primary bad foods to look out for.
- Good discussion of what happens in the body as a result of food choices.
- Very informative and eye-opening section on food labels.
- Authorative writing style that effectively persuades the reader that making good food choices is both important and achieveable.
- Chapters on how to get your whole family to eat healthily and stay lean.
- Yummy recipes. The smoothy in particular tastes great and really gives you the energy boost it promises, even though the ingredients list seems long and somewhat unusual.

CON:
- In many instances, highly judmental. Families who stick to this diet are called "pure kids" and "pure parents". (I just don't like the implications that not following the Sears way makes you "impure").
- In typical Sears fashion, the world is black and white. As mentioned above, there are the Pure Kids (PK) and then there is the other group, the Junk Food Kids (JFK). In my experience, most people fall somewhere in the middle. And I don't know anybody who feeds their kids ONLY junk.
- A lot of the information in this book can be found in the Sears' previous book (Family Nutrition Book), which is more thorough, if a little outdated.
- Some of the research seems questionable and there is no reference guide.

VERDICT:
I used to eat a fairly balanced diet, but have made a good number of ajustments as a result of reading this book. As my baby (8 months) progresses in his mastery of solids, this book's suggestions will have a major impact on what I'll introduce to him. However, I don't follow the book to the letter.

This is one of the most tattered of all my books in my parenting library. I find myself constantly referencing it. I loved my copy of The Baby Book by the Sears and so I decided to read this. I was lucky enough to read it right when my son was starting solids, and have been able to put him on a healthy eating path due to its recommendations. People are amazed at the "Super grow foods" he eats happily now in his 2s. When I go over to friends' houses for dinner parties they can't wait to see what I will bring along to feed my son, which is always followed by I can't believe thats and wows as they struggle to get their toddlers to eat anything but processed foods or sugary snacks. I am very thankful to of read this when I did, and feel really positively about the changes it has made in our lives to help our children and us eat healthier. I plan to start my now infant right along these lines. I continue to research healthy eating for my family and this book has been a great jumping off point for that. I have no problems with the organic recommendations and his views on fish.

This book is easy to read, but it is important to first read the initial 15-20 pages in order to understand the healthy philosophy behind this book. It is a useful guide to good nutrition for everyone, teachers, parents, grandparents and any person who want to improve their health. Even if you don't intend to follow all the advice, you can improve your and/or your family's eating habits significantly. The book doesn't preach yet the message comes through loud and clear, you can shape your kids desire for healthy food by teaching them to be aware, their gut feeling, when eating healthy food compared to junk food.

This was the best nutrition book for not just kids, but everyone! Dr. Sears explains how certain foods effect our bodies down to the molecular level and it is all done in a way that is easy to understand. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in their health.

I first read this book from our local library. Loved it so much - I bought it as a reference. It is packed with life changing easy to read information to improve your and your family's food habits. A good portion of American health problems stems from our use of processed and trans fat laden foods. What can we do to make changes to give our families a better chance at life? We do not have to buy and feed our families this junk! Read the book to learn how to reverse damage and improve your and your family's health. Your gut will thank you. Behaviors will improve or will be eliminated in ADD children by improving nutrition. Read for scientific basis.
Debunking fad diets Dr. Sears (with support from many other Dr. Sears), informs reader of a healthy life change of eating. This does not mean removing the joy of eating. But it does offer ways to reduce risk of cancer, diabetes etc. This book also includes 11 ways to feed growing brains - a must for all parents! Very good informative reading!! Thank you Dr. Sears and family! Happy reading.

Dr. sears is a great man and has ALOT of info. but his books seem to all be the same... good book though. I also got his family nutrition book and most of the info overlapped...

This is a wonderful book. Every parent must purchase this. Unfortunately not enough of us are educated on nutrition and this book does a wonderful job explaining it. Maybe more of us would be healthier if everyone knew all this info.