The ultimate parents' guide to baby and child nutrition, featuring delicious, optimally healthy baby and toddler foods, from the family who founded the Mommy Made line of premium baby food. Also tackles problem areas like food allergies and difficult eaters.
Mommy Made and Daddy Too!
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From the Inside Flap
Everyone loves a home-cooked meal--even babies and toddlers! Experts agree that homemade baby food is the healthiest way to feed young children. By making their own baby food, parents can drastically reduce the sugar, salt, artificial colors, fillers, additives, and preservatives in their child's diet. And now making baby food from scratch has never been easier--with this practical, user-friendly cookbook by Martha and David Kimmel, founders of the phenomenally successful Mommy Made* line of baby and toddler food.
Updated for a special 10th anniversary edition, Mommy Made* is filled with 140 easy-to-make recipes that are perfect for introducing your baby to wholesome solid foods. These delicious, kid-tested dishes--which include finger foods, shakes and smoothies, snacks on the go, spoonable treats, and a variety of table dishes--were created with your baby's special nutritional needs in mind, and will help your child establish healthful eating habits that will last a lifetime.
Mommy Made* also includes:
Nutrition advice from birth to three years--incorporating guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics
A blueprint for when and how to get your baby started on solid food
Answers to parents' most frequently asked questions: from milk and protein needs to determining portion size, preventing "hunger strikes," and detecting food allergies
Tips on pureeing, straining, and mashing, as well as storage, thawing and reheating, and using the microwave
A handy nutrition glossary, food pyramid, and list of helpful websites
And much more! --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Updated for a special 10th anniversary edition, Mommy Made* is filled with 140 easy-to-make recipes that are perfect for introducing your baby to wholesome solid foods. These delicious, kid-tested dishes--which include finger foods, shakes and smoothies, snacks on the go, spoonable treats, and a variety of table dishes--were created with your baby's special nutritional needs in mind, and will help your child establish healthful eating habits that will last a lifetime.
Mommy Made* also includes:
Nutrition advice from birth to three years--incorporating guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics
A blueprint for when and how to get your baby started on solid food
Answers to parents' most frequently asked questions: from milk and protein needs to determining portion size, preventing "hunger strikes," and detecting food allergies
Tips on pureeing, straining, and mashing, as well as storage, thawing and reheating, and using the microwave
A handy nutrition glossary, food pyramid, and list of helpful websites
And much more! --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The First Six Months
Feeding our children is where our parenting begins. From infancy on, food becomes a significant form of communicating and nurturing. When your infant cries, you run to comfort her with food. In this way she gains her first sense of relief and well-being. At the same time her hunger is being satiated, she is held, cooed to, and stroked. In this way food starts to represent security and love. Later in life food plays a central part in social gatherings, is shared on special holidays, and at times of celebration and mourning, or simply accompanies the daily ritual around the kitchen table when family business is discussed.
Mealtime is one of the richest family experiences you can share with your child. It is especially important in helping her develop healthy attitudes about nutritious foods and learn proper table manners, politeness, and respect for others. These early, positive experiences will have a tremendous impact on your child's future development.
"In psychoanalytic terms, Food and Mother mean the same thing," says Dr. Charles Clegg, a nationally prominent psychiatrist with the U.S.C. School of Medicine, specializing in eating disorders in children and adults. "And eating disorders can begin very early in life and most often do."
Today's working mother is often faced with leaving her child at a very early age. Six weeks is the national average. It is very important for parents to find a nurturing replacement for mother, Dr. Clegg explains. Babies who are cared for by adults who do not hold or touch them, except while feeding them, can wrongly teach baby that eating relieves not just hunger but also anger, depression, anxiety, and loneliness, a pattern that can lead to obesity later in life. Overeating and obesity are usually psychological problems, Dr. Clegg confirms. "Most overeaters do so because their good memories about life's experiences are surrounded by food." The best way to instill in your child a healthy attitude toward food is to spend quality time with her, holding her, playing with her--in short, simply loving her. Food should be a great pleasure, but it shouldn't answer emotional needs.
BREAST OR BOTTLE?
While you may not get much sleep from your child's birth to age six months, you have it easy concerning food choices. The breast, the bottle, or a combination of the two are the only choices of nourishment for your baby until he begins to eat solid foods. (Solid foods are best introduced between baby's fourth- and sixth-month birthday.)
The decision is usually made during pregnancy, which is also the right time to start thinking about your own attitude toward feeding your children. Of course, there's flexibility in these decisions--above all, it has to work for you and your family--but what's done in the beginning can be hard to undo. So now is the time to decide on your philosophy. The very first decision, breast or bottle, is the first step in establishing your own food philosophy.
BREAST MILK
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, breast milk is the ideal food for infants because of its nutritional composition. Babies who are breast-fed are at reduced risk for ear infections and severe diarrhea. In addition, there is some evidence that for mothers, breast-feeding reduces certain types of cancer and may prevent hip fractures later in life. As a result, most pediatricians urge expectant mothers to breast-feed.
There is also strong evidence that breast milk can strengthen a baby's developing immune system. Breast milk has no curds and is therefore very digestible and never activates allergies, an important consideration if there is a strong allergy history in your family. While breast milk may not prevent your infant from having allergies, it can possibly delay their onset and minimize the severity of their symptoms.
FOR EVERY ACTION THERE'S A REACTION
Experts agree that during the months of breast-feeding, everything you consume will come through your breast milk. Timing of what you eat is as important as what you eat. Use your head with whatever you decide to consume, keeping in mind that your lunch will be your baby's dinner.
Alcohol, for example, is the most rapidly metabolized drug. It will enter your bloodstream and move through your milk very quickly. A cocktail glass of wine will have very little effect, if any, on your baby if consumed after feeding, and the blows will be further softened if the drink is consumed with food. The same goes for caffeine. Spread your intake--two to three cups of coffee or tea a day--over the course of the day and consume it only after feeding your baby.
When breast-feeding, vitamin and mineral supplements you take may not agree with your baby. If you are supplementing your iron to combat post-partum fatigue, we suggest that instead of popping an iron-fortified vitamin capsule, you eat iron-rich foods together with foods that are high in vitamin C, which aids the body's ability to absorb iron. (See vitamin and mineral information, page 46.)
NATURE'S SUPPLY AND DEMAND
Many first-time moms who are breast-feeding ask: "Is my baby getting enough to eat? He seems to be on a feeding frenzy and can't nurse often enough." Many of these moms erroneously feel that they are not producing enough milk. On the contrary, these "feeding frenzies" often coincide with baby's many growth spurts. The first one often occurs right around baby's two-week birthday, and subsequent spurts most often occur at six weeks, three months, and six months. (Of course, your baby may not fit this schedule perfectly.) The more your baby nurses, the more milk you will produce, so you need not worry about your baby's food supply. If it's more milk that the baby wants, take advantage of the situation and express the extra milk to use later. During growth spurts, your baby may demand feedings every two hours for a few days straight. Your body will adjust by producing what your baby needs. It's nature's way of producing the supply to satisfy the demand.
THE BOTTLE AND FORMULA
If you've decided that breast-feeding simply won't work for your lifestyle, you can feel very confident in offering your baby a formula that your doctor recommends. Your baby will thrive, and his well-being will not be compromised on regular formula. Most regular formulas are based on cow's milk. But plain cow's milk should never be given to a baby under one year of age. And under no circumstances should a baby be given goat's milk (See information on milk allergies and intolerances, pages 24-25.)
Your baby can, however, be sensitive or allergic to formula. It may, for example, surprise you that corn syrup solids are commonly used in many infant formulas, considering that corn is number three on the list of common allergy-producing foods that cause sensitivity in infants (cow's milk is number one). (See Common Allergy-Producing Foods, page 24.) If you suspect your baby needs a formula change--diarrhea, irritability, crying, and rashes are some symptoms--discuss your observations with your doctor. There is no reason in the world why you can't play what one mom called "the formula-changing game" with your baby. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Feeding our children is where our parenting begins. From infancy on, food becomes a significant form of communicating and nurturing. When your infant cries, you run to comfort her with food. In this way she gains her first sense of relief and well-being. At the same time her hunger is being satiated, she is held, cooed to, and stroked. In this way food starts to represent security and love. Later in life food plays a central part in social gatherings, is shared on special holidays, and at times of celebration and mourning, or simply accompanies the daily ritual around the kitchen table when family business is discussed.
Mealtime is one of the richest family experiences you can share with your child. It is especially important in helping her develop healthy attitudes about nutritious foods and learn proper table manners, politeness, and respect for others. These early, positive experiences will have a tremendous impact on your child's future development.
"In psychoanalytic terms, Food and Mother mean the same thing," says Dr. Charles Clegg, a nationally prominent psychiatrist with the U.S.C. School of Medicine, specializing in eating disorders in children and adults. "And eating disorders can begin very early in life and most often do."
Today's working mother is often faced with leaving her child at a very early age. Six weeks is the national average. It is very important for parents to find a nurturing replacement for mother, Dr. Clegg explains. Babies who are cared for by adults who do not hold or touch them, except while feeding them, can wrongly teach baby that eating relieves not just hunger but also anger, depression, anxiety, and loneliness, a pattern that can lead to obesity later in life. Overeating and obesity are usually psychological problems, Dr. Clegg confirms. "Most overeaters do so because their good memories about life's experiences are surrounded by food." The best way to instill in your child a healthy attitude toward food is to spend quality time with her, holding her, playing with her--in short, simply loving her. Food should be a great pleasure, but it shouldn't answer emotional needs.
BREAST OR BOTTLE?
While you may not get much sleep from your child's birth to age six months, you have it easy concerning food choices. The breast, the bottle, or a combination of the two are the only choices of nourishment for your baby until he begins to eat solid foods. (Solid foods are best introduced between baby's fourth- and sixth-month birthday.)
The decision is usually made during pregnancy, which is also the right time to start thinking about your own attitude toward feeding your children. Of course, there's flexibility in these decisions--above all, it has to work for you and your family--but what's done in the beginning can be hard to undo. So now is the time to decide on your philosophy. The very first decision, breast or bottle, is the first step in establishing your own food philosophy.
BREAST MILK
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, breast milk is the ideal food for infants because of its nutritional composition. Babies who are breast-fed are at reduced risk for ear infections and severe diarrhea. In addition, there is some evidence that for mothers, breast-feeding reduces certain types of cancer and may prevent hip fractures later in life. As a result, most pediatricians urge expectant mothers to breast-feed.
There is also strong evidence that breast milk can strengthen a baby's developing immune system. Breast milk has no curds and is therefore very digestible and never activates allergies, an important consideration if there is a strong allergy history in your family. While breast milk may not prevent your infant from having allergies, it can possibly delay their onset and minimize the severity of their symptoms.
FOR EVERY ACTION THERE'S A REACTION
Experts agree that during the months of breast-feeding, everything you consume will come through your breast milk. Timing of what you eat is as important as what you eat. Use your head with whatever you decide to consume, keeping in mind that your lunch will be your baby's dinner.
Alcohol, for example, is the most rapidly metabolized drug. It will enter your bloodstream and move through your milk very quickly. A cocktail glass of wine will have very little effect, if any, on your baby if consumed after feeding, and the blows will be further softened if the drink is consumed with food. The same goes for caffeine. Spread your intake--two to three cups of coffee or tea a day--over the course of the day and consume it only after feeding your baby.
When breast-feeding, vitamin and mineral supplements you take may not agree with your baby. If you are supplementing your iron to combat post-partum fatigue, we suggest that instead of popping an iron-fortified vitamin capsule, you eat iron-rich foods together with foods that are high in vitamin C, which aids the body's ability to absorb iron. (See vitamin and mineral information, page 46.)
NATURE'S SUPPLY AND DEMAND
Many first-time moms who are breast-feeding ask: "Is my baby getting enough to eat? He seems to be on a feeding frenzy and can't nurse often enough." Many of these moms erroneously feel that they are not producing enough milk. On the contrary, these "feeding frenzies" often coincide with baby's many growth spurts. The first one often occurs right around baby's two-week birthday, and subsequent spurts most often occur at six weeks, three months, and six months. (Of course, your baby may not fit this schedule perfectly.) The more your baby nurses, the more milk you will produce, so you need not worry about your baby's food supply. If it's more milk that the baby wants, take advantage of the situation and express the extra milk to use later. During growth spurts, your baby may demand feedings every two hours for a few days straight. Your body will adjust by producing what your baby needs. It's nature's way of producing the supply to satisfy the demand.
THE BOTTLE AND FORMULA
If you've decided that breast-feeding simply won't work for your lifestyle, you can feel very confident in offering your baby a formula that your doctor recommends. Your baby will thrive, and his well-being will not be compromised on regular formula. Most regular formulas are based on cow's milk. But plain cow's milk should never be given to a baby under one year of age. And under no circumstances should a baby be given goat's milk (See information on milk allergies and intolerances, pages 24-25.)
Your baby can, however, be sensitive or allergic to formula. It may, for example, surprise you that corn syrup solids are commonly used in many infant formulas, considering that corn is number three on the list of common allergy-producing foods that cause sensitivity in infants (cow's milk is number one). (See Common Allergy-Producing Foods, page 24.) If you suspect your baby needs a formula change--diarrhea, irritability, crying, and rashes are some symptoms--discuss your observations with your doctor. There is no reason in the world why you can't play what one mom called "the formula-changing game" with your baby. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better book than "Super Baby Food",
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Mommy Made and Daddy Too! (Revised): Home Cooking for a Healthy Baby & Toddler (Paperback)
"Super Baby Food" has it's strong points but the recipes are a bit to froo-froo for my taste and they seem to go to the vegetarian extreme. "Mommy Made" however, contains great basic recipes that anyone with a steamer and blender can make. The author is very informative about introducing new foods to your baby and provides a timeline as to when you should introduce them. The receipes are not grouped by age but by food (ie fruits, vegetables, meats, etc) however, if you look carefully at the sidebar notes that the author makes, you will notice that she puts them in order within each category. For instance, applesauce is the first food listed and is therefore one of your baby's first foods. Make sure to read the sidebars as you go so that you can tell what foods are appropriate to introduce at what age. I do agree with another reviewer that there could be more information on how to freeze and store the prepared food but that is a minor detail and just about anyone can figure it out on their own. This is a great book that you can use over and over. I highly suggest it!
98 of 105 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Book for new parents/beginner cooks,
By "Dory" (Sunny CA.) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Mommy Made and Daddy Too! (Revised): Home Cooking for a Healthy Baby & Toddler (Paperback)
I was anticipating a book filled with helpful hints on how to manage cooking and storing baby food. But if you know how to steam fruits and vegtables, you know about half of what the book covers. There is one paragraph on how to store frozen food. I was more interested in, how to store bananas for example, whole, mashed, pureed? Alot of basic info given on when to wean from breast or bottle (this does not pertain to cooking in my opinion). So save some money and just steam your foods and puree them for baby. When your toddler gets ready for finger foods, use your common sense and give them what you eat and expose them to lots of different tastes in a systematic way. It does mention the "no-no" foods like grapes, sugar, salt, peanuts and honey, but again I received most of this info from their doctor anyway. As a side note, the outdated cover and lack of photos does not entice me in any way to completely read this book. Recipes would have been more organized had they been listed in order like 4-6 months, 6-9 months...instead they are listed in categories.
32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Takes the fear out of making your own baby food,
By A Customer
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Mommy Made and Daddy Too! (Revised): Home Cooking for a Healthy Baby & Toddler (Paperback)
I bought this book with Ruth Yaron's Super Baby Food book several months ago, and while the Yaron book is in mint condition from lack of use, this one is dog-eared and stained with pureed squash, peas, and apples.This book has a wonderful approach and gives great guidelines for preparing your own baby food. It's really very easy to do and doesn't take much time at all. I love knowing what my baby is eating and not being afraid to try to the food I'm giving him. We still have the jars of food for when we go out, but primarily he gets fresh fruits and veggies that I steamed & pureed myself. My husband was a little skeptical of my making our own baby food at first, but now he is a big fan. It is incredibly easy for him to take a couple of cubes out of the freezer, defrost & feed to our son (I make a batch and freeze them in ice cube trays, then put them in labeled freezer bags). Plus, unlike the jarred food, you don't have to worry about opening a jar & using it within 2 or 3 days; you can just defrost a cube at a time. It's also very cost-efficient to make your own baby food because whereas a jar of carrots may cost $$$ (if you get the organic kind), you can make the equivalent of 7 or 8 jars for less than $$$. One big difference we noticed was in the peas -- I bought an emergency jar of organic peas and it was a slimy olive green color (my friend's baby wouldn't touch the stuff). I then made my own from a bag of frozen organic peas and they came out bright green -- like they should be. And they're a thicker consistency that my son appreciates. Another difference we noted was in the squash- the jarred kind smells faintly of cinnamon. Supposedly it's just squash & water, but when I made my own it didn't smell that way. I don't 100% trust what's in the jarred foods. We tried one of the vegetable blends of jarred food and my son got a rash. So far he hasn't had any reaction to the fresh foods, though. I can't recommend this book enough! My son is 8 months old and I typically use this book 2 or 3 times a week -- even just to look for what new foods to give him. There are handy sidebars that list when you can start your baby on the food (e.g., primary puree, 7 months, 10 months, etc.) and things you can do later to make it into a toddler food. I only have one very, very small complaint about this book (not enough to decrease my rating): in the introduction area of the book it says to be careful when selecting carrots to cook because in some areas of the country the nitrates in the soil are high, so make sure to get carrots that are grown in low-nitrate soil. However, in the carrot-recipe section of the book, it doesn't say anything about the nitrates. Personally, I think it would have been helpful to reiterate the warning in the recipe section. But that's the only complaint in the whole book that I have and it's a minor one.
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