Customer Reviews

Organic Baby & Toddler Cookbook (DK Organic)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I was excited to find an organic cookbook for babies and toddlers, hoping to find some new inspiration and/or healthful recipes for my 3 kids (all under the age of 4). I did glean a few new healthy ideas from this cookbook, but was really surprised about some of the things suggested to feed a 4 to 7 month old baby. For example, I can't wait to try the hummus recipe for my 4 year old and 22 month old. The recipe isn't that original in any way, it's more that I hadn't thought about making hummus in awhile. But, one of the first recipes suggested to make in the 4 ot 7 month old category is a rice cereal with raspberries and strawberries. For a baby that young?? Yet, off to the side there is a note saying something about needing to remove all seeds from fruits because babies at this age cannot process seeds comfortably since they are so young. I don't know many moms willing to pick the seeds off of strawberries. Most of the recipes for young babies contain multiple ingredients, including olive oil, oregano or other spices and I have always read/heard that you introduce one food at a time using the 4 day wait rule in case of allergies. Much of the same is found throughout this age category of recipes.

There is quite a bit of information about organic food and the pros of feeding it to your children, which is great, however overall I don't feel like the author has a really good feel for what kids should be eating at what age. And it seemed like there were so many recipes for an oatmeal or rice breakfast, all with very little variation.

So if you're looking for a book to go by age and appropriate ingredients, try Ruth Yaron's Super Baby Food. If you are looking for a book with a few recipes for your toddler or preschooler, this is an ok choice. The one thing that is very consistent is that the measurements for each recipe tell you how to make just a tiny amount needed to feed your little one.

I think every food book tells you something different on the subject of nutrition, and you can add this one to that list. I think it would be impossible for any author to keep current every piece of advice the 'experts' in America dish out. As a British author you can bet she didn't even consult them. Nor should she have. I find it interesting that many of the reviewers didn't even consider that fact in their reviews.

Don't expect to find recipes to make hamburgers, fries, chicken fingers, or fish sticks. Instead you'll find fish cakes, lamb, and the best meatballs I've ever tasted that incorporate chopped mushrooms into the mix. Day out cakes are great. Fruit bars are fantastic. Shreaded apple and orange breakfast is tasty. Expect to find ideas in here that are outside the box of typical American kid cusine. And why might that be? Because the author is a Brit. Yes, some of the recipes do require a little effort, but the results have been well worth it.

If you're looking for a book on how to make baby puree, you'll find a few ideas here but not a complete chapter. If you're looking for parenting advice or a breastfeeding advocate or recipes for the run-of-the-mill fare.. this isn't the book for you. And especially to those looking for a complete nutritional resourse for infants and children.. this isn't the book for you. I've never expected those things from a cookbook and neither should you.

Buy this book as a fantastic addition to the nutrition guides you already have on your shelf and ignore those pages of this book.

First off, this cookbook does contain some wonderful recipes for babies and toddlers which are easy and quick to prepare and are very nutritious. However, like other reviewers below, I too take exception to the poor advice given regarding breastfeeding and the nutritional importance of breastmilk. In the introduction the author writes, "I believe there is nothing more important than the quality of the food that we feed our children - their development, health, and happiness depend on it... always use organic ingredients... always use natural ingredients... keep sugar and processed ingredients out of your child's diet for as long as possible." One chapter is entitled, "As Nature Intended".A quote by the author on the back of the book states, "There should be no compromise in what we feed our children." But unfortunately she does not seem to apply any of these principles to what we feed them before they eat solid food. Rather than advising a mother returning to work to pump her breastmilk for her baby, she tells her to switch to formula! Now which is more "natural, organic, and unprocessed", fresh human milk or prepackaged formula? She further states in the first recipe section that "breast or formula milk is the only suitable food during the first four months. After this, your baby needs some solid food in her diet... By four to seven months of age milk alone no longer meets her body's demands for nutrition and energy as she grows." I don't know where she got this information, but it is complete nonsense. First, formula is NOT on a par with breastmilk in terms of "suitability". It is a poor substitute which should only be used by those unable to produce milk of their own. Second, a baby absolutely does not NEED other foods at four months of age, or even at seven. Some babies will want food at four months, others not for a lot longer. My daughter was not interested in solid food until she was eight months old. Breast milk is perfectly sufficient to sustain thriving babies up to a year old with no supplementation. Even at a year, most babies should still be receiving the bulk of their calories from breastmilk, and contrary to the author's advice, breastmilk should be given BEFORE solid food to ensure the infant is receiving the correct fats and cholesterol s/he needs to grow and develop properly. My daughter is now 11 months old and is still about 80% breastfed, and she is certainly not suffering for lack of nutrition -- in fact she is the same size as many 2-year-olds we see around here (22.5lb and 30in, not fat by any means but strong and sturdy).
My other issue is with her treatment of bread. For someone who is so zealous for healthy food, I am at a loss as to why she would promote white bread for young children. She includes a few bread recipes using "brown or white" flour, and states, "Toddlers sometimes prefer simple white bread. Do not get into a battle if that is your child's choice; respect your child's wishes and try something new a month or two later." This is just bad advice. Refined white flour, like refined white sugar and refined white salt, is basically a slow poison. Better advice would be to never even introduce white bread into the child's diet at all; the child can't "prefer" or "choose" what isn't there.
One last caveat: in her "Fresh and Fruity Shakes" recipe she writes, "... rice, soy, and follow-up milks may be substituted", and in the appendices on vegetarianism she also recommends tofu and soy protein. Although soy is high in protein and is a popular milk and meat substitute, recent research indicates it is NOT suitable for infants and children. It contains phytoestrogens which can negatively affect thyroid function, the endocrine system and growth/sex hormones. If a milk substitute is desired, please give your children rice or nut milk instead. If a meat substitute is wanted, it is better to use tempeh instead of tofu as the fermentation reduces the levels of harmful toxins and also increases the good things such as protein content.
Overall, besides the aforementioned exceptions, the recipes in this book are excellent, and as an added bonus there is also a handy seasonal produce chart in the back to guide you in your grocery selections.

*Update*
Regardless of the author's nationality, there is no excuse for not using current information when dishing out nutritional advice for babies. If you do not intend to check with the most authoritative, trusted sources for the most up-to-date recommendations, then you should refrain from offering breastfeeding and weaning advice and stick to recipes. The author of this book has taken it upon herself to dispense breastfeeding and weaning advice, and she therefore has a responsibility to get it right. La Leche League is recognized as the world's foremost authority on all things breastfeeding and is an international organization, not just American. There is no reason the author couldn't have used LLL as an information resource when discussing breastfeeding; yet almost everything she writes on the subject is contradicted by LLL's massive store of wisdom. The plain and obvious truth of the matter is that the author has simply regurgitated archaic, out-of-date info she probably obtained from an old M.D. who hasn't cracked a journal to read up on new developments since he finished medical school 30 years ago.
The reason people "draw the line" at breastfeeding/formula-feeding is precisely that it is NOT just another "lifestyle" or "parenting" choice, no matter how much it is presented that way by the formula companies. Choosing to feed a baby an artificial food not of its biological adaptation, just because it's more convenient, has lifelong consequences for that child, including potentially devastating health problems. This is well-documented, not mere conjecture or propaganda. Saying formula-feeding by choice is a valid option is like saying smoking heavily around your baby is a valid option, and what the heck right does anyone have to tell you otherwise. Meaning, it is about the baby's health, i.e. the future health of an adult, and that if you bring a child into this world, you ought to at least have the grace to feed it properly if you possibly can. A baby's biology expects human breastmilk; that is its birthright, in the truest sense of the word. It is a HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE. The basic right of the child to retain its optimal health overrides any consideration of mere "convenience" for the parents (and i would venture to say that anyone who isn't prepared to sacrifice a little for the sake of their child isn't ready to be a parent anyway).
If you think people blow the whole breast-feeding/formula-feeding thing out of proportion, then you don't understand the gravity of the issues involved. I recommend you do what this author didn't do, and read up on the latest information.

This is a gorgeous cookbook and looks to have some yummy recipes but it doesn't have much information in it about preparing your own baby food. ORGANIC BABY would be best to supplement other baby food cookbooks or for someone planning on preparing only occassional meals for the infant/toddler.

The recipes are good recipes in themselves, but the advice that Lizzie Vann gives in regards to WHEN to feed certain foods (i.e. a recipe with cheddar cheese in it in the 4-7 month chapter) and her apparent attitude towards breastmilk are both HORRID.

Many of the recipes in the 4-7 month chapter are not appropriate for a child under 1 year of age!

Her recommendations on foods are contrary to much of the advice given by the AAP - i.e. she recommends cheese between 4-7 months while the APP recommends no dairy products before 9 months, she recommends strawberries between 8-10 months while the APP recommends no strawberries before 1 year.

Her advice regarding switching to formula a few weeks before going back to work is heinous. While that is certainly a valid option, the option of expressing breastmilk while at work should have also been presented in equal light.

I am so dissapointed in this book, that I am returning it.

I liked the idea. I was drawn to it because of the title and thought it would give me good ideas for healthful food for my little one. It didn't.
I have a very picky eater (14 months) and thought this book would give me ideas for new healthy foods to give her, but I must admit, cooking that intricately for a child who tasted it and was not in the least interested is not how I wish to spend my time as a mom. Better to feed her off of my healthy plate. I'd rather cook a meal big enough for the both of us that at least one of us will eat! Maybe in a year or two the recipes for older children will be more successful.
Also, I ate a few of the dishes(since good organic food shouldn't go to waste!) and they really weren't that impressive to me either. And I am far from picky!
The discussion on organic importance was interesting and well written. However, I have already chosen to do as much organic food as I can afford, so it wasn't what I was looking for in the book.
Finally, she talks about weaning a breastfed child as you introduce solids, which is ridiculous. It outlines a weaning process, which just doesn't have a place in the book.

First let me say that there are MANY great sections on nutrition and how to feed your baby/toddler well with wonderful organic foods. Also, the recipes are excellent and my son has enjoyed almost all of the dishes I have made from this book. In some cases the portion sizes and methods are a bit impractical, but she includes prep/cook times and serving suggestions.
The first recipe I decided to make for my son was a pasta dish (I bought this book when he was over a year old), and when I looked at the ingredients I realized it was for a SINGLE serving (for a 10 month old). So,I have just decided to make larger portions and freeze some of the leftovers.

This is an easy to read book with fabulous pictures of very delicious foods. This book is a good resource for nutritious meals for your children. However, Ms. Vann gives poor information on the most important first food for children- breast milk. Her information on weaning is on the page for 4 to 7 month old babies, which implies this is when they should be weaned. A question is posed to her in this book. A mother is asking if she should switch from breastmilk to formula when she returns to work. Ms. Vann says she should switch BEFORE she returns to work. For a book so concerned with optimum nutrition, one would think that she would place more importance on the necessity of breastmilk as the most important basis for health, rather than declaring organic foods to be above this. She also states that food should be given before breastmilk to set children up for healthy eating habits. Breastmilk, in fact, should be the only source of nutrition for the first 6 months, and supplemental foods should compliment this thereafter for the first year.
The author also does not seem to be well informed of the optimal length breastfeeding should continue. The World Health Organization along with UNICEF recommmends that breastfeeding continue to age two and beyond. Ms. Vann mentions some cultures breastfeed for this long only when there is inadequate food available.
This book has some useful recipes but I would not recommend it to anyone based on the poor information on breastfeeding. After all, a babies FIRST food has the biggest impact on a child's health!

Like most books published by Dorling & Kindersley this book is a pleasure to read because of the high quality paper and plenty of colour photographs. It is well written and clearly explains the importance of organic food for babies and toddlers. There are many recipes that are original and creative, not just the standard baby food you'd expect. The only thing that was disappointing is that the book did not contain more recipes.

I've been making all of my daughter's baby food since she began eating solids and this is one of the two cookbooks I use regularly. She has loved everything I have made out of it - the pasta dishes are her favorite. She also loves the oatmeal and fruit breakfasts which are very easy to make. Each recipe also gives storage information. My only complaint is that she doesn't suggest waiting a few days between introducing new foods (her recipe for first veggies has about 5 different vegetables). This has been a great help in feeding my daughter healthy food. We still use jars sometimes but most of the time we pull this book out.